Materials and nanotechnology
Course Description
Level: Second Level Degree
Degree Class: LM-53. - Materials engineering
Department: CHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY - PHYSICS - CIVIL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING - INFORMATION ENGINEERING
Admission: Local programmed
Duration: 2 years
English
Pisa
Content in Italian
I requisiti curriculari per l'accesso al Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Materials and Nanotechnology sono stabiliti nei dettagli nel Regolamento Didattico del corso e prevedono comunque il possesso di non meno di:
- 12 CFU nei Settori Scientifico Disciplinari MAT/02, MAT/03, MAT/05, MAT/06, MAT/07, MAT/08, MAT/09;
- 6 CFU nei Settori Scientifico Disciplinari FIS/01-08;
- 12 CFU nel seguente gruppo di Settori Scientifico Disciplinari:
- CHIM/02 – Chimica fisica
- CHIM/03 – Chimica generale e inorganica
- CHIM/04 – Chimica industriale
- CHIM/05 – Scienza e tecnologia dei materiali polimerici
- CHIM/07 – Fondamenti chimici delle tecnologie
- FIS/01 – Fisica sperimentale
- FIS/03 – Fisica della materia
- ICAR/08 – Scienza delle costruzioni
- ING-IND/16 – Tecnologie e sistemi di lavorazione
- ING‐IND/21 – Metallurgia
- ING‐IND/22 – Scienza e tecnologia dei materiali
- ING-IND/23 – Chimica fisica applicata
- ING-IND/24 – Principi di ingegneria chimica
- ING‐IND/27 – Chimica industriale e tecnologica
Il Regolamento Didattico del Corso di Studio definisce altresì le modalità di verifica della preparazione personale dello studente.
Come indicato nel Regolamento Didattico è inoltre richiesta una adeguata conoscenza della lingua Inglese, almeno di livello B2, secondo il Quadro Comune Europeo di riferimento per le Lingue.
For admission to the Master’s Degree Course in Materials and Nanotechnology (Class LM-53) students require a Bachelor’s Degree or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable. The applicant is required to submit an application along with attachments, including at least the degree certificate, or its equivalent, and the examination transcripts.
Admission, within the limits of the planned number of places, require the successful completion of a selective evaluation, open both to European and non-European students, aimed at assessing the adequacy of candidates’ knowledge and skills (curricular requirements and personal preparation).
The Board of the degree course appoints a Selection Instruction Panel (Commissione Istruttoria di Selezione, CIS), consisting of 6 members, including at least one lecturer from the Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS). This panel is responsible for examining admission applications, checking candidates’ curricula, verifying compliance with curricular and personal requirements, proposing to the Board the admission or non-admission of candidates, and outlining possible methods for obtaining the missing requirements.
Up to 6 additional posts are reserved for SNS following the selections for the ordinary competition for admission to the Scuola itself.
In accordance with the University Academic Regulations and based on the curricular requirements set by the course, the CIS:
- may propose to the Course Board to either accept or reject the candidate’s application based on the evaluation of the documents submitted with the application for admission,
- may propose to the Course Board that the candidate be referred to the admission interview, indicating the topics that will be covered in the interview, according to the procedure described below.
Admission interview
The purpose of the admission interview is to confirm that the candidate has the required preparation to effectively undertake their Master’s studies. During the interview, the Panel examines the candidates’ profiles based on the qualifications submitted to verify the possession of the personal preparation requirements. At the end of the interview, the Selection Instruction Panel will formulate a ranking of successful candidates and a final judgement on the candidates’ suitability, or unsuitability, for admission, highlighting any missing requirements.
