Guides to the university

2024-2025 A.Y.

Master of Science Programs (2-y)



7. EXAMS

Assessment methods such as exams and other types of tests are designed to assess whether students have reached the required level of preparation in order to be awarded the relative credit points for the various educational activities.
Exams are scheduled for the following educational activities included in the degree program requirements:
 

  • compulsory courses/compulsory courses chosen by the students;
  • elective courses;
  • languages (in this last case, as an alternative to the Bocconi exam, students can opt for an international certification from among those recognized by the University).

 


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7.1. Exam program

Exams, like lectures, are based on the topics described in the course program which is available in 2 versions: the course profile and the course syllabus.


The course profile includes the main topics dealt with in the course and is divided into the following sections: Course Mission and Course Content Summary, Intended Learning Outcomes, Teaching Methods, Assessment Methods, Teaching Materials, and where required, prerequisites. To help students choose courses, the course profiles are published on the website (at www.unibocconi.eu/courses) well before the start of lessons. Substantial variations to the course profiles are not envisaged during the year, except for some minor changes to the textbooks that may be made as a consequence of new publications or updated material that were not available when the profile was finalized.

The course syllabus explains more in detail the topics covered. For every learning session, if possible, the reference materials necessary for an in-depth appreciation and consolidation of the concepts dealt with in lectures and assessment methods are specified.
The course syllabus is prepared by the Course Director in conjunction with the views of the Master of Science Program Director. The syllabus is generally distributed during lectures and is generally available online (yoU@B student Diary e Blackboard).  


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7.2. Assessment methods

The assessment methods are indicated in a summarized form in the course profiles and are explained in further detail in the course syllabi (in the Assessment Methods section). In addition, they are also explained by the faculty during lectures and are generally available online.  

The assessment methods may be different for attending and non-attending students. Furthermore, some exams can only be taken by attending students.
Students are considered "attending" if they meet the course attendance requirements established by the faculty member.

The assessment of knowledge can involve evaluation during the course (possible only for the attending students) or only a final evaluation (possible for non-attending students and also open to attending students).
In general terms, the in-progress evaluation provides for more evaluation moments and possibly more methods, such as (depending on teaching and according to the proportions specified in the course profile) partial written exams, oral exams, evaluation of the student's active participation in class and individual and / or group assignments given by the faculty during lecture weeks (assignments that can only provide written output or even an oral presentation). 
The final assessment, however, involves a single evaluation time in written and / or oral form, it must must guarantee authenticity of the student's output and third party check.

For courses with multi-class groups belonging to the same MSc program, the exams are organized in the same way.

It is important to always check how exam marks are registered either with the faculty member or with the secretary's office of the  Department (whether or not it is necessary to register for other exams to complete the requirement, etc.) and to check the expiration date of the mark of those written exams that are followed by an oral exam.


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7.3. Past exam papers

The Course Director will decide on the availability of past exam papers, together with the correct answers. If a Course Director decides to distribute past exam papers it may be done through the Blackboard platform.


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7.4. Exam sequence

Exam sequence indicates the sequence that must be followed in terms of time and prerequisites in preparing exams and obliges students to pass some exams before sitting for others.

There is no pre-ordered sequence in sitting the exams of programs. In any case, even for courses that do require a specific sequence, exams should be taken in the order of teaching in terms of both year of program and semester.


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7.5. Period of general/partial exams and timetable

          

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7.5.1. Exams and Partial Exams - for all MSc Programs except first year of studies for International Management and Marketing Management

The exam timetable is scheduled in periods (including 1 or more sessions) that do not coincide with the periods when lectures are held.

All courses have 3 exam sessions, for languages the number of exam session depends on the language chosen by the student. Exam distribution includes 2 sessions held at the end of the teaching semester; the third session (the last one) is considered a supplementary session.

Lectures are suspended at mid-semester in both the first and second semester for 1st partial exams. 2nd partial exams are held at the end of the semester of lessons. The dates of partial exams may or may not coincide with the dates fixed for general exams. Students can take exams in all sessions once the semester lectures included in their study plan have finished. For some types of exams and for some courses, there may be some limitations to access the exams.

For students enrolled in 2-y. programs the exam periods are organized as follows:  

 

Period

 

1st Semester courses

2nd Semester courses

 

From

To

   

Period I

     

24/10/24

31/10/24

1st Partial exams

1 session 2023-2024 academic year(***)

Period II

     

09/12/24(*)

21/12/24(*)

2nd Partial exams
1 session

 

07/01/25

18/01/25

 

20/01/25(**)

01/02/25(**)

2nd Partial exams
1 session

 

Period III

     

10/03/25

15/03/25

 

 1st Partial exams

Period IV

     

16/05/25

03/06/25

 

2nd Partial exams
1 session

04/06/25(**)

23/06/25(**)

 

2nd Partial exams
1 session

Period V

     

25/08/25

06/09/25

 1 session

1 session(***)


(*) In the period 09-21 December 2024 an exam session open to all enrolled students is scheduled for 1/2 compulsory course for degree program, first year replacing this January - first period - 2025 exam session which a consequence will not be scheduled.

