1. General Information

School	School of Design
Code Reference Law	1097
Name	Design for the Fashion System
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)	The Laurea Magistrale (equivalent to Master of Science) programme is offered in English but the degree programme meets the requirements of MIUR (Ministry of Education, Universities and Research) note of 11.07.2018 and the CUN opinion of 10.23.2018.
Campus	Milano
Dean of the School	Francesco Zurlo
Coordinator of the Study programme	Valeria Maria Iannilli
Website of the School	http://www.design.polimi.it
Website of the Study programme	http://www.moda.polimi.it

Central Student Office - Milano Bovisa

Address

VIA LAMBRUSCHINI, 15 (MI)

2. General presentation of the study programme

The Master of Science Programme in Design for the Fashion System (Design for the Fashion System) is designed to train highly qualified professionals capable of promoting the international competitiveness of the fashion system in both the product-service system area and the strategic processes of the fashion companies.

The shift from industrial economy to knowledge economy underlines multidisciplinarity as a key attribute for leaders of the new millennium. The most innovative companies are characterized by parallel, transversal and open processes that offer opportunities to new professionals skilled with multidisciplinary competences, who often merge technical and design skills with managerial skills. Such vision can be implemented within the context of a multidisciplinary and project-based education system. In this regard the Master of Science Programme aims at integrating multidisciplinary research questions and problems coming from the real world, interacting in a dynamic balance with all external stakeholders such as companies and the social community as a whole. Design is interpreted   as a strategic function integrated across the cycle of research, design, development, and distribution. Within this model, design education is oriented at growing professionals who are able to guide fashion into a new paradigm, centered on principles harmonized with the collective aim of pursuing a sustainable development, on a social, cultural, and economic point of view.

Specific courses relating to fashion products will thus be offered together with courses studying materials, technologies and the sector's characteristic working methods in depth as well as competition logic and distribution, sales and communication processes, trends, scenarios and cultural values.

Politecnica fashion is strongly oriented towards research and experimentation in both high craft and high tech, the craft dimension with the technological dimension, handmade together with the most up-to-date modelling software to provide students with the chance to work in any fashion system company. To this end the course includes a great deal of laboratory work which is an important opportunity for manual practice which, together with experimentation and research into materials, of sustainability and technologies, combine in the research and design work which make up the degree thesis.

Internships at certified companies or professional studios, bodies and institutions are also a mandatory part of the course. This LM's specialisation and progressive professional figure structuring is reflected in the chance to attend specialist sector training courses which can also be a feature of the degree theses and internships. As well as clothing, sectors of special interest which offer opportunities for specialisation are accessories, jewellery and fashion retail design studio.In this way this Laurea Magistrale supplies students with integrated skills in the product-service system which lead to cross sector employment opportunities within the fashion chain and its businesses.

For more information see the website of the degree course
http://www.moda.polimi.it

3. Learning objectives

By 'Fashion System' is meant the integrated system of products, processes and services which define and make up the fashion market. The Fashion System works on a collection of products such as clothing in the prêt-à-porter context, casual wear and sportswear, accessories such as footwear, bags, small leather items, jewellery, knitwear and underwear but also the products characteristic of recent range additions employed by fashion brands such as home textile accessories.

The intention of this Laurea Magistrale is to train innovation, research and experimentation oriented designers capable of interpreting design as a strategic element in fashion business innovation.

The following are central objectives in the training of Design for the Fashion System graduates: acquiring a cultural and aesthetic language, an ability to critically evaluate the impact of design on the social, cultural and economic context as well as strategic planning and management skills.

The Laurea Magistrale educational programme is thus designed for systemic training understood as training in the various product, process and service components.

A further objective of the course of study is to develop students' ability to assist in the coherent translation of product values into a range of supports and communication events (from trade communication to advertising) and sales space/moments (from events to retail visualising).

The programme is structured within the framework of the design culture sphere (ICAR/13).

The aim of this subject module is to help students to develop their own individual style and design autonomy, acquiring expressive maturity and experimenting with design processes starting with brand identification and continuing in fashion product, communication and distribution systems.

Subjects relating to the evolution of cultural production systems (SSD L-ART/03; M-FIL/04; M- DEA/01).

