Study plans for dummies

What is a study plan?

A study plan (in Italian "percorso formativo") is a list of all the courses and other activities whose clearance is needed to be awarded the final degree. During their first semester, students are requested to design their own study plan according to some rules and to submit it for evaluation and possible approval by the study plans committee.

Do I need a study plan?

Yes. Having an approved study plan in force is mandatory for you to book and take exams. The exam booking system (Infostud) will forbid you to book exams not belonging to your approved study plan. 

You are encouraged to submit your study plan for approval at the beginning of your first year to take your exams starting from the first available session.

When can I submit my study plan?

You can submit your study plan for evaluation during precise time windows, available from within the regulation.

If you already have an approved study plan, you can submit a new (revised) plan for evaluation starting from the following academic year. The revised plan can be redesigned from scratch, but it must include all exams you already cleared.

The above implies that you can change your study plan at most once during a single academic year. This is core Sapienza regulation and cannot be bypassed, except in the very special circumstances listed in the regulation (e.g., if you are an outgoing Erasmus student facing documented troubles with the host institution).

When is my study plan evaluated?

Although submission of study plans is open during a quite large time window, their evaluation is performed at precise time points. Please refer to the regulation for precise deadlines. If your submitted plan is rejected, your previous plan (if you have one, that is you are not at your first-year) will remain in force, and you can resubmit a revision following the same deadlines. Note that, given such precise time points in which evaluation is performed, if your study plan proposals are rejected multiple times, you might end up having an approved study plan after the beginning of the January exam session. The committee warmly recommends you to strictly follow our recommendations and guidelines to neutralise the risk of your study plan being rejected.

When does my plan come into force?

• If your plan is approved between September and December, it will enter into force on the following January 1st, which is just before the beginning of the first exam session of the academic year. Hence, to book any exam before that date (e.g., during the October/November extraordinary exam session), the associated teaching needs to be comprised in your previously approved study plan.

• If your plan is approved between January and August (this may happen only if you were explicitly authorised by the committee, either because your previous plan proposals were rejected multiple times, or because you fall in the exceptional circumstances envisioned by the regulation), your plan immediately enters into force.

How do I submit my study plan?

Using the "Percorso formativo" feature from within your Infostud. Your plan will be evaluated by the committee by following the schedule listed in the regulation. Our recommendations and guidelines help you also in making your study plan fit the template imposed by the Infostud system. Make sure to read them carefully.

How is a study plan structured?

A study plan for the Master Programme in Computer Science must comprise 120–123 credits, split as follows:

• 66 credits chosen from those offered within the course programme

• Elective teachings, totalling 12–15 credits, chosen (in principle) from the entire Sapienza catalogue

• 1 supplementary educational activity (in Italian: "Attività Formativa Complementare", in short "AFC"; 6 credits)

• Master thesis work and defence (36 credits).

Of course not any choice of teachings will lead to a valid plan. You must produce a study plan which is positively evaluated by the study plans committee. To avoid your plan to be rejected, please strictly follow our recommendations and guidelines.