Cognitive Forensic Sciences

The degree applies cognitive science to the legal and forensic context. Sapienza describes the training as psychological, legal, philosophical, neuroscientific, methodological and technological. The aim is a graduate who can read a criminal event across several sources of evidence at once. The course also covers how errors of judgment happen and what they cost, for the individual and for the community.

The first year teaches Forensic decision-making, Epistemology and Professional Ethics, Fundamental Criminal Law, Principle of Criminal Procedural Law, International Criminal Law, Memory and Eyewitness Testimony, Emotion Psychology, MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR CRIMINAL ANALYSIS, Criminology, Victimology, and Job training and guidance. The second year teaches Forensic Psychopathology, an Elective course worth 9 CFU, Forensic Neuropsychology, Research methods, Forensic Genetics and Lab, Forensic chemistry, and FINAL THESIS worth 12 CFU. An optional group offers Psychology of Deviance, Legal Education and Sport, and Cognition and Emotion in Forensic Science: From Genes to Behavior together with its lab.

Admission is by verification of requirements, not by a ranked entrance test. Sapienza's own course catalogue tags this programme with the admission procedure Verifica dei requisiti e della preparazione personale. No cap on places is published. You need a three year bachelor's degree or university diploma, or a qualification obtained abroad that is recognised as suitable and equivalent. You also need at least 40 ECTS credits in one of six listed subject groups. Sapienza sets a minimum GPA of 75 out of 100 for this programme.

The selection committee assesses your knowledge and understanding of basic statistics and research methodology. You must send a maximum of two letters of recommendation, written by lecturers who taught you during your university studies. The committee may also hold an oral interview, which can take place remotely.

English must be at CEFR level B2. For this programme Sapienza names IELTS 5.5 or higher, TOEFL iBT 80 or higher, Cambridge English B2 First or higher, and Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English ISE II or higher. The requirement is waived only for native speakers of English, for holders of an English-taught qualification from an accredited institution in the EU, EEA, Schengen, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, and for holders of an International Baccalaureate, GCSE or comparable certificate. Pakistan is not on that list. A Pakistani applicant therefore needs one of the named certificates.

Applying costs 10 euro, paid through Infostud with course code 33583. Requests opened on 2 July 2026. The only date open to applicants from non-EU countries who need a student visa is 15 September 2026. The later dates of 15 October 2026, 17 November 2026 and 17 December 2026 are open to other applicants. 14 January 2027 is reserved for people who already hold a Sapienza degree or are about to graduate from Sapienza.

Teaching fees are separate from the application fee. Sapienza charges a fixed yearly contribution to students who declare their income abroad and so cannot file an Italian ISEE. The amount depends on a country band. Pakistan is listed in Band A, which is 300 euro a year, paid as instalments of 90 euro, 105 euro and 105 euro. A student paying on the Italian ISEE scale instead falls in Sapienza's second contribution bracket, which is 2,924 euro a year. A regional tax and a stamp duty are charged on top of either figure.

Classes for 2026/2027 run from 28 September to 18 December 2026 in the first semester, and from 15 February to 14 May 2027 in the second.