The aim of this subject module is to assist students in the acquisition of the ability to codify and interpret artistic languages with special reference to those which have most to do with the evolution of fashion products such as graphic art, contemporary art, cinema, photography and new media.

Subject module relating to the evolution of social and consumer practices (SSD SPS/07; SPS/08).

The aim of this subject module to to help students to acquire analytical skills and the ability to codify and interpret social and consumption interaction practices with special reference to the understanding of the dynamics of fashion product use as crucial components within cultural and communication processes.

Subject module relating to corporate culture and competitivity models (SSD SECS-P/08).

The aim of this subject module is to give students a grounding in evolutionary dynamics and the characteristics of current sector chain and organisation systems, an understanding of prevalent business models in the fashion sphere and a grasp of organisational and entrepreneurial skills.

Subject module relating to innovation and technology transfer (SSD ING-IND/22; INF/01)

The aim of this subject module is to assist students in the acquisition of research and technological innovation transfer skills with special reference to materials and techniques innovation with the objective of integrating new aesthetic and functional qualities into products. This module also pays special attention to logistics and systems innovation including acquiring innovative IT managed process tools.

The programme will conclude with an individual Laurea Magistrale thesis which must consist of original contents developed by each individual student and expressed in a written dissertation and design work.

The resulting professional is a fashion designer who must: be capable of understanding, managing and co-ordinating a complex design chain (based on components, semi-worked elements, aggregate working processes and services, etc.); be able to interpret the product in a systemic way, i.e. in its entirety - made up of product and goods ranges and a range of brands - and in its market advertising and distribution dimensions; lastly, be able to understand and implement business logics and strategies.

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
- Product design	Integrated Product Design
- Communication Design	Communication Design
- Fashion Design	Design for the Fashion System
- Interior Design	Interior and Spatial Design
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)
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/Product Design	Yacht & cruising vessel 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
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.

 As noted in the three-year Regulation, the Table does not seem immediately understandable.

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 career outcomes envisaged for the Laurea Magistrale in Design for the Fashion System are those involving managing design projects within fashion businesses dealing with integrated design of product-service systems co-ordinating project groups and the functions involved in development processes.
Graduates may also find employment in professional studios working in fashion research and product development in the fashion business world. They may also work in creative co-ordination of fashion brands in reference to communication, event organisation and retail space layout processes.

5.2 Careers options and profiles

Design for the Fashion System LM graduates find work in fashion and accessories sector businesses in 'creative management' posts but also in fashion sector research companies (trend institutes, research agencies, etc.) and in advertising and distribution firms and agencies.

The main reference fashion professions are: Creative Director, Fashion Coordinator, Fashion Designer, Accessory Designer, Sportswear Designer, Brand manager, Product Manager, Retail designer, Visual Merchandiser, Fashion Journalist, Fashion Curator, Content designer.

Surveys of University Assessment Commission
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=4209

5.3 Qualification profile

Designer for Fashion System

profile in a work context:
Highly qualified designer profiles able to support the international competitiveness of the Fashion System both within the product system and the strategic processes of the fashion industry.
The resulting professional is a fashion designer who must: be capable of understanding, managing and co-ordinating a complex design chain (based on components, semi-worked elements, aggregate working processes and services, etc.); be able to understand the product in a systemic way, i.e. in its entirety - made up of products, product groups and different brands - and in its market advertising and distribution dimensions; lastly, be able to understand and implement business logics and strategies.
The career outcomes envisaged for the Laurea Magistrale in Design for the Fashion System are those involving managing design projects within fashion businesses dealing with integrated design of product-service systems co-ordinating project groups and the functions involved in development processes.
The main careers in fashion field are: Creative Director, Fashion Coordinator, Fashion Designer, Accessory Designer, Sportswear Designer, Brand manager, Product Manager, Retail designer, Visual Merchandiser, Fashion Journalist, Fashion Curator, Content designer.

skills of this function:
Specific skills: 
- assess, through critical skills, the implications that design may have on the social, cultural and economic context;
- plan and manage the project from the strategic point of view;
- support the logical translation of product values ¿¿within the different communication tools/events (from communication to trade to advertising) and the sales space/time (from events to visual for retail);
- test on integrated design processes, starting from the brand identity, up to its different meanings in fashion, communication and distribution systems;
- able to define the different artistic languages, with particular reference to those that are more related to the evolution of fashion products such as graphic arts, contemporary art, cinema, photography, new media;
- classify and define the practices of social interaction and consumption, with particular reference to the understanding of the dynamics of use of fashion products as fundamental parts within cultural and communicative processes;
- understand the development dynamics and business models of the supply chains and organizational systems of fashion companies;
- research and transfer innovation at a technological level, with particular reference to the innovation of materials and processes with the aim of integrating new aesthetic and functional properties into products.

