GUIDELINES FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

The following guide is intended for those who are planning or have already been accepted at the
Politecnico di Torino. The guide provides relevant information to make your time at Politecnico di
Torino rewarding. If you have any questions at all, be sure to contact the staff at the Incoming
Mobility Office ([email protected]). We will do all we can to assist you as you get ready
for your big adventure in Italy. We look forward to seeing you here! Further information can be
found at the following link: http://international.polito.it/

APPLICATION DEADLINES Politecnico di Torino runs on a two semester

basis: from September 30th 2019 to January
Shortly after we have received your 18th 2020 (1st semester) and from March 2nd
nomination by your home University, you 2020 to June 13th 2020 (2nd semester)
will receive an e-mail from the Incoming
Mobility Office containing your log-in • Examinations take place during 3 defined
information and instructions on how to periods (called “sessioni”) during the
complete the online application. When you will academic year:
enter for the first time into the online 1st semester: from January 20th 2020 to
application page you will be asked to enter February 29th 2020;
with the e-mail account used by your home 2nd semester: from June 15th 2020 to July
University to nominate you (you cannot 25th 2020;
change it!). The on-line application is intended Recovery exam session: from August 31st
to provide general information about the to September 19th.
applicant and the home university. It must be
completed and submitted on-line. Further • Two dates (“appelli”) are offered in each
information can be found via the following link: session for courses concluded in that
http://international.polito.it/admission/exchange_programmes specific semester and one date for those
concluded in the previous one.

Applications must be submitted by: See the academic calendar available online
November 29th 2019 for the most up-to-date information:
http://international.polito.it/admission/exchange_programmes/2019_
20_deadlines_and_academic_year
Please notice: we will not accept applications
after the given deadline.
Please notice: you are required to stay in Italy
until the end of the semester, examination
ACADEMIC YEAR AND period included.
CALENDAR
ARRIVAL INFORMATION
Have a look at the university system, the
following link shows the Italian university All incoming students are strongly invited to
framework for the Higher Education: attend the Welcome Orientation Meeting:
http://www.quadrodeititoli.it/Index.aspx?IDL=2
 architecture and engineering. Due to the
Date Location restricted number, it is not possible to
guarantee that all interested incoming
Aula Magna
February 17th 2020 Main Campus Duca degli students will be able to attend these courses.
Abruzzi The suggestion, in this case, is to consider
more than one option approved by your
The Welcome Orientation Meeting is
home university!
compulsory for all students since the date
coincides with the official beginning of the
• Courses are called “insegnamenti” in Italian
Exchange Programme. During the days
language. You may select relevant courses
following the Meeting and prior the beginning
from various degree programs, however,
of classes you will need to formally define your
please note that when you take courses
Learning Agreement and enrol at Politecnico.
from different study plans and/or years
In addition to that, you will be introduced to
there is a high chance that these can
your Academic Advisor.
overlap. Take notice that timetables will be
published just a few weeks before the
The only reason we may make an exception beginning of the semester at the following
to not attend the Welcome Orientation link:
https://www.swas.polito.it/dotnet/orari_lezione_pub/filtri_consultazi
Meeting is if you have exams to attend at your one_generale.aspx
home institution. If this is the case, please
email us as far in advance as possible. • We strongly advise you to select at least
20/30 ECTS per semester in your proposal
ACCOMMODATION of Learning Agreement. Please be flexible
in reconsidering changes to your Learning
You will be able to find useful information on Agreement at your arrival in case some
accommodation at the following link: courses are not approved, cancelled or
http://international.polito.it/practical_information/accommodation
there are timetable clashes.

GUIDELINES FOR YOUR • When selecting the teaching activities, be

PROPOSAL OF LEARNING sure to look at the courses offered during
AGREEMENT the academic year you will spend at PoliTO.
In order to do that, first select the right
academic year on the drop-down menu,
Read the following guidelines carefully before
and then click on the “Academic Year”
completing your proposal of Learning
button, as the picture below:
Agreement.

