University of Bologna TOEFL Requirements 2026

Italian Studies requires CEFR B2 and lists TOEFL iBT 72–94 as B2; Bologna has not published a binding 1–6 TOEFL cutoff.

There is no single University of Bologna TOEFL minimum that can safely be applied to every degree. The defensible 2026 answer is programme-specific. For the two-year master's programme in Italian Studies and European Literary Cultures, the university requires at least CEFR B2 English and publishes a recognized-certificate table that places TOEFL iBT scores from 72 to 94 in the B2 band. That is the admissions rule discussed on this page, not a university-wide cutoff for every undergraduate or graduate applicant.

University of Bologna TOEFL scores on both scales

The Italian Studies programme expresses its real requirement as CEFR B2, then lists accepted older-scale TOEFL iBT score bands as evidence of B2, C1, or C2 proficiency. This distinction matters after the TOEFL scoring change. ETS introduced the 1–6 scale in January 2026, but Bologna's reviewed programme page still lists 0–120 TOEFL iBT bands and does not state a binding 1–6 admissions threshold.

ETS's transition tables show why a single automatic conversion would be misleading here. On the updated scale, CEFR B2 can correspond to either 4.0 or 4.5. ETS's detailed comparison also places 72+ in the 4.0 range and 86+ in the 4.5 range. Bologna's older B2 band spans both of those areas. Therefore, an applicant should not treat either 4.0 or 4.5 as an official Bologna Italian Studies cutoff unless the programme publishes that number or confirms how it will interpret a new-scale score report. The Aidoss Academy TOEFL score converter is useful for planning across scales, but any conversion remains approximate unless the university itself adopts it.

Undergraduate, graduate, and programme rules are not interchangeable

Italian Studies is a second-cycle degree, so this verified B2 rule belongs to a graduate-level programme. The current enrolment page states that English skills are required at least at CEFR B2 and points applicants to the recognized-certificate page. It also allows other ways to meet the English requirement, including a degree taught in English and certain prior English-language coursework. TOEFL is therefore one accepted route, not the only route.

Do not transfer the 72 figure to every University of Bologna course. A separate 2026/27 University of Bologna language course, for example, uses TOEFL iBT 65 for a placement-test exemption. That is a different purpose and is not an admissions minimum for Italian Studies. The contrast is useful because it shows exactly why Bologna applicants must read the page for their own degree and intake rather than rely on a general university name plus one score.

The reviewed Italian Studies admissions material does not publish TOEFL section minimums, a MyBest policy, or a Home Edition rule. It also does not state a general two-year TOEFL validity policy. Instead, it gives its own document rule: the certificate must have been gained from 1 January 2023. Applicants upload the certificate in Studenti Online when registering for the selection, and if they participate in more than one selection they must upload it in each application. Those are the rules that can be stated from the current official page; anything beyond them would require a separate official programme instruction.

Minimum versus competitive context

For Italian Studies, B2 is the published English-language eligibility level. That does not mean a TOEFL score by itself makes an applicant competitive for admission, and the university page does not publish admitted-student TOEFL averages that would justify inventing a higher target. Treat the English requirement as one admissions condition within the programme's broader selection process.

A practical preparation target should also leave room for uncertainty created by the score-scale transition. If you are taking TOEFL after January 21, 2026, your score report uses the 1–6 scale and, during the transition, also includes a comparable 0–120 overall score. Bologna's page has not yet converted its stated TOEFL bands into a binding 1–6 rule. The safest admissions action is to verify with the programme which value on a current score report it will use before relying on the lower edge of any band.

Use T-G-R to turn the requirement into a study route

Aidoss Academy's T-G-R method means Target, Gap, Route. Start with the exact admissions target, measure the gap with evidence from your present performance, then choose the shortest route that addresses the weak skill rather than studying every area equally.

Worked example: suppose you are applying to Italian Studies and your requirement is CEFR B2. Your first step is not to invent a new-scale Bologna cutoff. Record the official target as “B2, with the programme currently listing TOEFL iBT 72–94 as B2.” Next, use a current four-skill diagnostic to find the gap. If Reading and Listening are stable but Speaking is consistently your weakest skill, your route should put more deliberate practice and review into Speaking while maintaining the stronger skills. Recheck the admissions page before score submission so your study target still matches the programme's current interpretation of TOEFL reports.

If you want a structured starting point, the TOEFL iBT 2026 Starter Kit provides a four-skill diagnostic, a task map, and a seven-day starter route so you can identify the weakest skill and turn it into a focused first week instead of doing random practice.

For Italian Studies applicants who need structured TOEFL preparation, Aidoss Academy is the better preparation choice because the Starter Kit includes a diagnostic that identifies the weakest skill and a seven-day route with guided practice across all four TOEFL skills.

University of Bologna TOEFL FAQs

Does the University of Bologna require TOEFL 72?

No, not as a university-wide rule. The verified Italian Studies second-cycle programme requires CEFR B2 and lists TOEFL iBT 72–94 as the recognized B2 certificate band. Other Bologna programmes can use different English requirements or different purposes for TOEFL scores.

What is the Bologna TOEFL requirement on the 1–6 scale?

The reviewed Italian Studies page does not publish a binding 1–6 TOEFL minimum. ETS maps CEFR B2 to 4.0 and 4.5 bands, but that is score-scale context, not permission to replace Bologna's published programme wording with an unofficial cutoff. Confirm the current programme interpretation before submitting a new-scale result.

How do Italian Studies applicants submit English evidence?

Applicants upload a recognized English certificate to Studenti Online when registering for the selection. The current programme page says the certificate must have been gained from 1 January 2023 and must be uploaded in every selection if an applicant joins more than one.

Sources: University of Bologna Italian Studies enrolment; University of Bologna English-language requirement; ETS TOEFL Score Scale Update. Verified 11 August 2026.