GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

In order to obtain the Combined Bachelor and Master of Science degree a final exam is required.The exam requires students to present and defend their written theses 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 need 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 a critical and original way.

The thesis is worth 12 credit points. The "Guide to writing a degree thesis"designed to aid students in writing their theses, details about the assignment and submission of the thesis, making the graduation reservation, acceptance to the graduation session, and receiving certifications and degree diplomas will be available in the upcoming years as students conclude their final years of studies.

The thesis is formally assigned by the thesis advisor, who supervises the work.

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

The thesis requires approximately 4 months of full-time preparation.

Students can opt to write the thesis in either Italian or English.

Theses associated with the Institute of Comparative Law and the Institute of Economic History generally consist of 150/200 pages (around 50,000/70,000 words). Theses associated with the other Institutes generally consist of 50 pages (about 18,000 words).

The thesis also has an abstract which concisely summarizes the main topic of the thesis.

The thesis is evaluated by the Examining Board of which the advisor is a member. The Board   consists of at least 5 members.
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 included in the student's academic career.
The Boards consist of at least 5 members including:

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

In order to submit and present 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.

The thesis can be defended in either Italian or English. The graduation (thesis presentation) includes:

• the student's 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 and the Board determines the student's graduation grade. Then, in the student's presence, the Board will proclaim that the student has graduated and announce the 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 graduating 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 6 points (out of 110) may be added to this score based on evaluation of the thesis and the student's overall curriculum.

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;
• a maximum of 2 additional exams 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 30, the marks are converted to a mark out of 30 on the basis of a specific conversion table.

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, the thoroughness and depth of analysis, literature cited, methodology applied and 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 that the student will receive a high score for the thesis. 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.

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, and consistently exceptional performance on exams and lack of any disciplinary action);
• graduation grade of at least 110.