Thomas Jefferson University

Students who undertake the Double Degree study programme will divide their studies between Università Cattolica and Thomas Jefferson University (Sidney Kimmel Medical College), and the sequence of the Programme will be as follows:

UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE

• Year 1 at Cattolica 
• Year 2 at Cattolica + Summer Session online (Thomas Jefferson University)
• Year 3 at Cattolica

THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY

• Phase 1 at Sidney Kimmel Medical College
• Phase 2 at Sidney Kimmel Medical College
• Phase 3 at Sidney Kimmel Medical College

UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE

• TPV (Evaluation Training General Medicine)
• Final thesis 

Admitted students will depart for SKMC around mid-July 2027 and return to Cattolica for graduation around April 2031.
 

The Double Degree Programme is open to students enrolling for the first time in Year 1 of the Single-Cycle Master’s Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery for the 2025-2026 academic year.

To apply, candidates must:

• Submit their application through their iCatt personal webpage
• Upload a copy of the English language proficiency certificate used for enrollment in the Medicine and Surgery programme
• Pay the €35 application fee by June 27, 2025

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
 

A maximum of 4 students can be accepted on the Double Degree study programme.

Summer Session Application Evaluation (by the end of April, Year 2 at Cattolica):

• Successful completion of all Year 1 Cattolica exams, with an overall GPA (marks and credits) above the 50th percentile of grades distribution of their class (minimum 24/30).
• Candidates will be ranked based on their overall GPA (marks and credits).
• An interview with the Selection Panel may be required.

Double Degree Programme Evaluation and Conditional Acceptance (by the end of April, Year 3 at Cattolica):

• Successful completion of all Year 1 and Year 2 Cattolica exams, with an overall GPA (marks and credits) above the 50th percentile of the class grade distribution (minimum 24/30).
• Successful completion of the first semester of Year 3 exams by April, maintaining an overall GPA (marks and credits) above the 50th percentile of the class grade distribution (minimum 24/30).
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in the Summer Session.
• Positive evaluation and final approval by the SKMC Admission Committee.

Double Degree Programme Evaluation and Official Acceptance

• Completion of all Year 3 Cattolica exams by the end of the summer exam session (June-July), with a minimum GPA of 24/30.
   

The costs below may be subject to change as they are updated to the current academic year.

• Cattolica Tuition Fees for Year 1, 2, and 3
   
• Thomas Jefferson University Summer session Tuition Fees are charged on a per-credit basis:
  
  Undergraduate (UG) courses - $605 per credit
  Compulsory courses: Writing Seminar 1 & 2 (Year 2).
  Each course is 3 credits, totaling 6 undergraduate credits.
  
  Total TJU tuition for Summer (6 UG Credits) $ 3630
  
  Note: Writing Seminar 1 & 2 may be waived for students who have earned equivalent credits from another college or university.
  Students wishing to request a course waiver should remember that the grade will be considered in the selection process, as outlined in the selection criteria. It is their responsibility to verify that the grade earned during their previous college or university degree meets the required standards: a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
   
• Cattolica Study Abroad Fee € 11.000/ per year for Year 4, 5 and 6
   
• SKMC Tuition and Fees for the Double Degree Programme $69,195/ Year
  SKMC Tuition and Fees is due by the first day of classes. For additional information on payment, see the Jefferson Student Accounts website.

All students will be responsible for all expenses related to their time abroad, including travel, accommodation, meals, study materials, health insurance, and visa-related costs.

Additionally, students should be aware that they must cover the cost of their visa for their initial departure, if selected, as well as any subsequent travel required by the programme. This includes returning to Italy for the final thesis and potentially traveling back to the United States if they intend to pursue a residency programme.
 

Students admitted to the Double Degree program will be required to pay a Study Abroad fee of €11,000 for each year of mobility at SKMC. No additional tuition fees will be charged at Cattolica for Years 4, 5, and 6.

Additionally, all students enrolled at SKMC will receive a €1,500 scholarship, which will be issued after the start of courses at Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

• No tuition refunds will be granted to students who withdraw from SKMC after a semester has begun.
   
• Students accepted into the program may choose to voluntarily withdraw at any time and continue their studies in either the Cattolica degree program or the SKMC MD program. In such cases, they must provide written notification to both the International Office at Cattolica and the Student Affairs Office at SKMC.
   
• Students who withdraw after the drop period indicated in the Academic Calendar will receive a progressively decreasing refund each week, up to a specific point beyond which no refund will be issued.
   
• Students who withdraw from SKMC before completing the programme and wish to continue with Laurea Magistrale in M&S at Cattolica, will be required to pay full tuition fees at Cattolica.
   
• Students who withdraw from both the Cattolica Medicine & Surgery program and SKMC will not be required to repay the subsidies received for completed semesters.

Selected students will benefit from the health insurance provided by AXA in collaboration with Cattolica. In addition, the “Student Safety Package” will be activated, and the students will be able to download the Safety Check Students app for the geolocation and instant communications in case of emergency. More information about the activation procedure will be provided to the selected students.