A great journey always begins with a first step.

Italy: synonym of wonder, especially for the new generations who live abroad and who wish to enter into the culture and the educational system that “Il Bel Paese” can offer.

The Foundation Year is conceived for students attracted by Made in Italy, not intended only as a sign of distinction and style, but also as a qualitative approach to life.

It is precisely within this context that PLENA’s foundation courses take place: supplementary courses worth 60 credits, designed to introduce students to the study of cultural, design, historical and artistic subjects, as well as food and wine culture and hospitality, which they will explore in greater depth in the years to come. It is precisely in this context that the PLENA Foundation Courses take place: supplementary courses of 60 credits, the objective of which is to introduce students to the study of cultural, design, historical, and artistic subjects, as well as food & hospitality culture, which they will encounter in a deeper way in the years to come.

Thanks to this educational path, foreign students with 11 years of school attendance; those who attended an American High School and did not achieve the required AP’s to enter the BA programs in Italy;, or those who attended the British High School who and did not achieve the number of A-Levels required to enter the BA programs in Italy, will be able to integrate the minimum prerequisite by the Ministry of Education and Research, before accessing the university system, and learn the basic subjects required to develop of the required knowledge in the artistic, audiovisual, multimedia and design field.

DURATION OF THE COURSE > 9 MONTHS

HOURS OF LESSONS > 476

EDUCATIONAL CREDITS > 60

LOCATIONS > ROME, MILAN, PADUA, BRESCIA

The programmes are tailored for international applicants who need to complete entry requirements for the Italian university system. They are particularly suitable for:

  • students who have completed 11 years of schooling;
  • graduates from American high schools lacking the necessary AP credits;
  • graduates from British systems without the required number of A-Levels;
  • students who, although they are eligible to enrol directly on university courses in Italy, prefer to follow a program designed to introduce them to Italian culture.
  • To introduce students to cultural, design, historical, culinary, and artistic subjects, as well as to the educational methodologies of the Italian university system.
  • To fulfill the academic requirements of the Ministry of Education and Research for admission to BA programs in Italy.

Foundation Courses enable participants to build the foundations to undertake any Bachelor of Arts program. In this context, students can put themselves to the test, improve their language knowledge, get to know a National academic excellence and create professional relationships with the lecturers.

Variabil Study Plans

3 different specific curriculums are provided by PLENA EDUCATION GROUP:

  • Arts & Design Rome and Milan – RUFA – Ferrari fashion School – SPD Scuola Politecnica di design
  • Italian Hospitality, Gastronomy & Food Culture Brescia – CAST
  • Music Rome and Milan – Saint Louis

The programmes envision 476 hours of study in total. The 60 credits obtained will allow students to be admitted to PLENA Bachelor Programs – or BA programes in any other Institution., keeping in mind the general rule regarding the educational and decision-making independence of all Higher Education Institutions regarding admissions – and will not be recognized for the purposes of reducing the teaching load of subsequent Degree programs.

Please note
All higher education institutions have autonomy in managing admissions. Attendance on the Foundation Year does not exempt students from sitting any entrance examinations at third-party institutions and cannot, under any circumstances, be recognised for the purpose of reducing the academic workload in subsequent degree programmes.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TRAINING OFFERING OF ROME, MILAN AND BRESCIA

ROME Headquarter: RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts
• the specific subjects are: Art, Photo/Video, Design
• the language certificate obtained will be CILS

ROME Headquarter: Saint Louis 
• the specific subjects are: Music
• the language certificate obtained will be CILS

MILAN Headquarter: SPD –  Bodio Center Campus
• the specific subjects are: Fashion Design, Photo/Video, Design, Music
• the language certification obtained will be PLIDA (Venue of the examination: Padua or Brescia)

BRESCIA Headquarters: CAST – Italian Institute of Culinary Arts & Hospitality and CIELS CAMPUS
• the specific subjects are: Italian Hospitality, Gastronomy & Food Culture
• the language certification obtained will be PLIDA (Venue of the examination: Padua or Brescia)

The Courses

Italian language and culture, songwriting and creative writing, history of music and Italian style, music theory and ear training, music production, and specialist studies in sound engineering, electronic music, composition, applied music, jazz and pop.

The course starts at the end of October and ends in July. The Saint Louis Foundation Course combines Italian language, culture and humanities studies with intensive musical training, allowing students to develop academic, linguistic and artistic competencies simultaneously throughout the programme. While the language and humanities modules contribute to the achievement of the academic requirements needed for access to Bachelor’s degree programmes in Italy, the music curriculum provides between 300 and 400 hours of specialised training, depending on the chosen pathway. Through a combination of theoretical instruction, practical workshops and project-based learning, students acquire the technical, creative and methodological skills required to successfully undertake the admission examinations for Saint Louis First-Level Academic Programmes.

Three dedicated curricula are available:

Sound Engineering & Electronic Music

Designed for students interested in audio technologies, sound design and digital music production. This pathway provides the foundations required for direct admission to the Saint Louis First-Level Academic Programmes in Sound Engineering (Tecnico del Suono) and Electronic Music (Musica Elettronica).

