Pre-term at SAIS Europe is designed to give students the opportunity to settle into life in Bologna, get to know peers, faculty and staff, learn some Italian, and fulfill a program requirement, thereby leaving more space for other courses during the fall and spring terms. Pre-Term will also enable you to acclimate with life as a graduate student before the start of the academic year. Pre-Term courses are graded on a pass/fail basis and do not affect the student's grade point average.
In Summer 2026, we will offer Statistics for Data Analysis which fulfills the Data Analytics requirement for MAIR students. We will also offer International Economics I which fulfills one of the economics course requirements for MAIR and MAIA students. MAIA students coming from cooperative degree programs should note that by taking this economics course in pre-term, they will have more space in their program of study for other non-economics courses. In addition, we will offer Introduction to the European Union (EU), a non-credit course designed to give students a foundational understanding of the EU’s historical development, institutions, and political-economic context, particularly as preparation for more advanced coursework on Europe and European Affairs. These courses will begin online for the first two weeks of pre-term which run from August 3 to 14. By Monday, August 17 all pre-term students are expected to be in Bologna ready to attend classes on campus.
Survival Italian can be taken alongside Statistics, International Economics I, or Introduction to European Integration. Registration for pre-term will be available online on this page from 2 pm CET on May 26 through 11.59 pm on Tuesday, June 17.
Below is the list of courses we plan to offer in Pre-term 2026.
MAGR and MEPP student also take courses during this period, and will be registered automatically for their required courses. MAGR and MEPP class also run online from Monday , August 3 through Thursday, August 14. MEPP students who wish to take Survival Italian may register for that course when registration opens on May 26.
Pre-term courses offered at SAIS Europe:
This course provides an introduction to the study of international trade. The first part of the course will focus on theoretical frameworks designed to understand the drivers and implications of international trade and review empirical applications of these models. The second part of the course will cover distributional consequences of trade policy instruments, arguments for trade protection, and the organization of the world trade system. Principles of microeconomics is a prerequisite for this course; more advanced topics in microeconomics will be introduced throughout the course. This course will be offered in a hybrid fashion over a 6-week period. The first two weeks will be held online and the last four weeks will take place on campus in Bologna, when students can also decide to take the Survival Italian course. This course fulfills one of the economics course requirements for MAIR and MAIA students.
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic statistical tools required to conduct and evaluate empirical research in economics and the social sciences. The course fulfills the data analytics requirement for the MAIR degree and enables those students to take an additional elective course during the program. Topics covered include elementary probability theory, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, big data and Machine Learning. Special attention will be given to the application of these statistical tools to the analysis of real phenomena. Students who attend Statistics in Pre-term will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop on STATA in the fall or spring, as scheduling permits. This course will be offered in a hybrid fashion over a 6-week period. The first two weeks will be held online and the last four weeks will take place on campus in Bologna, when students can also choose to take the Survival Italian course.
This course introduces students to the historical and institutional development of the European Union (EU). It examines how European states built the institutions and forms of cooperation that became the EU, focusing mainly on their political, diplomatic, and economic context. By the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of the main forces shaping European integration and the different stages in the development of the "European Project." This course is free of charge.
Survival Italian: Essential Language Skills for Daily Life in Bologna
This beginner-level course gives you the fundamental Italian needed to handle everyday situations, like ordering food, asking for directions, making purchases, and introducing yourself to locals.
Course Structure:
50 hours of intensive instruction
Communicative, experiential-learning methodology
Focus on high-frequency vocabulary and practical phrases
Interactive scenarios: cafés, shops, transportation, basic social exchanges
Learning Outcomes: By course end, you'll achieve basic functional communication:
Manage routine daily transactions using memorized phrases
Ask and answer simple questions in familiar contexts
Build a foundation for continued language study if desired
Proficiency Target: Novice High (ACTFL) / approaching A1 (CEFR)
Ideal For Those Students Who:
have no prior Italian experience
are seeking basic linguistic survival skills for Bologna
need practical phrases quickly, without extensive grammar study
Scheduling Note: Non-MAGR students can enroll concurrently with Statistics and International Economics I.
Intensive Italian: Fast-Track to Functional Proficiency
This accelerated beginner-level course provides comprehensive Italian instruction through intensive daily classes and structured independent study, bringing you to everyday conversational proficiency in four weeks.
Course Structure:
100 hours of classroom instruction (5 hours daily)
Guided self-study component
Balanced approach: communicative practice + systematic grammar and vocabulary development
Immersive activities designed for retention and practical application
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, you will achieve functional intermediate proficiency:
Participate in conversations on familiar topics and personal interests
Understand the main points of clear, standard Italian on familiar matters
Develop strategies for continued autonomous learning
Proficiency Target: A2 (CEFR) / Intermediate Low or Mid (ACTFL)
Pathway Forward: Students continuing in the Fall may advance directly to intermediate-level courses. By the end of the academic year, you may qualify for the Italian proficiency exam (depending on individual progress).
Scheduling Note: Due to the intensive daily commitment, this course cannot be taken concurrently with other pre-term courses.
Students whose first language is not English may need to further develop their English language skills in preparation for graduate study at SAIS. If the Admissions Committee felt that you need to improve your English skills before the start of the academic year, this will have been indicated in your admitted student letter.
During Pre-term 2026, the Academic Speaking and Listening course will be offered. Further details will be available before Pre-term Registration opens toward the end of May.
During Welcome Week, all students whose first language is not English must take the diagnostic English Proficiency Reading & Writing exam. Students who do not pass this exam will be required to take a further English class during the Fall semester.
Pre-term courses do not carry course credit and therefore cannot be counted toward the overall number of courses required for any SAIS program. Thus, students who successfully complete a course in preterm will still need to complete the required number of courses for their degree program in the fall or spring terms. Successful completion of Pre-term courses is noted with High pass (HP) or Pass (P) on the transcript. No mention of Pre-term is noted for failed courses and grades do not affect the student’s grade point average (GPA).
Prerequisites
Principles of Economics Prerequisite: Students interested in taking International Economics 1 in preterm must have successfully completed a course covering principles of micro- and macroeconomics with at least a B- grade. Proof of having met this requirement must be provided to the Admissions Office by the start of the Pre-term course. If you take the Principles of Economics course offered online by SAIS, results will be transferred internally at the school. If a student does not pass an approved Principles of Economics course, they will not be allowed to begin International Economics 1 in Pre-term.
Questions?
The Office of Student Enrollment and Account Management (SEAM) works cross-functionally to provide support with financial aid, students accounts, and registration.