Indice / Table of Contents
1
L’Università della Svizzera italiana, USI / The University of Lugano, USI
5
Informazioni Pratiche / Practical Information
9
Master of Science in Architecture
15
Masters of Science in Economics / Lauree Magistrali in Scienze Economiche
Banking and Finance
Economia e Politiche Internazionali
Finance
Management
28
36
44
52
Masters of Science in Communication / Lauree Magistrali in Scienze della Comunicazione
Communication, Management & Health
Gestione dei Media
Technologies for Human Communication
Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
62
68
76
84
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
92
Masters in Communication and Economics / Lauree Magistrali in Scienze Economiche e Scienze della Comunicazione
Corporate Communication
Financial Communication
International Tourism
Marketing
Public Management and Policy, PMP
104
112
120
128
136
Masters of Science in Informatics / Lauree Magistrali in Scienze Informatiche
Computational Science
Distributed Systems
Embedded Systems Design
Intelligent Systems
Software Design
Applied Informatics
150
154
156
158
160
162
164
3
Benvenuti / Welcome
Care Studentesse e cari Studenti,
Dear Students,
grazie alla riforma del sistema universitario europeo, la scelta
di un Master è diventata un’autentica opportunità di crescita. L’Università della Svizzera italiana ha saputo interpretare
al meglio lo spirito del 3+2, arrivando ad offrire venti Master
caratterizzati dall’innovazione e dall’internazionalità. L’approccio
al sapere è interdisciplinare e lega le conoscenze acquisite “in
aula” al mondo circostante ed alle sfide che ci propone. I Master
dell’USI integrano infatti gli ultimi risultati provenienti dal mondo
della ricerca, così come le conoscenze di punta sviluppate in
quello del lavoro.
Following the reform of the European university system, the
choice of a Masters degree has become a real opportunity for
advancement. The Università della Svizzera italiana has been able
to effectively interpret the 3+2 spirit by offering twenty Masters
degree courses typified by innovation and an international slant.
An interdisciplinary approach to learning is adopted, linking
the theoretical knowledge acquired in the lecture room with
the world outside and the challenges which arise in it. The USI
Masters degrees in fact take on board the latest outcomes of
research, together with cutting edge knowledge emerging from
collaborations with the industry.
Mi auguro che scopriate con piacere i particolari dei nostri
Master e mi rallegro di accogliere studenti curiosi e appassionati
qui in Ticino il prossimo settembre.
Piero Martinoli, Presidente
I hope that you will appreciate the distinctive features of our
Masters degrees and look forward to welcoming dedicated students with enquiring minds here in Ticino next September.
Piero Martinoli, President
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
L’Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
L’USI è l’unica università di lingua italiana al di fuori dei confini
d’Italia. Fondata nel 1996, cresce continuamente nelle dimensioni e nell’offerta formativa delle sue quattro Facoltà: Architettura,
Scienze economiche, Scienze della comunicazione e Scienze
informatiche. 2700 studenti provenienti da più di 80 paesi, 270
professori e docenti, 380 assistenti e ricercatori entrano ed escono quotidianamente dai moderni edifici dando così vita ad un
ambiente ricco di scambi, saperi e rapporti interpersonali.
Internazionale
L’USI si caratterizza come ateneo plurilingue con grande apertura internazionale. Le lezioni si svolgono in italiano e in inglese,
ma l’incontro tra molte altre lingue fa parte della quotidianità.
Con una percentuale di studenti stranieri del 56%, l’internazionalità dell’USI prende vita ad ogni inizio di corso. L’orientamento
internazionale si traduce anche in un’ampia offerta di programmi in inglese, che apre gli orizzonti dell’USI ben al di là dei confini
nazionali: oltre al Bachelor in Scienze informatiche, l’insegnamento in 16 Master avviene in inglese.
Innovativa
I percorsi formativi sono aderenti ai bisogni del mercato del
lavoro e aprono la via a nuovi profili professionali. Questo vale
in particolare per i Master, che preparano gli studenti in maniera
efficace attraverso solidi insegnamenti teorici che si integrano a
lezioni pratiche. Professori e docenti provenienti da diversi ambiti
geografici e professionali arricchiscono l’insegnamento portando
nelle aule dell’USI prospettive inedite e innovative.
Interdisciplinare
L’USI ha sviluppato una solida rete di relazioni accademiche
con le altre università svizzere e con diverse università estere.
