Recognition of foreign qualifications

Academic recognition of foreign qualifications - Phases and procedures

If you wish to request academic recognition ( EQUIVALENCE ) of foreign qualifications, this procedure falls under the jurisdiction of the University, which grants a qualification obtained abroad the same legal value as a qualification under the Italian legal system. The University may recognize the equivalence of the foreign qualification to that issued by the University. The evaluation process is completed within ninety days of the application being submitted.

Applicants who are not European citizens and reside in a non-EU country must first contact the Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for their area. The required documentation and all information are the same as those indicated for Italian, EU, and non-EU citizens legally residing in Italy.

How to apply to the Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria

Before submitting the application for recognition:

1. You must search the program offerings of the University of Mediterranean Studies of Reggio Calabria for the academic year in which you wish to submit your application for a program that  corresponds in nature, level, and content to the qualification you hold and for which you are requesting recognition . You cannot request recognition for programs that have not yet been activated until the final year of the program.
2. you must have  knowledge of the language  in which the course of study is held at least at level B2;
3. For  degree courses with limited national enrollment,  you must first contact the degree course secretariat for further details. 

The Department will also have to evaluate the  qualification immediately preceding  the one for which recognition is requested (the secondary school diploma if requesting recognition for a bachelor's or single-cycle master's degree, the bachelor's degree if requesting recognition for a master's degree). 

The following documents must be attached to the Application for Recognition of a Foreign Academic Qualification, accompanied by a €16.00 stamp duty:

1. Original of the secondary school leaving certificate valid for admission to the university where the academic qualification was obtained; 
2. Official translation into Italian of the diploma referred to in letter a);
3. Declaration of value on the same qualification as referred to in letter a), issued by the Italian Diplomatic or Consular Representation to whose educational system the qualification itself refers and confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille);
4. Academic qualification – in original – for which recognition is requested, also accompanied by an official translation into Italian and a declaration of value and confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille), issued by the Italian Diplomatic or Consular Representation to whose university system the qualification refers;
5. Certificate – in original – detailing the courses attended and exams taken abroad to obtain the foreign academic qualification referred to in letter d);
6. Official translation into Italian of the certificate referred to in letter e);
7. Official study programs (on the foreign university's letterhead or endorsed with the university's stamp) of all educational activities undertaken to obtain the foreign academic qualification, with translation into Italian. 
8. Declaration [1] from the institution of origin, attached to the package of programs, confirming the authenticity and correspondence to the activities supported: stamped, signed, with confirmation of authenticity;
9. Information relating to the grading system adopted at the university where the qualification for which recognition is requested was obtained. [2] 
10. 2 passport-sized photographs;
11. Copy of the receipt of the bank transfer made to the current account in the name of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria for €300.00 IBAN code: IT67W0200816304000401060714 It is important to include in the reason for payment: Riconoscimento Titoli Accademici a.a. (academic year)____-___ with the name  the applicant;
12. For EU citizens: copy of passport or identity document;
13. For non-EU citizens treated as equivalent: certified copy of the residence permit;                   
14. Documents required to demonstrate knowledge of the language in which the UNIRC course of study is held.

If you are requesting recognition of a second-cycle qualification, you must also attach:

15. Foreign first-cycle academic qualification, in original and translated, with confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille) and the relevant Declaration of Value;
16. Original certificate with a list of exams passed, translated and with confirmation of authenticity (legalization or apostille);

An official translation is one carried out by foreign embassies or consulates in Italy, by Italian embassies or consulates abroad, and by so-called sworn translators, whose names are registered as such in the appropriate lists filed with the Courts.

The relevant Department may also request a copy of the thesis discussed in the final exam taken for the academic qualification, with or without its official translation and legalization.

The original application, completed with all required data and attachments, can be submitted personally to the University Protocol Office located in the University Campus, Via dell'Università 25, 89124 Reggio Calabria. It must also be scanned and sent to the email address [email protected] or via certified email to  [email protected]. 

Upon receiving the recognition application, the office will verify the attached documentation. If the application is incomplete, the applicant will receive an email requesting additional documents or clarifications.

How to pay the contribution

To initiate the recognition process, a €300.00 bank transfer must be made to the following account: Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria.

IBAN code: IT67W0200816304000401060714

Reason: Riconoscimento Titoli Accademici a.a. (academic year)____-___ with the name and surname of the applicant.

The fee is due regardless of the outcome of the procedure and is non-refundable. 

How the Università di Reggio Calabria evaluates applications

Each Department has its own procedure for recognizing foreign qualifications.

If there are no bilateral agreements between two countries for the equivalence of qualifications, the request for recognition may end with:

• full recognition  of the qualification and the issuing of the corresponding Italian qualification  (very rare cases);
•  Partial recognition , which will allow you to enroll with a shortened academic career in the degree program for which you requested recognition. For  degree programs with limited access,  enrollment can only occur if there are places available for the year of admission and after passing the tests required by the admissions notices, unless specific exceptions are expressly indicated in the recognition report. The outcome  of the recognition request is valid  only for enrollment in that specific academic year .
• No recognition . In some specific cases, for example, if there are substantial differences in the study plan and content of foreign exams taken compared to those provided by the degree program offered at the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria for which you requested recognition, the Department may decide not to grant any type of recognition. In this case, you will also be sent a resolution containing the  reasoned denial  of the requested recognition. 

Next steps

Pursuant to Law No. 148 of 11 July 2002 - Ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, signed in Lisbon on 11 April 1997, and provisions for the adaptation of domestic legislation, which states in Article 2: "Recognition of study cycles and periods completed abroad and of foreign qualifications, for the purposes of access to higher education, continuation of university studies, and the awarding of Italian university qualifications, is vested in universities and higher education institutions, which exercise this responsibility within the scope of their autonomy and in accordance with their respective regulations, without prejudice to bilateral agreements on the matter."  and Article 2. 3 For the purposes of exercising the powers referred to in Article 2, Universities and Institutes of higher education shall decide on duly documented recognition applications submitted pursuant to the Convention referred to in Article 1, within ninety days from the date of receipt of the applications themselves.

Therefore, upon receipt of the application, the offices will immediately forward it to the Department to which the course of study indicated in the application pertains.

1. The Department, using its own procedures, will have to examine the documentation presented by the interested party and express its opinion on the academic recognition of the equivalence of the presented qualification;
2. In the event of full recognition of the qualification, the Department must send the Department Council's resolution approving the equivalence of the foreign qualification with the Italian qualification to the International Relations and Language Services Area;
3. The International Relations and Language Services Area will send the ordinary resolution proposal to the Academic Senate, which, if it deems it appropriate, may approve the academic recognition of the foreign qualification as equivalent to the corresponding Italian qualification;
4. Subsequently, the International Relations and Language Services Department will communicate the outcome of the application to the interested party, who will receive the Academic Senate's resolution at their certified email address.
    

[1] This declaration must be attached to the program package, stamped, signed, with confirmation of authenticity, and must indicate the total number of pages in the package; alternatively, each page must be stamped, signed and with confirmation of authenticity;

[2] This information may already be included in your exam certificates or Diploma Supplement; if not, you can submit the relevant documentation without any formalities (e.g. printing out the relevant web page of the university where you obtained your qualification);

Application form for Recognition of Foreign Academic Qualifications