School of Design
Degree Programme of:
Interior Design
Laurea (Equivalent To Bachelor Of Science)
Milano Campus
1. General Information
School School of Design Code Reference Law 1087 Name Interior Design Reference Law Ordinamento 270/04 Class of degree L-4 - Industrial Design Degree level Laurea (Equivalent To Bachelor Of Science) First year of activation 2008/2009 Official length of the programme 3 Years of the programme already activated 1,2,3 Official language(s) Italian Campus Milano Dean of the School Luisa Maria Virginia Collina Coordinator of the Study programme Giovanna Piccinno Website of the School http://www.design.polimi.it Website of the Study programme
https://www.interiordesign.polimi.it/
Central Student Office - Milano Bovisa
Address VIA LAMBRUSCHINI, 15 (MI)
2. General presentation of the study programme
In recent decades Interior design has acquired a fundamentally important role in defining functional and cultural quality in contemporary cities.Interiors of any kind, both private and public (museums, hospitals, offices, airports, stations), permanent or temporary, are always a whole of elements which contribute to the quality of private lives and human relationships: the space dimension, décor elements and installations, lights, colours, sounds and micro-climate, are all elements which interior designers today must know how to modulate and put together.In such cases design means taking the container or context as a starting point and working 'within' it not solely on the way it is set up, furnished and equipped but also on the range of components which allow spaces to be inhabited from the cultural and functional points of view.The realms in which interior designers now work are manifold:- the domestic space both in the traditional sense and with new kind of domesticity which are features of contemporary societies: co-housing to home offices, domestic retail to selfbranding. In the era of the creative economy the home has turned into a workshop open to new public and private behaviours.- Public spaces - ranging from the great transit locations (airports, ports and stations) to public service buildings such as banks, post offices, hospitals and schools play a very important role with functional and aesthetic quality fundamental to civil interface.- RetailIn recent years, following on from the phenomena of globalisation and consequent deindustrialisation, entire industrial areas in our cities have emptied leading to interior transformation of abandoned factories, laboratories and offices allowing contemporary cities to refunctionalise and respond to new needs with new functional and utility models.The Degree Course foresees a first approach to the internationalization with the presence of foreign professors as part of the exchange teaching activities and during the third year Workshop experiences.
Students are also guided to choose outgoing international exchange experiences according to the programs set out in point 13.
The School of Design offers a Laurea in Interior Design and a Laurea Magistrale in Interior and Spatial Design programmes at the Milan Bovisa campus
3. Learning objectives
The educational goals of the Laurea in Interior Design are to supply students with the skills needed to carry out the multiplicity of technical-design tasks supporting interior design in their many configurations and in accordance with the various phases ranging from creation to meta-design and planning right through to implementation work monitoring. Students learn the methods and techniques required to draw up projects that integrate type, formal, functional and technological aspects from the starting point of context analysis with a special focus on the use of languages representing contemporary scenarios.
Students will get the ability:
- to read user behaviours, the world of needs, the social, cultural relationships and psychological-behavioural, symbolic, ergonomic and perceptional aspects influencing the way we use spaces is essential.
- to interpret the specific features of spaces in order to plan and design new scenarios, the ability to translate research insights into innovative design solutions in line with the variousways contemporary spaces are used and with the resources available and also by School of Design Interior Design (Milan Bovisa) - 2016/2017 formulating alternative hypotheses.
- to adopt the most suitable solution from the point of view of quality and cost working with products designed for interior and exterior spaces (from technological components to furniture to the various scales and components).
- to put forward design solutions, from the point of view of the technical solutions adopted and the materials used, moving in the direction of environmental sustainability.
An additional important aspect is the relationship between interior design spaces and the provided services which are provided in the context of these spaces above all in reference to certain types of interior design which would seem to be in powerful transition today (from culture to exhibition and event venues, from goods and services sales spaces to restaurants, hospitality spaces and temporary living and entertainment spaces). These features require the development of an ability to grasp the relationships between aestheticformal components and communication elements including when dealing with specific clients/managers and users as well as understanding and design management of the sensory and immaterial components of space.
The man-man and man-space proxemics will be investigated, understood and integrated into thedesign process.The ability to visualise and communicate design ideas in the various process phases is a fundamental issue in the interior designer education: from researching and defining the project to elaborating concepts and the implementation of it through the technical development Knowledge of artistic, visual and representational languages and cultures is thus fundamental as are those which enable designers to develop expressive methods and languages which are appropriate to the design concept.
The ducational process will integrate the more conventional interior design aspects with more innovative elements deriving from new contemporary scenarios ranging from technical-productive to economic-strategic elements.
The design connotations of the Laurea, as compared to the subsequent Laurea Magistrale, are about the technical-implementational of the project and getting the skills to deal with the several components of the design output with a knowledge of its languages and integrating its skills.
