The University Iuav of Venice was founded as the Venice University Institute of Architecture and dates back to the foundation of the special course in architecture in 1923 at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Venice. In 1926 the Institute was established as "the Venice Higher Learning Institute of Architecture", the second architecture school in Italy after that of Rome. Past Iuav directors have included: Giovanni Bordiga, Guido Cirilli, Giuseppe Samonа, Carlo Minelli, Carlo Scarpa, Carlo Aymonino, Valeriano Pastor, Paolo Ceccarelli. Since 1991 the University Iuav's current chancellor has been Marino Follin.

In 2001 the Iuav enlarged its educational programmes by adding to its already existing faculties of Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, a third faculty, that of Arts and Design. Today the Iuav is the only university in Italy dedicated to a specific area of knowledge: teaching design and planning for all disciplines concerned with man?s habitat and environment.

The Iuav offers a number of 3-year undergraduate programmes in architecture, building construction, visual arts, theatre, urban and regional planning, and territorial information systems. It offers 2-year graduate programmes in architecture, product design, visual arts, theatre, and city and urban planning. The Iuav is also expanding its post-graduate programmes to include Master, PhDand Specialisation programmes.

The university offers a wide range of services and research facilities: centres and laboratories to include project archives, relief map-making and regional data processing centre, laboratory for the analysis of ancient materials, research lab for architectural design, and laboratory for constructional engineering; and departments concentrated in developing research activities in the fields of art and industrial design, architectural construction, planning, design, history of architecture, and urban planning.

The research activities of the Iuav tackle crucial issues concerning city transformation and regional development and are conducted with the full collaboration of both public and private local institutions.

The Iuav is also founder of the company Isp-Iuav Studi&Progetti, specialising in planning and design services, where faculty staff and graduates work to develop research and projects commissioned by private and public entities.

The Iuav has expanded its campus by restoring a series of industrial buildings in disuse, including the ex-cotonificio of Santa Marta and the Magazzino 7 which houses photography laboratories and graphic, multimedia and set design workshop spaces. With the current restoration of the ex-consultorio in Campo della Lana, the university will soon have a further premise.

Nearly 8,000 students are enrolled at the Iuav and last year 1,486 students graduated from the university. There are 219 faculty teachers on staff, 238 professors on contract, 501 didactic collaborators, and 309 technical and administrative employees. The Iuav also participates in exchange programmes with 67 different universities throughout the European community.