Guides to the university

To be admitted to the graduation session students must have earned all credits for the educational activities provided for in the program structure, except for the credit points for the final exam.

The degree is awarded when the final exam has been passed and at least 180 credit points have been earned.

The final paper preparation stages are the following:

• Completion of the graduation application procedures;
• admission to the graduation session
• communication of the results;
• ceremony.

The final paper is a concise paper which develops a topic which may be purely theoretical or supported by empirical evidence, taking as a starting point work experience (internships) or study periods in Italy or abroad (preferably abroad for BIEMF students).

Students enrolled in Italian class groups can decide to write the final paper in Italian or in English. Students enrolled in english class group (BIEMF) must write the final paper in English.

The contents of the final paper must be related to one of the subject areas of the Università Bocconi Departments. However, it does not necessarily have to be related to one of the courses in the student's study plan.

Final papers are written under the supervision of a tutor.
If students want to base their final papers on either an internship or a period of study abroad, the tutor and student must agree on the topic before the student starts such experience.

As a general guide, the paper is around 30 pages and may require about one month of work.
The final paper must be accompanied by the abstract of the final paper that summarizes the main topic.

It is possible to download the "Guide for writing the Final Paper" which has been written with the aim of give orientation to students in writing the final paper.

For each Bachelor Program additional information could be provided for in, for the peculiarity of the courses of the Program. Any additional information will be given by each Bachelor Program Director and will come out when writing the final paper  from the contact between Tutor Professor and student.

We invite you to carefully check the correct procedures for the use of citations, in the above guide. Please note that Università Bocconi which values the originality of the final papers, has been equipped with an ad hoc software to verify their authenticity in addition to the methods for checking the copying of final papers already in use. An improper use of citations or any excessive use of them in the final papers may be reported to the Disciplinary Board.

The Graduation application procedures process is structured into the following phases:

1. assignment of the final paper title
2. Graduation reservation
3. Entering the information relating to the final paper title completion and upload the definitive file of the final paper
4. Approval request to the tutor professor.
   
   

The student who does not complete all the phases of the Graduation application procedure cannot be admitted in the graduation session.

Università Bocconi offers assistance at the Secretary’s Office of the Undergraduate School (Location Table).

Title assignment procedure

After having agreed upon the final paper title with the tutor professor the Graduating student must:

• access to the Punto Blu function "Graduation -  Application Procedures"and fill out the section "Final Paper Title entering on the web by specifying:
  - type of final paper: theoretical or empirical
  - final paper title
  - final paper language;
• and, in the following screen (Choice of Tutor professor) the name of the tutor professor.
  
  

The information entered on the Punto Blu are immediately made available to the Tutor Professor who, via web, continues with assignment of the final paper title.

Upon title assignment the student receives a notification via yoU@B Diary and can continue with the following phases of the Graduation Application procedures.

Any change on the title entered

If the student wishes to modify the data relating to the title entered only, he/she must use the function Graduation Application procedure>Change title: in this case, if done already, the final paper title assignment by the tutor professor is still valid.

The student can change the title entered through the Punto Blu up to the approval request to the Tutor Professor: after the approval has been requested, the function ‘Change title’ can no longer be available at the Punto Blu.

Any cancellation of the title entered

If the student wishes to modify the tutor professor and enter a new title, must use the function Graduation application procedures>Cancel title: in this case he/she must repeat the whole procedure of title entering and must wait the title assignment by the new tutor professor.

The student can cancel the title entered at the Punto Blu until request of approval to the tutor professor: after the approval has been requested, the function ‘Cancel title’ can no longer be available at the Punto Blu.

Uploading Final paper attachments

Only upon approval of the Tutor Professor to a specific request, the student can forward NON DEFINITIVE files of his/her work (e.g. single chapters of temporary sections) by using the appropriate function ‘Final paper attachments’ available on the Punto Blu.

The attached files, as soon as they are uploaded, are made available to the professor.

NOTICE: uploading the files in ‘Final paper attachment’ function DOES NOT replace the upload of one-definitive file which MUST be made in any case by using the function ‘Final paper title Information completion’>Final paper final attachment Once the title has been assigned by the tutor professor, the student can:

• make the graduation reservation
• enter the information to complete the final paper title and continue with the upload of the definitive fle of the final paper.

