UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI ROMA "TOR VERGATA"English Translation of the Art. 11 – Final Examination (from the Italian Didactic Regulation D.R. 3159/2024)
Degree Completion
Obtaining the Master’s Degree requires passing a final examination, which consists of a thesis on a topic agreed upon by the graduating student and a supervisor, followed by a discussion before an examination committee.
The final examination is public.
To take the final examination for the Master’s Degree in Mechatronics Engineering, the student must have passed all required exams included in their study plan, any qualification tests, and must be up to date with tuition and fee payments.
The Supervisor
The student selects the supervisor from among the tenured faculty of the university (including emeritus and honorary professors) who hold a teaching position in a Scientific-Disciplinary Sector offered in the Master’s Degree Program. If the student has difficulty identifying a supervisor, the Master’s Degree Program Coordinator will assign one.
The supervisor guides the student through their thesis work and ensures their readiness for the final examination. The supervisor may be assisted by one or two co-supervisors, whose names will appear in the graduation documents.
The Co-Supervisor
A co-supervisor may be another university professor, an expert in the thesis subject, or a representative from a company or institution collaborating on the thesis. The co-supervisor’s role is technical, providing guidance to help the student address challenges and develop new solutions throughout their research.
During the thesis defense, the co-supervisor is responsible for presenting the student’s thesis and assisting the committee in identifying any gaps in knowledge or skills to improve the program’s curriculum.
The Examination Committee
The examination committee for the final test consists of seven members, including, as a rule, the Master’s Degree Program Coordinator, who acts as the Chairperson. The committee members are university faculty and generally include the supervisors of the graduating students.
The committee’s regular and substitute members are appointed by the Head of the Department based on the Coordinator’s proposal, which is made after receiving the list of students registered for the graduation session (approximately 20 days before the examination date).
Final Examination Procedure
The final examination consists of a public presentation where the student presents the results of their thesis work to the examination committee. The presentation lasts approximately 12 minutes and may be followed by questions from the committee.
The presentation must include:
- Definition of the problem
- Discussion of literature findings (state of the art)
- Presentation of the thesis’ original contribution
- Statement of the student’s specific contributions
After all students have defended their theses, the committee meets in a closed session to finalize the graduation records and assign grades, taking into account the supervisor’s recommendations and the student’s academic record.
Proclamation
The graduation proclamation is conducted publicly.
Final Grade Calculation
The final grade is expressed in one hundred and ten (110) points and is considered passing if it is 66/110 or higher.
If the maximum score is reached and the thesis demonstrates excellence, the examination committee may unanimously award cum laude.
Supervisors may report candidates they consider outstanding to the Head of Academic Affairs and the Master’s Degree Program Coordinator, providing a brief note detailing the candidate’s contributions to their research results.
If the committee deems the student’s university career and thesis work exceptionally outstanding, they may include a special mention on the student’s degree certificate.
The final grade is determined by summing:
- Base score: Weighted average of exam grades
- Additional curriculum points: Up to 3 points
- Final examination evaluation: Up to 7 points
Final Degree Grade= Base score (M) + (T + L + O) + F
Base Score (M)
- ∑grade x credits / total credits) x 110/30
Additional Curriculum Points (T+L+O):
Up to 3 additional points based on different achievements (for students enrolled in the 1st year A.Y. 2024/2025):
- T (0-1 point): Exams completed within two academic years
- L (0-1 point): At least 18 credits earned with honors
- O (0-1 point): Participation in the Overseas Program
Final Examination Points (F):
Up to 7 additional points based on the thesis quality:
- 7 points: Thesis forms the basis of a submitted or soon-to-be-submitted paper for an international conference or journal
- 6 points: Thesis presents original experimental results but requires further work for a conference or journal submission
- 5 points: Thesis includes experiments or realistic simulations based on recent publications
- 3-4 points: Review-based thesis, with clarity determining whether it receives 3 or 4 points
- 1-2 points: Review-based thesis without structured analysis
Access to the Final Examination
To register for the final examination, students must submit an application to the Student Office according to the procedures and deadlines published on the university’s website.
Graduation Session Dates
Graduation session dates are announced in advance by the Master’s Degree Program Coordinator and scheduled within the periods set by the Engineering Faculty.
The Coordinator may schedule an extraordinary graduation session, typically right after the end-of-year break, to allow students to complete their thesis work more efficiently.
Translated by Simona Ranieri