Info
Foto sezione
Logo Bocconi

GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

2017-2018 A.Y.
Bachelor of Science Programs (3-y)



3.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND COMPUTER SKILLS

     
Last change 01/06/2017 08:00

3.1.
Foreign Languages

            
Last change 01/06/2017 08:00

3.1.1.
Language skills and knowledge at the Study Program start

The program requirements of all Bachelor of Science programs include a first and a second European language as compulsory
Considering that the language learning corresponds to a long and gradual process and that the output levels of the BSc programs must be adequate to the post-BSc opportunities, the University:

  • Requires a entry pre-requisite a certain level of knowledge for English (B1 for BSc programs held in Italian and B2 for those held in English; the prerequisite is checked upon admission in the Study Program);
  • Suggests certain levels of initial knowledge for the other languages (B1 for the first language and A2 for the second language, regardless for the programs held in Italian and in English).

In order to favor an adequate initial preparation, on the Bocconi website at www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter in Minimum Level Required, the University:

  • Specifies the grammatical and syntactic knowledge and communication skills relating to the minimum entry levels;
  • Specifies in detail the learning materials to achieve such levels.

In addition, students who are not Italian native speakers are offered an intensive Italian introductory course, held in the first semester and lasting 38 hours. Information about the sign-up methods are communicated to all students who are not Italian native speakers via the yoU@B student Diary.
Last change 05/07/2017 14:43

3.1.2.
Foreign languages in programs taught in Italian and in English: overall framework

 

 All class groups

First language

Second language

Positioning

1st year

2nd year

 

Kwnoledge assessment

Details 3.1.3

International certification

or

Bocconi exam

International certification

or

Bocconi exam

 

Educational offer

Details 3.1.4

Six-month courses for certifications

or

One-year course for Bocconi exam

Six-month courses for certifications

or

One-year course for Bocconi exam

Italian class group

Language choice

Foreign language courses must be different than the native language declared upon enrollment1

The first language must be different than the second one.

For those students who are not English native speakers the first language must compulsorily be English

English

Language: automatically assigned

Course level: assigned on the basis of the language preparation checked upon admission in the Study Program.

or

Italian - French - Portoguese 3 - Spanish - German


Language: not automatically assigned but to be chosen only by English native speakers after the finalization of the enrollment

Course level: automatically assigned (single level)

Italian - French - Portoguese Spanish - German


Language: not automatically assigned but to be chosen upon enrollment in the second year of studies

Course level: automatically assigned (single level)

Minimum output levels3

Academic/general contents

English B2

or

Italian C1

Other languages B2

 

Italian C1

Other languages B1

 

English class groups

   

Language choice

Foreign language courses must be different than the native language declared upon enrollment1

The first language must be different than the second one

For those students who are not Italian native speakers, one of the two language course MUST be Italian

English - Italian - French - Portoguese2 - Spanish - German

English: automatically assigned

English native speakers MUST choose a different language than English while Non-English native speakers CAN choose a different language than English immediately after the finalization of the enrollment

Course level: automatically assigned (single level)

Italian - French - Portoguese - Spanish - German

Language: not automatically assigned but to be chosen upon enrollment in the second year of studies

Course level: automatically assigned (single level)

Minimum output levels 3

Academic/general contents

English C1

Other languages B2

 

B1

 

 
  1. Those students who have more than one mother tongue e.g. because they come from Country/belong to multi-language religions or their parents are of different nationalities, must declare one single native language for the whole duration of their studies.
  2. Portoguese, Bocconi teaching and exam, is only offered as a second language for students enrolled in the second year of studies. For Portoguese as a first language it is only possible to record the result of one of the international certifications recognized by the University in the study plan. Materials for self-study are available.
  3. In order to classify the language knowledge, the University follows the Common European Framework established by the Council of Europe.

 

Course codes

 

Language

First language

Second language

Exam of the first year

Exam of the second year

English

30301

-

Italian

30303

30308

French

30302

30307

Portoguese

30304

30309

Spanish

30305

30310

German

30306

30311

 
Last change 22/08/2017 12:18

3.1.3.
Knowledge assessment

Students can choose between:
  • International certification / test
  • Bocconi exam.

The language level acquired by the students is specified in the exam report and on the official academic transcript. The knowledge assessment is expressed into a grade out of thirty calculated for the grade point average.
Last change 13/06/2017 14:06

3.1.3.1.
International certifications/tests

Below please find general information relating to certifications/tests (in brief certifications).
Detailed information are available on the Bocconi website.
Students can record only one of the certifications recognized by the University, taken at one of the Examination Centers officially recognized, in Italy or abroad.

