This Degree Programme offers students the opportunity to explore, understand, and analyse the challenges related to the broad issue of sustainability, examining its environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions. The Programme is based on an innovative educational model that combines theoretical and experiential learning, research, project work, and internationalisation.
The Programme provides knowledge, skills, and methodologies from the field of social sciences, while integrating and complementing them with the study of technical and scientific disciplines. This ensures a transdisciplinary approach to sustainability, supporting the understanding and analysis of the complex challenges facing contemporary society at international, national, and local levels.
The curriculum is designed to consolidate fundamental areas and knowledge (history, economics, philosophy, law), before providing progressively more specialised and sector-specific skills through a range of courses and workshops on the various aspects of sustainability and international cooperation, including courses delivered in English.
The international profile of the degree programme, supported by an extensive network of established collaborations with institutions, public and private bodies, and academic institutes engaged in various aspects of sustainability and international cooperation (including UNESCO, the Community of Sant’Egidio, and the International Committee of the Red Cross), offers students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience through international mobility programmes for study, research, and internships abroad.
Key topics addressed during the programme include peace, the circular economy, globalisation, the digital transition, environment and climate change, and social and intercultural relations.
Course Information
- to consolidate and deepen knowledge and skills in anthropological, social, legal, institutional, and technical-scientific subjects related to sustainability, development, and international cooperation
- to provide appropriate methodologies for the critical analysis of globalisation phenomena, intercultural and gender dynamics, cooperation, environment and climate change, and social and political change at local, national, and international levels
- to ensure fluent use, both written and oral, of two foreign languages (English and Spanish) in addition to Italian
- to develop soft skills, particularly aimed at enhancing abilities in micro and macro project development, including within interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and international contexts
The programme offers employment opportunities across a wide range of professional fields, including international relations, science diplomacy, human rights protection, environmental safeguarding, emergency management and peace promotion, through:
- the ability to independently apply the knowledge acquired throughout the course, enabling immediate employment in institutional, business and non-profit contexts focused on sustainability, cooperation and peace (public administrations, educational institutions, international organisations, institutional, governmental and non-governmental bodies, and third sector entities at local, national and international level)
- further in-depth study in the fields of sustainability and international cooperation within a specialised learning environment, which the University for Foreigners offers in particular through its Master's Degree Programme in International Relations and Development Cooperation
| SSD | Courses | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| HIST-03/A | Contemporary History | 9 |
| STEC-01/B | Economic and Development History | 9 |
| GSPS-04/B | Theory and History of Global Politics | 6 |
| GIUR-11/B | Institutions of Italian and Comparative Public Law | 9 |
| ANGL-01/C | English Language and Culture | 9* |
| GSPS-02/A | Comparative Politics | 9 |
| PHIL-05/A | Philosophy of Sustainability | 6 |
| Elective Courses | 3 | |
| Total First Year | 60 | |
| Second Year | ||
| ECON-01/A | Political Economy | 9 |
| GSPS-04/C | Africa and Globalisation | 9 |
| GIUR-09/A | International Law and Peace Promotion | 9 |
| GIUR-01/A | Human Rights, Protection of Vulnerable Groups (6 ECTS) and Migration Law Module (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| INF-05/A | Cyber Security and Sustainability (6 ECTS) and ICT for Sustainability Module (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| GSPS-02/A | International Relations | 6 |
| SPAN-01/C | Spanish Language and Culture | 9* |
| Total Second Year | 60 | |
| Third Year | ||
| ECON-01/A | Green and Circular Economy | 9 |
GIUR-09/A CEAR-/B | Disaster Risk Reduction (Integrated Course): Disaster Risk Reduction (6 ECTS) Disaster Risk Reduction (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| GSPS-/A | Sociology of Migration Processes | 6 |
| GSPS-/A | Democracy, Social Rights and Public Health | 6 |
SDEA-01/A GEOG-/A | Geoglobal Changes and Human Resilience (Integrated Course): Change and Human Resilience (6 ECTS) Geography for Sustainability (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| Elective Courses | 9 | |
| Internship | 6 | |
| Final Examination | 6 | |
| Total Third Year | 60 |
* The 9 ECTS credits for language courses include 3 ECTS provided by a native-speaking language assistant.
Students can check their study plans to see which courses are compulsory, elective, or optional.
First Semester
Philosophy of Sustainability – Prof. Flavio Orecchio
Contemporary History – Prof. Valerio De Cesaris
Economic and Development History – Prof. Alessandro Albanese Ginammi
Second Semester
Institutions of Italian and Comparative Public Law – Prof. Francesco Duranti
English Language and Culture – Prof. Marco Bagli – Dr Bridget Clare Collins
Comparative Politics – Prof. Emidio Diodato
Theory and History of Global Politics – Prof. Federico Niglia
First semester
Africa and Globalisation - Prof. Federica Guazzini
Cyber Security and Sustainability and Computer Science for Sustainability Module - Prof. Valentino Santucci - Prof. Lucia Ballerini
International Law and Peace Promotion - Prof. Maura Marchegiani
International Relations - Prof. Carlo Belli
Second semester
Human Rights, Protection of Vulnerable Groups and Migration Law Module - Prof. Paolo Morozzo della Rocca
Political Economy - Prof. Filippo Sbrana
Spanish Language and Culture - Prof. Giovanna Scocozza - Dr. Maria Luisa Sevilla Garcia-Montiel
First semester
Democracy, Social Rights and Public Health - Prof. Alessandro Simoncini
Environmental Vulnerability: Science and Law – Integrated Course
International Law and Emergency Situations - Prof. Ottavio Quirico
Disaster Risk Reduction - Prof. Chiara Biscarini
Workshop: EU Law and Diplomacy for Sustainability -Prof. Ottavio Quirico
Workshop: Soft Skills for Sustainability - Prof. Maura Marchegiani
Workshop: Renewable Energy Sources - Prof. Chiara Chiatti
Sociology of Migration Processes - Prof. Stefania Tusini
Second semester
Geo-global Change and Human Resilience – Integrated Course
Change and Human Resilience - Prof. Piero Ciccioli
Geography for Sustainability - Prof. Chiara Biscarini
Green and Circular Economy - Francesco Asdrubali
Workshop: International Security and Sustainable Development - Prof. Federico Niglia
Workshop: Water Diplomacy and Science - Prof. Tommaso Pacetti
The programmes from the previous academic year are available in the archive.
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Notices
Publication of timetables for the 2026-2027 academic year, first semester
Please note that the timetable for the first semester has been published