GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

In order to obtain the Master of Science degree, the final exam requires students to present and defend their written thesis before the Examining Board.

The thesis shapes the student's educational experience in a significant way. It is the result of research carried out under the supervision of the thesis advisor on a topic linked to the main subject area of the graduating student's curriculum. The topic of the thesis does not necessarily have to be associated with a course in the student's study plan. It can be based on work experience (internship) or a period of study in Italy or abroad.

The thesis must demonstrate the student's command of the basic methodologies of the subject areas he/she has studied. Students must also prepare an in-depth analysis of  a specific topic  addressing the theoretical, practical and empirical aspects in an original and critical way.

The thesis for all MSc programs is worth 20 credit points with the exception of the CLG-LS thesis which is worth 26 credit points.

Each Institute offers a Thesis Service which provides assistance to students regarding the assignment and submission steps which are completed through an IT procedure. The Service may also offer guidance during the assignment phase.
Graduating students deal with the Thesis Service Advisor's Institute of reference. The names of the contact persons of the Thesis Service are published on the Bocconi website in the specific area dedicated to each Institute.
The Guide to "Writing a Master of Science thesis" can be downloaded from the Bocconi website at http://www.unibocconi.it/graduatedegrees in Thesis and graduation > Guide to writing a Master of Science thesis. This guide was designed to aid students in writing their theses. The Guide is published in 2 volumes: one is for students enrolled in Master of Science programs in the fields of Economics and Management, and the other is for students enrolled in the Master of Science in Giurisprudenza [Law] (CLG-LS). There may be additional instructions for each single Master of Science program, according to the specific topics studied. Any changes will be announced by the Program Directors, and will be communicated to the candidates by the thesis supervisor before they finish writing it.

The thesis preparation is divided into the following phases:

• assignment;
• writing the thesis;
• administrative requirements for graduation (choosing the thesis title, entering the abstract, obtaining the approval for submitting the thesis, graduation reservation and submitting the thesis);
• admission to the graduation session;
• examining Board;
• graduation session and awarding of the graduation grade.

Starting from the Graduation Session of July 2008 the phases of allocation and submission of the thesis have been modified. Students who intend to graduate by the Graduation Session of July 2008 must fulfill the updated criteria specified in the Guide to the University 2008-2009.

The thesis is formally assigned by the thesis advisor, who will supervise the progress of the work.

Graduating students must access the Thesis Procedure in order to check the names of the potential thesis advisors according to their rank and qualifications as defined by the University.

Assignment of the thesis is then formalized when the "Choice of thesis title" form is completed (see  the paragraph "Administrative requirements for graduation").

Once the thesis has been assigned, the thesis advisor will nominate a discussant to act as the interlocutor during the presentation (defence) of the thesis. There is only one discussant. The advisor may nominate a second advisor if the thesis covers more than one field of study; the second advisor is chosen from an institute which is different from the advisor's, and collaborates in supervising the work.

The discussant is chosen from among the professors who can assume the role of thesis discussant according to rank and qualifications, as defined by the University.

The Institute of reference for the thesis is the same as that of the advisor.

Graduating students can request to cancel the thesis assignment by applying to the Thesis Service at the advisor's Institute of reference.

If no cancellation has been made, graduating students cannot apply for another thesis assignment, (neither in the same nor in any other institute).

The thesis requires around 4 months of full-time preparation given that the student is nearing the completion of advanced studies. This is calculated on the credit point value of the thesis.

Students enrolled in class groups taught in Italian can opt to write the thesis in either Italian or English. However students enrolled in class groups taught in English must write the thesis in English.

As a guideline, the thesis consists of 50 pages (around 18,000 words). However, theses for the Institute of Comparative Law and the Institute of Economic History generally consist of 150/200 pages (around 50,000/70,000 words).

The thesis includes an abstract which summarizes the main topic.

The Guide to Writing a Master of Science Thesis can be downloaded from in this section. This guide was designed to aid students in the writing of their thesis. There may be additional indications for each single degree program, according to the specific topics studied in each program. Any such indications will be given by the program directors, and will in any case be communicated by the thesis supervisor as candidates write their theses. The Guide is published in two different volumes one is for students studying programs in the economics and management fields and the one for students studying the Law program.

