Overview

The Department of Law of the University of Ferrara is among the leading Italian institutions in its field and perpetuates a 600-year-old tradition. Indeed, law has been taught in Ferrara since 1391, the year in which the "Studio di Ferrara" was founded, at the request of Marquis Alberto V d’Este.

Today, the Department is particularly renowned for its strong emphasis on the European and international dimension of its study and research programme, as well as for the close integration between teaching, research and outreach activities, which is the key of its recognition as "Department of Excellence."

The Department is located in the historic centre of Ferrara, a vibrant university city, and has a satellite campus in the nearby town of Rovigo, which hosts the PhD programme in European Union Law and National Legal Systems. 

Around 1700 students are enrolled in its three degree programmes: two single-cycle degree programmes in Law, one for each university campus (Ferrara and Rovigo) and a three-year degree programme in Legal Services, in Ferrara. The student community is further enriched by international students coming from all over the world.

The Department of Law has developed an extensive network of international partners, participates in academic and scientific activities in collaboration with universities and other institutions in Italy or abroad, regularly hosts foreign Visiting Professors and offers its students an opportunity to spend a period of study or internship at an international university in the framework of mobility programmes or double degree programmes (three double degree curricula, jointly organized with the University of Granada, Spain and the University of Strasbourg, France). 

It engages in innovative teaching methodologies and promotes “learning by doing” through legal clinics, moot courts, workshops, opportunities of curricular and co-curricular internships and other activities.

The Department also organizes numerous lifelong-learning and continuous training activities involving lawyers, public officials and other legal professionals.

The campuses in both Ferrara and Rovigo have study rooms, state-of-the-art equipment and extensive libraries providing access to books, periodicals and databases. Moreover, the online resources have been recently enhanced thanks to the "Departments of Excellence" funds.

To learn more about our educational offerings, our academic life and our outreach activities visit the other sections of this website or contact us by e-mail / phone.