Job opportunities:
The graduate students in Design for the Fashion System LM find work in fashion and accessories sector businesses in 'creative management' posts but also in fashion sector research companies (trend institutes, research agencies, etc.) and in advertising and distribution firms and agencies. The main reference fashion professions are:
Graduates may also find employment in professional studios working in fashion research and product development in the fashion business world. They may also work in creative co-ordination of fashion brands in reference to communication, event organisation and retail space layout processes.

 

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

Access to the assessment procedure for the purposes of admission to the Master's Degree Courses offered by the School of Design is granted to:

Politecnico di Milano graduates/undergraduates with a weighted average of not less than 23/30 ( calculated at the end of the submission of application) and in possession of a suitable English language certificate;

- candidates graduating from other Italian universities with a weighted average of no less than 25/30 ( calculated at the end of the submission of application) and in possession of a suitable English language certificate;

- candidates who have graduated from foreign universities and have a suitable English language certificate (an Italian language certificate is also required in the case of a section with teaching in Italian).

 

The English language certificate for candidates with an Italian qualification must be submitted by the application deadline:

https://www.polimi.it/studenti-iscritti/lingua-inglese/studenti-dei-corsi-di-laurea-magistrale/

For candidates with a foreign qualification check the link below:

https://www.polimi.it/en/international-prospective-students/laurea-magistrale-programmes-equivalent-to-master-of-science/application-procedures/application/list-of-documents-required-by-the-admissions-office/

In order to be admitted to the Master's Degree Course in Design for the Fashion System, students must hold a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent qualification obtained abroad in Class L-4 Industrial Design.

Applicants with a foreign qualification will only be assessed if the course of study allows admission without curricular supplements.

 

Applications will also be accepted from candidates from the following degree classes to which curricular supplements will be assigned:

- L-3 Disciplines of the Performing Arts, Music, Entertainment and Fashion

- L-17 Architectural Sciences

- L-18 Economics and business administration (if relevant curricula)

- L 20 Communication sciences (if relevant curricula)

 

It is possible to apply for admission to the Master's degree in both the 1st and 2nd semesters, according to the periods indicated in the academic calendar and the procedures detailed in the Admission Guide to the School of Design's Master's Degree Courses.

The deadlines, application procedures and documents required for candidates with an Italian qualification are indicated in the Admission Guide to the Master's Degree Courses of the School of Design:

https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/career-guides

The deadlines, application procedures and documents required for candidates with foreign qualifications can be found at the following link:

https://www.polimi.it/en/international-prospective-students/laurea-magistrale-programmes-equivalent-to-master-of-science/application-procedures/

 

 

Admission to the Master's degree is by means of an online application and is subject to the assessment of the candidate's previous career and individual preparation by a special committee whose decision is final. In the event of a unfavourable assessment, the Committee will give appropriate reasons for the decision.

 

For the assessment of an individual's readiness, the weighted average (only for candidates with an Italian qualification), consistency with the Level I course and documents relating to projects carried out in the three-year period, extra-curricular educational and professional experiences will be assessed.

 

Evaluation criteria, cases exempt from assessment (admission de jure) for candidates with an Italian qualification are indicated in the Admission Guide to the Master's Degree Courses of the School of Design:

https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/career-guides

 

The committee will advise the applicant of the need to supplement their qualifications before proceeding to assess the individual's preparedness.

These supplements must be fulfilled within one year of the application for evaluation: students in these circumstances may also supplement their plan by bringing forward, through registration in single courses, Master's degree courses up to a maximum of 32 ECTS credits.

For admissions to the 2nd semester, if there is a need to assign curricular supplements related to the 1st semester, the candidate will be invited to reapply in the following semester.