Evaluation
Contacts
Presidente del Corso di Laurea
Francesco Fuso
Email: francesco.fuso@unipi.it
Referente didattico
Francesca Nannelli
Tel. (+39) 050 2217867
Email: francesca.nannelli@unipi.it
Unità Didattica del Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Industriale: https://www.dici.unipi.it/didattica
Orario di ricevimento: Solo su appuntamento telefonico (+39) 050 2218085 il martedì dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 12.00, il mercoledì dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 12,00 e il giovedì dalle ore 15.00 alle ore 17.00: didattica.dici@ing.unipi.it
Study Plan
For students enrolled in the academic year 2026/2027
Advanced materials
Required
- Fundamentals of polymer processing (9 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Mechanical properties of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr1 - am (9 CFU)
- Quantum and condensed matter physics (9 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physics (9 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr2 - am (12 CFU)
- Chemistry of soft matter (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physicochemical methods (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state nmr spectroscopy in pharmaceutical and material science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr3 - am (12 CFU)
- Computational mechanics of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Computational materials science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Transport phenomena in materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Principles of microfluidics (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Fundamentals of materials science and engineering (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr4 - am (12 CFU)
- Spectroscopy of nanomaterials (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Electromagnetic materials and electron devices (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Required
- Training (15 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Polymer science and engineering (6 CFU)
Gr5 - am (6 CFU)
- Reactive processing and recycling of polymers (6 CFU)
- Composite materials science and engineering (6 CFU)
- Laboratory of materials characterization (6 CFU)
Gr6 - am (6 CFU)
- Sustainable and degradable polymers (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Polymeric materials for special applications (6 CFU)
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU)
- Interaction of electromagnetic waves with complex media (6 CFU)
Libera scelta - am (12 CFU)
- Multi-scale modelling in material design (6 CFU)
- Advanced engineering alloys (6 CFU)
- Computational fluid mechanics (6 CFU)
- Nanostructured materials (9 CFU)
- Green chemistry for materials and processes (6 CFU)
- Nanostructured inorganic systems (3 CFU)
- Physics of the matter and nanotechnology lab (9 CFU)
- Biomaterials (6 CFU)
- Advanced ceramics and smart glasses (6 CFU)
- Electron microscopy of nanomaterials (6 CFU)
- Materials and devices for nanoscale electronics (6 CFU)
Other
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Biomaterials
Required
- Biomaterials (9 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Mechanical properties of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Laboratory of materials characterization (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
Gr1 - bm (9 CFU)
- Glass transition (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Surface physics (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Quantum physics of matter (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physics 1 (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr2 - bm (12 CFU)
- Chemistry of soft matter (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physicochemical methods (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Polymeric materials for special applications (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Green chemistry for materials and processes (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state nmr spectroscopy in pharmaceutical and material science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr3 - bm (12 CFU)
- Principles of cellular biology and tissue engineering (12 CFU) - Ciclo annuale unico
- Spectroscopy of nanomaterials (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Electromagnetic materials and electron devices (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr4 - bm (6 CFU)
- Computational materials science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Transport phenomena in materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Principles of microfluidics (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Fundamentals of materials science and engineering (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Required
- Training (15 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Polymer science and engineering (6 CFU)
Gr5 - bm (6 CFU)
- Multi-scale modelling in material design (6 CFU)
- Biofluids and materials interactions (3 CFU)
- Manufacturing of polymers and nanocomposites for biomedical application (3 CFU)
- Electron microscopy of nanomaterials (6 CFU)
Gr6 - bm (6 CFU)
- Nanomedicine and regenerative medicine (6 CFU)
- Cell biophysics (6 CFU)
- Introduction to molecular biophysics (6 CFU)
- Medical imaging and biosensors (ionising and non-ionising) (6 CFU)
Libera scelta - bm (12 CFU)
- Fundamentals of biophysics at the nanoscale (6 CFU)
- Computational mechanics of materials (6 CFU)
- Physics of bio-systems (9 CFU)
- Physics of the matter and nanotechnology lab (9 CFU)
- Development biology of stem cell (3 CFU)
- Interaction of electromagnetic waves with complex media (6 CFU)
- Composite materials science and engineering (6 CFU)
- Advanced ceramics and smart glasses (6 CFU)
- Materials and devices for nanoscale electronics (6 CFU)
Biopham2 track 1 - (lille - barcellona)
Required
- Ai and advanced computational methods in physics (3 CFU)
