Mercati e strategie d'impresa

/ Overview

The graduate programme in Mercati e strategie d'impresa (Markets and Business Strategies) is designed to develop a mindset capable of integrating different perspectives and areas of expertise, combining knowledge of management, economics, law, and quantitative and critical methods. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to understand how markets operate and evolve, evaluate strategic alternatives, and contribute effectively to organisational decision-making processes.

Today, understanding market dynamics and guiding business decisions requires far more than expertise in a single discipline. It means being able to connect different perspectives, interpret economic, technological, social, and regulatory change, analyse data and information, and translate insights into informed and effective decisions.

This is the true value of interdisciplinarity: not simply acquiring knowledge from different fields, but learning how to integrate diverse perspectives to address complex challenges, identify opportunities and develop effective strategies.

The curriculum is centred on management and economics, with a particular focus on strategy, organisation, markets and decision-making processes. These areas are complemented by the study of legal frameworks and enriched by critical and analytical thinking, in line with an approach adopted by leading international universities. The programme is designed to strengthen students’ ability to interpret complex contexts and tackle challenges with rigour and innovation.

The programme is characterised by its interdisciplinary perspective and an interactive learning environment that encourages discussion through the analysis of business cases and direct engagement with companies and managers. Students can also tailor their studies to their interests by choosing between two curricula and a range of elective courses.

Why choose Mercati e strategie d'impresa at Università Cattolica?

The programme, one of the first in Italy with a truly interdisciplinary approach, offers training strongly oriented towards the world of work.

Take a truly interdisciplinary approach

Learn to integrate economic, managerial, legal and quantitative knowledge to analyse complex issues and make informed decisions

Offers a renewed curriculum aligned with leading international standards

Updated to reflect the latest approaches in management education, the programme develops skills that are highly relevant in both national and international professional contexts

Ensures structured path flexibility

With two curricula and a range of elective courses, students can explore their interests in greater depth and build an academic profile aligned with their professional aspirations

Enhance experiential teaching

Through business cases, project work and collaboration with companies, students apply their knowledge to real-world challenges and decision-making

Personalised career support

Through the Career Boost initiative, students benefit from mentoring, career guidance and networking opportunities designed to help them develop their strengths and build their professional path

Broad preparation for diverse career opportunities

Students develop an analytical, critical and strategic mindset that is highly valued in consulting and in organisational roles with decision-making responsibilities

88

%

Overall student satisfaction with the degree programme

93

%

Positive evaluation of the exercises

90

%

Positive evaluation of the internship experience

94

%

Positive evaluation of experiences abroad

Source: Satisfaction of those who completed the course of study detected in the latest Undergraduates survey, calendar year 2025

/ Study Plan

Find your programme

Curricula and study paths

The programme provides a strong interdisciplinary education that combines expertise in economics, management, law and quantitative methods to understand market dynamics and address the strategic challenges faced by organisations. Students explore different fields of study while developing a broad and critical perspective that opens up a wide range of career opportunities.

Students choose their curriculum by October of their first year and, through a guided degree of flexibility, can tailor their study plan to their interests, strengths and career aspirations after gaining a solid understanding of the programme's core subjects.

The choice of curriculum allows students to explore specific areas of interest in greater depth, without limiting their future career prospects to particular roles or sectors. Both pathways retain a strong interdisciplinary foundation, enabling students to develop transferable skills and pursue a broad range of professional opportunities across different business functions and the consulting sector.

Curriculum: Mercati globali (Global markets)

The curriculum explores international market dynamics, business internationalisation processes, and the changing landscape of global economic relations.

Particular attention is given to the factors that influence competitiveness in international markets and to developments in labour markets, including issues related to the mobility of human and intellectual capital.

It is designed for students interested in careers within companies operating in international markets, consulting firms and economic organisations, in areas such as market analysis, internationalisation and growth strategy development.

Curriculum: Strategie d’impresa (Business strategies)

The curriculum explores business decision-making processes and strategic dynamics, with particular emphasis on negotiation, leadership and relationships among economic actors.

It provides the tools and conceptual frameworks needed to understand the evolution of complex systems, evaluate strategic alternatives and address the challenges of business management.

