ACSAI Study Plan #

Most of the information on this page has been taken from the Attendance page of the Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence page dedicated to completing the Study Plan.

What is the Study Plan? #

In the third year of the Bachelor of Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (ACSAI), students complete their education with only one compulsory course ‘Foundations of Computer Science’ and others of their choice, according to certain rules. The set of examinations that a student intends to take during his or her degree is called a Study Plan, and on this page you will find some instructions and advice on how to complete yours and how to submit it to the committee for approval. Without this procedure, within the prescribed timeframe, you would otherwise not be able to take the examinations of elective courses, only those mandatory for all.

How many Elective Courses should I choose? #

Each student must choose 36 ECTS credits (“CFU”) of elective courses. For example, it is possible to choose 6 courses of 6 ECTS credits each or other combinations that total 36 ECTS credits, such as 2 courses of 6 ECTS credits each + 2 courses of 12 ECTS credits, and so on.

Of the 36 ECTS credits:

• 18 ECTS credits (3 courses) must be chosen from the Applied Computer Science course catalog;

• 6 ECTS credits (1 course) must be chosen from the Law and Economics course catalog;

• 12-15 ECTS credits can be chosen from outside the ACSAI course catalog, including from other departments (and faculties).

When to Submit Your Study Plan #

Students, once they reach the Third Year, can submit or request to renew their Study Plan only once per academic year.

The time frames within which this can be done are described in the following table, categorized by your year of enrollment in the First Year (due to regulatory changes over the years):

How to Submit or Renew Your Study Plan #

Submitting a course of study takes place online via the Infostud system following the procedure described in the Student Handbook - SIAD - Study Plans.

• The same procedure is used to renew the Study Plan, by submitting a new plan with modifications to the non-mandatory courses;

• It is not necessary to submit a new plan if no changes are desired.

If the student pre-selects a Curricular Study Plan (PFC) and chooses two courses included in the Degree Program in Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence under the “Elective Courses,” the Study Plan will be automatically approved.

The student will recognize this situation from the validation message, which will state: “The proposed Study Plan is correct and can be automatically approved.”

In all other cases, students will need to wait for their Study Plan to be reviewed by a faculty member responsible for validation; this review will take place within a few weeks.

How to select External Courses #

12 ECTS credits of the Study Plan can be of courses outside the course manifesto, and thus from other Bachelor’s Degree Programs (if desired also from other departments or even faculties), but how to choose these teachings?

12-15 ECTS credits

In particular, it is possible to choose up to a maximum of 15 ECTS of courses outside the Degree Program, which will however be counted as a maximum of 12 ECTS. This is to give you the possibility of choosing, for purely personal interest, one course outside the degree of 6 ECTS and another of 9, for example.

The choice of an external course must still be relevant to the Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Degree Program, meaning it must be a course that can be useful for Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence training.

• For example, a Mathematics course might be useful for Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence training, but a Literature course is unlikely to be considered useful.

For assurance, students can ask the relevant Academic Advisor in the Competent Commission for the evaluation and approval of Study Plans whether the chosen course is relevant to the degree program. This can be done, for example, by sending an email with the course name, Degree Program, and Faculty where it is offered, explaining the choice of the course, and asking for confirmation about whether it can be included in their Study Plan.

• Keep in mind that external courses chosen are not always accepted; they are often rejected because they are similar to courses already included as mandatory in the degree program, or because they are not relevant.

Some courses that have been previously approved as external courses for ACSAI students in past years are listed in the section External Elective Courses.

Courses #

Course groups #

Applied Computer Science #

The student must choose at least 3 courses, acquiring at least 18 ECTS, from this group

Law and Economics #

The student must choose at least 1 course, acquiring at least 6 ECTS, from this group

External Elective Courses #

The student can choose to acquire 12 ECTS credits of courses chosen from outside the ACSAI course catalog, including from other departments (and faculties)

Below is a list of some courses that have been recognized for Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence students in previous academic years as external courses:

• N.B.: Some of these courses may have been accredited to students transferring from other programs rather than being directly chosen as part of the Third Year Applied Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence curriculum.

Please also refer to the guidelines on how to select external courses for more information!

Academic Advisor #

The “Commission for the Evaluation and Approval of Study Plans” is responsible for assessing and approving Study Plans within a few weeks.

Students are advised not to write before two weeks after having submitted a Study Plan if it is not strictly necessary. In the event of non-approval, students will receive appropriate communication regarding the changes needed to make the Study Plan compliant with the Study Plan regulations. A student may resubmit a new plan with the necessary corrections immediately after receiving the notification of non-approval.

The academic advisor on the Commission for the Bachelor’s Degree is Prof. Angelo Spognardi, to whom you can write for further information and/or urgent approval requests (e.g., learning agreement for the Erasmus program).

FAQ #