To obtain a postgraduate degree, students must acquire 120 CFU credits. The normal duration of the Degree Programme is two years.

To access the final examination, students must submit an application via the online procedure within the deadlines set by the University for each session.

The final examination is the discussion of a dissertation in english, which is the result of the student’s own research under the supervision of a Lecturer, also based on the evaluation of a second supervisor and will be discussed on the graduation session scheduled by the Department.

The subject of the dissertation must be related to a discipline chosen by the candidate. Students are expected to analyse an issue, demonstrating methodological rigour and independent judgement. They must support their arguments with extensive research, and the results must be set out clearly and rigorously. Not only the dissertation should provide an extensive and up-to-date bibliography, it should also be written using specialist language and an appropriate writing style.

Furthermore, students must demonstrate the ability to make effective use of the skills acquired, as well as displaying communication skills, and the ability to learn independently.

In the graduation session, students present their dissertation and, if necessary, respond to the comments of the supervisor, second supervisor or other members of the Committee, defending the choices made in the course of their work. The supervisor guarantees that the various stages of the thesis work have been met and, in the graduation session, reports to the Commission on the results achieved.

The final examination takes place in a session that is open to the public. The Graduation Committee evaluates this final examination on a scale from 0 to 110 and may, by unanimous decision, award the candidate the highest mark with Honours.

Calculating the final mark

The final mark is determined by adding three factors:

1. The 'base' grade average. The students’ weighted grade average is converted into a scale from 0-110 and used as a base;

2. The time it took to graduate. Additional points are awarded for early or timely graduations as follows:

• 3 points, if the student graduates within the set duration of the course. The last graduating session that qualifies is held in February of the year following the last academic year of enrolment. Students can graduate in this session, without re-enrolment, as long as the last exam is taken by 31 January;
• 1 point, if the student graduates within one year of the end of the Degree Programme.
• No additional points are awarded beyond these sessions. If a student earned at least 15 CFU credits per semester within the Erasmus/GlobusStudio exchange programmes, the time spent abroad is not taken into account for the calculation referred to in point 2. Part-time student status will also be taken into account in calculating the marks for timely graduation.

3. Final examination. Additional points may be awarded based on the quality of the dissertation and the presentation skills, as indicated below:

• up to 4 points if the base grade average is less than or equal to 93.000;
• up to 6 points if the base grade average ranges between 93.001 and 98.999;
• up to 8 points if the base grade average is greater than 99,000.

Should the sum thus calculated reach a score of one hundred and ten, the graduation committee may unanimously award honours, provided that the base grade average is no less than 102.

The final mark is given at the end of the Final examination.

Special exam sessions for graduating students

Students who have applied for graduation and are one exam away from completing their Degree Programme may apply for a special exam session reserved for them, subject to the availability of the relevant lecturer.

At least 40 days before the planned graduation session, qualifying students must send a special request via e-mail to the relevant Student Office, to the Coordinator of their Degree Programme and, for information, to the dissertation supervisor.

The request must contain the following information:

• First name, surname and Student Number;
• Code and Degree Programme;
• Code and name of the examination;
• Name of the dissertation supervisor.

The request must be accompanied by the dissertation supervisor's statement on the progress of the dissertation (which must be close to completion within the deadline set for its upload).