(**) For the compulsory courses and compulsory courses to be chosen by the students, curriculum compulsory courses and for the elective courses included in A,B, C groups of the ESS 2-y program, the second partial exam if written is generally scheduled in both sessions of the exam periods at the end of the exam periods.

As a consequence, for the course typologies above, a second partial exam is generally scheduled:

  • with reference to the 1st semester, in the period 20 January to 1 February 2025 as an alternative to the partial exams session of the period 7 - 18 January 2025 (or to the one scheduled for the period 09 - 21 December 2024 if it is a call open to all students);
  • with reference to the second semester, a second partial exam is generally scheduled in the period 4 to 23 June 2025 as an alternative to the partial exams session of the period 16 May to 3 June 2025.


(***) The third session for second semester courses will be held in October 2024 (from 24 October to 31 October 2024). Starting from the 2024/2025 a.y. the above-mentioned session will be held in August/September (from 25/08/2025 to 6/09/2025) only.

There are rules and limitations to access the second partial exam. For all details, check paragraph 7.6. Exam registration procedure.
 

Notes on consulting of the exam calendar

  • "Session" refers to both exams of the current year and the previous years;
  • the sessions for French, Spanish, Italian, German will be held in: December, January (first/second period), March, June and August/September;
  • the four session for Professional English Seminars will be held in: January - first period, January - second period, June, August/September; in addition, at the end of each half a semester, sessions for students enrolled in relating teaching class group only will be held in: October, December, March and May;
  • if students choose a course relating to the 5-y Program [Law] as an elective course, they make use of the number of sessions provided for in the exam calendar of such Study Program;
  • there is a reserved exam session for 1st semester courses scheduled during the 09 to 21 December 2024 period, open only to those students who:
    1. are participating in Exchange, Double Degree Essec, Master CEMS and Free-Mover Programs abroad in the second semester of the 2024-2025 a.y.;
    2. are incoming 1st semester of the 2024-2025 a.y. (exchange, single courses for visiting students, and Double Degree students staying in Bocconi from the second semester of the 1st year to the first semester of the 2nd year)
    3. are carrying out internships in Italy or abroad over the January - February 2025 period.

Only students whose teaching activities described in points 1 and 3 will start before the end of the February exam period (1 February 2025) are admitted to the additional session. With reference to this reserved session, we would like to specify that students CANNOT sit exams for previous year courses which have not yet been passed.

There is NO overlapping between compulsory course exam sessions of the same year of studies, same semester and Master of Science degree program; therefore no two exams on the same day are usually scheduled except for October and December as the available exam days are limited. These non-overlapping rules refer ONLY to compulsory courses of the year of the program in which the student is enrolled and therefore cannot refer to exams for courses that have not been passed related to previous years and/or elective courses. Regarding electives, however, they may be present in more than one major. Therefore, the avoidance of timetable clashes is only guaranteed for Major compulsory courses.

The exam timetable for the October 2024 - September 2025 period is published by the end of July on the University website at www.unibocconi.eu/exams.
During the year the timetable of an exam session may be changed (only to a later date or time). In that case, students do not need to re-register for the exam since their registration is automatically transferred to the new timetable.

Exam dates are updated daily on the website. Personalized exam timetables can be viewed on the yoU@B student Diary. 

It is specified that, exam start times and the length of the exam (when available) should be considered purely indicative. Exam start and end times may vary depending on the type of exam, the presence of more than one group, possible postponements, etc. Students should therefore follow the instructions related to the day, time and classroom that are usually communicated on the afternoon of the business day before the date of the exam in yoU@B > Exams - Breakdown of the students in the classroom.
The different types of exams are identified in the exam timetable by the following letters:

  • I Partial exam (*)
  • S Written exam
  • O Oral exam

(*)The abbreviation I Partial exam refers to all partial exams included in the course, regardless of their placement in the exam timetable (e.g. generally, first partial exam held in mid-semester, second partial exam held at the end of the teaching semester).


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7.5.2. Exams - only for the first-year of studies in the MSc in International Management and the MSc Marketing Management

The exam timetable is scheduled in periods (including 1 or more sessions) that do not coincide with the periods when lectures are held.

All courses have 3 exam sessions, except for languages for which the number varies depending on the language chosen by the student.

For the Master of Science programs in International Management and Marketing Management, exam sessions for first-year bimester courses are allocated exclusively for general exams: 1 exam at the end of bimester lectures and 1 exam at the end of the semester; the third and last session is considered a supplementary session.

The allocation of exam sessions for first-year semester-long courses calls for 2 exams at the end of the semester; the third and last session is considered a supplementary session. For these courses, lectures will be suspended for a period in the middle of the semester for the first partial exam. The second partial exam, on the other hand, takes place at the end of the semester. The dates of the partial exams may or may not coincide with the dates set for the general exams of the regular session.

