Requirements and Application

The second step is the formal presentation and defense of your Master’s Thesis before an committee of professors.

To take this step, you must have passed all other exams in your study plan and apply to graduate through this page. The professors sitting in the committee are announced approximately two weeks before the session. You can find out the committee composition in this page.

The Presentation

• Format The presentation may rely on slides and should last no longer than 15 minutes.
• Content You should initially describe the context of your research and then focus on your most important findings and original contributions. You do not need to to bring a printed copy of your thesis to the defense.
• Questions After your presentation, the committee may ask you questions regarding your research and the content you presentated.

How Your Final Grade is Calculated

Your final graduation grade is calculated out of 110 points through the following steps.

• (a) Weighted Average We calculate the ECTS-weighted average of all your exam grades, excluding the exams for which the possible grades are just Pass/Fail, and excluding the grade of the thesis.
• (b) Conversion to 110 The average derived at (a) is multiplied by 11/3.
• (c) Honors Points To the result derived at (b), 1/3 of a point is added for each exam with grade 30 e lode (i.e., 30 with distinction); for an integrated exam, this bonus is added if and only if the grade is 30 e lode for all modules of which the integrated exam consists. The result is rounded to the nearest integer -- rounding by excess applies if the decimal part is 0.5.
• (d) Thesis points The committee evaluates your thesis and defense, awarding up to 7 points which are added to the result derived at (c).
• (e) Final grade The sum derived at (d) is your final grade, with the following exception. If the sum derived at (d) is 110 or higher, if your thesis was awared the full 7 points, and if the committee is unanimous, then the final grade is 110 e lode (i.e., 110 with distinction).

Receiving Your Diploma

Your official diploma/parchment (pergamena di laurea) will not be available the day of your thesis defense. It will reach by surface mail (2-3 months later) the address you provided when applying to take Step 2.