• All programs offered at the Politecnico

can be found at the following link:
https://didattica.polito.it/offerta/index_en.html

• Exchange students can choose courses

from study plans of 1st and 2nd level (cycle)
with the exception of curricular courses • You must ensure to have the appropriate
from 1st year of 1st level. academic knowledge to study the courses
you choose. Please note that some degree
• Please notice that there are limited places courses deal with very specific topics and
on 1st and 3rd year at Bachelor of Science unless you hold that knowledge, you should
level “free choice courses” in the area of consider other options. An academic year
consists of two semesters, some courses
are hold only in the first semester (named 1
in picture below) and some only in the
second semester (named 2 in picture
below). A few courses are taught during the
 whole academic year and these can be You can indicate your preference in your
chosen only by students that stay for both Learning Agreement proposal, though its
semesters (named 1, 2 in the picture below). approval will only be done once you arrive at
This information is given in the ‘period’ Politecnico.
column on the left of the course: Even if your proposal of Learning
Agreement will be potentially accepted by
the Mobility Board, this could not be the
final version. Due to the restricted number of
places of some courses (such as
Atelier/Design Units, Workshops, free choices
1st and 3rd year Bachelor of Science
programs, etc.), it is not possible to guarantee
Please make sure you pick courses hold the attendance of those courses because it is
in the semester you will be at Politecnico necessary to check that the number of
exchange students who selected those
• Politecnico offers degree programs taught courses will match with the seating capacity
in English, in Italian and in both languages and with the choices of local students. This
at the same time. To view the language of analysis will be done at the beginning of each
teaching click on the degree program: semester.
Possible other changes can be done after the
meeting with your Academic Advisor or due to
timetable clashes. The suggestion, in these
cases, is to consider more choices approved
by your home university!
You will be able to see in what language
each course is through a flag next to the FINAL PROJECT INFORMATION
name of each course:
If you are enrolled at home university in 4 th or
5th year and you wish to prepare your final
project at Politecnico (thesis) you are more than
welcome. Please, note that the workload is 5-6
months long, therefore it is advisable to spend
this period at the Politecnico di Torino.
You have to find a Supervisor at PoliTO when
• To have more information about a course you
you submit the Student Exchange Application
can click on it. You will find a page with useful
Form. Before the Mobility Board evaluates
information such as pre-requisites, contents,
your application form, the Incoming Mobility
text books, examination modalities, etc.:
Office will double check it with the thesis
Supervisor. In case you do not specify the
name of the thesis Supervisor in the
application form, the evaluation of it will be
pending until you will find a tutor.
• Your proposal of Learning Agreement will
Be flexible: the project you might undergo may
be defined once you arrive in Turin, where
not perfectly match the purpose of the project
you will be assigned an Academic Advisor.
you initially planned to do. It is very important
Therefore, some modifications to your
that you cooperate with the thesis Supervisor
Learning Agreement can be done here.
and accept his/her suggestions. The Italian
University system does not provide a mark for
• For students in Architecture: Atelier/Design
the final project, nor is there a final exam, the
Units and Workshops have a limited
Italian Supervisor will prepare an informal work
capacity of students, therefore we cannot
evaluation of the project that you will deliver to
assure you that you will be enrolled to the
your home university. Unfortunately, the
preferred Atelier/Design Units or
Politecnico di Torino is not able to assist
Workshop. Take notice that you can attend
undergraduate students in carrying out their
only one Atelier per semester.
final projects.
DOUBLE/JOINT DEGREE
STUDENTS’ LEARNING
AGREEMENT
If you are a double/joint degree student, you
will only be allowed to follow the study plan of
your field of study and cannot choose subjects
from different study plans (as described in the
previous section).

Further information can be found at the following

link:
http://international.polito.it/admission/exchange_programmes/general_
information/double_degree_joint_degree

ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSE

During your study period at Politecnico di
Torino you can attend an Italian language
course. Politecnico offers different levels of
Italian language courses from A1 to B2 level.
Information about Italian language courses and
their enrolment procedure will be given during
the Welcome Orientation Meeting.

Exchange students cannot take language

courses other than Italian.

EXTERNAL TAXES

All European and Non-European double/joint

degree students have to pay the external
taxes, no matter which program or project
they belong to (Erasmus+, Erasmus+ Non EU
Partner Countries etc.), the type of Agreement
established between our institutions or the
duration of stay as they will be formally enrolled
to a degree program offered by Politecnico di
Torino as any other local student. The amount
of those taxes is around €160 and includes:

• regional fee for university right to study

• accident insurance premium
• tax stamp

European and Non-European exchange

students attending courses, courses and final
project, final project, research, traineeship/
internship are totally exempted from paying
external taxes.