School of Design
Degree Programme of:
Interior and Spatial Design
Laurea Magistrale (Equivalent To Master Of Science)
Milano Campus
1. General Information
(¹) The degree course offers some tracks in Italian and others in English.
School School of Design Code Reference Law 1260 Name Interior and Spatial Design Reference Law Ordinamento 270/04 Class of degree LM-12 - Design Degree level Laurea Magistrale (Equivalent To Master Of Science) First year of activation 2010/2011 Official length of the programme 2 Years of the programme already activated 1,2 Official language(s) (¹) Italian/English 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
The Laurea Magistrale in Interior and Spatial Design, focuses on:
- refunctionalization, above all by means of adaptable and reversible devices, interior spaces of abandoned industrial and tertiary spaces seen as one of the great contemporary challenges. They are a way of making available to communities a resource whose value comes above all from the cultural and formal value of design responses;
- revising traditional interior space types in order to make new types of space available to: residential buildings in all their forms (from domestic to special residences – healthcare, elderly people etc.); work spaces, in both private and public contexts (ranging from private of¿ces to the public administration and all the places of the new forms of creative work); places of learning and consumption of contemporary culture (schools, universities, libraries), spaces for research and heritage and art and communication spaces such as museums, exhibition spaces, entertainment venues beside photographic / tv / fashion show sets, theme parks and cultural enhancement of historical, landscape and industrial archeology environments; retail conceived as consumption of products and services ranging from shopping malls to showrooms until pop-up stores;
- the design of interiors of vehicles such as cars, trains, yachts and ships.
- the recon¿guration, above all by means of installation type methods, of open city micro-spaces, the so-called urban interiors, for the purposes of enhancing the symbolic and representative component in places, their hospitable side and use value.
- the evaluation and the design of landscape elements of the interstitial, diffused, intermediate and internal, integrated spaces, of the urban spaces of the contemporary world, aimed at creating more value of the relational aspects of the environment, space and people, even with more attention to the green and landscape component of the projects, to create more livability and quality of life of citizens in highly urbanized places subjected to a continuous functional upgrade;
- The acquisition of knowledge related to the most ephemeral aspect of contemporary design of spaces, such as the digital component for the integration and the development of space, such as sensitive environments (now widely used in the installations sector and the performative environments), interactive, up to the evaluation of the integration in the project of augmented reality aspects (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
The aim of the course is to train designers capable of intervening creatively with projects in the contexts set out above, in functional, aesthetic-formal, technical and technological de¿nitions of space, of the relationships between users and space, the relationships between space and context; working to enhance the interior spaces of the existing architectural heritage by modifying environmental quality and image often with reversible action and always in any case in an innovative interpretation of the nature of space and client demands.
Interior spatial designers must essentially not simply design spaces and objects but also build relationships between these seeking to put forward an overall vision of the art of living in the present.
Speci¿cally this course of study is designed to supply students with the skills they need to control and manage the multiplicity of speci¿c skills required in the development and implementation of complex projects. The components of the most conventional interior and diffused spaces designs combine with the most innovative aspects of research and scenario creating skills, technical-technological-productive, economic-strategic, communicative and representational skills. The course aims to develop students' ability to initiate a self-education process by providing them with the cultural and information tools they require to develop their own independent design journey and language.
The Master Course is the continuation of the Interior Design Bachelor Course of study.
3. Learning objectives
One of the main objectives of the course is to transmit the following skills:
- the ability to interpret the context of the proposed project and its evolutionary character with analytical, research and communication skills;
- creativity on the basis of a wide ranging knowledge of the history of interiors, visual arts and research and experimentation trends in contemporary design culture, translating analysis elements into innovative design solutions in line with sustainability, design for all and in accordance with the availability of resources;
- the ability to develop complex design responses - on the basis of a solid grounding in the cultural, relationship, symbolic, psychological and perceptional factors which in¿uence space use methods - which interpret the various contemporary ways people make use of spaces including by means of a revision of existing space types;
- the ability to visualize and communicate design ideas in the various process phases: from researching and de¿ning the project issue to elaborating concepts and the implementation of the technical design which is to accompany the implementation process. Knowledge of artistic and visual languages and cultures is thus fundamental. They enable designers to develop expressive methods and languages which are appropriate to the design idea.