For the allocation of exam sessions for second-year courses students should follow the exam timetable for all other Economics-Management MSc programs (for the calendar see paragraph 7.5.1 Exams and Partial Exams - for all MSc programs except International Management and Marketing Management - first year of studies).

Students can take exams in all sessions once the period (bimester or semester) lectures included in their study plan have finished. For some types of exams and for some courses, there may be some limitations to access the exams.
For first-year students enrolled in the MSc programs in International Management and Marketing Management, the exam periods are organized as follows:  

Period

 

1st Semester courses

2nd Semester courses 

From

To

 

 

Period I 

 

 

 

24/10/24

31/10/24

1 session for courses in the first bimester of the first semester

1 session related to the 2023-2024 a.y. for Marketing Management courses of the second semester (period of transition)

Period II

 

 

 

16/12/24

21/12/24 

1 session
for courses in the second bimester of the first semester

 

07/01/25

18/01/25

1 session for courses in the first and second bimester of the first semester

 

Period III

 

 

 

10/03/25

15/03/25

 

1st partial exam for courses of the second semester
1 session
for courses in the first bimester of the second semester

Period IV

 

 

 

16/05/25

24/05/25

 

2nd partial exam / 1 session for courses of the second semester

1 session for courses in the second bimester of the second semester

26/05/25

07/06/25

 

2nd partial exam / 1 session
for courses of the second semester

1 session for courses in the first and second bimester of the second semester

Period V

 

 

 

25/08/25

06/09/25

1 session for courses in the first and second bimester of the first semester

 1 session for courses in the first and second bimester of the second semester and for courses in the second semester


Notes on consulting of the exam calendar

  • "Session" refers to both exams of the current year and the previous years.

There is NO overlapping between compulsory course exam sessions of the same year of studies and Master of Science degree program; therefore no two exams are usually scheduled on the same day.

The exam timetable for the October 2024 - September 2025 period is published by the end of July on the University website at www.unibocconi.eu/exams.
The exam sessions may be changed during the year (only to a later date or time). In that case, students do not need to re-register for the exam since their registration is automatically transferred to the new timetable.

Exam dates are updated daily on the website. In addition, any changes to the exam timetable can be viewed on the yoU@B student Diary.
It is specified that, exam start times and the length of the exam (when available) should be considered purely indicative. Exam start and end times may vary depending on the type of exam, the presence of more than one group, possible postponements, etc. Students should therefore follow the instructions related to the day, time and classroom that are usually communicated on the afternoon of the business day before the date of the exam in yoU@B > Exams - Breakdown of the students in the classroom.

The different types of exams are identified in the exam timetable by the following letters:

  • I Partial exam (*)
  • S Written exam
  • O Oral exam

(*) The abbreviation I Partial exam refers to all partial exams included in the course, regardless of their placement in the exam timetable (e.g. generally, first partial exam held in mid-semester, second partial exam held at the end of the teaching semester).


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7.5.3. Classroom and student allocation

Students can check the classroom, day and time assigned for their exam via the yoU@B student Diary generally in the afternoon of the working day prior to the exam date. The assigned time may differ from the exam start time published on the Exam Timetable due to organizational needs or exam groups.
If the exam is held in more than one classroom or in more than one timetable slot, students are allocated following criteria set by the Department the course refers to and informed via an appropriate message sent on their yoU@B diary. In any case, students must follow the instructions on the day, time, room and mode of exam (oral exam, written exam on paper/written exam on student’s personal PC) specified in the message.

The list of classrooms assigned for exams is also published on the website (following the same timelines explained above) at www.unibocconi.eu/classrooms.


 


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7.6. Exam and partial exam registration procedure

Registration for exams (written exams, oral exams, partial exams, seminars) is compulsory and it can be carried out through yoU@B student diary (desktop version) in Exam dates > Registration exam sessions or via yoU@B Pro app in 'Calendar' by selecting the exam date, up to the fourth last working day before the exam itself, i.e. by the deadline listed in Registration exam sessions and posted in the Exams section of the University website. The following days and periods are classified as non-working days and therefore are not included:

  • Saturdays and Sundays;
  • Holidays and periods when the University is closed, as indicated below:
    • for 2024: 1 November; 25 and 26 December;
    • for 2025 (up to the August/September exam period): 1 and 6 January; 21 and 25 April; 1 May, 2 June and 15 August.

Registration for exams and partial exams is allowed as long as the student is not suspended (e.g. for the unrecorded payment of tuition and fees and any penalty fees, for a disciplinary sanction, for irregularity checked by one of the University Services, etc.).

Through the yoU@B Diary menu "Exam dates>Registration exam sessions" a list of the un-passed courses included in the study plan appears. Via the Exam dates menu item, students can complete exam registration for each course code and assessment method, for one of the two exam sessions following the displaying date.