The Laurea programme is made of the following academic subjects:
• design culture studies (ICAR/13, ICAR/16)
It allows to take advantage of the the other subject fields (getting by ex cathedra lectures to design process ends) through design studio teaching methods. In the design process this know-how is used: in the analysis phase (when the concept is defined) to gain an overview of the project context in terms of design opportunities, limitations, potential and priority
selection and hierarchies; to analyse the character of the space in which the project is to work; to assess the user-environment interaction and the implications this may have on the quality of the space; to analyse the artefacts and artefact systems in their formal, structural, functional, type, morphological, relationship and ergonomic characteristics. In the project
synthesis phase, on the other hand, this know-how contributes to project development and involves the ability to translate needs into space requirements and quality and décor systems which make them liveable in; defining - on the basis of the performance demands made of space, materials, component parts - building technologies and relationships
with other subsystems.
The objective of this study unit - the foundation stone in designer training - is to provide students with a method with which to take on a range of design themes on a medium design complexity scale by means of paradigmatic design experiences.
• humanities studies (M-DEA/01; M-PSI/01)
Which contribute to the analysis and interpretation of the social and cultural contexts of the designed spaces and the meaning systems environments express as bearers of aestheticcultural values. They also contribute to placing the space within a material value system by means of socio-technical analysis, ethnographic, value and sign reading, of its symbolic and
representational value in addition to enabling its ergonomic and perceptional qualities, contributing to defining the nature of the relationship between man and lived space The goal of this field of study is to supply students with methodologies and tools from ethnographic, anthropological and sociological research applied to user, context and space use behaviour analysis.
• historical-critical studies (ICAR/13, L-ART/02, L-ART/03; ICAR/18) which supply students with knowledge of evolutions in design culture and their links with evolutions in art, architecture, visual communication, design and fashion movements.
The educational objective of this field of study is to supply students with the ability to interpret design in its context of reference using historical study methods;
• visual culture and representation studies (ICAR/13, ICAR/17, MAT/08) which analyse the use of language, tools and techniques related to morphological and functional representation of products (drawing by hand to digital representation, photography to simulation and prototype model production, digital surface modelling to parametric modelling); the ability to
read and interpret visual languages; mastery of digital image production and manipulation techniques; knowledge of perceptional mechanisms, colour systems, etc. The educational objective of this unit is to provide graduates with the ability to transfer analysis and design synthesis elements onto the visual plane.
• building materials and technologies studies (ING-IND/22; ICAR/13, ICAR/08, ICAR/12)
looking at materials and their chemical-physical characteristics, performance, structural and functional qualities; material properties in relation to the environment they are to be used in; sustainability and recyclability; the functioning of interior space building systems; environmental comfort, in greater depth. The educational objective of this field of study is to
provide students with knowledge relating to the choice of materials functional to contexts of use, required performance and the quality of lived space.
• corporate economics and financial feasibility studies for design (SECS-P/13; ICAR/13): indepth study of economic systems, the corporate context, the market and problems relating to marketing; financial feasibility analysis techniques for communication products. Students are also taught the ability to interpret the fundamental features of companies which impact on design strategies.
The objective of this unit is to make students aware of economic decision making processes and the elements which characterise company coherence in design lead innovation processes.• Mathematics studies (MAT/08). The objective of this field of study is to supply students with the know-how required for an understanding of inherently curved systems and surfaces for the purposes of decodifying spatial structure.
The professional trained is a 'project technician' who, on completion of the course, gets the skills required to carry out a multiplicity of support technical-design activities and project assistance tasks as they develop and take shape in the various phases starting at the creation phase and continuing to the planning and implementation monitoring phases in both interior and exterior spaces.
Within this course of study, specific subject areas can be studied in greater depth such as cutting edge developments for professional design development or strategic sectors for the development of the Italian economy.
4. Organization of the study programme and further studies
4.1 Structure of the study programme and Qualifications
Design Study Programmes provide theoretical, technical, academic and professional training for designers, providing them with the proper know-how and skills related to industrial product design, production and promotion. With the term 'industrial product', as we now can be understood at the School of Design, we do not want to refer only to a material product (as a car, a piece of furniture, an object, a dress, an accessory) but everything that contributes to construction of a product 'sense': the way in which it can be communicated, the services enabled by digital technologies and the Internet of Things, the way in which it is shown, etc.
Therefore, it is a complex multidisciplinary career that answers to the cross-training demand coming from the consumer product industry, from public administrations, from firms and communication design companies, interior and exhibition companies, fashion companies, as well as from the many players involved in the marketing and distribution sectors.
The educational careers are divided into the so-called 3+2, or two-degree levels, the first level three-year Laurea (L) and the two-year Laurea Magistrale (LM).
