GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

The education model adopted by the Master of Science programs is characterized by teaching activities to encourage interaction between students and teachers.
In addition to traditional lessons, the activities include case studies, practical exercises for which students are asked to prepare beforehand and active class participation. Teachers can also assign individual and/or groups assignments, if necessary, assisted by a tutor.

For courses included in the degree program, one credit point corresponds to 8 hours of lessons.

A maximum of 2 hours of the total hours of a compulsory course (8) can be organized dividing the class group into 2 smaller groups.

Some courses also provide online multimedia support to class teaching. These courses are specified in the annual teaching activities program. For some elective courses  web casting and e-learning projects have been launched.

The web casting project involves video recording of the lessons of a course, so that they can be broadcast in streaming format via Internet. This learning method cannot be chosen by the students who must only express or refuse their authorization to be video recorded.

The e-learning project supports traditional learning methods and creates a collaborative learning environment. Tutors are involved in the preparation of websites and development of course specific software.

The e-learning project allows students who are unable to attend lessons held with traditional methods (because of interniships or in programs abroad) to follow the lessons in distance learning (see E-learning class groups).

Attendance at lessons is highly recommended since it complies with the proposed educational model which is designed to favour gradual learning, active student participation and in class interaction between students and teachers.

Some courses may have different assessment methods for attending and non attending students

The teaching activities are organized into class groups. For the 2011-2012 academic year the compulsory courses of Master of Science programs have class groups of around 85 students each.

For the first year (compulsory courses) 2011-2012 academic year, 21 class groups have been scheduled:

For educational activities students are assigned to a class group as follows:

• for compulsory courses class groups are assigned before lessons begin. Each class group is assigned a specific classroom. All students belonging to the same class group attend the lessons in the same classroom and have the same teachers. To facilitate educational activities planning (class group numbers and classroom capacity) students cannot change their assigned class group;
• for some Master of Science programs (M, ACME, CLAPI, EMIT) students include in their study plans of first year second semester one or more courses chosen by the students on the basis of the curriculum/major/workshop chosen; for such activities the class group is assigned before the beginning of lessons (except for elective courses jointly run with compulsory courses which keep the course title of these last ones);  
• for foreign languages class groups are assigned when enrolment is completed and is based on the choice of languages and the student's language initial level;
• for elective courses class groups are assigned when students choose electives and enrol in the academic year (electives become part of a student's personalized timetable only after the elective choice phase is over).

Preparatory courses are offered before the start of first-year lessons (in the period 29 August - 10 September 2011). These courses are an important tool which helps students to face the subjects characterizing the first year of the Master of Science program.

As Master of Science Programs are more specific than the Bachelor Programs and as the composition of class groups is heterogeneous, the attendance is strongly recommended because they help all students enrolled to face the commitment of the university experience. The course profiles of Master of Science programs have been therefore created taking the basic knowledge of the undergraduate programs acquired and known for granted.

As a general guide, preparatory courses are different for each Master of Science program. There is no exam at the completion of these courses.

Students do not need to sign up for these courses. The class timetable and the class group are published on the Internet at the address www.unibocconi.eu/classtimetable.

The course profiles are published on-line at www.unibocconi.eu/courses.

In the first semester of the 2011-2012 academic year, for students enrolled in the first year of studies:

• one B2-level English class group has been programmed the review the language basics
• one A1/A2 level Italian class group for the preparation of the lowest level needed.

Both class groups aim at offering the students the possibility to face with a more adequate preparation the curricular courses of business Italian and English scheduled starting form the second semester.
Both class groups include five hours of classroom teaching per week which should be integrated by individual study, according to the teacher's instructions.
Students can sign up for class groups online via the yoU@B student Diary (sign up for "Various Activities") when finalizing the enrolment.
Applications will be accepted until enrollment capacity is reached (a maximum of 100 applicants) on a first come basis.

Class group will be started up only if the minimum number of applicants is reached.

The educational offer for the 2011-2012 academic year will include an e-learning class group for some elective courses already taught in the same semester with traditional methods.