- Atomic scale modelling i – classical methods (3 CFU)
- Molecular and soft condensed matter (4 CFU)
- Large facilities: synchrotron and neutron sources (5 CFU)
- Materials science of drugs (4 CFU)
- Continuum mechanics (3 CFU)
- Introduction to pharmaceutical materials science (6 CFU)
- Drug product development and pharmaceutical technology i (3 CFU)
- States of matter and materials science primers (3 CFU)
- Tutored trainings (3 CFU)
- Scientific communication (3 CFU)
- Short internship (introduction to research projects) (5 CFU)
- Foreign language i (french or english) (3 CFU)
Gruppo a scelta presso polytechnic university of catalonia (12 CFU)
Required
- Molecular mobility and amorphous state of matter (3 CFU)
- Atomic scale modelling II – quantum methods (3 CFU)
- Advanced spectroscopy of molecular systems: from gas phase to condensed matter (3 CFU)
- Advanced thermodynamics and phase transformation (3 CFU)
- Joint advanced course – winter school (3 CFU)
- Structural properties of matter: electron microscopy and diffraction (3 CFU)
- Thermal analysis of pharmaceuticals (3 CFU)
- Structural and dynamical characterization of pharmaceuticals (3 CFU)
- Drug product development and pharmaceutical technology II (3 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Training for biopham (6 CFU)
- Foreign language II (french or english) (3 CFU)
Libera scelta (9 CFU)
Other
- Manufacturing of polymers and nanocomposites for biomedical application (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Surface physics (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Introduction to optical spectroscopy (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state nmr spectroscopy in pharmaceutical and material science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Biopham2 _ track 2 (pisa e barcellona)
Required
- Biofluids and materials interactions (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Molecular and soft condensed matter (4 CFU)
- Large facilities: synchrotron and neutron sources (5 CFU)
- Materials science of drugs (4 CFU)
- Short internship (introduction to research projects) (5 CFU)
- English for scientific writing and communication (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr 1 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Mechanical properties of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Transport phenomena in materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Polymer science and engineering (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr 2 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Quantum physics of matter (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physics 1 (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr3 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Bionformatics (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Computational materials science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gruppo a scelta presso polytechnic university of catalonia (2 semestre) (12 CFU)
Required
- Nanomedicine and regenerative medicine (6 CFU)
- Biomaterials for pharmaceutical applications (6 CFU)
- Joint advanced course – winter school (3 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Training for biopham (6 CFU)
Gr 4 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Manufacturing of polymers and nanocomposites for biomedical application (3 CFU)
- Surface physics (3 CFU)
- Introduction to optical spectroscopy (6 CFU)
- Solid state nmr spectroscopy in pharmaceutical and material science (6 CFU)
Gr. 5 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- In silico models for drug-design techniques (6 CFU)
- Bioinformatics and systems biology (6 CFU)
- Multi-scale modelling in material design (6 CFU)
Gr. 6 gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (3 CFU)
Libera scelta (9 CFU)
Biopham2 track 3 (pisa e katowice)
Required
- Soft matter physics (3 CFU)
- Pharmacology and drug discovery (4 CFU)
- Biofluids and materials interactions (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Molecular biophysics with elements of computer modelling (5 CFU)
- Scattering techniques for structural investigation (3 CFU)
- Specialized laboratory – microscopy of soft matter (4 CFU)
- Stochastic dynamics of systems in molecular biology (3 CFU)
- Hot-melt extrusion: from theory to application in drug formulation (3 CFU)
- Short internship (introduction to research projects) (5 CFU)
- English for scientific writing and communication (3 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr 1 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Mechanical properties of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Transport phenomena in materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Polymer science and engineering (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr 2 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Quantum physics of matter (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physics 1 (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr 3 - gruppo a scelta presso universita' di pisa (6 CFU)
- Bionformatics (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Computational materials science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Required
- General academic module (social science) (3 CFU)
- Animal models in contemporary pharmacy (3 CFU)
- General academic module (humanities) (3 CFU)
- Joint advanced course – winter school (3 CFU)
- Polymers and biopolymers for pharmaceutical applications (3 CFU)
- Specialized laboratory (4 CFU)
- Machine learning and data-driven techniques with applications in bioscience (4 CFU)
- Dielectric spectroscopy in the study of dynamics of biological systems (3 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Training for biopham (6 CFU)
- Application of vibrational spectroscopy in therapeutic substance studies (4 CFU)
Libera scelta (9 CFU)
Nanoscience and nanotechnology
Required