The achievement of the First Level Laurea provides a qualification as Project Technician, able to provide support to all activities related to a product, from its creation to production and distribution on the market, obviously with specific characteristics depending on the study programme.
The LM study programme provides a strong basis for strategic management skills of the project, and trains profiles able to coordinate complex activities, aimed at the creation of articulated product systems, adjusted to the brand identity and launch and distribution plans on the market.
In addition to these two programmes mentioned above, there is a wide range of I level Specializing Master Study Programme, the access is available after the three-year L study programme, and II level Specializing Master Study Programme after the LM. Finally, with LM qualification, it is possible to access the PhD Programme of the Design Department, which offers a highly qualified competence in the field of design research.
Laurea I Level
Laurea II Level of the same class
Industrial Product Design
Integrated Product Design
Communication Design
Communication Design
Fashion Design
Design for the Fashion System
Interior Design
Interior and Spatial Design
Industrial Product Design
Design & Engineering of Industrial Product
Mechanical Engineering (Laurea programme activated at the School of Industrial and Information Engineering)
Material and Nanotechnology Engineering (Laurea programme activated at the School of Industrial and Information Engineering)
Industrial Product Design/Communication Design/Interior Design/Fashion Design
Product Service System Design
Industrial Product Design/Communication Design/Interior Design/Fashion Design
Digital and Interaction Design
Interior Design/Industrial Product Design (Product)
Naval and Ship Building Design - La Spezia campus
4.2 Further Studies
The qualification grants access to "Laurea Magistrale" (2nd degree), "Corso di Specializzazione di primo livello" (1st level Specialization Course) and "Master Universitario di primo livello" (1st level University Master)
The qualification enables students to access Laurea Magistrale, Level I Specialisation Courses and Level I University Master's courses.
The Laurea Magistrale continuing the three-year Laurea in Interior Design is Interior and Spatial Design with which it constitutes one single Programme Board (Consiglio di Corso di Studi, or CCS).
The Laurea Magistrale in Product Service System Design, Digital and Interaction Design, Naval and Nautical Design (La Spezia) can also be considered of continuity.
5. Professional opportunities and work market
5.1 Professional status of the degree
Graduates from the three years Laurea course are considered Design technicians with a technical specialisation in interiors (indoor and outdoor spaces). Professionals in this field work in interior design companies, retail and visual merchandising companies (furniture, large-scale distribution, fashion companies), professional design practices.
Graduates from the three years Laurea course are considered Design technicians with a technical specialisation in interiors (indoor and outdoor spaces). Professionals in this field work in interior design companies, retail and visual merchandising companies (furniture, large-scale distribution, fashion companies), professional design practices.
5.2 Careers options and profiles
Interior Design laurea graduates will work as design technicians - in those companies dealing with end products and also in services or institutions and public and private bodies and design companies.
Design technician; domestic space design assistant; interior design assistant dealing with buildings with social, cultural, educational and healthcare functions; temporary event and exhibit installation design technician; assistant in research and definition of materials and components; space representation technician; interior space CAD project designer; physical and virtual space modelling technician; retail design assistant; trade fair stand installation technician; urban design technician; work space design assistant.
Surveys of University Assessment Commission
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=52185.3 Qualification profile
Interior Designer
profile in a work context:
Profile with knowledge and skills related to design, production and enhancement of industrial products. At the School of Design, the term industrial product does not simply mean a concrete product such as a car, furniture item, object, garment or accessory but rather all communication and 'meaning' building elements relating to products such as graphics and brand design rather than websites, interiors or fashion shows. The Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) study programme trains project technicians, or graduate students capable of playing a supporting role in all technical and design activities from the creation stage right through to production and distribution on the market with different characteristics for each laurea study programme available. Interior Design laurea graduate students will work as project technicians in the design sphere - in companies working in the field of interior design both in end products and in components and also in services or institutions and public and private bodies and design companies. In particular:
- installation system design technician;
- domestic space design assistant;
- interior design assistant in buildings with social, cultural and educational functions and those designed to look after people and provide accommodation;
- temporary event and exhibit installation design technician;
- assistant in research and definition of finishings, materials and components;
- space representation technician;
- interior space CAD project designer;
- physical and virtual space modelling technician;
- retail outlet design assistant;
- trade fair stand installation technician;
- urban décor design technician;
- work space design assistant.Skills of this function:
Specific skills:
- use tools, methods and techniques required to draw up projects which integrate type, formal, functional and technological aspects from the starting point of context analysis;
- read user behaviours, the world of needs, the social, cultural, relationship and psychological-behavioural, symbolic, ergonomic and perception aspects influencing the way we use spaces;
- translate analysis elements into innovative design solutions in line with the various ways contemporary spaces are used and with the resources available and also through the evaluation and creation of alternative solutions;
- use the most appropriate solutions, from the point of view of quality and costs, operating within the product categories for indoor and outdoor environments (from technological components to furnishing equipment to different types of components);
- propose, from the aspect of the technical solutions and materials used, project responses that go in the direction of environmental sustainabilityJob opportunities:
Graduates from the three-year Laurea course are considered Design technicians with a technical specialisation in interiors and installation systems.