By clicking on the appropriate icon besides an exam session, in accordance with the set deadlines. students can carry out the following operations:

  • Register for an exam
  • Cancel an exam registration.


The registration/cancellation operation is carried out only if confirmations asked for is given by the system. If registration is completed correctly, the system will provide the reservation number. If confirmation is not given, registration/cancellation for the specific activity will NOT take place.

After having carried out the exam registration, students can print the receipt of each operation completed via the function "Exam dates > Registration exam sessions" by clicking on the appropriate icon beside the selected exam session; however, immediately after registering, students must check if the registration/cancellation operation has been correctly carried out upon accessing the 'Exams' widget in yoU@B (desktop version) which includes the list of exam registrations carried out by the student.

If the system does not allow you to register for an exam or cancel an exam registration carried out, it may be as a result of one of the following:

  • the registration deadline has expired;
  • the course is not included in the study plan;
  • the student has already passed the exam;
  • the student is suspended for non-payment of university fees and tuition;
  • the student does not have the right to sit the exam because the exam is scheduled before lectures finish (end of semester); this does not apply to partial exams.

 

With reference to the second partial exam scheduled in the second exam session of the exam periods at the end of the teaching semesters for some course typologies, the system not allows you to register for or cancel from an exam if:

  • the student is already registered for the 2nd partial exam in the first exam session;
  • the student is already registered for the general exam in the first exam session (written or oral).


When the registration to the session has closed, the above criteria will be checked again. If the criteria has not been met the student cannot sit the exam. Students who are suspended after registering for one or more exams and/or partial exams are sent a message on their yoU@B student Diary informing them that they cannot sit the exam. Students who clear their position before registration closes have the right to sit the exam. Once students clear their position they will receive a message via the above channels.

For further detailed information on rules for exam registration, please check paragraph 7.6.1. Notes for Exams Registration: Regulations and Requirements.


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7.6.1. Notes for the exams registration: regulations and requirements

In addition to the rules mentioned in paragraph 7.6 Exam and partial exam registration procedure, some important information regarding exam registration is available below:

  1. Both a written exam and a partial exam or both an oral exam and a partial exam in the same day
    If the exam calendar includes both a written exam and a partial exam or both an oral exam and a partial one on the same day students cannot register for both types of exams at the same time. Therefore students must choose which of the 2 types of exam they want to register for (written or partial exam; oral or partial exam).
  2. Both a date for the written exam and a date for the oral exam in the exam timetable
    If the exam timetable shows both a date for the written exam and a date for the oral exam, students must register for both (even if they are on the same day). If students do not register for both, they cannot sit the exam. For language exams only one registration is required.
  3. Registration in groups
    In some cases when registering for an exam students will be asked to make a specific choice from among a group of alternatives ("registration in groups"), for example "attending students". After selecting the type and date of the exam for which they want to register/cancel, a window will automatically appear giving students the possibility of selecting the group they want to register for.
  4. Partial exams
    If the exam consists of different partial exams, students must sit for all of them in order to pass the exam. If students do not sit for one of the partial exams they must take the general exam. For further detailed information on exam assessment methods for each individual course, please check the course profiles published on the website at www.unibocconi.eu/courses.
  5. Rules for sitting/registering for the second partial exams
    With reference to the second partial exam scheduled in both exam sessions of exam periods at the end of the teaching semesters, there are the following rules and exam access limitations:
    • students can sit for the 2nd partial exam only once: students registered for the 2nd partial exam in the first exam session after the teaching period will not be allowed to register for the 2nd partial exam in the second exam session after the teaching period;
    • students registered for the general exam in the first exam session after the teaching period will not be allowed to register for the 2nd partial exam in the second exam session after the teaching period.

Checks for accessing the 2nd partial exam in the second exam session after the teaching period will be made on the basis of the exam registration, independently from the student’s attendance at the exam and regardless of whether the student attends the exam held in the first session after the teaching period.
For further detailed information on exam periods and the course typologies involved, please check paragraph 7.5.1. General and partial exams.


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7.7. Marks

Exams are marked out of thirty.
Assessments are always individual.

A mark of between 0 and 17 out of thirty is considered unsatisfactory.
A mark of between 18 and 30 out of thirty is considered satisfactory and allows students to gain the credit points provided for by the program structure.
Examining board may award "lode" (cum laude) to students who achieve thirty out of thirty (30/30).

Exams that are awarded an unsatisfactory mark are considered to have been failed and must therefore be repeated (this applies to both partial and general exams).

Exams that are awarded a satisfactory mark are considered to have been passed and cannot be retaken.


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7.8. Exam procedure

           

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7.8.1. Procedure

Exams are held in person on Campus.

ONLY students who have duly registered for exams can sit for them.

Students must turn up to exams equipped with their Bocconi ID card.

The exam attendance is usually certified by the faculty member using the related online procedure.
For written exams on paper, students also certify their presence by signing the exam paper (this is not an acceptance of the grade).Students must write only with an indelible ink pen in blue or in black color for written exam.

