1. Once I have applied, how long does it take to find out if I have been accepted?
Once all required materials have been submitted, you will hear from us within about two weeks.
2. Do I need a visa?
If you are from the United States or another country that is not a member of the European Union, you need a student visa before entering Italy. Obtaining a student visa is
mandatory by Italian law and
must be obtained
before you arrive. Applying for a student visa is a completely separate process from applying to
John Cabot University.
For more information on obtaining a student visa, click
here.
3. Does John Cabot University give AP, IB and other advanced standing credit?
It’s possible that you can receive credit for college-level work completed in secondary school or through independent study. Advanced standing may be awarded for the Italian Maturità, International Baccalaureate diploma (partial credit is awarded for individual IB certificates with a grade of 4 or better), or other 13-year national university entrance certificates.
Advanced standing may be awarded for passing grades in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement examinations with a score of 4 or above.
4. Do I have to take placement tests during Orientation?
Placement exams in English composition and math are administered to all incoming, degree-seeking students to determine your proficiency and placement in these two areas. In addition, an Italian language placement exam is administered to students with some knowledge of Italian who plan to enroll in an Italian course, in order to determine proper course selection. All placement exams are administered during the Orientation Week as well as at scheduled intervals before the semester begins.
5. I have taken the TOEFL/IELTS test. Do I still have to take the English Language Placement test and the Composition Placement test?
If you have taken the TOEFL or IELTS test and your scores are at or above the required scores for admission to John Cabot University, you do not need to take the English Language Placement Test.
However, all degree-seeking students must take the English Composition Placement Test. This test gives us information about your writing skills that are not revealed in the TOEFL or IELTS tests. The Composition Placement Test helps us place you in the appropriate JCU composition course.
6. How is the academic year structured?
John Cabot University maintains a schedule similar to most universities in the United States. The academic year is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each, one beginning in September and the other in January.
Each semester, you will normally take five courses (at three credits each), earning a total of 15 credits per semester or 30 credits for the year. Two summer sessions of five weeks each allow you to take one or two additional courses per summer session.
To earn a bachelor’s degree, you must complete 120 credits (or 40 courses). It is common for JCU students to complete their bachelor’s degrees in four years.
7. Can I study in another country while I’m a student at JCU?
Yes. John Cabot University’s Study Abroad program, Go Global, offers degree-seeking students the opportunity to study at universities throughout the world. This allows you to acquire educational and life experience in another country and better prepare yourself for life as a global citizen, an international career, or prestigious graduate school.
John Cabot University has agreements with a number of outstanding universities in the United States and other countries.
Click here for more information, or contact
Danette Anderson in the Admissions Office.
8. Who was John Cabot?
John Cabot or Giovanni Caboto was an
Italian explorer from the 15th century who “discovered” Newfoundland and Cape Briton in North America. Though he lived in England as an adult, he was a citizen of Venice.
His dual English-Italian identity and his fearless expeditions to the New World make him the ideal symbol of John Cabot University, a university that embraces both its American heritage and Italian location and educates students who are intellectual explorers themselves.