They represent the answer of training demands for the consumer product industry, local government, communication, interior and installation design companies and studios as well as the retail and distribution sectors for these products.
Professionals in this sphere work in installation companies and also successfully pursue careers in the area of retail and visual merchandising companies (furniture, large-scale distribution, fashion companies). They also frequently work in professional design studios and companies.
6. Enrolment
6.1 Access requirements
Italian secondary school leaving qualification or other comparable foreign qualification (level 4 EQF)
6.2 Requested knowledge
In order to optimise the use of the resources available in the campuses, the total number of places for enrolment in the first year of each Study Programme of the University is set by the Academic Senate when defining the educational offer, based on the indications provided by the School of reference.
Enrolment in the first year of the Laurea study programmes of the Design School of Politecnico di Milano is subject to a test aimed at assessing the knowledge required for admission and aptitude for studies. The test of the knowledge required for admission is carried out through a test that is the same for all the Design study programmes activated by the University (TOLD).
The TOLD is structured in multiple choice questions and it is possible to take it online on a PC, at the Politecnico campuses.
TOLD is available in two different periods:
- test in advance, from March to July: for high school students or students that already hold a diploma;
- standard test, in August: for students that hold a diploma.
The student, when registering for the test (one test for each period), must indicate in order of interest one or more study programmes, among the four Design study programmes, for which s/he wants to be taken into consideration.
At the end of each test period a ranking list is drawn up, only students that reached the minimum threshold of 30/100 (20/100 for non-EU students) will be included in the ranking list. Each candidate will be taken into account only for the study programmes that s/he mentioned as a preference during the registration to the test. Those listed in the ranking list can proceed with enrolment.
The ranking list, with indication of only one study programme to which it is possible to register, is published online in the Official Noticeboard of the University.
The Design test is carried out through the use of Personal Computers located in IT classrooms within the University.
It consists of 60 questions, to be answered in 1 hour and 20 minutes, which have five answer options. The student must identify the right one, and do not consider the wrong, not weighted or less possible answers.
The subjects covered by the admission test are:
- geometry and representation: 12 questions in 20 minutes
- logic: 6 questions in 10 minutes
- verbal comprehension: 6 questions in 10 minutes
- history of design, history of art: 12 questions in 15 minutes
- general knowledge: 24 questions in 25 minutes
The score is calculated as follows:
- 1 point for each correct answer
- 0 point for each answer not answered
- 0,25 points for each wrong answer
This score will be then converted into hundredths and will be calculated up to the second decimal place.
In case of equal score, the score obtained according to the following order will prevail:
- Geometry and representation
- Verbal comprehension
- History of design, history of art
- Logic
- General knowledge
Furthermore, In case of further equal result, priority is given to the younger student.
The Design test has a minimum threshold. Even with available places, the following students cannot be enrolled:
- “ EU students and similar students” who have not obtained a score equal to or greater than 30.00/100
- "Non-EU students" who have not obtained a score equal to or greater than 20.00/100
The position of the candidates in the ranking list is based on the score, on the places available for each test session and on the order of preferences expressed.
For enrolment to Design study programmes, 3 enrolment periods are provided:
- Enrolment in advance: for those who have taken a test in the session in advance and have obtained a good position in the ranking list, you can enrol, after obtaining the high school diploma.
- Standard enrolment: for those who took the test in the September session and obtained a good position in the ranking list.
- Second-chance enrolment (following a request for inclusion in the ranking list): if at the end of the standard enrolment period there were still places available, if after his/her request for inclusion in the ranking list, the student obtains a place in the ranking list.
Verification of English knowledge and English OFA
Politecnico di Milano requires students to properly know the English language. After taking your admission test, the student must take the TENG (Test of English) English language test. The TENG (Test of English) must be taken even if the student already has external certificates attesting his/her knowledge of the English language.
The TENG, made of 30 multiple choice questions, will be held on Personal Computers and will last for 15 minutes. At least 24 questions must be answered correctly: failure to reach this threshold leads to the assignment of Additional Educational Obligations (OFA) of English. The English TENG test will not be included in the calculation of the score for the ranking lists.
The fulfilment of the English OFA can be reached through:
- submission of one of the English language certificates recognized by Politecnico di Milano, by delivering the certificate to the Registrar’s Office
- participation to dedicated test sessions to verify the English language knowledge.