• Guide to Writing a Master of Science Thesis (PDF 77 Kb)

Graduating students:

• fill out the "Choice of thesis title" form; 2 copies will be issued. The form must include: 
  -  student ID;
  - surname and name;
  - Master of Science program;
  - academic year;
  - year of study;
  - thesis title;
  - name of the thesis advisor;
  - Institute of thesis advisor;
  - name of the discussant;
  - language of the thesis.

The "Choice of thesis title" form can be downloaded from the Bocconi website and must be signed by the thesis advisor:

• 1 completed copy must be handed in to the Thesis Service of the thesis advisor's Institute;
• 1 completed copy is kept by the student.

When nearing the completion of their theses, graduating students should access the Thesis Procedure and enter their abstracts. The abstract summarizes the thesis topic in a fixed number of predefined lines (around 250 words) and it can be modified up until the deadline for reserving the graduation session.

Graduating students:

• download and print the approval form which is generated by the thesis procedure. This form includes:
  
  - thesis title;
  - thesis advisor;
  - thesis advisor's Institute of reference;
  - discussant;
  - abstract;
  - any corrections to the title;
  - authorization or non-authorization for thesis consultation and declaration of conformity (the declaration asserts that the CD ROM's contents conform to what has been written by the student and approved by the thesis advisor); these must be signed by the student.
  
  
• submit, by the deadline for reserving a graduation session:
  • the thesis approval form to the thesis advisor.
    The thesis advisor will check the accuracy of the abstract, make any corrections to the thesis title and sign the form.
    The student can access the procedure if the abstract contains any mistakes and make the necessary adjustments
  • the signed approval form to the Thesis Service of the thesis advisor's Institute of reference.

Graduating students:

• make the graduation reservation via Punto Blu or Virtual Punto Blu, by selecting the "Graduation Reservation" option. Students must respect the deadlines indicated on the Graduation Calendar.
  
  Students can sit exams during this period up to the graduation reservation deadline. Students do not need to have passed all the exams in the program structure in order to make the graduation reservation. In fact, it is advisable to make the graduation reservation before submitting the thesis.
  
  The "Graduation Reservation" option will check the following:
  
  - that the thesis title is present in the Thesis Procedure;
  - the student's administrative status;
  - the student's financial position (whether fees, tuition, etc. have been paid).
  
  Students' administrative status regards:
  
  - enrolment in the 2006-2007 a.y. for those students who intend to graduate within the first session of 2008 (27-28 March)
  - enrolment in the 2007-2008 a.y. for those students who intend to graduate from the second session of 2008 to the first session of 2009 (generally the first session is held in March).
  
  Please note also that students must enrol in the 2007-2008 a.y. if they intend to graduate:
  
  - in the second session of 2008, (30 May) upon payment of the first installment of university fees and tuition;
  - from the third session of 2008, (23-24-25 July) upon payment of all university fees and tuition;
  
  
• must declare, when making the graduation reservation, that:
  
  - they do not have any pending obligations with ISU;
  - there are no outstanding obligations with the Library by the end of the graduation reservation;
  
  
• once the verifications have been made, students can view:
  
  - their thesis titles;
  - the educational activities in the study plan to be completed;
  - their grade point averages;
  
  
• enter:
  
  - any temporary address changes to where the degree diploma will be sent;
  - the address to where copies of the thesis will be sent;
  - any updates to contact details like telephone numbers just in case any problems arise when the thesis is being uploaded during the submission step;
  
  
• via the yoU@B student diary, students must fill out the following forms by the set deadlines:
  
  - the placement form which goes into a "CV Book" that will be sent to Bocconi contacts for recruitment purposes. These contacts include companies, public and private organizations as well as professional studios. This must be filled out starting from the day after the graduation reservation has been made;
  - the evaluation of university experience questionnaire. This questionnaire makes up part of a national survey and is designed to discover the perceptions of students who are about to graduate with reference to their overall university experience. This must be filled out starting from one month before the deadline for the graduation reservation.  