Students may decide to withdraw from an exam, in which case their papers are not considered valid and the exam result is not registered:

  • For written exams on laptop and on paper: students can withdraw any time during the exam but no later than 10 minutes before the end of the exam; they must declare their decision to the faculty member and in any case, follow the instructions given in the classroom.  Moreover, for written exams on paper, students are deemed to have withdrawn if they hand in their exam papers with "withdrawn" written on them. Usually, in case of written exams - on laptop and paper-, students who withdraw must stay in the room up to the end of the exam.
  • In case of oral exams, students may only withdraw before the teacher declares the mark. Withdrawing from an exam is equivalent to not taking the exam.

Handing in written exam papers (whether they are partial or general exams), without declaring the withdrawal to the faculty member or making a note of it on a paper written exam in due time, means accepting the mark the instructor gives the paper, no matter what it is.


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7.8.2. Exam conduct

Exams are official assessments which must be taken in full compliance with the rules.

During an examination students may not:

  • offer or receive any assistance from students or any other party, nor can they use notes unless authorized by the teacher;
  • attempt to obtain confidential information about the specific questions of the exam;
  • assume the identity of another nor allow others to assume their identity during an exam; nor can students present as their own a piece of work which has been copied, entirely or partially;
  • keep mobile devices (e.g. tablet, smartphones, earbuds, mobile phones, smartwatches, MP3 players, etc.) on their desks or on their person which must be properly stowed in bags or backpacks (unauthorized possession of such devices during exams, regardless of their actual use, is prohibited).

Violation of the above rules (and of what is indicated in the Students Code of Conduct) or the instructions given by the faculty member during exams, is cause for cancellation of the exam, and the start of disciplinary procedures.

The disciplinary sanctions applied at this University include:

  • official warning;
  • temporary ban from one or more courses;
  • suspension from one or more exams for one or more exam periods;
  • temporary exclusion from the University and loss of exam periods (not more than three years).

All disciplinary sanctions are registered in the student's academic career, written in the transfer form, and in all university documents used in determining the student's graduation grade. A disciplinary sanction more serious than a warning precludes any student benefits (scholarships, housing, etc.).

These rules do not substitute the university in the monitoring of the exams. The university will maintain strict exam procedures. The university moreover will do its best to ensure that exams are taken in adequate rooms, with enough space and silence to allow students to concentrate. Faculty members are required to set clear questions, allowing students to show their ability and degree of understanding of the subject area.

Finally, students are strongly recommended to carefully read the content of the Honor Code published on the website www.unibocconi.eu/honorcode and, in particular, in the Code of Conduct for Students where they can find a description of the unfair behaviours and the relating sanctions.


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7.9. Examining Boards

Examining boards are appointed by the Rector or one of his/her delegates and consist of at least 2 members, including a President, and are presided over by the Course Director. When necessary, examining boards may be divided into sub-boards.
On the basis of a Proposal and Approval by the Head of the Department of reference of the subject, examining Board members can be:

  • All members who have teaching commitments for the course in the academic year, excluding the Visiting Professors short-term and those only engaged in guest speaking or seminars;
  • Teaching Assistants (with a graduate degree) assigned to the course;
  • All those who were part of the Examining Board of the previous years even if they do not teach in the current year;
  • Other Bocconi teaching staff (tenured staff and not tenured) who are experts in the subject;
  • The Head of the Department of reference of the course.


Students will generally sit exams with the faculty member(s) of their assigned class group if they take the exam in the first exam period after the end of the course. In subsequent exam sessions, exams may also be organized in various class groups. In that case, student may sit exams with either a faculty member or faculty members of one of the class groups or with an expert in the subject. The class group may not be the same that was assigned to the students.


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7.10. Publication of exam results

The results of written exams(partials, in itinere or general exams), managed by the secretary's office of the Department responsible for the courses, are generally published on the yoU@B student Diary. Marks are communicated in yoU@B for informational purposes only. 

Subsequently, students are advised to check that the grade obtained on the general exam or the grade obtained after completing the partial exams has been correctly recorded in their academic career by using the Career > Study plan menu at Punto Blu (via the yoU@B Diary). The grade for individual partial exams and in itinere exams will not be recorded in the academic career.

In compliance with the Honor Code, the Bocconi teaching staff are committed to carrying out the assessment fairly way and to be available to analyze the quality of the exam taken with the student. In this context, in the case of written exams, the University requires that a session be scheduled by the faculty member, usually on a single date, dedicated to reviewing the exams subject to evaluation for students who have taken the exam.

During exam review, the faculty member and student are not allowed to negotiate the assigned grade in any way. At this stage, students are expected to behave in a serious and respectful manner, consistent with the exam review's purpose of representing a learning opportunity. Students may not delegate third parties to review exams in any way.


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7.11. Recording, registering and certifying

The final results of exams are recorded with a mark out of thirty or as passed (for educational activities such as seminars, internships, etc.) and are registered in the student's academic career. For activities that do not award credits (credits = 0) such as preparatory courses, no grade or pass assessment will be recorded in the academic career.

