The Italian University is structured in three levels of study:
You can access a degree course (three years) with a high school diploma. The normal duration of the Bachelor's degree course is 3 years. To obtain the degree you must acquire at least 180 CFU (University Learning Credits).
You can access a 5-year degree course with a high school diploma. The normal duration of the course is 5 (or 6) years. To obtain a 5-year Master’s Degree you must acquire at least 300 or 360 CFU (University learning credits).
You can enter a Masters' Degree Program after having obtained your Bachelor's degree. The normal duration of the course is 2 years. To obtain a Master's degree you must acquire at least 120 CFU (University Learning credits).
The PhD is the third and highest level of education in the Italian system. You can access a PhD programme via a public competition only if you already have a Masters' Degree.