Scambi Internazionali
November 2011
FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Admission / Enrolment
I am an international student and would like to study at LUISS Guido Carli, what should I do?
If your University has a Bilateral Agreement with LUISS Guido Carli (under the LLP Erasmus
Programme or another Exchange Agreement), you can apply through the Student Exchange
Office of your Institution. The first thing to do is to contact the coordinator in your home
University.
If your University does not have an exchange agreement with LUISS:
You can enrol for single courses (corsi singoli). In this case, you would have to pay a fee of €
1.000 for each course.
In order to enrol, please read the information available on the website:
http://www.luiss.it/it/studenti/segreteria_studenti/lauree_triennali/iscriversi_ai_corsi_singoli/
iscriversi_ai_corsi_singoli.htm
http://www.luiss.it/it/studenti/segreteria_studenti/lauree_magistrali/iscriversi_ai_corsi_singoli
/iscriversi_ai_corsi_singoli.htm
and contact Segreteria Studenti: segreteria@luiss.it or segreteriamagistrali@luiss.it
You can enrol for a full degree course. In order to enrol, read the information available on the
website:
http://www.luiss.it/it/studenti/segreteria_studenti/
http://www.luiss.edu/prospective-students/international-students
http://www.luiss.edu/admissions
http://www.luiss.edu/admissions/3-year-bachelor-s-and-single-cycle-degree-programmes
http://www.luiss.edu/admissions/master-s-degree-programmes-economics
http://www.luiss.edu/admissions/master-s-degree-programmes-political-science
and contact Segreteria Studenti: segreteria@luiss.it or segreteriamagistrali@luiss.it
Erasmus and Exchange Students
I am an Erasmus / Exchange student and have been selected for LUISS, what should I do?
If you have been selected for a period of study at LUISS as an exchange student, first of all you
must be nominated by your home University.
LUISS | Scambi Internazionali | viale Romania 32 | 00197 - Roma | tel. 06 852 25 722 | fax 06 85225505 |e-mail: relint@luiss.it | www.luiss.it
Then you should ask the coordinator of your University for the following information and LUISS
application documents:
The procedures for the on-line application, username and password;
The 2012-2013 academic calendar,
The 2012-2013 fact sheets.
Information on how to get accommodation at LUISS and the application form.
Information on the Italian language crash course and the Italian test.
You must complete the documents, follow the instructions and meet the deadlines.
Departments and University Structure
Which departments do you have?
Departments
Department of Business and Management
Department of Economics and Finance
Department of Law
Department of Political Science
Undergraduate Studies: three-year Bachelor Degree Programmes
Department of Business and Management
Bachelors Degree in Economics and Management
Department of Economics and Finance
Bachelors Degree in Economics and Business – in English
Department of Political Science
Bachelors Degree in Political Science and International Relations
Department of Law - One Cycle Graduate Programme
A five year Masters Degree Programme in Law
Graduate Studies: two-year Masters Degree Programmes
Department of Business and Management
Masters Degree in Economics and Business Management
Masters Degree in Law and Economics
Masters Degree in General Management – in English
Department of Economics and Finance
Masters Degree in Economics and Finance
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Department of Political Science
Masters Degree in International Relations in Italian
Masters Degree in International Relations in English
Masters Degree in Governmental and Public Communication Studies
One year Master Programme in English (with courses open to exchange students)
Master of Science in Economics (MOSEC)
Language of Instruction
I do not speak Italian. Do you offer courses in English?
At LUISS the main language of instruction is Italian, but an increasing number of degree
programmes and courses are offered in English each year.
Information about the degree programmes entirely taught in English can be found at:

http://didattica.economiaefinanza.luiss.it/corsi/corsi-triennali/economics-andbusiness/ordinamento-didattico/ordinamento-didattico-aa-2012-2013/insegnamenti-previsti

http://didattica.impresaemanagement.luiss.it/corsi/corsi-magistrali/generalmanagement/ordinamento-didattico/ordinamento-didattico-aa-2012-2013/insegnamentiprevisti

http://didattica.economiaefinanza.luiss.it/corsi/corsi-magistrali/economiafinanza/ordinamento-didattico/ordinamento-didattico-aa-2012-2013/insegnamenti-previsti

http://didattica.scienzepolitiche.luiss.it/corsi/corsi-magistrali/relazioniinternazionali/ordinamento-didattico/ordinamento-didattico-aa-2012-2013/insegnamentiprevisti
The LUISS Department of Law also offers a few courses in English each academic year.
Which students can attend the courses in English?
Erasmus and Exchange will be allowed to attend the courses in English offered in the following
programmes, according to their level of study, department, academic background and English
language level:
Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business
Master’s Degree in General Management
Master course in Financial Economics
Master’s Degree in International Relations
The courses in English offered by the Departments of law
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Courses in Italian
In order to attend courses in Italian, your language level should be adequate, at least at an
intermediate level.
Italian Language Courses
Do you offer Italian language courses? Who can apply?