The course thus involves considerable theoretical and critical study with the objective of supplying students with an advanced academic knowledge and the ability to develop individual research abilities, ongoing learning and project planning and strategic completion skills. Advanced courses in interior design disciplines are also available with the objective of studying subject areas in greater depth and exploring the most innovative subject ¿elds.
Laboratory activities provide opportunities for students to experiment with the theoretical-critical knowledge gained and lead on to individual research project work culminating in the ¿nal dissertation.
Internship at certi¿ed companies or professional studios, public bodies and institutions is mandatory and provided by the school.
The academic subjects on which the Master programme rests are:
- design culture studies (ICAR/13, ICAR/16, L-ART/04) which enable students to make use of project work practices using laboratory type educational methods on the basis of knowledge in other subject areas acquired in ex cathedra lectures. In the design process this knowledge is put to use in the analytical phase (i.e. in the concept de¿nition phase) to provide insights into the project context in terms of design opportunities, limitations, potential, selection and priority hierarchies; to analyse the character of spaces within which projects must intervene; to assess the user-environment interaction and the implications this can have on space quality; to analyse the relationships between artefact and environment. In the design synthesis phase this knowledge takes the concrete form of the ability to translate needs into requisites and quality in spaces and décor systems which make them liveable in; to recognise the speci¿c features and quality of the various existing organisms to which the transformation project is to be applied; to de¿ne, on the basis of the requirements made of the space, the materials, component parts, technologies and relationships with other subsystems. The objective of this study unit - the foundation stone in designer training - is to supply students with a method with which to take on varied design requirements, via moments of paradigmatic design, at a high level of project complexity.
- humanities studies (M-DEA/01; M-PSI/01;M-FIL/04; M-FIL/05; SPS/08) 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 aesthetic-cultural values. They also contribute to placing the space within a material value system by means of socio-technical analysis, value and sign reading, of its symbolic and representational value in addition to enabling its ergonomic and perceptional qualities, contributing to de¿ning the nature of the relationship between man and lived space, to be read.
The goal of this ¿eld of study is to supply students with methodologies and tools from ethnographic, anthropological and sociological research applied to user, context and behaviour analysis.
- historical-critical studies (ICAR/18, L-ART/02, L-ART/04) which supply students with knowledge of evolutions but above all the most innovative aspects of contemporary culture, interior design culture and more generally of architecture projects; linking them up with evolutions in artistic, architectural, visual communication, design and fashion languages.
The educational objective of this ¿eld of study is to supply students with the ability to interpret design in its context of reference using historical study methods;
- visual culture, contemporary languages and representation and multimedia studies (SSD L- ART/03; ICAR/17; INF/01, L-ART/06; L-ART/05), in-depth study of the use of the languages, tools and techniques relating to space representation; the ability to read and interpret visual languages; knowledge of perceptional mechanisms and colour systems in a more advanced form than the Bachelor level.
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 (SSD ICAR/12) looking at materials and their cultural and symbolic values in greater depth in the context of the transformations taking place in contemporary society; performance, structural and functional qualities; materials' properties in relation to the environment they are to be used in; sustainability and recyclability; the functioning of interior space building systems; environmental comfort.
The educational objective of this ¿eld 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.
4. Organization of the study programme and further studies
4.1 Structure of the study programme and Qualifications
For every level I Laurea course the School also sets up a related continued study Laurea Magistrale.
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
All LM study programmes of the School of Design are divided up into sections.