To check the curricular supplements assigned, please check Annex 1 in the Admission Guide to the Master's Degree Courses of the School of Design:

https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/career-guides

Transitions and transfers

Students already enrolled in Master's degree courses at the Politecnico di Milano in previous academic years may apply to transfer to another course; students enrolled in Master's degree courses at other universities may apply to transfer; both procedures may be carried out through the online services with the same deadlines and procedures provided for new admissions to the Master's degree course.

Applications for Transition and Transfer are only possible in the 1st semester.

Acceptance of transfer applications from eligible candidates is subject to compliance with the numbers allocated for each Master's degree: if transfer applications exceed the number allocated for this procedure, a ranking will be drawn up.

 

The acceptance of transfer applications from eligible candidates is subject to their being placed in a useful position in the ranking list for newly enrolled candidates

 

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=4989

6.3 Deadlines for admission and number of places available

Places available for admissions:

- CdLM Design for the Fashion System (Milan campus): 70 places of which 30 are reserved for non EU students including 5 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=4315

6.4 Tutoring and students support

Orientation and ongoing tutoring include all activities aimed at providing assistance to students before and during their university career, so that it can take place within the timeframe envisaged by the teaching regulations and in a way that is profitable from the point of view of the development of professional and human skills. Tutoring activities are therefore distinct from institutional teaching activities, even though they may serve or complement them. Tutoring activities can be carried out by Masters Degree students, PhD students, lecturers and external staff.

Tutoring activities are planned and managed by the School in close coordination with the Course of Study.

At University level, the Financial Aid and International Mobility Service interacts with the Schools on the administrative aspects of tutoring Master's degree students.

 The School appoints the President of the Joint Committee as the School Tutoring Representative in order to carry out a statistical analysis of the data (learning analytics), initiate discussions with the student representatives on the Joint Committee, discuss with the CCS Tutoring Representatives and plan tutoring activities of maximum effectiveness.

 Tutoring activities are divided into the following services:

- educational guidance for first-year and postgraduate students;

- guidance and support for students for the activation of curricular internships;

- educational support meetings held by professors (to facilitate the choices of including optional courses for the purposes of personalising the study plan);

- assistance/reception activities for first-year students on Master's degree courses, both at the desk and through the new communication channels set up by the School;

- support for foreign students enrolled in English-language Master's degree courses and for students on international mobility;

- assistance for revision and catch-up seminars;

- assistance in computerised classrooms, libraries and laboratories;

- assistance in finding and developing teaching materials.

Open Days are organised for students wishing to enrol in the School of Design's courses of study, during which each course of study presents its teaching programme through presentations and/or open lectures.

An orientation service is available to inform future students about the educational and training activities of their courses of study in order to clarify the educational objectives and professional opportunities.

Every year a Welcome Day is organised for first-year students, during which the following are presented: the organisation of the School, the offices and their responsibilities, the international exchange programmes, the communication tools of the School and the Politecnico, the School of Design website, Trouble Ticketing, chat, the Beep portal, the library services, the instrument laboratories and Safety Week (the week in which students obtain authorisation to access the laboratories). During this meeting, space is given to the presentation of the Joint Committee and the Student Representation.

The Student Representatives of the School Council have prepared a handbook to introduce themselves and summarise the services students can access.

For current students, presentations of optional courses and Synthesis Workshops are prepared. In addition to the Teaching Fact Sheets, which present in detail how the courses are conducted, students can access the School's website and view slides and videos prepared by the lecturers to summarise the topics covered in the course.

The School organises "Lesson 0" to provide information on the University's facilities and services and to explain the organisation of the course of study; the coordinators may organise this lesson collectively with the other courses of study or on the first day of class of one of the subjects of the specific Master's degree course. Second-year students are provided with information on the range of courses on offer and on initiatives specific to their year.

The focuses of Lesson 0 are:

- Course Organisation and University Services (I LM);

- Erasmus Placement (II LM);

- postgraduate: masters and doctorate

- job market and Career Service (II LM);

- student opinion questionnaire (I and II LM);

- questionnaire on services and overall training pathway (II LM);

- final examination: type, choice of supervisor and final grade (II LM).

For current students, the School has initiated activities aimed at:

- contribute to removing obstacles to successful course attendance, including through initiatives tailored to the needs, aptitudes and requirements of individuals;

- make students more actively involved in the learning process.