The exams for courses subdivided in modules are considered passed, and may be recorded in the academic career and certified, only after passing both exams of which the course is made up. The final grade is obtained by the grade point average (compared to the credits of each module) of the two marks achieved.

The appropriate offices periodically check the grades recorded in the academic careers of all students.

Each student's "Official academic transcript" contains all the exams included in the study plan, together with the date when the exam was passed, the marks and the credit points awarded, subject group and medium of instruction for the exams that have been recorded.

The unofficial academic transcript contains all the exams, including those that have been passed, i.e. the exams for which students have been awarded a sufficient mark. The positive partial mark achieved in the exams of each module (if included in the program structure) can be viewed. This document (NOT valid as certification) is valid only within the University (e.g. ISU Scholarship ranking, exchanges, etc.).
 


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7.12. Credit for international language certifications

For the first and second language courses, as an alternative to Bocconi exams, recognition of a language certifications among those accepted can be requested, in compliance with the rules applied.

For more detailed information, see 'Languages'.


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7.13. How to calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA)

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by the mathematical average weighted on the credit point values of all courses with marks expressed out of thirty recorded in the student's academic career.

Credits earned for educational activities with assessments that are not expressed with a grade out of 30 (e.g. seminars, internships, etc.) are not included in the calculation of the grade point average.

When calculating the GPA, exams that have been awarded "lode" (cum laude) are given the value 31.

A maximum of 2 additional exams can be included in the calculation of the GPA. If a student has passed more than 2 additional exams, the 2 best results are considered (if grades are the same, those additional courses with more credit points are considered).

The exams ratified for students transferring from other Italian universities, universities abroad and exams taken at other universities by Bocconi students are assigned the mark awarded by the university where the exam was originally taken. If the original marks are expressed in different numerical scales or in letters, they are converted to marks out of thirty on the basis of the specific conversion table.

 


Last change 01/06/2024 08:00


7.14. Credit for exams passed at universities abroad

Students enrolled in MSc programs may obtain credit (marks and credit points) for exams passed abroad as part of the Exchange, CEMS MIM Master and Double Degree programs, which are promoted and coordinated by the Study Abroad and Global Alliances offices (see "Studying Abroad") and Free-Mover Semester.

Please note:

  • students can receive credit for a maximum of 30 Bocconi CPs, with the exception of the Double Degree program;
  • students may apply for recognition of exams passed abroad only once, after the mobility period is over and only if in possession of the Official Transcript of Records whose digital version is accepted;
  • students have to convert at least 1 exam in order for the international mobility experience to be recognized in the academic career;
  • students cannot sit for "in proctoring" exams at Bocconi relating to courses attended abroad;
  • In general, the following cannot be recognized if taken abroad:
    • banned courses
    • exams for computer skills (computer test);
    • compulsory exams specific to other Programs;
    • exams passed with a grade that is not included in the scale on the conversion table used by the foreign university. In the case of Pass/Fail grades, when the grade is Pass, it may be converted into the minimum grade on the Bocconi scale.

In addition to the above rules, the following are specifically for CEMS students:

  • CEMS students can recognize language courses at the B1 level in their Bocconi academic career, taken at a partner school in the network whose courses are offered as part of the CEMS program (as long as they are recorded in the Transcript issued by the host university with grades and credits). The list of languages which can be validated will be communicated to students after admission in the program. Such courses will be included in the calculation of the total credit points passed abroad and which can be recognized in the Bocconi career (maximum 30 CP).
  • the term 1 CEMS compulsory course taken abroad, Global Strategy, can be converted at Bocconi with the compulsory course Strategy required in the first semester of the second year.
  • the term 2 CEMS compulsory course, Global Leadership, must be converted at Bocconi with the corresponding CEMS course taught at Bocconi as an elective with correspondence. If the destination school offers more than one compulsory course to choose from, the course can also be converted as an elective without correspondence. 
  • for the 2024-2025 academic year, interested CEMS students can convert the CEMS Global Online Elective course in the Bocconi study plan as an elective without correspondence as an additional activity, which will be part of the total of 30 converted ECTS and 3 additional exams.
  • CEMS students cannot convert the CEMS Business Project taken abroad in the Bocconi study plan.

List of courses not recognized if taken abroad

Starting in the 2019-2020 academic year, language exams take abroad as part of the Exchange, Free Mover Semester and Double Degree programs can also be converted: credits for language exams are part of the maximum limit of the 30 CP that can be recognized as part of the Exchange Program, Free Move Semester and CEMS-MIM. 

Please note that languages indicated in the Transcript with the number of foreign credit points equal to "0" will not be recognized. The minimum exit level required by the student's program structure will be automatically assigned to the language course recognized in the academic career.