It is particularly suited to students aiming for careers in strategic consulting, with opportunities in areas such as strategic planning, business development and support for organisational decision-making processes.

View the study plan

Teaching approach

The programme offers a comprehensive learning experience in which classroom teaching is complemented by practical activities aimed at developing transferable skills, professional awareness and decision-making abilities.

Project work, simulations and business cases enable students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts, fostering teamwork and direct engagement with professionals.

Projects developed with partner organisations, together with the Career Boost initiative, further enrich the learning experience by introducing students to the principles of consulting, organisational processes, and the skills, dynamics and trends shaping today’s labour market.

The curriculum is designed to support international mobility through greater alignment with courses offered by partner universities and the inclusion of two elective modules, making it easier to obtain recognition for examinations taken abroad.

Students can further enhance the international dimension of their studies through opportunities such as summer schools, international internships, short-term programmes and study-abroad experiences.

Within the Strategie d’impresa curriculum, activities focus on strategic analysis, corporate governance, negotiation and simulations of complex decision-making scenarios. The Mercati globali curriculum, by contrast, explores business internationalisation, global labour market dynamics, and the impact of artificial intelligence on human resources and international markets.

Both curricula include highly valued transferable skills components, such as Project Management (available in Italian or English), Econometrics and Statistics for Economic Decision-Making, and Logic, Rationality and Decision-Making. These subjects are designed to respond to labour market needs while strengthening students’ critical thinking and analytical skills.

Career Boost: Explore career paths, shape your future

The graduate programme in Mercati e Strategie d'Impresa offers students Career Boost, a career development initiative created in collaboration with companies, consulting firms and professionals from a wide range of sectors. The aim is to help students explore career opportunities, understand the characteristics of different professional roles, identify their interests and make the most of the skills developed throughout their university studies. The initiative consists of two complementary phases.

1. Career Insights – Exploring careers and developing professional skills

A series of sessions with professionals and industry experts designed to introduce students to a variety of career paths, provide insights into how professions are evolving, and develop key skills for entering the world of work.

Topics include:

The professional landscape: from careers in consulting, finance and management to opportunities in marketing, operations, start-ups and public institutions.
Entering the world of work: employment contracts and the main routes into professional careers.
Public speaking and professional communication: techniques for presenting ideas and projects effectively.
Teamwork and leadership: skills for collaborating and operating successfully within organisations.
The professions of the future: how artificial intelligence is reshaping roles, skills and career opportunities.

2. Career Conversations – Engaging directly with professionals

The second phase offers students the opportunity to take part in interactive small-group sessions of approximately 8–10 participants, each focused on specific professional areas.

Through direct conversations with both senior and early-career professionals, students can explore roles of interest, learn about career journeys and professional experiences, discuss the skills sought by employers, and gain practical insights to support their career choices.

The involvement of professionals at different stages of their careers provides both an established industry perspective and the viewpoint of those who have more recently made the transition from university to professional life.

Career Boost offers students the opportunity to move from exploring career options to actively shaping their own professional future through discussion, active participation and the development of new skills.

/ Admission

The admission process

You can find here the information on admission, which varies according to your qualification (Italian or foreign) *

To enrol in the graduate degree programme in Mercati e strategie d'impresa, the curricular requirements must be met and the procedures and deadlines set out in the programme admission procedures must be complied with.

Here are the main steps to follow:

01

See admission dates and procedures

A.Y. 2026-27

For the academic year 2026-27, it is no longer possible to enrol in this degree programme, as the available places are exhausted.

A.Y. 2027-28

For the academic year 2027-28, the new procedures, with admission procedures and deadlines, will be available shortly.

02

Prepare the required documentation

Make sure you have all the necessary documents for the submission of the application.

In-depth analysis: Required documents

Passport photo - format: jpg, jpeg; Maximum size: 10MB
ID - ID card, passport, driver's license are accepted. Format: png, jpg, jpeg, tiff, pdf; Maximum size: 10MB
Tax code - format: png, jpg, jpeg, tiff, pdf; Maximum size: 10MB
Residence permit - if required. Format: png, jpg, jpeg, tiff, pdf; Maximum size: 10MB
Self-certification of degree with exams taken, SSD, CFU
Baptismal certificate or, if you do not have it, the replacement documentation on which you will have information later

03

Register or access the Enrolment Portal

Register on the Enrolment Portal if you do not yet have an account or log in to the Enrolment Portal of Università Cattolica with your credentials.