More detailed information on the admission procedures, including the updated dates of the sessions scheduled for the test, are available, updated, on the University Web site at:
http://www.poliorientami.polimi.it/come-si-accede
How to access it
http://www.poliorientami.polimi.it/cosa-si-studia/corsi-di-laurea/
The educational offer at the Politecnico di Milano
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=49506.3 Deadlines for admission and number of places available
Admission is subject to passing the admission test.
300 places are available (of which 10 reserved for students from outside the EU, 4 of which must be Chinese students from the “Marco Polo” project).
How to become a student at Politecnico di Milano
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=51786.4 Tutoring and students support
Under the name of in-course orientation and tutoring, there are all activities aimed at providing assistance to students before and during their university career, in order to carry out this activity within the time limits set by educational regulations and in a profitable way from the point of view of professional and human skill education. Therefore, tutoring activities are different from institutional educational activities, although they can integrate, or be complementary, of these last ones. Tutoring activities can be carried out by laurea magistrale students, by Ph.D. students, by professors and externals.
Tutoring activities are planned and managed by the School in close coordination with the Study Programme.
At University level, the Financial Aid and International Mobility Service is the connection point with the Schools for administrative aspects related to the assignment of tutoring tasks to students of the Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Study Programme.
Tutoring activities are divided into the following services:
- didactic orientation for first-year students and for students of the following years;
- orientation and support for 3rd-year students who want to activate curricular internships to replace the internship provided in the Study Plan or extra-curricular internships;
- didactic support meetings held by professors (to help students in their inclusion and learning choices);
- support/reception activities for first-year students of Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) Study Programmes, both at the counter and through the new communication channels activated by the School;
- support for students in international mobility programmes;
- assistance for review and recovery seminars;
- assistance in computerized classrooms, libraries and laboratories;
- assistance in acquisition and development of didactic material.
For students who wish to enrol in the Design School's Study Programmes, Open Days are organized in which each Study Programme presents the educational offer through presentations and/or open lectures.
A Guidance service is available at the School with the purpose of providing information on the teaching and educational contents of its programmes of study and clarifying, to future first-year students, the educational objectives and potential career opportunities.
Every year, for first-year students, a welcome day is organized to present the organization of the School, the offices and their skills, the international mobility programmes, the School and Politecnico communication tools: the Web site of the Design School, the Trouble Ticketing, the chat, the Beep portal, the library services, the instrumental laboratories and the Safety week (week in which the students obtain the qualification to access the Laboratories). During this meeting, the Joint Committee and Student representatives have their time for a wide presentation.
The Student Representatives of the School Board have prepared a Vademecum to present and summarise the services that students can access.
For students already enrolled, there are presentations of the optional courses and Synthesis Laboratories. In addition to the teaching sheets that provide detailed information about the course methods, the students can access the Web site of the School and see slides and videos prepared by professors in order to summarise the topics that will be covered during the programme.
The School organizes "Lectures 0" to give information about the University's facilities and services and to explain the organization of the study programmes; the coordinators can organize this Lecture as a collective event, with the other Study Programmes, or during the first day of lesson of one of the courses of the specific Study Programme. The students of the following years are provided with information on the educational offer and on specific initiatives of the year of their study programme.
The Topics of Lectures 0 are:
Organization of Study Programme and University Services (I L);
experiences abroad (II and III LT);
post-graduate training: Laurea Magistrale Study Programmes and Specializing Master of I level;
world of work and Career service (III LT)
LM admission: criteria and N and V parameters (II and III LT);
evaluation questionnaire about teaching (I, II; III LT);
questionnaire on services and on the overall training career (III LT);
final test: type of exam, choice of the supervisor and final score (III LT).
For students already enrolled, the School provides activities with the aim to:
- help students remove any obstacles to their attendance and learning with initiatives tailored to individual student needs, attitudes and requirements;
- encourage a more active participation by students in the educational process.
A reference professor/tutor has been selected for each study programme and s/he is the official reference point for any School guidance. The service is organized within the study programme and, in particular, it consists of:
- the service is programme of study specific and deals in particular with: support services for students who require help in solving problems or clarifying concepts;
- approval and possible drafting of texts concerning the presentation of the study programme of which the professor is the contact person;
- identification of student projects from each specific laurea course to be used as guidance tools at Open Days and on the School's official communication channels.
