How to get two degrees in engineering both from Italian and Swiss University

The School of Engineering of the University of Florence (UNIFI) (IT) and the School of Engineering and Architecture of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences And Arts (HSLU) (CH) have agreed to offer a double degree programme to the students of the Master of Science in Management Engineering (LM-31).

The students that participate in this programme and that fulfil the graduation requirements at the end of the mobility period will obtain a double degree. In fact, 2 degrees will be awarded by each institution, respectively the Master of Science in Engineering - specialization in Business Engineering by HSLU (90 ECTS) and the Master of Science in Management Engineering (LM-31) by UNIFI (120 ECTS).

Students enrolled to the first year of the Masyter's Degree in Management Engineering can apply to the annual call for the Double Degree programme.

A maximum of 10 students will be admitted to the Double Degree program from UNIFI. Criteria of the competitive selection are:

1) excellence of the curriculum studiorum (grading average and amount of ECTS),

2) student motivation, and

3) fluency in English language (B2 is the minimum).

45 out of the 60 ECTS achieved during the first year of the Master of Science in Management Engineering can be recognised by HSLU. Then, after their enrollment at HSLU, the student must obtain further 60 ECTS.

These come from:

a) a Project Work (18 ECTS),

b) 4 approved courses of 3 ECTS each, for a total of 12 ECTS, and

c) a Master Thesis (30 ECTS).

The Master Thesis (30 ECTS) may be carried out in any institution in Italy, Switzerland, Europe or rest of the world, such as industrial companies, external bodies as well as research centres of the two universities. The Master Thesis must be carried out under the joint responsibility of supervisors from both UNIFI and HSLU.

The Master Thesis has to be written in English, and its discussion takes place either in the home institution or in the partner institution. The language of discussion is English.

UNIFI students will be enrolled as ordinary HSLU students. The only fee to be paid is the admission fee of 200 CHF. Cost for accommodation, travel and other costs are the full responsibility of the students. These costs can be rather high, in between EUR 1200 and EUR 2000 per month, as living in Switzerland is not cheap.

The host institution will provide, within its possibilities, all possible support for the students involved in the double degree.