04

Carry out the curricular verification

To carry out the verification of curricular requirements, it is necessary to enter in the Enrolment Portal the three-year degree in which you have obtained or obtained, all the courses in your study plan, with an indication of the scientific disciplinary sector, the ECTS and grades and dates for the courses passed.

The result of the curricular verification indicates whether the candidate meets the requirements to enter the course and provides information on the next steps of the procedure.

05

Reserve your place

If successful, reserve your place by paying the first instalment of the university fees via the Enrolment Portal. It is possible to do so even before obtaining the degree.

06

Complete pre-enrolment or enrolment

If you have already obtained your undergraduate degree, you can enrol, but if you are an undergraduate, you will have to pre-enrol and you will only be able to complete the enrolment procedure after you have obtained your undergraduate degree. You will be asked to self-certify your degree with the exams taken and the baptismal certificate. If you do not have one, you can submit replacement documentation as indicated in the Enrolment Portal.

It is necessary to enter one's income data by the end of November through the "Compila redditi" application, accessible from the personal iCatt page.

Useful information

Some useful information to enrol and take your first steps at the University with peace of mind.

English Test

An adequate level of language proficiency is required for admission to certain degree programmes or for courses taught in English to be included in the study plan. Candidates can demonstrate the requirement by presenting one of the recognised certifications indicated in the admission procedures or by taking the English Test organised by the Language Centre of Università Cattolica.

Candidates with disabilities or SLD

Students with disabilities or SLD can benefit from compensatory tools and dispensatory measures. All information can be found in the Services for Inclusion section of the university.

Discover the services for inclusion

Transfers, transfers, second degrees and career resumption

Candidates wishing to transfer to a programme within Università Cattolica, transfer from another university, enrol in a second degree or resume their university career must meet the Admission Requirements.

Go to the dedicated section

Notices

Read the notices

English Test

Insights: English Test

/ Fees and funding

Tuition fees and financial support

Tuition fees and scholarships

Starting university often involves questions about fees, deadlines and the support available. Clear information about financial support and accommodation options helps students plan their studies with confidence, allowing them to focus on their academic progress and personal development.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, through EDUCatt, offers income- and merit-based scholarships and graduation awards, providing financial support to help students continue their studies.

Visit the dedicated section for information on tuition fees and other costs, use the online fee simulator, and find out about available financial support.

Find out more

Student accommodation

Università Cattolica offers a range of housing options to support students throughout their studies.

On campus residences

Nine residences are located on or near Università Cattolica campuses. They offer an educational experience that goes beyond accommodation, with cultural activities, meetings and workshops that complement university study. Residence life also provides opportunities to be part of an active community, exchange ideas and share experiences.

Explore on-campus residences

Residences in the city

Residences located across the city are well connected to Università Cattolica campuses. They offer students greater independence in their day-to-day life, while providing comfortable accommodation and the flexibility to balance study, social life and personal time.

Explore city residences

/ International experiences

Study, internships and volunteering abroad

During your studies at Università Cattolica, you can gain international experience as part of your academic journey. Studying, doing an internship or volunteering abroad gives you the chance to experience new academic, professional and cultural environments, improve your language skills and develop an international perspective that can enrich your studies and support your future career.

Discover the opportunities to study, undertake an internship or volunteer abroad:

Semester abroad

Double degrees

Language courses and certifications

Summer programmes

Internships abroad

International volunteering

Thesis abroad

Short programmes

Virtual programmes

You can include an experience abroad as part of your studies. For programmes involving exams abroad, you can check in advance whether they can be recognised, following the guidance provided by your Faculty and discussing this with the relevant academic staff.

Find out more

/ Internships and careers

Internships and career opportunities

The programme offers several internship and apprenticeship opportunities, allowing students to apply the skills acquired in real-world work contexts.