Tutoring
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/services/tutoring
Polinternational
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=5197
7. Contents of the study Program
7.1 Programme requirements
The qualification is awarded through the acquisition of 180 ECTS. Graduates in the Interior Design L programme must have a solid basic training in the field of design disciplines aimed at deepening both methodological and technical-operational aspects. In particular, they must be adequately familiar with the tools and techniques of formal and functional representation of interior architecture projects and their components (from manual drawing to technical drawing, from photography to three-dimensional modelling of objects and space). They must also possess the basic elements of the design activity with particular attention to the design of products related to interior setup and furnishings and demonstrate competence regarding the factors of ergonomics, functionality, perception and environmental well-being that determine the product-user relationship and the relationship between the object of use and architectural space. The educational pathway also requires them to acquire scientific-technological skills specific to the fields of engineering sciences and architectural technologies (materials technologies, lighting, processing and process technologies) and theoretical-critical knowledge (historical knowledge related to the design of furniture products, interior architecture in its socio-historical evolution, the study of the anthropology of public and private space, semiotics and aesthetics, etc.).
To graduate the student must have acquired all the necessary educational credits foreseen by the Teaching Regulation, including those relating to the graduation exam.
7.2 Mode of study
The Study programme has a full-time attendance that is divided over two semesters.
The teaching methods are: Single Subject Courses, characterized by theoretical contents that are communicated with ex cathedra lectures and verified during the year with tests and interviews; Integrated Courses, they refer to more than one discipline or specific area and sometimes they are provided by two or more professors, each one providing his/her contribution; Laboratories, where the students carry out project activities, under the guidance of the team of professors, each one providing his/her contribution applied to the project topic (the Project Laboratories use Experimental Laboratories that offer the opportunity to experiment and use tools, technologies and machineries useful for the project).
Workshops are also included within the curricular offer, or full time courses lasting a week in which students develop a project under the guidance of a foreign visiting professor, a professional with clear reputation or in co-tutorship with a company. By participating in this activity, the student fulfils the traineeship activity required by the educational system.
The Erasmus Programme and the other international mobility programmes are an opportunity for students to spend a study semester abroad at qualified European universities.
Career Guides
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/career-guides
Curricolar Internships
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/curricolar-internships7.3 Detailed learning objectives
At the enrollment, the student is placed in a Section (PSPA, Pre-approved study plan): the division into Sections is necessary to divide the total number of enrolled students in the Laboratories and Single Subject/Integrated multi-section courses. The allocation in the Section is kept during the career: the student can choose optional courses and Synthesis Laboratories.
Students' ability to choose the courses and credits to be included into their Study plans is ruled by the regulations of the School which makes available a credit offer for each year of the course (“nominal offer”).
Each year students can choose courses for a different number of credits than that specified by the nominal courses to graduate their study programmes according to their needs.
The minimum number of credits a student can enrol on is 30 unless the number of credits needed for course completion are fewer than this.
The maximum number of credits a student can enrol on is 80, respecting exam priorities.
The current framework of the study plan requires the course exam sequence to be respected. Courses designed for later years of the programme cannot be included to the Study Plan of the following year (“advance inclusion”) unless all previous and current year courses have also been included into it.
In order to include the 2nd year Laboratories, it is necessary to have passed all 1st year Laboratories; to include the Final Synthesis Laboratory of the 3rd year, it is necessary to have passed the 2nd year Laboratories and all the 1st year courses. As a result of this rule, there may be a change in the number of credits that a student may nominally enrol for.
The Educational Regulations also require that a specific number of credits are allocated to types of activity which can be categorised as follows:
- educational activities chosen independently by students (optional courses);
- educational activities related to the preparation of the final exam;
- activities related to educational work experience and guidance.
Guide to the Study Plan and allocations in sections and elective courses for the Degree and Master's Degree Courses
http://www.design.polimi.it/it/studiare-design/guide-alla-carriera/
Internship
http://www.design.polimi.it/studiare-design/tirocini/7.4 Foreign language
Foreign language assessment will be carried out in accordance with the university's methods as set out on the “Student Services/Guides and Regulations/Guide to the English Language”, web page: www.polimi.it.
For Study Programme of 1st level, the assessment takes place at the admission test centre. If the student does not pass the exam, an OFA will be assigned, which is an additional educational obligation to be fulfilled before the inclusion in the Study plan of 2nd year courses.
The English TENG test will not be included in the calculation of the score for the ranking lists.
The fulfilment of the English OFA can be reached through:
- submission of one of the English language certifications, recognized by Politecnico di Milano, to the Registrar's Office
- participation in specific dedicated test sessions to assess the English language knowledge
Students are encouraged to read this document carefully and respect the norms set out in it.
Specifically, note that: "Pursuant to Ministerial Decree 270/04 the Politecnico di Milano has adopted the English language as the European Union language which students must speak in addition to Italian".
Language courses
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=51597.5 Degree examination
The exam consists of a presentation of the final work (poster, prototype, video, etc.) that represents the project/s developed during the final synthesis laboratory and a portfolio with important projects and personal experiences performed during the educational career chosen. Both products are prepared under the Supervisor guidance, with the help, for what concerns the Portfolio, of the professor responsible for its drafting, where the CCS has decided for this solution. At discretion of Supervisor, it will be possible to add technical drawings, booklets, researches, models, and others to the project. Students will be able to refine the final work and portfolio during the PEL, following the instruction provided by each Supervisor.