Laurea Magistrale in Integrated Product Design
Taught in Italian and English languages
Active sections during 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Section Integrated Product 1 - IP1
Section Integrated Product 2 - IP2
Laurea Magistrale in Communication Design
Taught in Italian and English languages
Active during both years, 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Communication Section 1 – C_1
Communication Section 2 – C_2
Communication Section 3 – C_3
Laurea Magistrale in Design for the Fashion System
Taught in English language
Active during both years, 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Fashion Section 1 – M_1
Fashion Section 2 – M_2
Laurea Magistrale in Interior and Spatial Design
Taught in Italian and English languages
Active sections during 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Section Interior and Spatial 1 - IS1
Section Interior and Spatial 2 - IS2
Section Interior and Spatial 3 - IS3
Laurea Magistrale in Design & Engineering
Taught in English language
Active sections during both years, 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Section D&E 1 – DE1
Section D&E2 – DE2
Section D&E3 – DE3
Laurea Magistrale in Product Service System Design
Taught in English language
Active sections during both years, 1st and 2nd year of the LM
Section Product Service System 1 - PS_1
Section Product Service System 2 - PS_2
From the 2nd year of the LM the following section will also be active
Section Product Service System 2 - PS_3
Only for students of the Double Degree with Management engineering
Laurea Magistrale in Digital and Interaction Design
Taught in English language
During 1st and 2nd year a single DID Section is active
Please note: the educational offer can be in both languages, Italian and English.
4.2 Further Studies
The qualification grants access to "Dottorato di Ricerca" (Research Doctorate), "Corso di Specializzazione di secondo livello" (2nd level Specialization Course) and "Master Universitario di secondo livello" (2nd level University Master)
5. Professional opportunities and work market
5.1 Professional status of the degree
The graduates from the Laurea Magistrale in Interior and Spatial Design are capable of overseeing and directing design activities, coordinating all the expertise involved in the project spaces equipped, indoor and outdoor, aimed at the attainment of specific objectives. These professionals may find employment with companies and firms specialized in exhibition interiors, and have moreover found many opportunities in the commercial areas of companies operating with retail spaces and visual merchandising (furniture, retail chains, fashion companies). These graduates also frequently find work with professional studios and design companies.
Graduates in Interior and Spatial Design will carry articulated project activities, coordinating all the skills involved in the design of interiors and spaces obtaining specific goals.
In particular their natural spheres are within:
- design studios and companies working in the interior design and installations sector carrying out research and design in various spheres ranging from the domestic sphere, in the era of diffused work and relational economics; commercial networks' retail points and culture production and presentation spaces (like auditoriums, museums, art galleries, libraries and exhibitions); public spaces used for the most evolved social functions (such as of¿ces, hospitals, schools and universities); hotels in the era of mass tourism and diffused nomadism; exhibition space installation and urban micro-spaces; sets in the environments linked to the new entertainment culture;
- bodies and institutions, including in the public sphere, working in the cultural heritage and landscape enhancement ¿eld;
- company design structures in the large-scale distribution and contract sectors
5.2 Careers options and profiles
Interior and Spatial Design graduates can work in a very wide range of ¿elds: domestic interior design, furniture product design, semi-public space design (contract), public interior design, reconversion of abandoned spaces, urban interiors design, retail and exhibition space installations, set design and museum layout, public and private green living areas as well as equipped landscape connections, interior design of vehicles such as cars, trains, yachts and ships..
Such professionals will thus be able to work within professional design studios and companies in the interior design and installation of different categories of spaces up to the urban landscape interventions, furniture and installation companies, public and private institutions working in the installation and cultural and museum heritage sectors, entertainment venues, public and private institutions working in the urban planning and renovation ¿eld. These potential career outcomes are vocation contexts speci¿c to national level professional activities such as furniture, décor and installation components and systems.
Surveys of University Assessment Commission
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=52325.3 Qualification profile
Interior -Spatial designer
profile in a work context:
Profile of designers able to work creatively with projects always, in any case, in an innovative interpretation of the nature of space and client demands. The interior-spatial designers design spaces and objects and builds relationships between these seeking to put forward an overall vision of the art of living in the present.
Graduate student of the Laurea Magistrale in Interior and Spatial Design are qualified to carry out direction and management roles in design activities coordinating the various skills involved in designing interior and exterior equipped spaces in accordance with specific objectives.
skills of this function:
Specific skills:
- the context of the proposed project and its evolutionary character with analytical, research and communication skills;
- translate the elements of analysis into elaboration of innovative design solutions, based on a wide knowledge of history of the interiors, visual arts and trends of research and experimentation of the culture of contemporary design, with creative capacity and consistently with the issues essential today (sustainability, design for all) and in accordance with the availability of resources;
- to elaborate - on the basis of a strong knowledge of cultural, relational, symbolic, psychological, perceptive factors that influence the ways in which space is used - complex design responses that read the different modes of simultaneous use of the environments by users, also through a review of the types of existing spaces;
- to view and communicate the project idea in the different phases of the process: from the research and definition of the design problem, to the elaboration of the concept, up to the executive technical design that wants to arrive to the realization process;
- to apply artistic and visual languages ¿¿and cultures in order to develop expressive ways and languages ¿¿suitable for the project idea.