In addition, the certification must be:

  • Of an equal or higher level than the minimum output level required (see 3.1.2.).
  • Must be recorded within 3 years after the conferral date (except for TOEFL which must be recorded within two years)

Students can obtain the certification before (e.g. by presenting again certifications obtained for the purpose of being admitted to the University) or during university studies.

Recording can be made also in advance than the first exam session the student can register for (therefore starting from the initial enrollment on condition that the certification is still valid).

In any case, the relating credit points and the grade are awarded in the year of studies the language is positioned in.
Only the credit points relating to the first language are counted for the number of credit points needed to pass to the second year of studies and only if the certification is submitted by 13 July 2018.
If the certification is submitted in a subsequent year than the year of studies the language is positioned in, the student will turn out to be as a student who has not yet passed the course referred to previous year/s until it will be recorded.

The result of the certification is recorded in the student’s academic career with a grade out of thirty, upon conversion based on the tables published on the website.

For certification recording, students must submit the original certification at the Office of the Language Center and must not register for the Bocconi Exam.

For obtaining a certification during the university studies, the Language Center offers:

  • Information and orientation service
  • Courses to prepare some certifications (see 3.1.4.1.)
  • Preparatory materials and exam models at the language laboratory
  • Test Center for some English certifications of the British Council / Cambridge English Language Assessment. The registration method and the whole procedure entirely follow the rules of the Examination Institute.

Costs relating to the registration for the certification exam are to be paid by the student.
Last change 05/07/2017 14:49

3.1.3.2.
Bocconi exam

Below please find general information on Bocconi exams.
Detailed information on exam assessment methods and calculation of the final grade is available on the course syllabi available on the website www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter in Curricular courses, Bachelor of Science programs.

Exams follow the same language standards applied for international certifications. The exam is structured into a written exam and an oral exam, both compulsory; admission to the oral exam is depending on passing the written exam with a grade equal to or higher than 18/30.

Both the first and the second language include a final compulsory exam in the second semester of the relating year of teaching and an optional partial exam (on a single date) in the first semester.

The final grade is calculated upon considering both the final grade than other elements aimed at assessing the learning progress during the studies and the student’s committment. Specifically:
  • Active participation of the student at lecture (it is necessary to attend at least 75% of the lessons by registering through the "Attendance" procedure) and activities of guided self-study
  • Passing the partial exam
  • Passing the written final exam at the first temptation and passing the final oral exam as part of the same session.
For each specific case first or second language, Class group in Italian or in English, a single level of the Bocconi exam equal to the minimum output level is included.

Only for English and only for class groups held in Italian, the Bocconi exam is proposed for both the B2 and for the C1 level (despite the minimum output level is B2) to be chosen by the student.
Last change 05/07/2017 14:50

3.1.4.
Educational offer

The Language Center offers courses to prepare some international certifications and the Bocconi exam.

All students are automatically allocated a class group for preparing the Bocconi exam: these students who wish to attend a course to prepare the certification must register for the admission test (see 3.1.4.1.)

Below please find information on the educational offer.

Detailed information is available on the Bocconi website at www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter.


Last change 05/07/2017 14:51

3.1.4.1.
Courses to prepare English, French and Spanish language certifications

For English first language (in the second semester of the first year of studies).
  • IELTS, International English Language Testing System, general language, B2 and C1 levels, Examination Center British Council, IDP - IELTS Australia, Cambridge English Language Assessment
  • BEC, Business English Certificate, specialized/business language, B2 and C1 levels, Examination Center Cambridge English Language Assessment.

For French second language (in the second semester of the second year):

  • DELF, Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française, general language, B1 level, Examination Center Ministère de l’Education Nationale

For Spanish second language (in the second semester of the second year):

  • DELE, Diploma de Español Lengua Extranjera, Nivel Inicial, general language, B1 level, Examination Center Instituto Cervantes.

Each course (lasting a semester) includes 48 hours of teaching, except for the IELTS C1 course, including 24 hours.

Courses are offered only to the students who have the language course code included in their study plan.
They are offered to a limited number of students and only students who pass the relating test for initial positioning are admitted (the test is carried out at the end of the first semester).

Students who are not admitted keep the allocation of the class group to prepare the Bocconi exam (automatically assigned in the first semester).
Courses are started only if an adequate number of registered students is reached.

