Natural Sciences
The programme is designed with the following objectives:
- Provide a systemic understanding of nature as well as robust practical experience in applying the scientific method to analyse biological components, their mutual interactions and their interactions with the chemical and physical environment;
- Prepare graduates that are able to study the biotic and abiotic components of the natural world, as well as their interactions. The degree programme notably covers a highly cross-disciplinary range of topics, from biology to geology and geography, including fundamentals of mathematics, chemistry and physics;
- Prepare graduates that are able to work in a team as well as autonomously, and to smoothly integrate in any work environment;
- Prepare graduates that are able to use at least one language of the European Union other than Italian in their specific field of expertise and for general communication;
- Provide graduates with the necessary tools to access further educational and personal development opportunities, including teaching-oriented Master's degree programmes.
The degree programme requires students to gain oral and written proficiency in English.
Students will also become skilled in processing naturalistic data using mathematical and statistical techniques applicable to biotic and abiotic contexts. Moreover, they will acquire skills to identify living organisms, substrate types and landforms, to plan protocols and experimental procedures, and to properly write reports in different areas of natural sciences, such as surveys and analyses of the flora, fauna and morphology of the land or, more generally, methodological and experimental procedures for a cross-disciplinary study of organisms, the present environment and the geological past. Graduates will be able to autonomously assess and interpret experimental data, to choose the appropriate techniques for the analysis of environmental and natural components, as well as to apply the principles of professional ethics and a scientific approach to bioethical issues. Moreover, graduates will acquire verbal and written communication skills to be able to address both experts in the field and the general public, using the appropriate language register according to the different circumstances.
Graduates will also be able to perform professional and technical-operational tasks for the management of natural systems and agri-ecosystems, and take on management and technical assistance roles in parks and natural reserves, farms and cooperatives, as well as in public administrations, research entities and private companies involved in the management and recovery of the territory and its resources.
Graduates will be able to identify protocols and analytical methods to plan laboratory tests and will be familiar with the most common analysis techniques for the characterisation of natural materials. These activities may be undertaken at research centres and public and private analysis laboratories of the agri-food, environmental and pharmaceutical sectors.
Graduates will be able to provide support for the protection of cultural, botanical, zoological, palaeontological and geo-archaeological heritage, and to enhance collections and natural and cultural resources. To this end, they may work at science museums, botanical gardens, teaching and dissemination centres, research entities and private companies involved in the management of cultural and natural heritage.
Finally, graduates will be able to: disseminate knowledge regarding current ecosystems and ecosystems of the geological past; promote environmental education in schools; set up exhibitions on nature; raise awareness on sustainable development. Employment opportunities for this kind of activities are to be found in museums, parks, schools, publishers, public administrations, research entities and private companies active in knowledge dissemination and ecosystems management and protection.
Professional profiles
Expert in the collection and monitoring of naturalistic data
Job function: to collect data on the field; to produce thematic cartography; to classify, analyse and monitor biotic and abiotic components of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Professional skills: ability to fulfil professional and technical-operational tasks so as to cooperate in the identification and classification of processes and phenomena that had, or are having, an impact on the territory; data collection skills, data storage skills and basic data processing skills; ability to define sampling criteria. Ability to identify animals and plants.
Career opportunities: public administrations (at the national and local level) that deal with the territory; research entities and private companies involved in the monitoring of the territory and its resources. Freelance professional activity.
Expert in the management of natural areas and agricultural ecosystems
Job function: to analyse and monitor systems and biological processes both in natural and anthropic settings, in order to preserve the natural environment and improve its quality; to preserve and restore the biotic components of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; to provide technical support in environmental planning and control; to provide specialised support to protect and recover areas at risk.
Professional skills: ability to fulfil professional and technical-operational tasks so as to cooperate in the management of natural systems and agroecosystems
Career opportunities: management and technical assistance roles in parks and natural reserves, farms and cooperatives; public administrations (at the local and national level) for land management and recovery; research entities and private companies involved in the management of the territory and its resources. Freelance professional activity.
Expert in the laboratory analysis of biological and geological materials
Job function: to analyse biotic and abiotic components of natural ecosystems; to define physical-chemical and biological properties of materials (characterisation); to serve as quality controller; to employ natural materials in industry.
Professional skills: ability to identify the right protocols and analytical methods to plan laboratory analyses; knowledge of the main analytical techniques for characterisation of natural materials.
Career opportunities: public and private research centres and analysis laboratories of the agri-food and environmental sectors, as well as of the pharmaceutical industry. Public administrations (at the local and national level) dealing with material characterisation and providing operational support to research entities. Freelance professional activity.
Expert in the management and conservation of museum collections
Job function: to provide support for the protection of the cultural, botanical, zoological, palaeontological and geo-archaeological heritage; to enhance collections and the natural and cultural heritage.
Professional skills: ability to classify biotic and abiotic natural elements; data storage, processing and enhancement; knowledge of exposition techniques.