Il/i Course Tutoring Contact Person(s) is the institutional reference point for guidance at the School; the service is organised within the framework of the course of study and in particular deals with:

- support service to students where they need help in solving problems or deepening concepts;

- approval and possible drafting of texts concerning the presentation of the degree course for which the professor is the contact person;

- identification of student projects from their degree course, to be used as orientation tools during Open Days, and for the School's institutional communication.

For further details on the Tutoring Actions put in place by the School:

https://www.design.polimi.it/it/didattica/servizi/tutorato

 

Polinternational
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=4284

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.

For more information on this subject refer to Regolamento Esame di Laurea Magsitrale published on the School website.

Internship
http://www.design.polimi.it/studiare-design/tirocini/
International students have the opportunity to attend an Italian language course during their studies, only in case they do not know the language yet.
The University organizes 40-hours Italian language courses: every student will be allocated in the appropriate level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) before the beginning of the lectures.
The courses offered by the Politecnico are held in semesters, with biweekly lessons, in line with the regular academic calendar.
Each student must attend at least 75% of lectures and pass a final test, delivered in 5 sessions throughout the year, in line with the regular academic calendar.
Attending the course and passing the test are prerequisites for enrolling in the graduation session.
Students of Italian nationality from foreign universities or foreign students who already have an Italian certificate of at least "B1" level before graduation are exempt.

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 one course per 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 (minimum 250 hrs, maximum 1 year) a certificate will be issued. To obtain the certificate, the student, when coming back, must have an interview with his/her Study Programme tutor, with submission of a report.

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.

Guide to the Study Plan and allocations in sections and elective courses for the Degree and Master's Degree Courses
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/career-guides
Curricolar Internships
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/1/teaching/studying-design/curricolar-internships

7.3 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 laboratories 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)

Language courses
https://aunicalogin.polimi.it/aunicalogin/getservizio.xml?id_servizio=204&idApp=1&idLink=4346

7.5 Degree examination

The examination consists of the discussion of a thesis prepared under the guidance of the supervisor.

 

The thesis will be discussed in one of the Degree Committees (CL) set up at the degree course to which the student belongs.

 

In the presentation of the thesis, the candidate will be able to make use of the digital, audio/video and paper tools necessary to effectively present the summary of the work carried out.

 

Thesis work is strictly individual. Coordinated theses with a common introductory part and separate theses can be considered. The Committee must always be able to identify the contribution made by each candidate.

 

There is only one Supervisor and they must be a lecturer (Professor or Researcher), whether permanent or contracted at the University (in the current or previous academic year) and may be a member of the Degree Committee. He/she may be assisted by one or more co-supervisors, even if they do not belong to the Single Graduate Committee (CU) or are experts in specific subjects, even if they are external to the School.

 

The student submits a thesis to the Degree Examination Board, which may consist of:

1. the development of a theoretical, design, experimental or innovative research thesis (Research Thesis).

The Thesis must:

- to explore the project in its technical-specialist and/or systemic aspects in relation to the educational objectives of the course of study. The discussion must include an in-depth theoretical/critical, methodological and/or historical dissertation and/or an in-depth experimental study;

- include a substantial preparatory part devoted to research conducted with scientific criteria and access to sources of scientific knowledge (databases, scientific articles, conference proceedings, etc...);

 - propose to deepen knowledge of a poorly established topic and its potential applications or a greater contribution to the advancement of knowledge in a specific research area (thesis of a more theoretical nature);

 

- require a minimum working time of 6 months; entitling the holder to a maximum of 8 points when assessing the dissertation and its presentation.

 

 

2. the development of a thesis to consolidate and refine knowledge already acquired (consolidation thesis). The thesis must:

- present the project by enhancing the technical-specialist and/or systemic aspects in accordance with the educational objectives of the course of study. The discussion should include an adequate methodological argumentation, historical aspects, theoretical/critical elements; 

- focus on topics well established in scientific research and design applications;

include a part of research functional to the development of the project and the simple formulation of the basic assumptions and main hypotheses on which the proposed project application is based; - focus primarily on potential project applications;

- require a minimum of 2 months of working time; gives a maximum score of 4 points when assessing the dissertation and its presentation.

