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Università degli Studi di Parma Università degli Studi di Parma
Second cycle degree course in
International business and development
Università degli Studi di Parma
Department of Economics and Management

Thesis/Final examination

The submission of the application for graduation takes place exclusively online with no possibility of derogation. Once completed and confirmed, the application will not be editable. It is therefore necessary to check carefully what has been entered before the confirmation.
The deadlines and the necessary documentation for IBD students are shown on this page.
The steps for the correct execution of the procedure are on the University website [https://www.unipr.it/didattica/info-amministrative/domanda-di-laurea].

    The four main steps are:

    1. Choice of supervisor and topic.
    2. Application for graduation (read carefully the instructions and deadlines!).
    3. Completion of exams. 
    4. Thesis submission.

    Before accessing the procedure, make sure you have:

    • A device connected to the Internet.
    • A printer.

    On Elly you can find some useful material on how to write your dissertation. Read it carefully before starting! Link to the reading material

    Print

    1. Choice of supervisor and topic

    Check the deadlines

    The first step is to choose a supervisor and agree upon a thesis topic (the thesis title), at least 5 months before the expected graduation session (e.g.: to graduate in July, the supervisor and topic must be chosen at least in January/February). The first contact can be made via e-mail, but a following in-person meeting is strongly recommended.

    Following the discussion with the supervisor, students must prepare a short paragraph with the research questions their dissertation should tackle and to be used as an opportunity for brainstorming. Next, after doing some preliminary reading (4-6 scientific articles), and taking into account earlier discussions, it is necessary to prepare a thematic index (a draft of an index or table of contents of the dissertation with a short sentence illustrating the heading/chapter possible content). This is the first step to do with the supervisor, before starting writing.

    Once the draft of the table of contents has been discussed with the supervisor, the writing process can start following the supervisor's guidelines. 

    Check the deadlines

    2. Application for graduation

    Check the deadlines

    Once you are ready for the graduation session, you must apply through Esse3 (Check the deadlines). For correct completion of the application for graduation, you must: 

    • Check on your personal page that the residence / domicile address will be used for sending the Diploma is correct; otherwise, the change must be made independently from their own ESSE3 page, section: "Master Data";
    • Check your position in terms of taxes: in the event of an instalment request, the instalment being due must be paid at the same time as the application for graduation; in the presence of debts, it will not be possible to complete the application, you will first have to settle the debt position and, only after the acquisition of the payment through the operating system, it will be possible to proceed with completing the application.

    Non-EU students must verify that they hold a valid residence permit. If the residence permit has expired, they have to send to the Student Registry office a copy of the new permit or copy of the renewal request. 

    ATTENTION! NO DEGREE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD BE SENT TO THE STUDENT REGISTRY OFFICE VIA EMAIL AT THE TIME OF COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION. THE PROCEDURE MUST BE CARRIED OUT ONLY ONLINE ON THE ESSE3 PLATFORM.

    IMPORTANT! After completing the application for graduation, the system generates, on the personal degree page, a random graduation date that does not coincide with the actual dates established by the Department. It is therefore necessary to refer exclusively to the dates indicated on the lists of graduating students published on the Department's website at the page http://sea.unipr.it/it/didattica/lauree, about a week before the scheduled graduation session.

    The procedure on Esse3 is explained here.

    Check the deadlines

    3. Completion of exams

    Check the deadlines

    About one month before the start date of the graduation session: 

    • check rules of conduct (form A / 44), in the appropriate section "Annexes";
    • if all the exams have been taken, upload a copy of the "old" university academic (paper) transcript ONLY for students who have it. The original of the transcript must then be sent to: Student Registry office - Via Massimo D’Azeglio n. 85, 43125 Parma;
    • the student card must NOT be returned and therefore must not be attached;
    • passing and registering the last exam (and the compulsory transmission of the "old" university paper transcript, only for students who are in possession) must take place no later than 15 days before the start date of the graduation session.

    Attention! The graduation application, the payment receipts and the receipt for completing the Almalaurea questionnaire should not be attached or transmitted to the Student Registry office because they are acquired directly.