Job opportunities:
Interior and Spatial Design graduate students can work in a very wide range of fields: domestic interior design, furniture product and system design, semi-public space design (contract), public interior design, reconversion of abandoned spaces, urban interiors design, retail and exhibition space installations, set design and museum layout, public and private green living areas as well as equipped landscaped connections. Such professionals will thus be able to work within professional design studios and companies in the interior design and installation sphere, furniture and installation companies, public and private institutions working in the installation and cultural and museum heritage sectors, entertainment venues, public and private institutions working in the urban planning and renovation field. Furthermore, they also successfully pursue careers in the area of retail and visual merchandising companies (furniture, large-scale distribution, fashion companies).
These potential career outcomes are vocation contexts specific to national level professional activities such as furniture, décor and installation components and systems.
In particular their natural spheres are within:
- design studios and companies working in the interior design and installations sector carrying out research and design in different fields. From the domestic environment, in the period of diffused work and relational economics; commercial networks' retail points and culture production and presentation spaces (like auditoriums, museums, art galleries, libraries and exhibitions); public spaces used for the most evolved social functions (such as offices, hospitals, schools and universities); hotels in the era of mass tourism and diffused nomadism; exhibition space installation and urban micro-spaces; sets in the environments linked to the new entertainment culture;
- bodies and institutions, including in the public sphere, working in the cultural heritage enhancement field;
company design structures in the large-scale distribution and contract sectors.
6. Enrolment
6.1 Access requirements
First cycle degree (level 6 EQF) or comparable qualification
Candidate admission is dependent on assessments of merit and of the contents of previous courses of study. Students from other campuses or dissimilar study programmes will be required to undergo assessment of their educational background in order to identify any supplementary courses of study which may be required before admission to the Laurea Magistrale study programme.
Qualifications required for admission:
- Level I or II laurea;
- Appropriate English languages skills certification.
Updates to the “Guida all’ammissione alla Laurea Magistrale” are published every year on the School's site including detailed information on the material required for admission applications, how to register and deadlines, admission without assessment and reasons for non admission. Minimum laurea marks required for admission are also shown.
Students requiring supplementary studies prior to admission must fulfil these within one year of the date of assessment.
6.2 Requested knowledge
In order to be admitted to the Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science), you must have a First level Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) or equivalent qualification obtained abroad, in one of the following classes:
L-4 Industrial design
L-17 Architecture Science
Candidates with foreign qualification will be evaluated only if the educational path allows admission without curricular supplements.
For students coming from Study Programmes of Class L-4, the inclusion in the Study Plan of ects assigned to Sectors ICAR/12 Architecture Technology and ICAR/08 Construction science or /09 Construction technique will be verified.
Without these curricular requirements, an integration can be assigned.
Furthermore, for Study Programmes or curricula different from Interior Design, an integration in Design laboratory will be assigned.
Enrolment is possible also for those with a Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) in one of the following classes:
- L-3 Disciplines of Figurative Arts,
Music, Show Business and Fashion
- L-7 Civil and environmental engineering
- L-21 Territorial, Urban, Landscape and Environmental Planning Science
- L-23 Building Science and Techniques
provided that they have specific curricular requirements as specified below:
At least 40 CFU all included in the macro-sector 08/C DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN OF ARCHITECTURE and/or in SSD ICAR/16 Interior Architecture and preparation of spaces, ICAR/17 Design, ICAR/08 Construction science.
Without these curricular requirements, integrations will be assigned.
Furthermore, the access to the Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Study Programme is allowed to graduate students at ISIA and Academies: admission is allowed to Programmes with career related to the Design field.
Compliance with the required curriculum requirements is assessed by an appropriate CdS Commission.
Without these curricular requirements, integrations will be assigned.
It is possible to submit the application for the Master Degree both in the 1st and 2nd semester, respecting the periods indicated in the academic calendar and the detailed modalities written in the Guide for the Admission to Laurea Magistrale of the School of Design.