Students can make the graduation reservation via Punto Blu function "Graduation>Graduation-Application Procedure>Graduation Reservation" by reserving a graduation session from the Graduation Calendar.

Students can sit exams during this period. Students do not need to have passed all exams in order to make the graduation reservation.

When making the graduation reservation, the system will check online that both the student's financial and administrative positions comply with the graduation session.

In addition, the system also checks that students:

• have submitted a valid final paper title assigned;
• have paid the graduation fee* (using  the MAV payment slip available on the Punto Blu in Administrative Area>Financial status>Payments).

*Students are suggested to pay the graduation fee around one month before making the graduation reservation.

In addition, third-year students enrolled in the 2012-2013 a.y. who intend to graduate:

• by the graduation session of December 2013, are not obliged to enrol in the 2013-2014 a.y.;
• in the 1st graduation session after December 2013, are obliged to enrol in the 2013-2014 a.y. and to pay the 1st installment of University fees and tuition;
• in the 2nd graduation session after December 2013, are obliged to enrol in the 2013-2014 a.y. and to pay the 1st and 2nd installments of University fees and tuition;
• from the 3rd graduation session after December 2013 on, are obliged to enrol in the 2013-2014 a.y. and pay the total amount of university fees and tuition.

Third-year students enrolled in the 2013-2014 a.y. who intend to graduate by the graduation session of December 2014, are not obliged to enrol in the 2014-2015 a.y.

Once the graduation reservation has been made, students must print out the relating receipt via the Punto Blu. 

In the subsequent days than the graduation reservation students are asked to fill in the following forms in the yoU@B student Diary:

• the placement form which goes into a "CV Book". Following graduation this CV Book   will be sent to Bocconi contacts which include companies, public and private organizations as well as professional studios, with the aim of enhancing recruitment opportunities;
• the evaluation of university experience questionnaire, that forms part of a nation-wide survey aimed at gathering feedback on university study from graduating students.

Students who have carried out the graduation reservation for the graduation session but who do not want to graduate in the chosen session anymore can, by the set deadlines scheduled for the graduation sessions, cancel their graduation reservation via Punto Blu by using the function "Graduation>Graduation Application procedures>Cancel Application".

After having completed the first phases of the graduation application procedure, the graduating student must enter via the web -all information still missing to complete the title of the final paper.

Through the function Graduation>Application procedure>’Final paper title information completion’ the student:

• makes any changes to the title he/she was assigned to
• enters the abstract (summarizing the final paper topic for a maximum of 250 words)
• confirms the final paper language.

In addition, once the data entered have been confirmed,

• can upload the Definitive file one single file in the final version and in PDF format of his/her final paper.
  

The students must upload the definitive file of the final paper by the dates specified in the graduation calendars published on the website at www.unibocconi.eu/graduationcalendar.

NOTICE: the definitive file of the Final Paper must exclusively be uploaded through the Final Paper Title - Information completion; the function Final Paper attachments’ MUST NOT be considered as an alternative for the upload of the definitive file of the final paper.

In addition, once the definitive file has been uploaded and the approval has been requested on the Punto Blu, changes are no longer possible.

The information entered and the final attachment of the final paper uploaded on the Punto Blu are immediately made available for being viewed by the tutor professor.

NOTICE: the definitive file, in PDF format (max 20 GB) must include, as first pages, 4 sheets ordered as follows:

• 1^st page: title page
• 2^nd page: white sheet
• 3^rd page: thanks (if not included a white sheet)
• 4^th page: a white sheet.
  

The text of one’s work (index,introduction, contents and so on) must start after the 4 pages above. 

The student can request the approval when:

• He/she has a title assigned
• He/she has carried out the graduation reservation
• He/she has uploaded the definitive file of one’s final paper.

The approval request must be carried out via the Punto Blu upon selecting the function ‘Graduation>Application procedure>Request approval by the dates specified in the graduation calendar published on the website at www.unibocconi.eu/graduationcalendar.

Upon approval relese by the tutor professor, the student receives a message on the yoU@B Diary and can consider the graduation application procedure correctly completed.