- Computational materials science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Nanostructured materials (9 CFU) - Ciclo annuale unico
- Mechanical properties of materials (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr1 - nn (9 CFU)
- Quantum and condensed matter physics (9 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physics (9 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Physics of the matter and nanotechnology lab (9 CFU) - Ciclo annuale unico
Gr2 - nn (6 CFU)
- Chemistry of soft matter (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state physicochemical methods (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Solid state nmr spectroscopy in pharmaceutical and material science (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr3 - nn (6 CFU)
- Photonics (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Interaction of electromagnetic waves with complex media (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Materials and devices for nanoscale electronics (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
Gr4 - nn (12 CFU)
- Spectroscopy of nanomaterials (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
- Electromagnetic materials and electron devices (12 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Gr5 - nn (6 CFU)
- Biomaterials (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Fundamentals of materials science and engineering (6 CFU) - Primo ciclo semestrale
Required
- Training (15 CFU)
- Final examination (15 CFU)
- Polymer science and engineering (6 CFU)
Gr6 - nn (6 CFU)
- Condensed matter physics for nanotechnology (6 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Quantum many-body states of matter (6 CFU)
- Cell biophysics (6 CFU)
- Introduction to molecular biophysics (6 CFU)
- Medical imaging and biosensors (ionising and non-ionising) (6 CFU)
- Computational nanoelectronics and metamaterials (6 CFU)
Gr7 - nn (6 CFU)
- Fundamentals of biophysics at the nanoscale (6 CFU)
- Principles of microfluidics (6 CFU)
- Electron microscopy of nanomaterials (6 CFU)
Libera scelta - nn (12 CFU)
- Flexible and nano-electronics (9 CFU) - Secondo ciclo semestrale
- Nanomedicine and regenerative medicine (6 CFU)
- Biofluids and materials interactions (3 CFU)
- Manufacturing of polymers and nanocomposites for biomedical application (3 CFU)
- Glass transition (3 CFU)
- Surface physics (3 CFU)
- Disordered and off-equilibrium systems (6 CFU)
- Nanostructured inorganic systems (3 CFU)
- Physics of bio-systems (9 CFU)
- Semiconductor physics (6 CFU)
- Physics of the living cell (6 CFU)
Other
- Physics of the living cell (6 CFU)
Career opportunities
Enrolment
The Master Degree Programme in Materials and Nanotechnology, for its specific educational and research objectives, is a limited enrollment course.
To be admitted to the competition, applicants must pass a selection process.
The competition is divided into two sessions as follows:
- one session reserved to non EU applicants exclusively (citizens of countries not belonging to the European Union) and not residing in Italy (hereafter “non EU Applicants”) - from February 2 to March 1, 2026
- one session reserved to EU applicants and non EU applicants residing in Italy exclusively (hereafter “EU Applicants”) - from March 16 to August 30, 2026
Enrollment is limited to 35 students including 6 positions reserved to students internal to the School and 10 positions reserved to non-EU applicants not residing in Italy. Of the latter 10 positions, 2 are reserved to Chinese students participating in the "Marco Polo" exchange project between Italy and China.
If fewer than 10 non-EU admitted candidates and/or fewer than 5 students internal to the School join the Master Degree Programme, the number of positions available for the EU applicants will be increased by the equivalent number of positions remaining vacant, up to a maximum of 35 positions.
To apply to the competition, the non UE candidates must, by March 1, 2026, under penalty of exclusion:
- register online at the portal https://www.studenti.unipi.it/Home.do following the instructions given in the web page dedicated to the competition. After the deadline it will not be possible to enter the competition.
- upload the documents specified in article 3 of the call for application
EU-Applicants are required to submit their application as provided for in art. 3, uploading the required documents with the exception of Annex A, from March 16 to August 30, 2026.
Selection of candidates, for both sessions of the competition, consists in the evaluation of their titles and an interview.
Evaluation is made on a scale of 100 points overall, of which:
- up to 70 points for the evaluation of the titles submitted by the candidates;
- up to 30 points for the evaluation of the interview
Candidates will be admitted to interview if evaluation of their titles will achieve a minimum score of 49/70 points.
Admission tests will be held according to the following calendar:
- Non-EU Applicants - first session exclusively
Evaluation of titles: before March 4, 2026
Interviews: March 9 and 10, 2026
Non EU admitted to the interview
- EU Applicants - second session exclusively
Evaluation of titles: before September 4, 2026
Interviews: September 8 and 9, 2026
- Final ranking list for non-EU Applicants integrated with DR 694/2026
- Final ranking list for EU-Applicants: before September 16, 2026
Winners are required to initiate the matriculation procedures at the portal ammissionelm.adm.unipi.it before September 23, 2026. They will be considered otherwise wiling to renounce the admission to the Master Degree Programme.
Candidates who will be admitted to the Master Degree Programme upon scrolling through the ranking list because of decay of other candidates will be announced on September 26, 2026 by using the same means as for final ranking list. For such candidates, the term to initiate the matriculation procedure is October 1, 2026. In case of further scrolling through the ranking list, interested candidates will be contacted individually.