The right to enrollment acquired in the ranking for the 1st semester can be used exclusively during the enrollment period related to it.
Any remaining vacancies, after the enrollment period of the first semester, will be made available in the second semester.
If the number scheduled for the first semester is reached, the selection procedure will not be opened in the second semester: those who need to request curricular integrations must apply for individual courses; these will be assigned until the quota places are exhausted.
Admissions for candidates with a foreign degree will be possible only for the first semester.
Students can be admitted to the Laurea Magistrale in either first or second semester (only students coming from similar courses or who have fulfilled supplementary educational requirements relating to the assessment semester will be eligible for admission to the 2nd semester). Available places on the 2nd semester will be published, when September admission procedures are completed.
English language knowledge, according to the standards indicated by the University, is a registration pre-requisite. Certificates must be submitted within the application submission deadline.
Candidates with a foreign degree who request admission to an Italian course will be required to have knowledge of the Italian language.
Students applying for admission to the Laurea Magistrale must fill in the appropriate online form and will be eligible for admission only if their previous studies, and the preparation of each candidate, fulfil course requirements as assessed by the appropriate board whose decision is unquestionable. In the event that students are rejected the board will provide reasons for its decision.
For the evaluation of preparation of each candidate, it will be taken into account the average (only for candidates with Italian degree), the choice of a programme with respect to the first level study programme and documents related to projects carried out in the three years, extra-curricular activities.
Students from L Study Programme of the Design School, with some parameters verified at the end of the 2nd year, can directly access without evaluation (these parameters called N/V take into account the number of credits obtained within the 2nd year and related average: for LM Study Programme of the Design School, the minimum parameters for direct access are 114/27 for all LM of the School of Design, except for Digital and Interaction Design and Product Service System Design with parameters 114/28. For Design & Engineering, InterScuola LM Study Programme, the 105/25 parameters are also taken into account for those coming from Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering).
Students can check the values of the N and V parameters set by the School according to specific criteria, by accessing the Online Services (www.polimi.it/onlineservices - Career) or finding detailed information in the Career Guides
(http://www.design.polimi.it/studiare-design/guide-alla-carriera/) and in the Educational Regulations.
The admission, for students fulfilling NV criteria, will be guaranteed to one of the Laurea Magistrale programmes selected, but not necessarily their first choice, depending on availability of places. Supplementary educational requirements can also be required where students are applying to transfer from one Laurea Magistrale course to another in different fields.
The accesses to LM Study Programmes from similar courses may imply the allocation of curricular integrations, that must be fulfilled before registration.
The following students are not eligible to access the Laurea Magistrale programme activated by the Design School:
- graduated/graduating candidates at Politecnico di Milano with average calculated below 23/30 (for accesses to the first semester, average calculated at 31 July - for accesses to the 2nd semester, average calculated at 31 January);
- graduated/graduating candidates from other Universities with average calculated below 25/30 (for accesses to the first semester, average calculated at 31 July - for accesses to the 2nd semester, average calculated at 31 January);
- Candidates that do not hold an appropriate English language certificate.
Students who fulfilled admission requirements in previous academic years but did not register for the programme will be required to conform to the new parameters when presenting new assessment applications.
Candidates will be assessed in accordance with the parameters set out in the “Laurea Magistrale Programme Admission Guide” document, available for consultation on the School Web site http://www.design.polimi.it/studiare-design/guide-alla-carriera/
Fulfilment of assessment requirements will be notified to candidates by the board in two forms: admission without supplementary educational requirements or it will notify the need to fulfil the curricular requirements before submitting again the admission application.
Supplementary requirements must be fulfilled within one year from the assessment application. Such students can supplement their studies by enrolling on Single courses and Magistrale courses up to a maximum of 32 ECTS.
For admissions to the 2nd semester for students with supplementary educational requirements relating to the 1st semester, candidates will be required to apply again in the following semester.
In addition to educational course assessments, candidates' curricula and other educational or extra educational activities will be subjected to comparative evaluation.
The School reserves the right to accept single course requirements for single topic and optional courses (note that for admission purposes no more than 32 Laurea Magistrale related ECTS can be recognised).
