Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV) specialises exclusively in design and architecture. Founded in 1926 as the Scuola Superiore di Architettura within Venice’s Academy of Fine Arts, it became a pioneering institution in architectural education. In 1940, it gained recognition as the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, and in 2001 it was awarded official university status.
The university is located in the historic city of Venice, in northeastern Italy.
The university is organised into four main faculties: Architecture, Construction and Conservation; Architecture and Arts; and Design and Planning in Complex Environments. Each faculty is divided into different departments which offer a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes designed to foster creativity, technical skill and critical thinking.
A distinctive feature of IUAV’s teaching is the central role of workshops, where students engage directly in practical projects and real-world problem-solving, guided by experienced academics and industry professionals.
The university collaborates with over 130 universities across Europe and 60 globally.
Università Iuav di Venezia was one of the first universities in Italy to offer courses in fashion design and visual arts within a traditional architecture and urban planning school.