Each year LUISS offers an Italian language crash course in September and extensive courses in
both semesters to Erasmus exchange students who have been admitted to LUISS Guido Carli
University, under an exchange programme (LLP Erasmus or Bilateral Agreement). The courses
are at three levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced.
The courses are only open to Erasmus and Exchange students coming from partner
Universities and they are free of charge.
Do I have to take a test? Will I receive a certificate at the end of the course?
Students wishing to attend the Italian language crash course held in September will have to take
a written test before arrival (the deadline for reception of the test is 2 July, 2012).
Another Italian language test must be taken after arrival.
At the end of the courses, the students who have complied with the requirements, will receive a
certificate for the work done (with grades and ECTS credits).
Please note that students that wish to attend the crash course must arrive on the set arrival
date. No exceptions will be made.
Deadlines and arrival Dates
When should I apply for LUISS?
The deadline for LUISS is May 31. By this date, LUISS must receive the application forms
(electronic and printed version) from the incoming students, for both I and II semester.
Find out when and where you have to apply at your home University.
After the deadline of May 31 students may not be accepted by LUISS.
When should I come to LUISS?
There are set arrival dates for each academic year and they are mandatory.
For the 2012-2013 academic year the mandatory arrival dates are:
Italian Crash Course:
5 September 2012
First semester:
13 September 2012
Second semester:
14 February 2013
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The mandatory dates will be sent to the students with the acceptance letters. They are also
indicated in the academic calendar and in the web site.
On the set arrival dates, the students should go to the Student Exchange Office for student
mobility at 10.00 or at 2.30 p. m..
Orientation sessions will be held on the arrival dates and students will receive an information
package.
Course Enrolment - Bachelor Degrees
Which courses can I take?
You will be given access to all the courses in the LUISS Departments, at your level, as long as
you have the necessary prerequisites and you do not have time-table clashes, because
attendance of courses is compulsory.
You will be given access to the courses in English according to your level of study, department,
academic background and English language competence.
Course Enrolment and Classes - Master Degrees
Which courses can I take?
You will be given access to the Master courses in the three Faculties as long as you have:
 a bachelor degree or three years of study completed before departure;
 a very good command of Italian and/or English language;
 the required prerequisites;
 no time-table clashes because attendance of courses is compulsory.
There is some flexibility for the Master’s Degree in International Relations offered by the
Department of Political Science.
Department of Law (five year degree course):
The first three years of study are equivalent to Bachelor Level. The fourth and fifth years of
study are equivalent to Master level. Law students will be allowed to take fourth or fifth year
courses if they have a good Italian language level and the required prerequisites.
Optional Courses
Optional courses will be offered only if a sufficient number of students register for the courses.
If you choose them, make sure you enrol in a few extra courses.
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Are there any restricted courses?
Courses in the following programmes are restricted to all Erasmus and Exchange students:
Master’s degree courses to Bachelor students
Programmes of the School of Government
The one Master in EU Studies
The Programmes of the School of Journalism
All post-graduate and PhD courses
LUISS Business School Programmes
MBA
How many courses should I take?
Work Load
The average work load for LUISS students is about 30 ECTS credits per semester, including
language courses. Incoming students are advised not to take more than 24 credits. They can take
more if their language competence is very good.
The study programmes and the ECTS brochures in English are available on our web site at:
http://www.luiss.edu/
http://www.luiss.edu/prospective-students/exchange-students
http://www.luiss.edu/prospective-students/exchange-students/ects-course-catalogs
Course descriptions in Italian can be found at http://www.luiss.it/it/dipartimenti/
From Cattedre on-line  name of the professor or of the subject  cerca
All guest students must send a Learning Agreement (Programme of study) approved by the coordinator of the home University, before arrival.
From the beginning of classes, students will have a few days to select courses and make their
final choice. A course registration form must be presented to the Student Exchange Office of
LUISS, by the given deadline.
After the deadline it will not be possible to change or add courses. Students will only be
allowed to drop courses.
Learning Agreements
When can I prepare the final learning agreement?
The final learning agreement can be defined, after arrival, as soon as the course enrolment
procedures have been completed.
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Exams and the Italian Examination System
How do I register to sit an exam?
Guest students will be automatically registered for all the examination dates (appelli) of all the
courses they have taken.
At the end of each exam students must always sign the examination register (verbale
d’esame) which will also be signed by the professors. This is very important, otherwise the
grades will not be included in their transcripts of records.
When can I sit exams?
Examination Periods a. y. 2012-2013
First semester exams
NEW 
From 10 December to 19 December
One examination date for all courses will be
offered before the Christmast holidays.
First semester exams
From 7 January to 16 February
Second semester exams
from 20 May to 6 July
For each course, LUISS offers two or three examination dates (appelli) during a long
examination period. Guest students will be automatically registered for all the examination
dates (appelli) of all the courses they have chosen and indicated in the course enrolment
form.
The official examination dates will be posted on-line at the end of each semester. You may
search the dates from www.luiss.it as follows:
select Dipartimenti
http://www.luiss.it/it/dipartimenti/
Select the Department you are interested in
From Cattedre on-line  name of the professor or of the subject  cerca  date esami.