Internships and professional training

The internship represents a key stage of the educational journey, providing students with the opportunity to engage directly with professional environments and gain a clearer understanding of the sectors and roles that best match their interests, skills and aspirations.

The programme includes an optional project-based internship worth 8 ECTS credits and assessed with a numerical grade.

Students are also encouraged to take part in preparatory activities, ideally during their first year, designed to help them identify their interests and make informed choices before undertaking their internship experience.

With the support of the Career Service, students can access opportunities across a wide range of professional fields, including consulting, marketing, human resources, organisation, strategy and business analytics, as well as many other areas aligned with the programme’s two curricula.

The Career Service accompanies students and graduates in their entry into the world of work, offering orientation tools for business and organisational contexts. The service supports the development of transversal skills, encourages meetings with companies and supports the construction of a conscious and coherent professional path.

Every year over 20,000 students participate in the events organized with more than 100 partner companies and over 9,500 carry out an internship thanks to the support of the Career Service and internship tutors.

Find out more

Learning outcomes

Graduates in Mercati e strategie d'impresa acquire a complete and multidisciplinary profile, able to operate effectively in complex contexts and in roles with high decision-making responsibility.

Ability to analyze and interpret complex problems by integrating economic, strategic and organizational perspectives

Transversal managerial skills in the main business areas, including marketing, HR, strategy and business analytics

Critical thinking and argumentative skills developed thanks to the integration between management, economics and logic and critical analysis teachings

Mastery of quantitative and digital tools, including analytical models, data literacy, and data science principles, for data-driven decisions

Skills in teamwork in heterogeneous contexts, management of complex projects and mediation in organizational processes

Direct experience with the business world through workshops, simulations, project work and application activities integrated into the training course

Career prospects

The programme offers excellent employability prospects thanks to its interdisciplinary approach, which opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities.

The graduate degree in Mercati e Strategie d'Impresa prepares versatile professionals able to understand market dynamics, analyse complex challenges and contribute to organisational strategic decision-making.

By integrating expertise in economics, management, law and quantitative methods, graduates develop a broad skill set that enables them to pursue careers across different sectors and functions, including private companies, consulting firms, public organisations and non-profit institutions.

Graduates can access a wide range of professional opportunities in sectors and roles such as:

Strategy, planning and control

Performance analysis, strategic planning, budgeting, management control, the evaluation of development and competitive positioning options, assessment of funding opportunities, and support for business growth and development decisions

Management and strategy consulting firms

Market, performance and business model analysis, as well as support for strategic planning and organisational transformation and development projects

Business functions across a range of areas

Human resources, marketing, business development and market entry, business process analysis and improvement, relationship management, business analytics, change management and innovation

Research centres, think tanks, public institutions and organisations requiring analytical and applied research capabilities

The development and evaluation of new business ideas, assessment of business model feasibility, and identification of market opportunities

Technological innovation, the growing adoption of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and the ethical and social responsibilities of organisations are profoundly reshaping markets, organisational decision-making processes and, consequently, professional roles.

These themes are integrated across the curriculum to help students understand their impact on competitive dynamics, business strategies and organisational responsibilities.

Students can also explore specific areas of interest through elective courses, tailoring their educational experience to their individual aspirations and goals.

Career opportunities for the Faculty: percentage of employed

1 year later

3 years later

5 years later

Source: The percentages relating to employment opportunities refer to graduates in 2024 (if 1 year after graduation), 2022 (if 3 years after graduation) and 2020 (if 5 years old)

Continuing your studies

The graduate degree programme in Mercati e stretegie d'impresa provides a strong foundation for further study through postgraduate and executive programmes aligned with the two curricula.

Thanks to its interdisciplinary structure and the availability of courses taught in English, the programme also offers an excellent basis for international opportunities, while enabling students to further enhance their expertise through professional development pathways, certifications and executive education programmes.

This interdisciplinary preparation also provides a solid foundation for students wishing to pursue doctoral studies, allowing them to deepen their knowledge of economic and management-related topics and develop advanced research skills for careers in academic or applied research.

/ Advising and support

Choosing your programme

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Find out about Università Cattolica Open Days for prospective students who want to learn more about the University and its programmes.

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