Deadlines and administrative fulfilments

Final Examination Regulations
The final thesis consists of the preparation and defense of a written dissertation (final thesis) in English, focusing on an in-depth study of a scientific topic covered during the degree program.

The objective of the thesis is to develop an original study, which may culminate in an application-oriented project, a theoretical result related to specific design issues, or a critical review of the state of the art in a particular field of study. Under the supervision of the thesis advisor and any co-advisors, the graduating student is expected to carry out a thorough study of the chosen topic, as well as to acquire skills in synthesis and creative application of the knowledge gained.

The thesis must address topics related to artificial intelligence or closely related disciplines and should present, in written form, activities that may include:

1. the design and development of applications or systems;
2. a critical analysis of contributions from the scientific literature;
3. original research contributions.

Thesis Procedure

The final examination consists in the development of a Master's Thesis, which requires the student to undertake a research, formalization, design, or development project. The thesis may be conducted internally or externally, depending on whether it is carried out at the University of Verona or in collaboration with another institution.

Each thesis must have a supervisor, and may also involve one or more co-supervisors, as well as an external examiner. The external examiner is appointed by the Degree Committee at least 20 days prior to the thesis defense, after verifying the student’s eligibility to take the final examination for the Master's degree.

With regard to legal and intellectual property aspects related to the thesis and the results produced, reference is made to the applicable laws and the regulations of the University.

Supervisor, Co-Supervisors, and Opponent Examiner

The Master's Thesis must be presented by a supervisor who is a faculty member of the University holding the position of Full Professor, Associate Professor, or Fixed-Term Researcher (junior, senior, or Tenure Track). The supervisor must meet at least one of the following three criteria:

1. be a member of the Degree Committee associated with the study program,
2. be a member of the Department of Computer Science,
3. belong to a Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD) included in the curriculum of the Master's Degree Program in Artificial Intelligence.

In addition to those who meet the requirements to serve as supervisor (as specified above), the role of co-supervisor may also be held by researchers from external research institutions, research fellows, post-doctoral scholarship holders, PhD candidates, technical staff from the Department, recognized experts in the field appointed by an Italian university and currently active, or industry professionals with proven expertise in the subject area of the thesis.

Any professor or researcher from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Verona with specific expertise in the thesis topic may be appointed as opponent examiner. The names of the opponent examiners are published as soon as possible on the dedicated webpage after the deadline for submitting the graduation application.

Thesis Evaluation

The criteria on which the supervisor, any co-supervisors, and the opponent examiner are required to express their evaluation are as follows:

1. Depth of the work carried out, in relation to the state of the art in the disciplinary fields relevant to artificial intelligence;
2. Contribution of the thesis to knowledge or technological advancement;
3. Critical engagement demonstrated by the candidate;
4. Experimental and/or formal development effort demonstrated by the candidate;
5. Degree of autonomy demonstrated by the candidate;
6. Relevance of the methodologies employed;
7. Accuracy in the execution and writing of the thesis.

The opponent examiner is not required to evaluate criterion number 5.

Degree Grade

The degree grade (expressed out of 110) is an integer value ranging from 66/110 to 110/110 and is calculated as the sum, rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g., 93.50 becomes 94, 86.49 becomes 86), of the following components:

1. The weighted average of exam grades, weighted by credits and scaled to 110;
2. The evaluation of the thesis defense and the thesis itself, according to the following procedure:

a)assignment of a coefficient between 0 and 1 (a fractional value with one decimal place) for each of the criteria points 1–7 listed above;

b)assignment of a coefficient between 0 and 1 (a fractional value with one decimal place) for the quality of the presentation;

c)sum of the coefficients assigned in the above two items.

The presence of honors received in exams, participation in internships officially recognized by the Degree Committee in Computer Science, passing additional exams beyond the required number, and completion of the degree within a shorter period than the official duration of the study program may be considered by the Graduation Committee to grant an additional one-point increase.

If the total sum reaches 110/110, the Committee may decide to award honors (cum laude). The honors are proposed and discussed by the Committees and, according to current regulations, are awarded only if the decision is unanimous.

External Theses

An external thesis is carried out in collaboration with an institution other than the University of Verona. In this case, the student must first agree on the thesis topic with a supervisor from the University. Additionally, at least one co-supervisor from the external institution must be appointed to serve as the immediate point of reference for the student during the thesis work.

The supervisor and co-supervisors must be indicated in the thesis assignment application. Insurance arrangements for the student's stay at the external institution are governed by the regulations in force at the University of Verona. If the thesis involves a training period at the external institution, a formal agreement between the University and the institution must be established.

The results contained in the thesis are jointly owned by all individuals and institutions involved. In particular, the contents and results of the thesis are to be considered public.

For all matters not strictly related to the scientific aspects (e.g., agreements, insurance), reference is made to the resolution of the Academic Senate dated January 12, 1999.

Need to activate a thesis internship

For thesis-related internships, it is not always necessary to activate an internship through the Internship Office. For further information, please consult the dedicated document, which can be found in the 'Documents' section of the Internships and work orientation - Science e Engineering service.