Traditional educational activities in class are replaced, in the e-learning class groups, by the participation in specific on-line activities, both asynchronous (i.e. students' individual activities) and synchronous (i.e. videoconference).

On-line activities are set and scheduled by the Course Director. They may include, for instance:

• participation in synchronous activities with teachers and other students. Such activities may consist in debates or question and answer periods regarding course subjects, on-line real-time exercises/on-line lessons etc.
• on-line consultation of specific material (slides, documents etc.);
• participation in on-line forums;
• drafting of electronic documents, both individually and with other students, which may be based on material available on-line.

Recipients 

Since e-learning is the only opportunity which allows students to participate virtually in the course, this method provides new services and options compatible with the great mobility required to study abroad and/or to take part in  internships in Italy and/or abroad.

Such learning methods are offered only to students unable to attend lessons regularly; however, the traditional methods have preference and are recommended by the University since they are the most effective.

Method of choice 

For method  of choice see "Administrative procedures, regulations and deadlines".

Course profiles and exam assessment methods

The course profiles of traditional class groups (in class) and of e-learning class groups are identical. However due to different teaching approaches, teachers can diversify supplementary exercises and/or other related activities by offering e-learning students alternate activities.

The exams are held at the university, following traditional methods (in class); the exam calendar is the same for the two class groups. Distance exams are not offered by the university.

Students enrolled in e-learning class groups can take partial exams, if available.

For information relating to credit points, language of instruction, semester, and Degree Programs offering these courses please check course profiles published on the website at: www.unibocconi.eu/courses.

The first year class timetable

The class timetable has been planned so that educational activities connected to first-year compulsory courses are mainly concentrated in either the morning or the afternoon, in order to make it easier for students to dedicate the other part of the day to individual study.

The timetable is structured to provide specific time slots, different in each semester, but the same for all MSc degrees. These time slots are reserved for specific types of activities (compulsory courses, languages and in the second semester elective courses for the DES/ESS program only). Thus, class timetable clashes between compulsory courses, electives and languages are avoided.

Lessons that need to be divided in groups may be organized at times that are different from those planned for normal lessons.

The second year class timetable

In the second year students complete their study plans by selecting elective courses following different rules in the various MSc Programs (see "Program Structures of the Master of Science Degrees").

With respect to the Major compulsory courses, the program structure does not allow overlapping between lessons, however the non overlappings managed for  elective courses which are contemporary present in the a) group of each Major.

The second year class timetable also includes time slots for languages.

No teaching activities are scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays between 6:00pm-7:30pm as they are reserved for company presentations organized by the Career Service.

As a general guide, for both years of MSc programs there are no teaching activities from 1:00 to 2:30pm on Fridays, both in the first and second semester, as it is reserved for student group activities.

The general class timetable and any changes are published on the Student Diary and on the University's Internet site at www.unibocconi.eu/classtimetable.

After initial enrolment and the enrolment in the academic year, students can view and print their personalized class timetable via the yoU@B student Diary.

In addition, the yoU@B student Diary can be accessed from the Bocconi homepage. By connecting students can integrate their personalized class timetable with other educational activities of interest and print all the other information recorded in their diary for the desired period (daily, weekly, monthly, etc).

The teaching activities for the 2011-2012 academic year will follow the schedule below:

For the first year of studies:

• I semester: from Monday 12 September 2011 to Thursday 15 December 2011;
• II semester: from Monday 13 February 2012 to Wednesday 6 June 2012.

For the second year of studies:

• I semester: from Monday 12 September 2011 to Tuesday 6 December 2011;
• II semester: from Monday 13 February 2012 to Wednesday 6 June 2012.

On graduation days (all Study Programs), listed below, lessons for all courses and all degree programs (Bachelor Programs, MSc and Combined Bachelor and MSc in Giurisprudenza [Law]) are suspended:

• Friday 21 October 2011;
• Saturday 22 October 2011;
• Friday 16 December 2011;
• Saturday 17 December 2011;
• Monday 26 March 2012;
• Tuesday 27 March 2012;
• Wednesday 28 March 2012.

