The Educational Model of the Undergraduate School
The Luiss Undergraduate School’s study programme is designed to provide an active and engaging learning experience. From the 2025–2026 academic year, the Undergraduate School’s degree programmes will adopt an educational model based on Engaged Learning.
In this model, students are not just recipients of knowledge, but active participants who take responsibility for their own learning journey. This approach fosters experiential and interactive learning, aimed at developing a critical analysis method that is essential for tackling the complexities of today's challenges.
The degree courses involved are:
Engaged Learning: the experiential learning model at Luiss
The Engaged Learning model gives students the chance to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world challenges, working with organisations, businesses, and institutions on shared social issues. Through hands-on experiences complemented by moments of critical reflection, learning translates into impact.
Within an educational programme built on a solid theoretical foundation and aligned with the highest international standards, students develop key transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and digital skills.
Challenges, project work, clinics, internships, and other real-world experiences form an integrated ecosystem that makes learning more engaging, applied, and future-focused.
Active teaching methods and innovative tools
The Engaged Learning teaching model incorporates:
- Lectures and expert testimonials.
- Multimedia materials.
- Digital tools for data collection and analysis.
- Practical activities: field trips, role-playing, simulations, and the use of professional software.
The aim is to provide not just knowledge, but a transferable and lasting learning method that can adapt to new and evolving challenges.
Structure and rules of the course of study for students enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years
Below are the main provisions concerning the new organisation of exam sessions, the procedures for conducting examinations, and the introduction of interim assessments. These provisions will apply from the 2025–2026 academic year for Bachelor’s and Single-Cycle Master’s degree programmes.
Number of exam sessions
For students enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years, the exam session system will be structured as follows:
Bachelor's Degree Programmes
- Two exam sessions at the end of each semester the course is taught.
- 1 exam session in each subsequent session.
- 1 exam session in the autumn period.
Single-Cycle Master's Degree in Law
- Three exam sessions at the end of each semester the course is taught.
- 3 exam sessions in each subsequent session.
- 1 exam sitting in the autumn session.
Conduct of examinations
Students enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years will no longer be able to reject the grade they receive in an exam. However, students have the option to withdraw from the exam as follows:
- Graded oral exam: the student can withdraw up until the moment before the grade is recorded.
- Written exam (followed by a graded oral exam): students may withdraw during the written exam. Subsequently, during the oral exam, the same rule applies as for the graded oral exam in the previous point.
- Graded written exam: students may withdraw at any point during the exam by handing the paper in to the lecturer.
Students have the right to view their paper before the grade is recorded, but they cannot refuse the grade they receive.
Interim Assessment
For students enrolled in three-year degree programmes from the 2025/2026 academic year, a mandatory interim assessment will be introduced (with the exception of language exams). To this end, classes will be suspended for one week during the semester:
- From 19 to 24 October 2026 in the first semester
- From 8 to 13 March 2027 in the second semester
Students can decline their midterm grade and opt to take the full exam during the exam session.
For students enrolled in the 2026/2027 academic year in years beyond the second, the rules set out for the year of first enrolment apply, with the exception of subjects with outstanding requirements, which will be taught in the first year and in the second year in 2026/2027. For incoming transfers or participation in international programmes (such as double degrees and structured partnerships), the new regulations will apply based on the year in which the course is delivered.
Yes, but I can request exemption from attendance if I participate in competitive sports activities recognised by the University.
No, course exams and the final exam must be taken in person. Exceptions are only allowed for serious, documented illnesses and infirmities, as well as for other specific personal situations that meet the criteria set out in the ministerial regulations. Furthermore, in the event of temporary emergency situations that prevent the University from conducting in-person examinations, the University itself may establish a remote examination format.
For all three-year degree programmes, there are two exam sessions at the end of the semester in which the course is taught, and one session in each subsequent exam period.
For the single-cycle Master's Degree in Law, there are three exam sessions at the end of the semester in which the course is taught, three sessions in each subsequent session, and one session in the autumn session.
A midterm is an interim assessment scheduled during the semester to evaluate the knowledge students have acquired so far.
For students enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years on three-year degree courses, the midterm exams for each module (excluding language courses) will take place during the week when classes are suspended. Specifically, the weeks when classes are suspended will be as follows:
- From 19 to 24 October 2026 in the first semester.
- From 8 to 13 March 2027 in the second semester.
Students will be assessed during the scheduled exam sessions with a single individual test, which will account for 100% of their final grade.
Yes, you can decline the midterm grade and choose to take the full exam during the exam session.
For the exam session when the course is taught and the two subsequent resit sessions:
• For first-semester courses: the winter session, the summer session, and the autumn session of the relevant academic year.
• For second-semester courses: the summer, autumn, and winter sessions of the relevant academic year.
No, students enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years cannot reject the grade they receive in a final exam. However, students have the option to withdraw from the exam before it ends.
For students who, in the 2026/2027 academic year, are enrolled in years beyond the second year or are students who have exceeded the standard duration of their course, the rules of engagement for their year of enrolment apply.
Yes, but only before the end of the trial itself.
Yes.
You can withdraw from the written exam by handing in your paper before the end of the exam, making sure the lecturer notes your withdrawal. You must explicitly state your intention to withdraw and ensure the lecturer records it.
You can withdraw from the oral exam before the end of the test and, in any case, before the lecturer has given a mark out of thirty, making sure the lecturer records your withdrawal.
You always have the right to view a written exam paper, within the timeframe and in the manner specified by the lecturer. It remains impossible to refuse a grade for any student enrolled in the 2026/2027 and 2025/2026 academic years.
The syllabus for each course contains information on learning objectives, teaching materials, and assessment rules.