    Check the deadlines

    4. Thesis submission

    Check the deadlines

    The thesis must be deposited through the ESSE3 online procedure following the instructions reported at https://www.unipr.it/didattica/info-amministrative/domanda-di-laurea and in the dedicated guide.
    The supervisor's authorisation form is replaced by the thesis validation by the supervisor in the ESSE3 online procedure.
    If the thesis is written in English, it is also mandatory to attach a paper abstract of one page of the content of the thesis, in Italian, also showing their student's personal data, registration number and degree course to which the student is enrolled.
    In the event of a supervening impediment to taking the final graduation exam, graduates must promptly notify the Student Registry office using the appropriate waiver form.

    TO GRADUATE IN A SESSION DIFFERENT FROM THE SESSION CHOSEN INITIALLY, YOU MUST FILL IN AGAIN THE ONLINE APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION.

    Check the deadlines

    Documentation

    The degree documentation is summarized below.

    1. Application for graduation (to be completed in ESSE3. Once confirmed, it is acquired directly by the Student Registry office, so it must not be attached or sent);
    2.  IUV-PAGOPA payment receipt (must not be attached or sent; once completed, the payment is acquired directly by the Student Registry office). Attention! The payment deadline is the one indicated in the deadlines and not the one shown on the bulletin; 
    3. “Old” paper academic transcript only for students who have it and if the exams taken are reported on it the exams taken (a copy in ESSE3 must be attached in the “Attachments" section. The original of the transcript must then be sent by post to: Segreteria Studenti Economia - Via Massimo D’Azeglio n. 85, 43125 Parma). The student card must NOT be returned; 
    4. Thesis (through the ESSE3 online procedure described in the dedicated guide published on the page https://www.unipr.it/didattica/info-amministrative/domanda-di-laurea). The supervisor's authorisation is replaced by the thesis validation by the supervisor in the ESSE3 online procedure; 
    5. Abstract in Italian if the thesis is written in English, to be uploaded to ESSE3 in the "Attachments" section;
    6. Rules of conduct to be followed by candidates and their families during the sessions of degree (Form A / 44, to be completed and uploaded to ESSE3 in the "Attachments" section);
    7. Alma Laurea questionnaire (to be completed in ESSE3, following the instructions given in the guide Alma Lauree registration. The receipt is acquired directly by the Student Registry office, it does not need to be attached and not even sent);
    8. Waiver of application for graduation form (only in the case of an unexpected impediment to taking the final graduation exam to be sent by email to segreteria.economia@unipr.it). 

    Check the deadlines

    Thesis format

    1. Introduction (clarification of the purpose of the research; brief summary of the methodologies adopted; indication of the points of originality of the research);
    2. Reference literature (placement of the work within the specific literature; indication of the hypotheses to be tested or description of the topic - application, technique, etc. - being analysed; indication of relevance on the plan knowledge of the thesis work);
    3. Information basis and methodology used (clarification of the characteristics of the field of observation (company, sector, etc.) and/or of the database used; indication of the methodologies and procedures used in the analysis (interviews, observation direct, simulations, statistical analysis, analysis and critical systematisation of literature, analysis e systematisation of research based on historical sources, etc.);
    4. Presentation and discussion of the results (illustration of the evidence gathered and/or the analyzes carried out. Comparison between the themes/hypotheses formulated in 2) and analytical results acquired);
    5. Conclusions (brief description of the main results obtained. Indication of any limits to the work performed. Indication of possible further developments);
    6. Bibliography (adoption of a consistent and unique citation model).

    How to write a dissertation

    A module of 4 lessons on how to write a dissertation is being held in March 2023, according to the following calendar. Each meeting lasts for about 3 hours. The starting time might be subject to small changes.

    • 8 March, h. 15:00 (Simone Baglioni)
    • 15 March, h. 15:00 (Simone Baglioni)
    • 22 March, h. 15:00  (Simone Baglioni)
    • 29 March, h. 15:00 (Laura L'Episcopo)

    On Elly you can find some useful material on how to write your dissertation. Read it carefully before starting! Link to the reading material

    Check the room on EasyRoom  --> "Raggruppamenti Sede / Scienze Economiche e Aziendali / Vista di tutte le aule" --> select the correct date "Cambia data", activity How to write a dissertation.