Guide to admission
http://www.design.polimi.it/it/studiare-design/guide-alla-carriera/
The educational offer at the Politecnico di Milano
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=49996.3 Deadlines for admission and number of places available
Places available for admissions:
- Interior and Spatial Design LM(Milan campus): 120 students of which 40 are reserved for non EU students including 4 Chinese students on 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=51926.4 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 students for the activation of curricular 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 Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Study Programmes, both at the counter and through the new communication channels activated by the School;
- support to foreign students enrolled in Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) Study Programme in English language and 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 Laurea Magistrale Study Programme. The students of the 2nd year 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 LM);
Erasmus Placement (II LM);
post-graduate training: master and Ph.D. programme
world of work and Career service (II LM);
evaluation questionnaire about teaching (I and II LM);
questionnaire on services and on the overall training career (II LM);
final test: type of exam, choice of the supervisor and final score (II LM).
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=5211
7. Contents of the study Program
7.1 Programme requirements
For admission to the Laurea Magistrale final exam students must:
- have obtained the 120 ECTS required for a Level II Laurea Magistrale including credits relating to internships and final exams.
- have written an individual thesis under the guidance of a Supervisor taking the form of a project or theoretical-methodological or historical-critical considerations.
The Laurea Magistrale exam consists of a discussion on students' individual theses led by a teaching staff officer, the thesis supervisor.7.2 Mode of study
The Laurea Magistrale programme is full time. It uses a number of educational methods: the single subject courses contain theoretical contents which are taught by means of ex cathedra lessons and assessed with tests and interviews throughout the year.
Integrated courses involve more than one discipline or specific sphere and they are sometimes entrusted to two members of the teaching staff who integrate their contributions.
The Experimental Laboratories offer students the opportunity to experiment and use the tools, technologies and equipment useful for the project.
The Laboratories involve project work by students under the guidance of a teaching staff team each of whom offer their own subject matter as applied to the project theme. The Workshops are full time courses lasting a week in which students develop a project under the guidance of a well regarded professional or a company.
The Erasmus Programme and the other international mobility programmes are an opportunity for students to spend a study semester abroad at qualified European and non-European design universities.
Professional Internship is a period of time spent at one of the Politecnico's partner companies or design studios under the guidance of a School tutor or a tutor appointed by the company.Optional student courses
In the Laurea Magistrale programme 12 credits are awarded to optional courses (equivalent to two in the second year).
Students are required to choose their optional courses on presentation of their first year study plans. Similarly when they present their second year study plans they will be required to choose a second course.
The optional courses take place in both 1st and 2nd semesters.
Internships - Laurea Magistrale
In Laurea Magistrale students carry out an internship at a company, professional studio, study centre, body, etc. with a partnership agreement with the Politecnico di Milano which fulfils the requirements of current legislation specifying that, on completion of the agreed internship period a certificate will be issued. (minimum 300 hrs or 250 hrs+ professional workshop. The internship cannot last more than a year).
Such internships can be incorporated into students' study plans in either the 1st or the 2nd year of study depending on the organisation of the student's course of study.
Internship is an educational experience which gives students real experience of the world of work. The host company must be aware of and agree to the legal regulations and the need for educational support and the student must accept and show an ability to respect the company's rules and behaviours.
For additional information on how to draw up a study plan, educational priorities, attendance requirements and exam sessions, etc., you are advised to consult the document Implementing Norms for Educational Regulations available for consultation on the School's site.
Curricolar Internships
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/curricolar-internships
Career Guides
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/career-guides7.3 Detailed learning objectives
Students' ability to choose the courses and credits to be incorporated into their study plans is subordinate to a series of rules imposed by the School which makes available an educational programme worth 60 credits for each year of the course (nominal courses).
Each year students can choose courses for a different number of credits than that specified by the nominal courses (60 ECTS per year) 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 as shown in the Regulations.
Courses designed for later years of the programme cannot be inserted into an earlier year study plan (“advance study”) unless all previous and current year courses have also been integrated into it.
The School has also implemented an exam priority sequence on the basis of which certain courses can only be enrolled on if other, introductory courses have already been passed. Students may actually be able to enrol on fewer credits than is nominally the case as a result of this rule.
