Final exam procedure for Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences

The degree is conferred on the acquisition of 180 ECTS, including the final exam.

The final exam consists in a verification of the candidate's ability to present and discuss a written thesis, with clarity and command of language and in an interview aimed at ascertaining the knowledge acquired during the course, in the presence of a Degree Commission appointed by the Course Council

In the event that the examination focuses (preferably) on the topic dealt with during the internship, the internship tutor will also be the thesis Supervisor.

If the paper is developed on a topic consistent with the student's educational project that results on the syllabus of an exam included in the student's study plan and successfully passed, the supervisor will be a teacher from that course.

In order to discuss the final exam, on the basis of completion of the university course and to allow the completion of the administrative requirements, the student must have accrued all the necessary credits. The graduation application must be filed with the Student Admin Office within the month prior to the date set by the Annual Degree Calendar approved by the Department Council. The necessary credits for admission to the final exam must be earned and complete at least 15 days prior to the graduation date.

The Degree Commission is made up of 5 professors appointed by decree; it is proposed by the Course Council and approved by a Chair’s Decree.
 

The final exam is graded by the Commission, and the mark must be at least 'sufficient' for the exam to be passed. In the event of successfully passing the final exam, the Commission awards the graduation grade according to criteria established by the Course Council; as a rule, the grade may be increased by up to a maximum of 10 points (excluding any 2 bonus points for students who graduate within the prescribed time frame) added to the basic average; this is calculated as the weighted average of the exam marks (out of 110), with an increase of 0.2 points for exams passed with 30/30 cum laude and up to 1 point for having held a role as student representative in one of the various bodies (of the University, Department, or degree programme).

Participation in international mobility programmes can result in a merit score, up to a maximum of one point.

For the purposes of calculating the weighted average, only credits of exams that lead to the completion of the degree programme up to 186 training credits will be considered (where the 6 additional credits cannot be separated from the exam credits, otherwise all credits corresponding to courses will contribute to the calculation of the average): the remaining supernumerary activities accrued at the time chronologically closest to the final exam viva will be certified, but not be included in the calculation of the average mark which will constitute the final grade expressed in one hundred and ten points.

In the event that the final score arrives at 113/110, the tutor can propose the attribution of honours, which must be approved unanimously by the Degree Commission; in the event that the score reaches 118/110, the tutor can propose Special Mention status.

The announcement will follow, stating the final grade obtained.