16 Italian University Structure

Part of the BCSP program experience will be learning to operate in the much less centrally organized Italian university system. In the U.S. students take courses in several disciplines each semester, and rely on a university‑wide schedule of classes distributed well in advance of the academic year to plan courses. The absence of such a schedule in Italy may give the impression that the University of Bologna is disorganized and chaotic. It is important to realize that Italian students specialize early in their academic careers and typically take a fixed sequence of courses in a single discipline. They are unlikely to experience scheduling conflicts even if their professors wait to announce which courses they will teach just before classes begin, or set class meeting times and exam schedules individually. Because the departments operate independently, the university does not function according to a single calendar. Classes in different disciplines do not begin at the same time or on the same date.

You will have to take the initiative in locating class schedules. Information about class offerings is available 2‑4 weeks before classes begin. All schedules are posted on the university’s website.

Most Italian faculty use a formal lecture format but some encourage student discussion or questions in class, especially in small seminar classes. Instructors expect to be addressed as Lei, and greeted with Buon giorno or Buona sera, never Ciao.

Oral Exams

Although some courses also require written papers, the course grade in many University of Bologna classes rests on a brief final oral exam. It is critical, therefore, to determine early in the term what material the professor expects you to master for the exam. Professor do not distribute a syllabus with day-by-day reading assignments or homework. Meet with your professors early in the course to determine specific course requirements. Some professors require you to master a manual or general textbook in addition to material covered in lectures, and still others enumerate specific texts over which you will be tested.

Pacing Yourself

Without daily assignments you will be tempted to postpone coursework. It is important to begin reading seriously from the beginning of the course. Trying to cram a semester’s worth of university-level reading in Italian into the last weeks can be traumatic. You will find most University of Bologna professors helpful and accessible during their office hours (ore di ricevimento).