Last change 15/07/2024 15:39


7.14.1. Credit approval procedure for exams taken as part of Exchange and Free-Mover Semester and CEMS MIM Master programs

Recognition of exams taken as part of the Exchange, CEMS MIM Master and Free-Mover Semester Programs is not usually automatic and depends on the following credit approval procedure.

After being selected (Exchange, CEMS MIM Master) or authorized by the Study Abroad Office (Free Mover Semester Program) and before departure, students seeking credit must submit a request for authorization from Bocconi faculty to receive credit for the courses they wish to attend abroad.
The courses can be:

  • with Bocconi correspondence if the course taken abroad has a corresponding Bocconi course;
  • without Bocconi correspondence, if the course taken abroad does not have a corresponding Bocconi course.


The advance authorization request must be forwarded via the appropriate ‘Recognition’ procedure available on the yoU@B Diary in the International Mobility section.

Two or more exams taken abroad can be recognized together to cover one Bocconi exam, upon approval of the Bocconi Course Director or the Program Director.
One exam taken abroad cannot be used to cover two or more Bocconi exams.

The request for recognition of a foreign course with a Bocconi course (with or without correspondence) DOES NOT allow study plan change/choice, which must be made in accordance with the timelines and rules specified in paragraph "Change of study plan for students participating in international programs".

For the recognition of elective courses, students must take into account the rules of the program structure on the courses subject groups.

At the end of the mobility period, the host university issues the academic transcript. Based on this document and the student's request (to be forwarded through the 'Academic Recognition' box in the yoU@B student Diary), the Office of reference (Study Abroad Office for the Exchange Program and Free-Mover Semester, Global Alliances Office for the CEMS-MIM ) carries out the appropriate checks to prepare the grade recording of the exams taken abroad in the student’s academic career.

For more information, see the website www.ir.unibocconi.eu 'Academic recognition'.

In case of exams taken at other universities, Bocconi students are assigned the mark awarded by the university where the exam was originally taken. If the original marks are expressed in different numerical scales or in letters, they are converted to marks out of thirty on the basis of the specific conversion table.
In case two or more foreign exams covering one Bocconi exam, the final grade is calculated from the grade point average of the corresponding Bocconi grades, using the foreign credit points specified on the Transcript issued by the host university as the weighted coefficient.

Students can also recognize a maximum of 3 additional exams that will be included in the total calculation of 5 exams that can be converted (see 'Additional Activities' section.

Please note: The program structure of MSc programs taught in Italian include at least one course in English (compulsory or elective): this requirement is not applied in case the student participates in the Exchange Program, CEMS MIM or Free Mover at a University where the language requested by Bocconi University with the purpose of selection/acceptance is not English. 

Other changes cannot be made after the recognition request has been sent and the procedure has been completed.


Last change 02/07/2024 17:39


7.14.2. Credit approval procedure for exams taken as part of Double Degree Program

Credits for exams taken during the Double Degree Program (Double Degrees with admission during the first year, LSE-Bocconi Double Degree, Sciences Po-Bocconi Double Degree, Yale-Bocconi Double Degree) are generally not automatic and are subject to the following procedure, which includes several steps to take before and after departure for the study abroad experience.

BEFORE DEPARTURE
Students selected for the Double Degree program will receive instructions from the host university regarding their program structure abroad. After the program structure at the host school has been determined, the student must send the Bocconi MSc Program Director (or his/her delegate) an advance authorization request for the courses abroad through the “Recognition” procedure in the yoU@B student diary, along with detailed information on credits and content for the courses abroad.
Selected courses may be converted:

  • with correspondence, if the course taken abroad has a corresponding Bocconi course;
  • without correspondence, if the course taken abroad does not have a corresponding Bocconi course.

In both cases, the authorization request must be submitted to the Program Director or his/her delegate. During the second semester of mobility, students can select the courses they intend to use to cover Bocconi courses by selecting them from those previously approved by the Program Director or his/her delegate.

END OF STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE
Activating the recognition procedure is subject to uploading the Transcript from the foreign university that certifies the exams taken abroad to the “Recognition” procedure in the yoU@B student diary.

The procedure will be completed with the approval of courses taken abroad selected for conversion and approval by the Program Director or his/her delegate and the subsequent validation in the Bocconi study plan, without needing to register for the exam session.

In case of exams taken at other universities, Bocconi students are assigned the mark awarded by the university where the exam was originally taken. If the original marks are expressed in different numerical scales or in letters, they are converted to marks out of thirty on the basis of a specific conversion table that can be consulted in the yoU@B student diary. Two or more exams taken abroad can be recognized together to cover one Bocconi exam upon approval of the Program Director (or his/her delegate). In this case, the final grade is calculated from the grade point average of the corresponding Bocconi grades, using the foreign credit points specified on the Transcript issued by the host university as the weighted coefficient. One exam taken abroad cannot be used to cover two or more Bocconi exams.

Students can also recognize additional exams. For more information, check the paragraph 'Additional Exams'.