Exams can be taken only on the official dates. Therefore, students should make their
travelling arrangements according to the examination periods.
Are all the exams oral?
The Italian University system is based on oral exams although some courses may require written
work during the semester or a written exam before the final oral examination.
Can you describe the grading system?
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LUISS Guido Carli Grading System
Individual courses are graded on a scale of 18/30. Very brilliant students may be awarded 30
cum laude (30 e lode).
The minimum passing grade is 18/30. Grades below 18 are a fail and are not registered.
Department of Business and Management
Department of Economics and Finance
ECTS System - Distribution of grades
Department of Political Science
ECTS System - Distribution of grades
Department of Law
ECTS System - Distribution of grades
LUISS
Grades
Econ. Fin.
Busin. Man.
Econ. Fin.
Busin. Man.
% of grades
Previous
ECTS
Grading
system
LUISS
Grades
Political
Science
Political
Science
% of grades
Previous
ECTS
Grading
system
LUISS
Grades
Law
Law %
of
grades
Previous
ECTS
Grading
system
30 e lode
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
Total
5,66 %
19,08 %
9,36 %
16,67 %
13,31 %
9,81 %
6,77 %
5,88 %
3,25 %
2,43 %
1,74 %
2,06 %
1,16 %
2,82 %
100%
A
30 e lode
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
Total
12,69 %
27,61 %
9,89 %
16,33 %
11,41 %
6,88 %
4,73 %
3,50 %
1,93 %
1,29 %
0,88 %
1,12 %
0,44 %
1,30 %
100%
A
30 e lode
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
Total
7,14 %
27,18 %
5,28 %
19,91 %
15,35 %
9,13 %
5,77 %
4,31 %
1,97 %
1,22 %
0,75 %
0,97 %
0,32 %
0,70 %
100%
A
B
C
D
E
B
C
D
E
B
C
D
E
In the Italian University system high grades are awarded more frequently than in other countries
because students are allowed to refuse a grade and repeat an exam, if they are not satisfied
with the mark obtained.
LUISS students stand out for their academic excellence, as admission to the University is meritbased, competitive and highly selective. Admission is based on a test and on the high school
record score. Therefore, very good grades are more common than in other universities.
Will fail grades be registered?
In the Italian university system the minimum passing grade is 18/30. Grades below 18 are a fail
and they will not - and cannot - be registered.
When can I retake an exam if I fail?
If students do not pass an examination they can take a resit. If students fail an exam on the first
date, usually they can take the re-sit on the last examination date. It will depend on the
professor of the subject involved.
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Transcripts of Records
When will I receive my transcript?
Two original transcripts of records will be sent to the partner Universities after the end of
each examination session.
Students who come to LUISS for the whole academic year or for the second semester, will
receive the transcripts by mid-September. Since the examination session will finish in July and
the University closes in August, the transcripts can only be issued by the Student Office after the
summer break. Therefore, no exceptions can be made.
Accommodation
How can I find a room in Rome?
A private organization, CTS, takes care of housing for LUISS Erasmus and exchange students.
The Student Exchange Office does not take direct responsibility in providing accommodation.
You can apply through the LUISS application form by May 31st. In this case CTS (Centro
Turistico Studentesco e Giovanile) will take care of finding a room for you. Make sure you read
the booking conditions carefully, follow the instructions and meet the deadlines.
You can look for a room by yourself, in this case we advise you to come to Rome at least two
weeks before the beginning of each semester because it is not easy to find accommodation in
Rome.
Cost of Living
How much will I spend in Rome?
Housing: the average cost is about 350/400 € (for a place in a double room) and about 500/600 €
(for a single room) a month plus extras (telephone, electricity, heating, etc.)
Meals: about 2 € per meal at the University cafeteria. From 5 to 25 € in take-away pizza shops,
bars, pizzerie, trattorie.
Public transport: the price of a monthly card (tessera intera rete) for all public transport is
30 €.
Books: about 300 €.
Cinema: a ticket costs about 8.00 €.
Theatre and Concerts: the average cost is between 15 and 30€, but many associations give
students reduced prices.
Student Facilities at LUISS
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What facilities are offered to exchange students?
Guest students will have the same facilities as Italian students: access to the Library, the
University dining halls, computer and multimedia facilities, e-mail, sports, and all the extra
curricular activities organised for students such as: conferences, cultural events, concerts,
parties, tours, and much more.
The Student Exchange Office for Student Mobility
When can I contact the office?
Office Hours:
Morning:
Afternoon:
from Monday through Friday, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Annamaria A. Ricciardi (Head of the Office):
Morning:
Afternoon:
from Monday through Friday, from 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
In the Summer, from mid-June to mid-September, the Office is closed on Friday afternoons.
Where is the office?
The Office is located in the main Campus of viale Romania, in the Parioli area.
Scambi Internazionali
Student Exchange Office
viale Romania 32
00197 Rome
Italy
E-mail:
relint@luiss.it
Tel.:
Fax:
+39-06-85225.642 (722)
+39-06-85225.505
Web-site: www.luiss.it - www.luiss.edu/
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