Career opportunities: science museums, botanical gardens and teaching and dissemination centres; operational support roles for research entities and private companies involved in the management of cultural and natural heritage. Freelance professional activity.
Expert in the dissemination of natural sciences
Job function: to disseminate knowledge regarding current ecosystems and ecosystems of the geological past; to promote environmental education in schools; to set up naturalist exhibitions; to raise awareness on sustainable development.
Professional skills: knowledge of biotic and abiotic components of fossil and current ecosystems and their evolution in the history of Earth; knowledge of the impact of human beings on ecosystems.
Career opportunities: museums; parks; schools; public administrations (at the local and national level) dealing with knowledge dissemination; research entities and private companies involved in the management and protection of the ecosystems. Freelance professional activity.
Provided that they pass the corresponding state exam and enrol in the relevant professional register, graduates may access the following state-regulated professions:
Graduated agricultural technician
Junior biologist
Graduated agricultural expert
Junior planner
Employment statistics (Almalaurea)
The TOLC can be taken at the University of Milan or any other university that is a member of CISIA (Consorzio Interuniversitario Sistemi Integrati per l'Accesso). Registration for the TOLC should be done on the CISIA website (www.cisiaonline.it). The TOLC valid for enrollment in the Bachelor of Natural Sciences program is the TOLC-S. Test structure and topics and other useful information are available at https://www.cisiaonline.it/area-tematica-tolc-scienze/struttura-della-prova-e-sillabo/
Entry requirements and the announcement are available at https://scienzenaturali.cdl.unimi.it/it/iscriversi.
Students who having taken the TOLC-S will have enrolled in the selection for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences program will be placed in the merit list, formulated on the basis of their score on the test. Students usefully placed in the merit list must finalize their matriculation by the deadlines indicated in the announcement. Freshmen who do not achieve a score greater than or equal to 10 in the Basic Mathematics module will be assigned Additional Educational Obligations (OFAs).
Access for transfer or already graduated students.
Students already enrolled in a degree program at the University of Milan, at another University or already graduated, may be exempted from the test only if admitted to years subsequent to the first, but only if they meet the minimum requirements, i.e., at least 24 CFUs recognizable as exams of the Degree Course, of which 12 can be validated for the Institutions of Mathematics and Statistics exam. For this purpose, a special request for prior career evaluation must be submitted by accessing the online service indicated in the admission notice. Interested parties should declare all exams taken with relevant scientific disciplinary fields, credits and grades and attach course syllabi.
For more details on the procedure and dates and deadlines, please refer to the announcement.
Students admitted to the first year will have to take the TOLC test.
Additional educational obligations and arrangements for OFA remediation.
For students with OFAs, supportive activities will be organized, followed by a remedial test by which the student must demonstrate that he/she has improved his/her preparation. In the absence of this evidence, the student will not be allowed to take any second-year exams before passing the Institutions of Mathematics and Statistics exam (link: https://scienzenaturali.cdl.unimi.it/it/studiare/le-matricole).
Information on registering for the degree program is available at https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/frequentare-un-corso-di-laurea/iscriversi/iscriversi-una-prima-laurea.
Places available: 300 + 4 reserved for non-EU citizens
Call for applications
Please refer to the call for admission test dates and contents, and how to register.
Session: 1
Application for admission: from 13/03/2025 to 29/05/2025
Application for matriculation: from 09/06/2025 to 19/06/2025
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - NOTICE
The call for applications is the only official document for admission to degree programmes. Please read it carefully. If you are reading this notice is because the call is available only in Italian as the programme is offered in Italian. Students wishing to enrol must be proficient in Italian.
Session: 2
Application for admission: from 23/06/2025 to 17/07/2025
Application for matriculation: from 21/07/2025 to 31/07/2025
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - NOTICE
The call for applications is the only official document for admission to degree programmes. Please read it carefully. If you are reading this notice is because the call is available only in Italian as the programme is offered in Italian. Students wishing to enrol must be proficient in Italian.
Session: 3
Application for admission: from 05/08/2025 to 11/09/2025
Application for matriculation: from 14/10/2025 to 21/10/2025
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - NOTICE
The call for applications is the only official document for admission to degree programmes. Please read it carefully. If you are reading this notice is because the call is available only in Italian as the programme is offered in Italian. Students wishing to enrol must be proficient in Italian.