The System Regulations require a series of educational activities (specialist, elective or supplementary) which are present in the course of study in the form of single subject and integrated courses and Design studio in which the two-year Laurea Magistrale's educational content is conveyed.
Laurea Magistrale
In addition to these types of educational activities the System Regulations also require that a specific number of credits are attributed to types of activity which can be categorised as follows:
- educational activities chosen independently by students (Optional courses);
- educational activities relating to preparation for the final exams required for the qualification to be awarded (Final exam);
- activities designed to enable students to gain additional language skills, IT, telematic and relational skills which will help them in finding employment as well as educational activities designed to facilitate professional choices by giving students direct experience of working in the sector which the qualification can gain them access to including, in particular, educational work experience and guidance (Internships).
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.
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".
English language knowledge, according to the standards indicated by the University, is a registration pre-requisite. For admission to the School of Design LM Study Programme, certificates must be submitted by candidates within the time frames for admission applications. This deadline must be respected by all students (from similar or different courses)
Information on English language fluency https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=3860
Language courses
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=51737.5 Degree examination
The exam consists in the discussion of a Final work, written under the guidance of the Supervisor.
The Final work will be discussed in one of the Operational Commissions (CO) established by the reference Study Programme of the student.
For presentation of final work, the candidate can use the digital, audio/video and paper tools, necessary to effectively present the work performed.
The Final work is strictly individual. It is possible to present a group of final work, with an introduction in common, and different core of the work.
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 student can present to the Laura Commission a Final Work that may consists:
1. in development of a theoretical, design, experimental or innovative research final work . The final work must:
- study in detail the project in its technical-specific and/or system-related aspects, according to the educational objectives of the Study Programme. The
discussion must include a detailed theoretical/critical, methodological and/or historical presentation and/or an
experimental study;
- provide a significant propaedeutic part, dedicated to the research carried out with scientific criteria and access to sources of
scientific knowledge (databases, scientific articles, conference minutes, etc);
- suggest to broaden the knowledge related to a less consolidated topic and its potential applications or a greater
contribution to the improvement of knowledge, if compared to a specific research area (final work more theoretical nature);
- require a minimum time of 6 months; it entitles to the assignment of a maximum score of 8 points, for the
evaluation of the final work and its presentation.
2. In development of a final work to strengthen and improve knowledge already acquired. The final work must:
- show in detail the project, by improving its technical-specific and/or system-related aspects, according to the educational objectives of the Study Programme.
The discussion must provide a detailed methodological explanation, historical aspects, theoretical/critical elements;
- focus on well-known topics of scientific research and project applications;
- provide a part of the research that is functional to project development and to a simple explanation of the basic assumptions and
main hypotheses on which the proposed project application is based;
- be primarily focused on potential design applications;
- require a minimum time of 2 months; it entitles to a maximum score of 4 points, for the evaluation of final work and its presentation.
Students can request the assignment of one of them, the innovative research or the final work to improve knowledge.
The work must show the preparation and critical skills developed by the graduating student in the areas of project in relation to the contents of the Study Programme. The Final works are usually made up of a report that contains the steps of the work, the objectives, the bibliography and the documentary sources; the technical project tables, the physical and/or virtual model where required.
The Final work is usually 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 CU President. Even in this case, presentation and discussion is carried out in Italian or English. Regardless of the writing language of the final work (Italian, English or other
foreign language), it must, in any case, contain a copy in Italian and English.
The final evaluation takes into account of the student's career in the two-year LM study Programme, as well as of the final work. 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)
2. 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 Operational Commission 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.
In particular, for this study programme the graduation work must have original characteristics and may consist in development of a theoretical, design, experimental or innovative research final work, or development of a final work to strengthen and improve knowledge already acquired. In both cases, graduation work must contain a methodological foreword illustrating its disciplinary foundations, arguments and the knowledge framework within which the research in it has been carried out and show which elements constitute original contributions.
The thesis must complete the student's educational course of study. It must be an individual work which can, however, be based on structured activities carried out together with other students. The individual candidate's contribution must, however, be clearly recognisable in the final outcome.
Further information can be found in the Graduation exam regulations available on the School Web site.
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=5154
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.
Lesson timetable, calendars 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=5135
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.
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=5116
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.