Transfer from Sapienza University of Rome: Where to Continue Medicine or Dentistry in 2026

Is a transfer from Sapienza University of Rome possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from Sapienza University of Rome in Rome to another university in Europe is possible in 2026 for students of the Medicine and Surgery (English) or Dentistry (English) programme, provided the transcript, the syllabi and the passed examinations are prepared properly and the receiving faculty has a place in the matching year. Medschool Experts checks every case individually and free of charge.

Both English-taught programmes at Sapienza are six-year single-cycle degrees of 360 CFU, the Italian equivalent of ECTS, with 60 credits per year. Medicine and Surgery spends its first three years on basic and preclinical sciences in integrated courses and its last three on clinical rotations at the Policlinico Umberto I and other Rome hospitals; Dentistry moves to preclinical simulation and then patient treatment. Examinations are held in sessions, and many of them are oral. That structure matters for a transfer, because receiving universities compare exactly these stages with their own curriculum. Here is the faculty at a glance.

Failed exams at Sapienza University of Rome: what now?

Students who failed exams at Sapienza University of Rome in 2026 have three realistic options: resit within the faculty rules, repeat the year in Rome, or transfer to another university in Europe where the passed courses are credited and the failed ones are retaken in a different teaching environment. None of these ends a medical career. The third option is the one we deal with every week.

At Sapienza the pattern we hear about most is a backlog rather than a single failed exam. Italian medical courses allow students to postpone examinations to later sessions, and some students reach the end of year two with several integrated courses still open. Being 'fuori corso' is common and is not a formal failure, but it stretches the degree and blocks progression to clinical subjects. Students in that situation often assume their passed courses count for nothing. They do not. Every passed examination with its CFU value remains recognisable elsewhere.

What matters now is your transcript. Every passed course with its credit value is an asset that travels with you. Before you decide anything, request an official transcript of records and the syllabi of all passed courses. Then speak to Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team. We look at the documents, not at the failed exam, and tell you which routes are open to you.

Why do students consider a transfer from Sapienza University of Rome?

Students consider a transfer from Sapienza University of Rome for four recurring reasons: an examination backlog under the session system, the Italian language required from the clinical years, the cost and pace of life in Rome, or the wish for a smaller faculty with closer contact to teaching staff. Each reason has a matching solution, and a transfer is one of them.

Size is the reason specific to Sapienza. With more than 100,000 students across the university, the English medical cohort is a small island inside a very large institution, and administrative processes can take time. Students who thrive on the energy of a big-city university love it. Students who want a faculty where the dean's office knows their name sometimes decide that a smaller university suits them better.

The language question is the second. Sapienza teaches in English, but Rome's hospitals work in Italian, and students need a solid command of it by year four. Students who find that Italian does not come to them, or who prefer a clinical environment in a language they already speak, sometimes decide to complete the degree elsewhere before the clinical years begin. A transfer after year two or three is the classic timing for this. The third reason is Rome itself: a wonderful city that costs 900 to 1,300 EUR per month to live in and asks a lot of a student's time.

Is a transfer from Sapienza different for Dentistry students?

Yes, in two respects. Dentistry programmes in Europe differ more from each other than Medicine programmes do, because the balance between preclinical simulation and patient treatment varies by faculty. A dentistry transcript from Sapienza therefore needs a more careful course-by-course comparison, and the placement year can depend on how many clinical treatment hours the receiving faculty expects at each stage.

The second difference is timing. Dentistry students usually begin supervised patient treatment in year three. A transfer before that point keeps the comparison simple; a transfer after it requires evidence of the treatments already carried out. Medschool Experts has moved dentistry students in both phases and prepares the documentation accordingly.

For Medicine students the picture is more uniform: 60 CFU per year, a preclinical block of three years and a clinical block of three. Once the integrated courses are split into their components, Sapienza transcripts map cleanly onto other European curricula.

How are credits from Sapienza University of Rome transferred to another university?

Credits from Sapienza University of Rome are transferred through the CFU system, which is identical to ECTS: 60 credits per year, one credit per 25 hours of student workload. Each passed examination is recorded in the transcript with its CFU value and a grade out of 30, and the university issues course syllabi in English. Integrated courses that combine several subjects are split into their components for the comparison, which is where a careful preparation pays off.

The receiving faculty compares your passed courses with its own curriculum course by course. Subjects with matching content and comparable hours are credited; subjects that exist only in the new curriculum are added; failed or missing subjects are retaken. The result is the placement year. A student with two complete years often enters year three, sometimes with two or three additional modules to catch up in the first semester. Medschool Experts prepares this comparison before any application is sent, so that no faculty sees an incomplete file.

Two documents decide the outcome: the official transcript of records with grades and credits, and the syllabi of the passed courses. Faculties want to see hours, content and examination form for each subject. Students who collect these papers early, while they are still enrolled, save weeks later.

Which universities accept transfer students from Sapienza University of Rome?

