University of Rome La Sapienza

Overview

University of Rome La Sapienza, also known as La Sapienza, is a distinguished public university located in Rome, Italy. Founded in 1303, the institution has been in existence for more than 700 years and is undoubtedly one of the oldest universities in Europe. La Sapienza is perennially ranked first among Italian universities and in Southern Europe. Beyond Europe, the university is first on the global ranking for classic and ancient history.

The university was established following the bull In suprema praeminentia dignitatis issued by Pope Boniface VIII in April, 1303. The institution gradually gained recognition and prestige, and in 1363, it received worthwhile contributions from the City of Rome. From this point on, the university enjoyed commendable growth, particularly in the 17th and 18th century.

Its journey in the ‘60s and ‘70s wasn’t all rosy, but La sapienza braced the hard times to reach the new dawn in the 1990s. The new reforms implemented at the end of 1990s and reorganization that started in 2009 brought strong expansion of facilities and educational offers, propelling the university to the top echelon.

Today, the University of Rome La Sapienza is one of the largest universities in Europe, and it's numbers don’t lie. It has 58 departments, 11 faculties, one school of advanced studies, and one school of aerospace. In terms of facilities, there are 54 libraries, 18 museums, one online library, two university hospitals, and one teaching hospital. Moreover, the university has many service and research centers, all designed to contribute to the development of the knowledge society.

The university campuses (in Rome and Latina) are home to more than 113,500 students, over 9,000 of whom are international students. In addition, there are more than 8,000 employees, including 3,300+ faculty, 2,000+ administrative and technical staff, and 1,700+ personnel in the university hospitals. Among its faculty, there are more than 90 language assistants, 151 visiting professors, and 2,614 lecturers.

La Sapienza seeks to help students acquire knowledge through world-class training and research. To achieve this goal, the university offers 281 bachelor’s and master’s programs, 84 Ph.D. programs, 84 specialization schools, and 194 professional courses. Even though most of the undergraduate study programs are offered in Italian, there are 39 bachelor’s and master’s programs offered in English.

The scientific research activity at University of Rome La Sapienza is a phenomenon. The activities cover a wide range of disciplines, reaching incredible levels of excellence in numerous areas. Some of their standout fields of research include nanotechnologies, human and cultural heritage, archaeology, the environment, physics and astrophysics, cell and gene therapy, aerospace, design, and social sciences.