Degree programme choice orientation

Orientation for Choosing a Degree Programme
SOrT is Sapienza’s integrated OrientationService. It has a central office at the main University campus and several helpdesks located within individual Faculties. At SOrT helpdesks, students can find more specific information about the Faculties and degree programmes, as well as support in making informed choices. The central office and Faculty representatives coordinate orientation and tutoring initiatives, maintain relations with secondary schools and their orientation contact persons, promote support activities for the delicate transition from school to university, provide assistance to enrolled students, and offer information about the academic programmes and administrative procedures for accessing courses.

Orientation initiatives and projects:

1. “Porte aperte alla Sapienza” (Open Days at Sapienza)
This event, held annually at the University’s main campus, is the most important occasion dedicated primarily to prospective first-year students: over the course of three orientation days, students can meet lecturers and current students, receive information, and attend presentations of the University’s degree programmes in the Aula Magna. The initiative is open to anyone interested in enrolling in Sapienza’s Bachelor's, Single-Cycle Master’s and Master’s Degree Programmes, with particular attention to students in the final years of secondary school. The event offers all stakeholders the opportunity to discover Sapienza’s academic offer, study and cultural spaces, gathering places, and the many services available to students (libraries and study rooms, museums, student residences, sports facilities, and the University theatre). In addition to academic information, it is also possible to receive guidance on both general and specific administrative procedures related to enrolment and application for courses, through meetings and at Faculty stands located along the University’s pathways and virtual stands.
Moreover, to foster inclusive environments and promote access to higher education, the Office for Relations with Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) offers consultation spaces to support academic careers through personalised study plans and the activation of academic and/or financial and/or logistical support for students in vulnerable situations. The Office also guides students in the procedures for requesting support and the related clinical documentation required.

2. “Sapienza Orientation” Portal
To support students in choosing their degree programme, Sapienza has developed an online portal (https://orientamento.uniroma1.it/english.html) that offers an immersive and early experience of university life: users can navigate virtual tours and videos of the campus, classrooms and laboratories, libraries, the theatre, and spaces dedicated to music and sport; access online teaching modules covering key topics in Sapienza courses; and assess and strengthen their preparation for entry or placement tests.
The portal is also the main contact point for up-to-date information on orientation events organised by Faculties and Departments throughout the year and hosts video presentations of Faculties and of Bachelor's, Single-Cycle and Master’s Degree Programmes, particularly those newly established. All guidance initiatives are promoted via the University’s social media channels to engage the interest of prospective students.
An English version of the portal is available to support international student orientation.

3. “Un Ponte tra Scuola e Università” Project
This project aims to facilitate a smoother transition for secondary school graduates to university and to support their integration into academic life.
The project includes two initiatives:
a) Sapienza Presents Itself – Faculty presentations and sample lectures delivered by Sapienza lecturers, aimed at secondary school students and focusing on topics relevant to each academic area;
b) Sapienza Told by Students – School visits featuring presentations of Sapienza’s services and testimonials from specially trained student mentors and senior students about university life.

4. Self-Assessment Tools (developed and scientifically tested by Sapienza experts)
a. Know Yourself: helps guide the decision-making process in choosing a degree path. Once completed, the tool provides a personality profile, an academic profile, and a professional profile.
b. Me, Myself and Others: measures soft skills, i.e., the personal and interpersonal competences relevant to integration in society and the job market.

5. “Online Guidance” Project
This initiative provides orientation and academic alignment on foundational knowledge needed to tackle entrance tests for biomedical and psychology-related degree programmes. It consists of a preparatory course featuring an initial distance-learning phase followed by intensive in-person classes, targeted at upper secondary school students applying to programmes with restricted admissions in biomedical, healthcare and psychology areas.

6. “Percorsi per le competenze trasversali e per l'orientamento– PCTO” (formerly alternanza scuola-lavoro)
This is a teaching methodology that uses practical experience to help secondary school students consolidate the knowledge acquired in class, test their aptitudes in real-life settings, and enrich their educational journey, thus guiding their choice of future academic path.

7. “Next Generation Orientation (ONG)”
This is a joint project involving all universities in the Lazio Region, funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). It is designed to help secondary school students in Lazio make informed choices regarding their post-school academic and professional futures.
Sapienza lecturers deliver a 15-hour training programme, available in-person and integrated into school curricula, structured into five 3-hour modules over five (preferably consecutive) days. Sample module topics include:

  • Module A – Why is studying important?
  • Module B – How does studying at university work?
  • Module C – How can I best prepare for university study?
  • Module D – Who am I now and who do I want to become?
  • Module E – What careers can I aspire to?

8. Preparation for Admission Tests
Sapienza uses CISIA Online Test (TOLC) formats, which can be taken by upper secondary school students via the CISIA portal. The portal also provides practice tests through the Student Placement Tests (PPS). These are full mock exams offering immediate feedback on one’s preparation level, based on comparisons with the answers and scores of previous test-takers.

9. “Saperi Minimi”
This project addresses the alignment of foundational knowledge, i.e., the basic competences needed to successfully attend the chosen degree programme. It consists of recorded lectures by university lecturers, specifically aimed at strengthening initial knowledge and enabling a more aware and motivated academic path.

10. “Of@Sapienza”
To improve preparation for entry tests and prevent the assignment of a Further Required Course (OFA) in Italian and Mathematics, the Of@Sapienza e-learning channel offers students tools for self-study and reinforcement of the foundational knowledge required by humanities, engineering, and architecture degree programmes.

11. “Orientation Events”
At https://www.uniroma1.it/en/pagina/iniziative-orientamento, a chronological list of all orientation events organised by the University, Faculties, Departments, and Degree Programme Committees is available.
In addition, to support the choice of study paths and present the services available to students with disabilities and SLDs, Sapienza organises school meetings and individual guidance sessions with upper secondary schools.
The University also assists students with disabilities and SLDs in the crucial processes of orientation, assessment, and admission.
The “Office for Students with Disabilities and SLDs” evaluates the need for individualised arrangements for entrance tests based on the submitted medical documentation.
For admission to degree programmes with restricted access at local or national level that require a selection test, candidates with disabilities can request a range of compensatory measures (e.g., dedicated classrooms; extra time; reader tutor; support tutor; LIS interpreter; calculator), according to the procedures outlined in the admission calls. Similarly, for programmes requiring TOLC admission tests (both in-person and remotely via TOLC@CASA), students with disabilities and/or SLDs may request support measures in accordance with the relevant procedures and deadlines.
Finally, the Office supports the welcome process for new students in vulnerable conditions by assigning specialised tutors, peer tutors, and LIS interpreters.