 

Students may choose either the assignment of the Research Thesis or the Consolidation Thesis.

During the course of the thesis, the supervisor may suggest to the student - in view of the aptitudes demonstrated, contingent interests and emerging time requirements - that the type and nature of the thesis be changed in both directions. It will then be the task of the supervisor to assess the final result and confirm or otherwise the correct change of the thesis' placement in the explicit category.

The work must demonstrate the competence and critical capacity developed by the student in the areas of the project in relation to the contents of the course of study. The Thesis works consist of a report containing the stages of development, the objectives of the work, the bibliography and the sources of documentation; the technical drawings of the project, the physical and/or virtual model where applicable.

 

The thesis is normally written in Italian or English. At the graduate student's justified request, a thesis written in other languages may also be accepted, subject to authorisation from the President of the CU. In this case, too, the presentation and discussion takes place in Italian or English. Regardless of the language in which the thesis is written (Italian, English or another foreign language), it must contain an extract in Italian and English.

 

The final assessment takes into account both the student's career in the two-year Master's degree course and the assessment of the thesis work. The grade is expressed in hundredths (/110). It is made up of the sum of:

 1. the average achieved by the undergraduate in the courses, weighted by credits and expressed in hundredths and hundredths of a hundredths (without taking into account any additional activities and honours)

2. the increment awarded by the Degree Committees expressed in hundredths and hundredths of a hundredth. This sum shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number (0.50 is rounded up to 1.00) and limited to 110. The Degree Committee may also award honours.

 

Honours means a special commendation from the CL for the preparation and competence of the graduate, for their brilliant academic record, for the way in which they have presented their thesis, their ability to reason, and the quality and originality of the thesis.

Honours may only be awarded if the mark given is, before rounding off, greater than or equal to 111 (one hundred and eleven) hundred decimal points. Honours are awarded unanimously.

Further information can be found in the Master's Degree Examination Regulations available on the School's website.

 

Further information can be found in the Master's Degree Examination Regulations available on the School's website.

https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/career-guides

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=4377

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=4408

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
For more information see the website of the degree course
http://www.moda.polimi.it

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/

https://www7.ceda.polimi.it/spazi/spazi/controller/Ingresso.do?check_params=1&al_id_srv=147&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.polimi.it&lang=IT&__pj0=0&__pj1=c9e88a32967d047c7ed75ff019384e8e

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.

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, internationalization 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 recent years, the School of Design 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), in Double Degree programmes, 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.
Each agreement is managed by a professor, promoter of the exchange resoponsible for the various steps of the mobility, from the selection until the validation of the exams.

 
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 recognized by their university, signatory of the Erasmus Charter.

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 recognized by their universities.
 
Bilateral exchanges
The School of Design has also activated some bilateral agreements with non-EU universities.
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, Insurance,..).
 
 
 
Double Degrees
The School of Design has signed a series of bilateral agreements with some European and extra-European partners, to allow its students the opportunity to spend a period of study abroad, attending courses aimed at obtaining a double degree (master's degree + Diploma of the Partner University ).

Master's degree students have the opportunity to participate in a double degree project by extending their curriculum and replacing one semester at their home campus with two or three semesters at the host partner.

In order to obtain the two degrees, students must meet the requirements of both Univesrities or Schools and pass all the required exams. Students will also have to carry out a thesis work under the supervision of a thesis supervisor from the Polytechnic and a supervisor from the partner university and discuss the thesis in a regular graduation session in each of the two universities, even in virtual mode.

The double degree agreements available for LM students of the School of Design at the moment are:
In Europe:
Double Degree with Les Ecoles Centrales, France

In China:
Double Degree with Tongji University, Shanghai - China
Double Degree with Tsinghua University, Beijing - China
Double Degree with Xi'an Jiaotong University, China

In Latin America
Double Degree with the Universidad Nacional de Bogotà, Colombia
Double Degree with the Universidade De Sao Paulo, Brazil
Double Degree with the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Double Degree with the Universidade do Vale do Rio Dos Sinos, Brazil

Guide to the international mobility of Corsi di Laurea e Laurea Magistrale Scuola del Design
https://www.design.polimi.it/en/teaching/documents/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=4703

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.

15. Errata corrige