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Botany | 12 | 104 | Italian | BIO/01 BIO/02 |
| - Morphology of land plants | 6 | 52 | BIO/01 | |
| - Systematic Botany | 6 | 52 | BIO/02 | |
| Chemistry | 10 | 92 | Italian | CHIM/03 CHIM/06 |
| Fundamental of Mathematics and Statistics | 12 | 136 | Italian | MAT/04 MAT/06 |
| Zoology | 12 | 100 | Italian | BIO/05 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| General and Environmental Biology with Elements of Histology | 8 | 68 | Italian | BIO/06 |
| Physical Geography and Cartography | 8 | 68 | Italian | GEO/04 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Physics | 6 | 56 | Italian | FIS/01 FIS/03 FIS/04 FIS/07 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| English Assessment B1 (2 ECTS) | 2 | 0 | English | NN |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Ecology and Behavioural Ecology | 15 | 124 | Italian | BIO/07 |
| - Behavioural ecology | 6 | 48 | BIO/07 | |
| - Ecology | 9 | 76 | BIO/07 | |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Comparative Anatomy | 7 | 60 | Italian | BIO/06 BIO/16 |
| Genetics | 8 | 76 | Italian | BIO/18 |
| Mineralogy | 6 | 52 | Italian | GEO/06 |
| Paleontology | 6 | 52 | Italian | GEO/01 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| General and Environmental Physiology | 8 | 64 | Italian | BIO/09 |
| Geology | 6 | 52 | Italian | GEO/02 |
| Petrography | 6 | 52 | Italian | GEO/07 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optional | ||||
| Biodiversity Conservation | 6 | 52 | Italian | BIO/07 |
| Developmental Biology | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/01 BIO/06 |
| Environmental Microbiology | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/19 |
| Freshwater Biology | 6 | 64 | Italian | BIO/05 |
| General Entomology | 6 | 48 | Italian | AGR/11 |
| Geopedology | 6 | 48 | Italian | GEO/04 |
| Molecular Biology and Evolution of Genomes | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/11 BIO/19 |
| Vertebrate Zoology | 6 | 52 | Italian | BIO/05 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Evolutionary Biology | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/02 BIO/05 BIO/18 BIO/19 |
| Geographic Information Systems | 6 | 56 | Italian | INF/01 |
| Optional | ||||
| Analysis of Biological and Environmental | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/05 |
| Anthropology and Archaeological Excavation | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/08 |
| Climatology | 6 | 48 | Italian | GEO/04 |
| Geobotany | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/02 |
| Geomorphology | 6 | 48 | Italian | GEO/04 |
| Mineral Resources and Environmental Interactions | 6 | 52 | Italian | GEO/09 |
| Paleontology Heritage and Excavations | 6 | 48 | Italian | GEO/01 |
| Plant Physiology | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/04 |
| Quaternary Climate Changes | 6 | 48 | Italian | GEO/02 |
| Vascular Plants | 6 | 48 | Italian | BIO/02 |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Final Exam | 4 | 0 | Italian | NN |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biodiversity Conservation | 6 | 52 | Italian | First semester | BIO/07 |
| Developmental Biology | 6 | 48 | Italian | First semester | BIO/01 BIO/06 |
| Environmental Microbiology | 6 | 48 | Italian | First semester | BIO/19 |
| Freshwater Biology | 6 | 64 | Italian | First semester | BIO/05 |
| General Entomology | 6 | 48 | Italian | First semester | AGR/11 |
| Geopedology | 6 | 48 | Italian | First semester | GEO/04 |
| Molecular Biology and Evolution of Genomes | 6 | 48 | Italian | First semester | BIO/11 BIO/19 |
| Vertebrate Zoology | 6 | 52 | Italian | First semester | BIO/05 |
| Analysis of Biological and Environmental | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | BIO/05 |
| Anthropology and Archaeological Excavation | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | BIO/08 |
| Climatology | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | GEO/04 |
| Geobotany | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | BIO/02 |
| Geomorphology | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | GEO/04 |
| Mineral Resources and Environmental Interactions | 6 | 52 | Italian | Second semester | GEO/09 |
| Paleontology Heritage and Excavations | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | GEO/01 |
| Plant Physiology | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | BIO/04 |
| Quaternary Climate Changes | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | GEO/02 |
| Vascular Plants | 6 | 48 | Italian | Second semester | BIO/02 |
This category also includes any courses identified as part of the "Transversal University Competences" indicated in the resolution (see the paragraph "Course structure > Presentation of the study plan").
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | ||||
| Field Activity, Training Activity and Laboratories | 8 | 48 | Italian | NN |
| Learning activity | Prescribed foundation courses |
|---|---|
| Petrography | Mineralogy (compulsory) |
- Course management
via Botticelli 23
https://informastudenti.unimi.it/ - Student registrar
via Celoria 18
https://www.unimi.it/it/node/359
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+390250325032
https://www.unimi.it/it/node/360 - Libraries
https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/biblioteche - Disability academic tutor: Prof. Claudio Olivari
[email protected] - Disability academic tutor: Prof. Guglielmina Diolaiuti
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The tuition fees for students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's and single-cycle degree programmes are divided into two instalments with different calculation methods and payment schedules:
- The amount of the first instalment is the same for all students
- The amount of the second instalment varies according to the ISEE University value, the degree programme and the student status (on track / off track for one year or off track for more than a year)
- An additional fee is due for online programmes
The University also offers:
- Concessions for students meeting high merit requirements
- Diversified tuition fees according to the student's home country for international students with assets/income abroad
- Concessions for international students with refugee status
Scholarships and benefits
The University provides a range of financial benefits to students meeting special requirements (merit, financial or personal conditions, international students).
Learn more
Guidance:
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