Teaching activities are also suspended in the periods below, for all courses due to the exam sessions for partial exams:

• I semester: from Monday 24 October 2011 to Monday 31 October 2011;
• II semester: from Thursday 29 March 2012 to Saturday 21 April 2012.

Teaching activities are also suspended on the following days:

• Tuesday 1st November 2011;
• Wednesday 7 December 2011;
• Thursday 8 December 2011;
• From Thursday 05 April to Tuesday 10 April 2012;
• Wednesday 25 April 2012
• Tuesday 1st May 2012;
• saturday 2 June 2012. 

For students enrolled in the first year of studies there is an additional period for the suspension of teaching activities in order to allow the participation in group activities; for the 2011-2012 academic year this suspension is scheduled as follows:

• From Wednesday 2 November to Saturday 5 November 2011.

All courses have a Course Director who writes the course program, organizes assessment methods and textbooks, and is responsible for ensuring consistency of both teaching and assessment of his class groups. The Course Director must also organize the teaching staff of all class groups of his course. He/she is responsible for the individual result of course evaluation questionnaires for each class groups in the course.

Some courses offer tutor assistance. Tutoring includes support to the teacher and to student teams working on case studies, projects, in-class practical exercises, and management of the online community. It could also involve lectures that require the use of the software.

• List of teaching assistants 2011-2012 academic year

During office hours the student has the opportunity to consult teachers.

This gives students the chance to seek further explanations or clarifications of the topics that were not fully understood during lessons.

The office hours timetable is can also be found in the yoU@B student Diary and/or on the internet site at www.unibocconi.eu/studentconsultationhours.

Bocconi uses a detailed evaluation system designed to check the teaching quality of each course which involves the student's direct active input. This is done in the following ways: 

• Progressive checks carried out through "class group representatives", appointed to represent the entire class group by liaising with the teacher, acting as their spokesperson with the task of presenting their observations and suggestions and outlining any difficulties that may arise during lessons.
  For evaluation purposes, the role of class representatives is to create an environment which favours more interaction between teachers and students. As a matter of fact, the Course Director is invited to periodically meet with these students, and at the end of the semester, discuss with them the general outcome of teaching and if needed, the results of the evaluation. The Program Director can also, upon his own initiative, meet class representatives in order to check their opinions on the methods of the different courses in which the educational path is structured. Further details on the class representatives and on student representatives can generally be found on the Internet site at http://www.unibocconi.eu in Students Reps and Student Association.
• Gathering students' opinions using evaluations including a series of initiatives which are organized at specific points during the student's degree program:
  • mid-semester evaluation (so called "mid-term evaluation") is carried out voluntarily by students at the teacher's request to gather information on the teaching quality and course progress and shedding light on any problems in a timely fashion which allows corrective action to be implemented before the end of the course;
  • end-semester evaluation is carried out close to end of the period of lessons of each course; it involves all teachers and courses in the MSc program including foreign languages;
  • end of first year evaluation, aimed at gathering the opinions and feelings of students about the educational activities and the study program progress, with reference to a whole year, and also an some services which play an important part in students' lives right from the start of their university career (for example Orientation, Admissions Office, Academic Affairs Division Desk, Language Centre). This type of evaluation is completed through an electronic questionnaire that can be accessed via a specific link which is activated when enrolling in the second year of studies;
  • evaluation of assessment methods, is carried out every year to gather information on students' impressions on the methods to test their preparation, especially on organizational efficiency, on exam assessment methods and fairness of the relating mechanism. This is carried out online (the activation of the appropriate link on the yoU@B Diary is made as a general guide in January, every year) as above
  • evaluation of overall university experience, involving systematically all the students who are about to complete their studies. It is aimed at gathering information on students' impressions regarding the quality and effectiveness of the program attended, on their study experience and on some support services (e.g. international mobility, Career Service, ISU Student Assistance and Financial Aid). Also in this case the survey is carried out online via the yoU@B Diary (https://agenda.unibocconi.it) and around one month before the deadline for making the graduation reservation.