Subject Subject Type Credits Hours of lessons Attendance method Proficiency
Italian language and culture Certificate released: CILS
Language T 24 144 on line EXAM
Culture T 12 72
Specific Curriculum
Sound Engineering TP 6 120 in person EXAM
Music Technology TP 6 120 in person EXAM
Acoustics T 4 60 in person EXAM
Music Theory & Harmony TP 4 60 in person EXAM
Live electronics TP 4 30 in person EXAM
Total 60 476

Composition & Applied Music

Focused on composition techniques, orchestration, music production and music for visual media. The programme offers direct access to the Saint Louis First-Level Academic Programmes in Composition and Applied Music, with a particular emphasis on skills and methodologies related to film scoring and audiovisual production.

Subject Subject Type Credits Hours of lessons Attendance method Proficiency
Italian language and culture Certificate released: CILS
Language T 24 144 on line EXAM
Culture T 12 72 Dato 2.5 Dato 2.6
Specific Curriculum
Sound Engineering TP 6 120 in person EXAM
Music Technology TP 6 120 in person EXAM
Acoustics T 4 60 in person EXAM
Music Theory & Harmony TP 4 60 in person EXAM
Live electronics TP 4 30 in person EXAM
Total 60 476

Jazz & Pop

Designed for aspiring performers, songwriters and contemporary musicians, this pathway develops instrumental, rhythmic and ensemble skills within modern music languages. Students may progress directly to Saint Louis First-Level Academic Programmes or enter the most advanced levels of the institution’s Pre-Academic Courses, according to their artistic profile and achieved competencies.

Subject Subject Type Credits Hours of lessons Attendance method Proficiency
Italian language and culture Certificate released: CILS
Language T 24 144 on line EXAM
Culture T 12 72 on line EXAM
Specific Curriculum
Instrument or vocal P 4 30 in person EXAM
Small Ensemble P 3 34 in person EXAM
Music Theory & Harmony TP 4 60 in person EXAM
Ear Training T 3 34 in person EXAM
Pianoforte complementare P 3 32 in person EXAM
Ensamble P 2 45 in person EXAM
Music Technology TP 2 48 in person EXAM
Rhythm Section P 2 20 in person EXAM
Improvisation TP 2 40 in person EXAM
Total 60 476

The Saint Louis Foundation Course comprises language, culture and writing lessons in Italian, alongside music-specific theoretical and practical activities delivered in English. To be admitted, students must have a certified level of English language knowledge of B1/B2. As far as knowledge of the Italian language is concerned, it is preferable, but not compulsory, to already possess a B1 level.

General Information

  • Period: from the end of October 2026 to July 2027
  • Language: Italian and English
  • Language Requirements: English level B1/B2 of English.
  • Enrolment deadline: October
  • Cost: € 8,500

FIVE MAIN SUBJECTS

Italian language and culture, writing workshop, history of art, design and Italian style, specific course in photography, video, art and design.
The course starts at the end of October and ends in July. The 60 credits obtained will allow access to first-level academic courses at RUFA without having to take the entrance examination, or at any other institution (considering the general rule of the teaching and decision-making autonomy of each individual educational entity), and may not be recognised for the purposes of reducing the teaching load of subsequent degree programmes.

Discover the study Plan

Subject Subject Type Credits Hours of lessons Attendance method Privacy / Proficiency
Rome Milan Rome Milan
Italian language and culture Certificate released: CILS
Language T 24 24 144 144 on line/in person EXAM
Culture T 12 12 72 72 in person EXAM
Specific Curriculum
History of art, design and italian style T 8 8 60 60 in person EXAM
Art TP 4 / 50 / in person EXAM
Fashion Design TP / 4 / 50 in person EXAM
Photo/video TP 4 4 50 50 in person EXAM
Basic Design TP 4 4 50 50 in person EXAM
Writing Lab TP 4 4 50 50 in person EXAM
Total 60 60 476 476

(T) = Theoretical subjects – (TP) = Theoretical/practical subjects

(Rome) = Foundation Course in Rome – (Milan) = Foundation Course in Milan

The RUFA Foundation Course comprises language, culture and writing lessons in Italian, and more purely artistic RUFA lessons held in English. To be admitted, students must have a certified level of English language knowledge of B1/B2. As far as knowledge of the Italian language is concerned, it is preferable, but not compulsory, to already possess a B1 level.

General Information

  • Period: from the end of October 2026 to July 2027
  • Language: Italian and English
  • Language Requirements: English level B1/B2 of English.
  • Enrolment deadline: October
  • Cost: € 8,500

The course starts at the end of October and ends in July. The 60 credits obtained will allow access to CAST Bachelor in Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management without having to take the entrance examination, or at any other institution (considering the general rule of the teaching and decision-making autonomy of each individual educational entity), and may not be recognised for the purposes of reducing the teaching load of subsequent degree programmes.

Subject Subject Type Credits Hours of lessons Attendance method Proficiency
Italian language and culture Certificate released: CILS
Language T 24 144 on line EXAM
Culture T 12 72 on line EXAM
Specific Curriculum
Italian Culture of Hospitality TP 8 100 in person EXAM
Italian Ingredients, Products & Food Supply Chains TP 16 160 in person EXAM
Total 60 476

The CAST Foundation Course comprises language, culture and writing lessons in Italian, and practical lessons held in English. To be admitted, students must have a certified level of English language knowledge of B1/B2. As far as knowledge of the Italian language is concerned, it is preferable, but not compulsory, to already possess a B1 level.

General Information

  • Period: from the end of October 2026 to July 2027
  • Language: Italian and English
  • Language Requirements: English level B1/B2 of English.
  • Enrolment deadline: October
  • Cost: € 8,500

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