Usually, the Final work is written in Italian or English. With a justified reason of the Graduating student, it is also possible to accept a written Final work in other languages, with the approval of the President of the Single Commission of L and LM degree examinations of the School (CU). In this case, presentation and discussion is carried out in Italian. If the Final work is written in a foreign language, it must have also an extract in Italian.
The final evaluation takes into account of the student's career in the three-year L study Programme and of the evaluation of the final exam.
There is only one Supervisor, and s/he must be a member of the Single Commission, and related to the Disciplinary Scientific Sectors (SSD), elective or supplementary SSD of the Study Programmes to which the Commission is referred or to other SSD explicitly specified in the Regulation of the School. It can be supported by one or more Co-supervisors, even those not belonging to the CU or by experts on specific subjects, even not from the School. The Supervisor can also take advantage of the support of companies, institutions, research centres, etc. The Supervisor is member of the Operational Commission (CO) that will evaluate the Graduating student.
The score is expressed in hundred-tenths. (/110). It consists of the sum of:
- the average obtained by the graduating student in the courses, weighted on credits, expressed as hundred-tenths and hundredths of
hundred-tenths (without considering any as extra activity and cum laude)
- and the increase awarded by the Operational Commission expressed as hundred-tenths and hundredths of hundred-tenths.
This sum must be rounded to the closer whole number (0.50 is rounded to 1.00) and limited to 110.
The CO can also award the “honours”. The "honours" has the meaning of a particular appreciation by the Operational Commission for the preparation and skills reached by the Graduating student, for his excellent curriculum studiorum and the quality and originality of the Graduation work.
Consult the Laurea exam regulations for further details.
Guide to the Final Examination of Laurea
http://www.design.polimi.it/it/studiare-design/guide-alla-carriera/
Information concerning general rules and regulations, session calendars, registration and consignment of theses is available at
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=5140
8. Academic calendar
The Laurea course calendar is drawn up in accordance with study assessment methods which, for the Design School's Laurea programmes involve “ongoing” assessments performed during each semester. The academic year is made up of two semesters each of which consists of a teaching session and learning assessment sessions (exam sessions). The teaching sessions of each semester are made up of two periods of lessons, practice and laboratory work, with exam sessions with the related curricular workshop activities.
The teaching periods are approximately mid-September-December and end-February-early June.
In September, before the start of lectures, there will be a period for presentation of Study Plan.
The degree exam sessions are scheduled in these periods: February, July, September.
Information on Schedules and Deadlines
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/didattica/translate-to-english-documenti/translate-to-english-calendario-accademico
Academic calendar
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=5121
9. Faculty
The names of professors for each Course, together with their subject, will be available on the degree programme starting from the month of September.
The degree programme is annually published on the website of Politecnico di Milano.
Faculty
https://www4.ceda.polimi.it/manifesti/manifesti/controller/ricerche/RicercaPerDocentiPublic.do?tab_ricerca=2&k_cf=19&__pj0=0&__pj1=9ecc24961246e5b7e801848d93f75565
10. Infrastructures and laboratories
The School of Design is based at Campus Bovisa-Candiani where the educational activities are held and where there are services for students (Experimental laboratories, Library, Study room, Press Service,...)
https://maps.polimi.it/maps/
Design Laboratories
The creation of big experimental laboratories supporting design education is in line with the Politecnico di Milano School of Design's experimental tradition, its inductive teaching model, in which 'knowledge' and 'know-how' are mutually supportive.
The purpose of these laboratories is the practice of activities which allow students to verify their design hypotheses and learn how to use the technical tools required for experimentation, representation and design communication.
The laboratories managed by the Design Department occupy an approximately 10,000 square metre space in the Milan Bovisa campus.http://www.dipartimentodesign.polimi.it/laboratori/i-laboratori
11. International context
Building an international dimension for the School of Design and its Study Programmes has been one of its priority objectives since it was founded in the year 2000.
There are many reasons for this purpose: the nature of design which inherently draws its very lifeblood from its multicultural and multi-local character, its proximity to both the world of manufacturing - which has now taken on a global dimension - and the sphere of consumption whose dynamics and tendencies are visible in a range of local specific contexts; the very DNA of the design community which has always been international; Milan's acknowledged status as design capital, a crucible for designers from all over the world who have come here to study or open a studio; the desire to make educational trajectories increasingly permeable to impulses deriving from this stimulating context as in other dynamic foreign contexts, with the aim to teach to international professors and designers.
