Procedure for the final examination
There are three graduation sessions per academic year: summer, autumn and extraordinary.
At least 30 days before the date set for the final examination, the candidate must submit the application for admission to the Second-cycle degree examination together with the required documentation to the Student registry office.
It is the responsibility of the Student registry office to check that the candidate has acquired the ECTS credits relating to the educational activities envisaged in the programme of study.
1. The Second-cycle Degree examination consists in the evaluation, by a special Commission, of the curriculum of the studies carried out and of a thesis, prepared by the candidate under the guidance of a supervisor who is a Professor in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Parma.
2. Students wishing to be admitted to the Second-cycle degree examination must submit a specific application to the Student registry office, in accordance with the procedures established by the office, at least 30 days before the date of the degree call.
3. As a rule, studies prior to the dissertation will be completed, under the guidance of a supervisor chosen by the student, in the context of their Synthesis Laboratory, referring mainly to the disciplinary areas of the Laboratory. However, the student may choose a supervisor and a thesis topic falling within the disciplinary sector to which the supervisor belongs, independently of the Synthesis Workshop attended, without prejudice to the obligation to sit the examination of the Synthesis Workshop attended by the student.
4. The dissertation may be written in Italian or English.
5. In addition to the information requested by the Student registry office, the degree application must contain all the elements that the student deems useful for the evaluation of his/her study curriculum:
a. final title of the thesis in Italian and English and name of the Professor who acts as supervisor;
b. documentation proving any official periods of study abroad;
c. further documentation relating to official recognition obtained by the candidate for his/her university studies (scholarships, awards, etc.).
The application for the degree examination must also be approved in advance by the supervisor, so as to certify the work done in the thesis.
6. The student must acquire the necessary credits for the Second-cycle degree and must submit the thesis in accordance with the procedure established by the University of Parma, at least ten days before the date of the degree call.
7. The Degree Committee, composed of at least five professors chosen from among the professors of the courses of study in Architecture, one of whom shall act as Chairman, and appointed by the Director of the Department on the proposal of the President of the degree course.
8. The Commission's final evaluation is expressed in hundredths and is formulated on the basis of the following elements: a. weighted average of the marks obtained in the profit examinations and in the tests foreseen by the University's teaching regulations, as explained in point 9 below; b. overall curriculum of the candidate, as specified in points 10 and 11 below; c. evaluation of the thesis prepared by the candidate and presentation of the thesis.
9.The weighted average, expressed in out of 110, is calculated by the Student registry office by weighting the marks by the number of credits allocated to the course to which each individual examination relates. Any ECTS credits awarded without a grade or acquired in excess (extracurricular) do not count towards the average.
10. In recognition of the university career, i.e. the ability to organise oneself as demonstrated by the candidate during the degree course, the speed of learning, the commitment to follow the pace of teaching, the Commission awards: a. a three-point increase in the average in hundredths for those who graduate within the autumn session (September and December sessions) of the second academic year after enrolment in the Second-cycle degree programme; b. a two-point increase in the average in hundredths for those who graduate within the special session (March and April sessions) of the second academic year after enrolment in the Second-cycle degree programme.
11. As additional recognition of the validity of the candidate's career, the Committee may award up to one additional point on the basis of the candidate's honours, periods of study abroad - compulsory in the case of participation in Erasmus or Overworld programmes - and any official recognition obtained in the course of his or her studies.
12. As an assessment of the content of the thesis and the exposition of the thesis, the Committee awards between zero and seven additional points after consulting the supervisor.
13. If the candidate achieves a mark of 110 out of 110, the Committee may award the mark with distinction unanimously on the basis of the evaluation of points 11 and 12 above.
14. The President of the Committee proclaims the graduates and announces the marks obtained.