 

Further information available on the website www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter, under the menu Certificates.

Last change 05/07/2017 14:52

3.1.4.2.
Teaching to prepare the Bocconi exam

Courses last one year: the first language includes 96 hours and the second language includes 128 hours.

Detailed information on course objectives and contents is available in the course syllabi available on the website www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter in Curricular courses, Bachelor of Science programs.
Last change 26/06/2017 10:05

3.1.5.
Self-study

In addition to lecture attendance, learning foreign languages requires a constant committment also for self-study which includes a series of activities to carry out, based on specific information provided by the teaching staff in class and available om the course syllabi, with the use of different tools (e.g. exercise books, multimedia courses available on the BBoard e-learning platform).

In addition, the Language Center offers the following at the Language Laboratory:
  • An advisory and information service for the language study
  • A tutoring service realized by the language teaching staff as a support of the individual learning; this service is upon reservation
  • Several materials for preparing certifications and the Bocconi exam, available at the multimedia Library of the Laboratory and on the BBoard platform.

In general, students are suggested to spend 3-5 hours per week for the self-study.
Last change 10/07/2017 17:13

3.1.6.
Foreign languages as additional exam

Curricular foreign languages (french, english, italian, portuguese, spanish, german) can also be recorded as additional exams (see § 9), either because of the passing of a Bocconi exam, or upon the acquirement of a certification.

With reference to the certification, it must be included in the list of the certifications which can be recognized, it must not be expired and must be of a minimum level equal to B1.

In addition students can record in their study plan, only as an additional course, also Russian and Chinese, which are non-curricular language.

As for these languages there are no Bocconi exams, it is only possible to record an international certification, only if it is included in the list of the ones recognized by the University, it is not expired and is of a minimum level equal to B1.
Last change 04/07/2017 17:05

3.2.
Computer skills

 
Last change 01/06/2017 08:00

3.2.1.
Program structure position and credit points

The program requirements of all Bachelor of Science Programs offered at Università Bocconi include one or more curricular courses of computer skills, aimed to fulfill the specific requirements of the students study paths.

The Bachelor of Science programs sharing common foundation CLEAM, CLEF, CLES, BESS, BIEM, BIEF include the course of Computer science (cod. 30424) held during the second semester of the first year of studies, and it is worth 6 credit points.

BIG and CLEACC programs include the course Computer skills (cod. 30330) held during the first semester of the first year for students enrolled in BIG and in the second semester of the first year for students enrolled in the CLEACC program. Both of the courses are worth 3 credit points.
For the BIG program there is also a preparatory course of Excel (code 30494).

For all information on these courses please check the website at www.unibocconi.eu/sedin section ‘Curricular courses’.

As the BEMACS program is addressed to ICT, it includes different curricular courses of computer skills.

Last change 27/07/2017 11:31

3.2.2.
Assessment of knowledge

 

The exam can be taken in two ways: as two partial exams or as a single general exam.

  • Partial exams:
    They are designed for those who regularly attend the lessons; only first year students can sit for partial exams. Partial exams cannot be sat or repeated in the following years.
  • General exams:
    They are addressed to those who have not sat partial exams or who have not passed them.


In both ways, the exam is structured in a section of questions and a section of computer exercises.

Please note that in orderto be able to register for the Computer Science or Computer Skills exam (second partial exam or general exam) it is necessary to have obtained a complete ECDL certification (ECDL Core or New ECDL Full Standard), or other equivalent certifications recognized by University. The certification must be completed and in case submitted to SEDIN according to the deadlines and procedures published on the website www.unibocconi.eu/sedin in prerequisite section for curricular courses.
It is strongly recommended that students complete the certification before classes start, in order to attend the Computer science or Computer skills courses with the needed basic knowledge.

Last change 05/07/2017 14:52

3.2.3.
Achieving ECDL certification at Bocconi

Students who do not yet have the complete ECDL certification may take it at Università Bocconi. Exams are held each week according to a calendar which is updated regularly. Students may purchase online the ECDL products (at a discounted cost), view the exam calendar and enroll directly through their yoU@B student Diary, using the special IT certifications ECDL box.

For further information, please refer to the website at www.unibocconi.eu/sedin.


Last change 01/06/2017 08:00

3.2.4.
Supplementary activities of IT

In order to improve one’s IT skills, it is possible to attend extracurricular courses of IT skills organized by the SEDIN, which will be part of the supplementary activities (see chapter 8.1 of this Guide to the University).

Last change 01/06/2017 08:00