Once the approval form has been handed in and the graduation reservation made, graduating students can go to the "Thesis Submission" assistance point (via sarfatti, 25 on the left of the stairs, from 9.00am to 4.00 pm) indicated on the graduation calendar which is published on the website or to the "Centro Stampa" (monday-friday 8.30am-12.45am, 2pm-4pm) and:

• submit the thesis, by the deadline which is indicated for thesis submission on the Graduation Calendar, on a CD-ROM in the correct pdf format (according to the format specifications indicated);
• collect and sign the authorization form for printing and distribution;
• collect a copy of the receipt for thesis submission.

The University is responsible for the printing and binding of the required number of thesis copies.

Students accepted for graduation will be issued two copies of their binded theses about 10 days before the thesis defence. The thesis will be sent to the specific address which the student provided when making the graduation reservation.

1. The Thesis must be handed in to the Thesis Submission assistance point, in electronic format on CD-ROM and not protected from password (reading, modification, print and so on).
2. The Thesis must be handed in a single file, PDF format and the name of the file will be TS, followed by the student ID number e.g., if the student ID number is 1234567, the name of the file is TS1234567.pdf. Students are requested to include a white sheet after the title page of the thesis, in order to obtain a correct formatting of the PDF document/file.
3. Students must attach a label to the CD-ROM cover, including, clearly printed and in BLOCK LETTERS: student ID, surname/family name and name and month of the graduation session.

Formatting specifications suggested:

• Paper size: cm 29X21 (A4);
• Right and left margin: 2.5 cm;
• Lines per page : from 26 to 30 lines;
• Recommended font: Arial/Tahoma/Verdana;
• Front size (body): 12 points;
• Pages numbered;
• Title page carrying on it, in the following order:

         - Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi

         - Faculty of Economics

         - Master of Science      
         - Thesis' title
         - Advisor
         - Discussant
         - Master of Science Thesis of: name, surname and student ID 
         - Academic Year

• The thesis must start from the right page (odd), because it will be back-and-front printed .

It is not possible to use the Università Bocconi seal on the cover sheet or within the Thesis.

After the period for making the gradution reservation has closed, the Student Administration Centre will determine whether or not the student meets all the criteria to graduate.
In particular, the Student Administration Centre will check that:

• the procedure contains the abstract and approval from the thesis advisor;
• the thesis has been submitted;
• all educational activities included in the study plan are registered (except for the credit points for the thesis);
• there are no pending obligations with the ISU Office;
• there are no outstanding obligations with the Library.

The thesis will be submitted to the Examining Board for assessment only if all the criteria to graduate are fulfilled.

Students will receive notification about acceptance to graduation via an online message sent to their yoU@B student diaries. This message will also contain the student's GPA.

The thesis is evaluated by the Examining Board, of which the thesis advisor is a member.

The Boards are appointed by the Rector or by one of his delegates, and are presided by a tenured Professor (1st or 2nd level), who can also take on the role of thesis advisor and a second advisor and/or discussant of one or more theses which are subject to assessment.
 
The Boards are made up of professors, researchers and professionals who are experts on the thesis topic and on the other educational activities which  are forseen by the Program Structure.
The Board consist of at least 5 members including:

• the thesis advisor;
• a second thesis advisor (only if appointed);
• the discussant;
• at least 3 other examiners (2 if a second advisor is present).

In order to present and defend their theses before the Board, graduating students must have earned all the credit points foreseen by the program structure, with the exception of those which are awarded for the thesis.

Students enrolled in class groups taught in Italian can opt to present and defend the thesis in either Italian or English. However students enrolled in class groups taught in English must present and defend the thesis in English.

The graduation (thesis presentation) includes:

• an oral presentation (approximately 20 minutes);
• the defence, which includes answering questions and discussing issues raised by the members of the Examining Board. Those theses considered to be excellent will involve the participation of the discussant.

On completion of the presentation the candidate exits; the Board then determines the student's graduation grade.

The overall classification is expressed out of 110.
Students pass the final exam if they obtain a grade of at least 66.

The graduation grade takes into account all the educational activities included in the student's academic career. The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by the weighted mathematical average on the credit point values of all marks expressed out of 30 and converted into a mark out of 110. Up to 8 points may be added to this score based on evaluation of the thesis and the student's overall curriculum.
Please take note that from the first 2007-2008 Master of Science in Giurisprudenza [Law] graduation session (July 2008) available for students who are enrolled in the second year for the 2007-2008 academic year the incremental score to be added to the GPA weighed on credit points converted into a mark out of 110 can be of maximum 6 credit points.