If the courses recognized at Bocconi are different from the ones included in the study plan or they are without Bocconi correspondence (even if they are considered as automatically recognized), students must request a change of their study plan from the Study Planning Office through the procedure activated on the yoU@B Diary. Other changes cannot be made after the recognition procedure has been completed.

For more information, contact the appropriate office through B in Touch > Double Degree.


Last change 03/06/2024 14:43


7.14.3. Recognition of the exam as part of the China MIM Master Program

Recognition of the exams taken as part of the China MIM Master Program is not automatic and is subject to the following procedure, which includes certain steps that must be taken pre- and post-departure for the experience abroad.

BEFORE DEPARTURE
After the program structure at the host school has been determined, the student must send the Bocconi MSc Program Director an advance authorization request for the courses abroad through the “Recognition” procedure in the yoU@B student diary, along with detailed information on credits and content for the courses abroad.
Selected courses may be converted:

  • with correspondence, if the course taken abroad has a corresponding Bocconi course;
  • without correspondence, if the course taken abroad does not have a corresponding Bocconi course.

In both cases, the authorization request must be submitted to the Program Director.

END OF STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE
Activating the recognition procedure is subject to uploading the Transcript from the foreign university that certifies the exams taken abroad to the “Recognition” procedure in the yoU@B student diary.

To start the credit approval procedure, the student must contact the Market & Partners Organizational Unit - Global Alliances office.
The procedure will be completed with the approval of courses taken abroad selected for conversion and approval by the Program Director or his/her delegate and the subsequent validation in the Bocconi study plan, without needing to register for the exam session.

In case of exams taken at other universities, Bocconi students are assigned the mark awarded by the university where the exam was originally taken. If the original marks are expressed in different numerical scales or in letters, they are converted to marks out of thirty on the basis of a specific conversion table. Two or more exams taken abroad can be recognized together to cover one Bocconi exam upon approval of the Program Director. In this case, the final grade is calculated from the grade point average of the corresponding Bocconi grades, using the foreign credit points specified on the Transcript issued by the host university as the weighted coefficient. One exam taken abroad cannot be used to cover two or more Bocconi exams.

Students can also recognize additional exams (e.g. Chinese course). For more information, check the paragraph 'Additional Exams'.

If the courses recognized at Bocconi are different from the ones included in the study plan or they are without Bocconi correspondence (even if they are considered as automatically recognized), students must request a change of their study plan from the Study Planning Office through the procedure activated on the yoU@B Diary.

For more information, please send an e-mail to: chinamim@unibocconi.it 
Other changes cannot be made after the recognition procedure has been completed.


Last change 01/06/2024 08:00


7.14.4. Exam recognition procedures as part of the ESSEC-Bocconi Double Degree

Recognition of exams taken under the ESSEC-Bocconi Double Degree Program for semesters taken abroad at ESSEC in Singapore and Cergy is generally not automatic, and is subject to the following procedure, which involves certain steps that must be taken pre- and post-departure for the study abroad experience.

BEFORE DEPARTURE

As soon as the study program at the host university is definitive, students must send an advance authorization request for recognition to the Master of Science Program Director (or his/her delegate), accompanied by detailed information on the credits and content of courses abroad.
Selected courses may be converted:

  • with correspondence, if the course taken abroad has a corresponding Bocconi course;
  • without correspondence, if the course taken abroad does not have a corresponding Bocconi course.

In both cases, the authorization request must be submitted to the Program Director or his/her delegate. During the second semester of mobility, students can pick the courses they intend to use to cover Bocconi courses by selecting them from those previously approved by the Program Director or his/her delegate.

END OF STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE

Activating the recognition procedure is subject to uploading the Transcript from the foreign university that certifies the exams taken abroad to the “Recognition” procedure in the yoU@B student diary.

The procedure will be completed with the approval of courses taken abroad selected for conversion and approval by the Program Director or his/her delegate and the subsequent validation in the Bocconi study plan, without needing to register for the exam session.

In case of exams taken at other universities, Bocconi students are assigned the mark awarded by the university where the exam was originally taken. If the original marks are expressed in different numerical scales or in letters, they are converted to marks out of thirty on the basis of a specific conversion table that can be consulted in the yoU@B student diary. Two or more exams taken abroad can be recognized together to cover one Bocconi exam upon approval of the Program Director (or his/her delegate). In this case, the final grade is calculated from the grade point average of the corresponding Bocconi grades, using the foreign credit points specified on the Transcript issued by the host university as the weighted coefficient. One exam taken abroad cannot be used to cover two or more Bocconi exams.

Students can also recognize additional exams (up until a maximum of four). For more information, check the paragraph  'Additional Exams'. If the courses recognized at Bocconi are different from the ones included in the study plan or they are without Bocconi correspondence, students must request a change of their study plan from the Study Planning Office through the procedure activated on the yoU@B Diary. For more information, contact the appropriate office through B in Touch > Double Degree. Other changes cannot be made after the recognition procedure has been completed.


Last change 01/06/2024 08:00




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