The Final Paper must be uploaded in one complete file only in PDF format, and the name of the file is LF followed by the student ID e.g. if the student ID is 1234567 the name of the file is LF1234567.PDF
Final Paper they must respect the following formatting specifications:

• Maximum size of the file: 10 MB
• Paper size: cm 29x21 (A4)
• Lines per page: from 26 to 30 lines
• Recommended font: Arial/Tahoma/Verdana
• Font size (body):12 points
• Pages numbered
• Cover sheet including: student ID, surname/family name, name, Bachelor Program, final paper title and tutor
  

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

• the final paper has been uploaded into the procedure;
• all the educational activities provided for in the study plan have been registered (except for credits relating to the final paper) - the appropriate offices periodically check the grades recorded in the academic career of all students;
• students do not have any pending obligations with ISU;
• students do not have any pending obligations with TCA (Tuition and Fees office);
• students do not have any outstanding obligations with the Library.

Final papers will be submitted to the Degree Assessment Board only if all of the criteria to graduate above are fulfilled.
Graduating students will receive notification of acceptance to graduation via an online message sent to their yoU@B student Diaries.

After reserving a graduation session students can no longer enrol in the new academic year unless they cancel the graduation session that they have reserved.

If the graduation reservation is made when the deadline is expired, this must be done by handing in the renouncement in writing to the Academic Affairs Division Desk.

After enrolling in the academic year and paid the fees and tuition due, it is possible to carry out a new graduation reservation.

The graduation grade is awarded by the Degree Assessment Board. Students are not required to make an oral dissertation of their final paper.

The Degree Assessment Boards are appointed by the Rector or by his delegates, and are presided over by a tenured professor. The Boards are comprised of professors, researchers and experts in the subject of the final paper.

The Boards are made up of at least 3 members, shared out as follows: 2 teachers, one of which is elected President, from the Department which has supervised the final papers, and a teacher outside the Department.

Calculation of the graduation grade:

•  Grade Point Average, weighted on the credit point values and converted into a mark out of 110, of all the "educational activities with marks expressed out of 30" indicated  in the study plan,

to which is added:

• from 0 to 4 points (out of 110) for the assessment of the "quality of the final paper";
• 1 point (out of 110) for:
• participation in a curricular internship and/or
• participation in the International Exchange Program (if student received credit for at least one exam passed abroad).

Points earned for both activities are not cumulative.

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

• 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);
• if students have passed exams at other Italian or foreign universities with a mark not expressed out of 30, it is converted on the basis of a specific conversion table.

With reference to the quality of the final paper it should be noted that:

• 4 points (out of 110) are awarded for excellent work;
• 3-2 points (out of 110) for good work;
• 1-0 points (out of 110) for satisfactory work (final papers that are judged to be unsatisfactory cannot be presented).

Based on the points proposed by the teacher following the final paper   the Board assesses the quality of the final paper.

The minimum graduation grade is 66 and the maximum grade is 110. The Board calculates the rounding of the graduation grade; if the decimal is equal to or higher than 5, then the graduation grade is rounded up, if the decimal is lower than 5 it is rounded down.

The Degree Assessment Board may unanimously award lode (cum laude) only if there are both the following conditions:

• the total of the 3 elements used to calculate the graduation grade is equal at least to 111;

the points awarded for the quality of the final paper are at least 3 points.

In general, from the following days after the publication of graduation results, graduates can:

• print the self-declaration samples specifying the graduation by accessing the function 'Print Self-declaration' available on the yoU@B Diary or at the Punto Blu terminals located at the University. 
• Request certification only by using the cert@B procedure available on the yoU@B student Diary.

The graduation ceremonies are generally organized according to Bachelor Program and are led by the Program Director or his/her delegate in the presence of the graduates and their families and friends. At the ceremony graduates are awarded their degree diplomas. The video of the ceremony will be available, together with the pisctures, on the yoU@B Diary.

The Graduation Ceremony Calendar can be consulted on the website in the section dedicated to graduations.

The Graduation Calendar is displayed on the University Internet site at www.unibocconi.eu/graduationcalendar. The following information is given:

• dates of Degree Assessment Board meetings;
• period for reserving the graduation session;
• deadline for uploading the final paper definitive file and request approval;
• deadline for sitting the last exam;

and, in the specific section of the website:

• date of the graduation ceremony.