With reference to the "GPA" it should be noted that:

• in calculating the graduation grade a mark of 30 "cum laude" is expressed as 31;
• marks for courses taken to meet Ministerial and Bocconi requirements are not taken into consideration;
• a maximum of 2 additional exams (or equivalent educational activities) are taken into consideration (in cases where students have passed more than 2 additional exams, the 2 best results will be used);
• for exams passed at other Italian or foreign universities with a mark that is not expressed out of thirty, the marks are converted to a mark out of thirty on the basis of a specific conversion table.
  
  

Points awarded for thesis evaluation and overall curriculum regard:

• the thesis: a maximum of 8 points (out of 110)
• the overall curriculum: 1 point (out of 110) if "excellent"; this is awarded only if the thesis has earned from 0 to 7 points (out of 110).

The thesis is evaluated on contents, presentation and defence.

The contents of the thesis are evaluated on clarity and accuracy of the written work, as well as the student's ability to summarize. The points awarded are based on the complexity of the topics covered, thoroughness and depth of analysis, literature cited, methodology applied and the quality and accuracy of empirical analysis. Originality and degree of innovation are also important factors. In addition, the adequacy of the conclusions reached is also assessed.

The presentation is evaluated on the ability to express oneself clearly, plan and organize a well-structured presentation, apply critical reasoning and analytical skills, and respond appropriately to the questions and issues raised by the Board.

A high GPA does not guarantee a high thesis score. On the other hand, a comprehensive and original thesis can be awarded a high score regardless of the student's GPA.

The Board calculates the rounding of the graduation grade; if the decimal point is equal to or higher than 5 then the score is rounded up, whereas if the decimal point is lower than 5 it is rounded down.

For the 2006-2007 academic year graduation session and for all Master of Science programs, the Board can unanimously award "lode" (cum laude) to students who satisfy the following conditions:

• thesis evaluation  and overall curriculum of at least 7 points;
• graduation grade of at least 110.

From the first 2007-2008 academic year graduation session (July 2008) available for students who are enrolled in the second year for the 2007-2008 academic year  and for all Master of Science programs in the field of Economics and Management the Board can unanimously award "lode" (cum laude) to students who satisfy the following conditions:

• thesis evaluation  and overall curriculum of at least 7 points;
• graduation grade of at least 111.

 For the Master of Science in Giurisprudenza (Law) the Board can unanimously award "lode"(cum laude) to students who satisfy the following conditions:

• the Examining Board evaluates the thesis as"excellent";
• students have a curriculum that is considered excellent (excellence is assessed by, for example, study or internship experiences in Italy or abroad which are particularly important, consistently exceptional performance on exams and lack of any disciplinary action);
• graduation grade of at least 110.

In the graduating student's presence, the Board will proclaim that the student has graduated and announcethe graduation grade.

• The thesis presentation agenda (day, time, room and Examining Board ) can be checked in the yoU@B student diary. It is also posted on the bulletin boards located on the ground floor of the University building at via Sarfatti 25. It is released around one week prior to the presentation.
• After the presentation students can ask the Board to return the printed copy of the thesis. The Student Administration Centre will not return any copies.
• In general, from the first working day following the thesis defence, graduates can print graduation certifications at Punto Blu (theyll need their Bocconi ID card). Graduates who require a certification  with "marca da bollo" (pre-paid stamp duty) can make the request at the Teaching Services and Organization Desk. Please note that the official certification will only be issued if graduates bring along the correct "marca da bollo".
• The degree diploma will be sent to the graduate's address which he/she provided when the graduation session was reserved.
• If students cancel the graduation reservation they must repeat the procedure via Punto Blu or Virtual Punto Blu, and reserve a new session by the set deadline.
• After reserving a graduation session students can no longer enrol in the new academic year unless they renounce the graduation reservation. Renouncement must be done in writing and handed in to the Teaching Services and Organization Desk (Mondays to Fridays from 8 am to 4 pm). After re-enrolling in the new academic year and settling any pending financial obligations, students can make another graduation reservation.

The graduation calendar can be consulted on the website in the section "Graduation sessions; calendars and ceremonies". It also contains the following information:

• period for reserving the graduation session;
• deadline for taking the last exam;
• deadline for submission of the thesis.