To these should be added more highly structured activities which aim to strengthen collaborative relations, in the didactic and research fields, with selected universities: this is the case of the MEDes_Master of European Design educational programme (with 6 partner universities), the LM Double Degree Programmes with Universities in China, Brazil, Colombia, France, more are under preparation or cross-programmes with American universities, as well as the many ongoing international research projects.
The School of Design is a member of Cumulus, a network of European design schools, and of the main international design associations. http://www.cumulusassociation.org/
12. Internationalization
For the School of Design, internationalisation has a double meaning: supporting student (and teaching and technical staff) mobility outwards and, on the opposite direction, attracting students, researchers, professors and visiting professors from abroad.
In relation to these two internalisation channels (dealt with separately, the first in this chapter and the second in the subsequent chapter), in recent years, the School of Design has committed itself to widen its international contact network and it now works with 200 design universities from all over the world in Erasmus exchange programmes (with 150 European universities), in bilateral exchange projects (with 60 non European universities), joint workshops with other schools, international internships and so on.
To encourage the internalisation most of the Master programmes are offer in English or have at least an English section.
International exchanges
The School of Design takes part in international student exchange programmes which offer students the opportunity to go abroad for a period, both during L and LM study programme, at one of the Politecnico's partner universities. A list of the School's partner universities is available on the Politecnico's web site and on the School of Design web site in the International Area.
The Erasmus Programme
The Erasmus programme was set up in 1987 by the European Community in order to give students the possibility to carry out a period of study at a foreign university within the European Union, from 3 to 12 months, legally recognised by their university.
In 2014 the European Union's Erasmus+ programme was set up for education, training, youth and sport, for the 2014-2020 period.
In particular, Erasmus for study enables university students to carry out a period of study at a university with a partnership agreement with their university. This mobility can entitle students for an economic contribution (under the conditions set out in the international mobility Call) and free registration at the host university. Students can thus follow courses and take exams at the partner university and have the exams recognised by their universities. The mobility can be carried out one time for each level of study.
Bilateral exchanges
The School of Design has also activated some bilateral agreements with non-EU universities. These are mainly intended for the use of Laurea Magistrale students and application can be submitted also by those who have already carried out an Erasmus experience abroad during their three-year study programme.
The procedures for admission to such exchanges are the same as those for Erasmus exchanges with the exception for the economic contribution for mobility, that in this case it is not guaranteed.
The bilateral agreement, in fact, enables students to attend a period of study abroad at a partner university without incurring registration fees at such universities. In some cases, however, a management fee for exchange students must be paid (e.g.: Orientation fee).
The MEDes Programme (Master of European Design (MEDes) From the a.y. 2002/2003, the School of Design activated the MEDes, as five-year international educational programme, in collaboration with six other famous European design universities and formalised through an agreement that relies on the Erasmus+ mobility programme since 2014.
6 students are selected for this excellence programme among all those enrolled on the 2nd year of the laurea study programmes in Industrial Product Design, Interior Design and Communication Design, that at the time of application are in order with the curricular exams and that have successfully attended at least one semester at Politecnico di Milano. The students apply immediately for two years of mobility (and for a total of five years of study including Laurea and Laurea Magistrale) and therefore they guarantee the continuation to LM at Politecnico di Milano, always by following the normal career planned by the university that provides the degree examination at the end of the 3rd year. In order to complete the full career, students can only graduate in their university of origin, for both Laurea and Laurea Magistrale.
In addition to Politecnico di Milano, the universities taking part in this programme are:
The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland
Konstfack University College of Arts, Stockholm, Sweden
Ensci Les Ateliers, Paris, France
KiSD - Köln International School of Design, Cologne, Germany
Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Candidates, admitted to the MEDes programme, have two study experiences abroad, in two partner universities: the first one during the 3rd year of I level Laurea, and the other one during the 1st year of Laurea Magistrale. The universities of destination will be chosen according to the aptitude shown by candidates during the selection process, to the selection made by the responsible professors during the workshops (organized every year in March, in one of the partner schools and with compulsory participation by the exchange students of 1st and 2nd year) and taking into account the preferences stated by the student.
Guide to the international mobility of Corsi di Laurea e Laurea Magistrale Scuola del Design
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/career-guides
Information on exchange programmes, double degree projects and international internships, European research and international relations projects are available at
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=4659
13. Quantitative data
The University Assessment Commission Nucleus perform periodic analysis on the overall results analysing the teaching activities and the integration of graduates into the work world. Reports and studies are available on the website of the Politecnico di Milano.
Data
https://www.polimi.it/il-politecnico/organi/nucleo-di-valutazione/dati-a-cura-dellufficio-di-supporto/
14. Further information
Students are encouraged to consult the School of Design site and in particular the Guides which regulate access, changing degree programme, courses and laurea exams for any other information they may need.