Which universities accept transfer students from Sapienza University of Rome depends on the individual profile: the number of passed semesters, the grades, the language of the target programme and the year in which a faculty has free places. Students of Sapienza University of Rome can transfer to another medical university, and Medschool Experts offers exactly this. We have 25+ partner universities in Europe specifically for this situation, check every profile individually and free of charge, and do not publish lists of accepting universities, because such lists are outdated within a semester and mislead more than they help.

That is how transfers actually work. A faculty with three free places in year three in 2025 may have none there in 2026 and two in year four instead. Our consultants know current capacities because Medschool Experts places students at its partner universities every year.

A study transfer is a complex undertaking. Our experts have almost 10 years of experience in study transfers worldwide, which is why they plan and carry it out confidently. The consultation is free.

How is a degree from Sapienza University of Rome recognised, and what changes after a transfer?

A degree from Sapienza University of Rome is an Italian Laurea Magistrale in Medicine and Surgery awarded by a state-accredited university in an EU member state, and since 2020 the Italian degree includes the professional qualification, so no separate state examination follows. Under Directive 2005/36/EC it is automatically recognised throughout the EU and the EEA, and Italy's national medical accreditation holds WFME recognition, which keeps the USMLE route open. Nothing about this changes for the worse after a transfer to another EU university: the final diploma remains an EU degree with the same automatic recognition.

What changes is where you graduate, in which language the clinical years take place and how much the remaining years cost. The passed Rome courses are credited into the new programme, and the diploma at the end is issued by the university where you finish.

Students who already know where they want to practise should raise this early. Licensing authorities across the EU require professional-level language skills, and a transfer can be timed so that the clinical years happen in the language of your future workplace.

What does a transfer from Sapienza University of Rome cost compared with staying?

A transfer from Sapienza University of Rome changes two budget lines: tuition and living costs. In Rome a student pays income-based tuition of roughly 150 to 4,500 EUR per year in 2026 plus about 900 to 1,300 EUR per month for rent, food and transport. In total, one year in Rome adds up to roughly 10,950 to 20,100 EUR.

Because Sapienza's tuition is low, a transfer almost always raises the tuition line: English-taught Medicine and Dentistry at our European partner universities starts from €1,750 per semester, Pharmacy from €1,500 and Veterinary Medicine from €3,000. At the same time, a move away from Rome usually lowers the living line by a few hundred euros a month. For many students the two roughly cancel out. What can tip the balance is time: a structured programme without examination backlog can end the degree on schedule, and every year saved is a year of living costs saved and a year of earning gained.

Whether a transfer saves money or costs money therefore depends on the receiving university and city. We put the real numbers side by side in the consultation, including one-off costs such as application fees, a deposit for accommodation and the move itself, so that the decision rests on a complete budget rather than on a tuition figure alone.

Can I transfer from Sapienza University of Rome without losing a year?

A transfer from Sapienza University of Rome without losing a year is possible when three things line up: your passed courses match the receiving curriculum closely, the application reaches the faculty before its deadline for the coming academic year, and the faculty has a free place in the year you are aiming for. Timing is the part students underestimate most.

Most European faculties decide on transfer applications for the autumn intake between spring and late summer. A student who contacts us in January or February has the whole window available. A student who starts in August often has to choose between a late-decided place for the same autumn and a well-prepared application for the following year. Medschool Experts does not quote a cap on recognised years and regularly achieves placements in year 3, 4 or 5 when the documents allow it.

Can I continue from Sapienza University of Rome towards the USA and the USMLE?

Yes. A student of Sapienza University of Rome can pursue the USA route in 2026 in two ways: graduate in Rome and apply for ECFMG certification on the basis of the WFME-recognised Italian accreditation, or transfer to another European university whose graduates take the same USMLE path. Both routes lead to Step 1, Step 2 CK and the residency match.

Timing is the practical question. Students who plan the USA route usually want to sit Step 1 after the preclinical stage. A transfer that lands you in year three or four of a new programme should therefore be planned around your Step 1 schedule, so that the move and the exam do not fall into the same term. We map this out with you in the consultation.

How does a transfer from Sapienza University of Rome work with Medschool Experts, step by step?

A transfer from Sapienza University of Rome with Medschool Experts follows six steps over roughly four to seven months: free consultation and transcript check, document collection in Rome, credit-recognition assessment, application to the matching faculties, admission decision, and finally visa or registration, housing and enrolment. Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team accompanies each step personally.

Step one is a conversation. You send us your transcript and tell us what you want: a lower budget, a different teaching setting, a fresh start after a failed year, or a degree that fits your career plan better. Within a week or two you get a realistic picture of the years and routes that fit your documents.

Step two takes place in Rome: you request the official transcript of records, the course syllabi in English and a certificate of enrolment, and we tell you exactly what each paper must contain. Steps three to six are ours to carry. We prepare the credit comparison, submit the applications, follow up with the faculties, secure the admission letter for the matching year and guide you through registration, housing and enrolment. Students who started in spring are usually sitting in their new lecture hall by autumn. Read how others experienced this on our student stories page, and then book your free consultation.