L’approccio interdisciplinare permette agli studenti di aprire i
propri orizzonti avvalendosi degli insegnamenti proposti anche
dalle altre Facoltà dell’USI e dagli atenei partner, declinando la
propria formazione in modo personalizzato.
Allo stesso tempo l’USI mantiene strette relazioni con il mondo
del lavoro. Periodi di stage presso aziende ed istituzioni in
Svizzera e all’estero sono parte integrante del programma degli
studi. Anche nelle lezioni la pratica assume un ruolo importante.
Casi di studio, Field Projects e l’arricchente interazione tra studenti e professionisti permettono agli studenti di mettere presto
in pratica i concetti teorici appresi.
Grazie alle sue dimensioni contenute, ai rapporti diretti fra
studenti e docenti, a generosi spazi e strutture tecniche di alta
qualità, l’USI offre condizioni ideali per lo studio e la ricerca. E
occupare il tempo libero non è certo un problema: la ricca offerta sportiva e culturale, le numerose feste studentesche, i concerti estivi e il magnifico lungolago costituiscono ottimi diversivi
durante le pause dallo studio.
7
The Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
USI, also known as the University of Lugano, is the only Italian
speaking University outside the Italian borders. It was founded
in 1996 and is constantly growing both in size and in the
courses offered in its four faculties: Architecture, Economics,
Communication Sciences and Informatics. 2,700 students from
over 80 countries, 270 professors and lecturers and 380 assistants
enter and exit the modern buildings every day, providing an environment rich in exchange, knowledge and personal relations.
International Atmosphere
USI is a multilingual university with an international atmosphere.
Lectures are given in Italian and English, but on the two USI
campuses many other languages are spoken. With foreign students making up 56% of the student body, USI’s international
environment comes to life with the beginning of each class.
USI also opens international opportunities beyond the national
borders having its Bachelor in Informatics and other 16 Master
programmes taught in English.
Innovation
Courses are adapted to the needs of the job market and
facilitate the creation of new professional profiles. This is particularly true of the master’s degree programme which prepares
students effectively through solid instruction in theory combined
with practical application. Professors and lecturers from various
geographic and professional backgrounds enrich instruction,
bringing original and innovative perspectives to USI.
Interdisciplinary Programmes
USI has developed a solid network of academic relationships
with Swiss universities and various institutions abroad. The interdisciplinary approach allows students to broaden their horizons
by taking courses offered in other USI departments and at partner universities, thus customising their own education.
USI also keeps up with the job market. Internships at Swiss
companies and businesses as well as institutions abroad are an
integral part of the curriculum. Practical experience plays an
important role in instruction. Case studies, field projects and
interaction between students and professionals enable our students to put their theoretical knowledge into practice.
Its small size, close relationships between students and teachers,
the integration of different disciplines, the generous space and
the top-quality technical infrastructure allows USI to offer ideal
conditions for study and research. Also a rich programme of
sport activities and cultural events is present at USI with numerous student parties, summer concerts and the magnificent lake
side of Lugano which is a wonderful location for our students
to go to when they need a break from studying.
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Un ambiente di studio
internazionale e personalizzato
An international and personalised
learning environment
USI, Lugano:
Facoltà di scienze economiche
Facoltà di scienze della comunicazione
Facoltà di scienze informatiche
Economics, Communication, Informatics
USI, Mendrisio:
Accademia di architettura
Architecture
Zurich
Bern
Geneva
master.usi.ch
Lugano
Mendrisio
Informazioni pratiche / Practical information
Informazioni pratiche / Practical Information
Informazioni pratiche
I Master dell'USI
I programmi di Master of Science o Master of Arts sono dei percorsi formativi di specializzazione a tempo pieno della durata di 3 o
4 semestri (corrispondenti a 90-120 crediti ECTS). I Master da 120
ECTS sono equivalenti a delle Lauree Magistrali/Specialistiche.
Crediti di studio
Tutti gli apprendimenti sono quantificati con crediti di studio. Lo
European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) assicura il principio della
compatibilità e trasferibilità dei crediti all’interno del sistema
universitario europeo. In ECTS, un anno accademico di studi a
tempo pieno corrisponde a 60 crediti, un semestre a 30.
Requisiti di ammissione
Bachelor (laurea triennale) o laurea quadri- o quinquennale di
un’università riconosciuta.
L’ammissione di candidati con percorsi universitari diversi da
quelli indicati nella descrizione del master di loro interesse è
valutata individualmente. Le direzioni dei Master si riservano la
possibilità di integrare il piano di studi con alcuni corsi considerati
fondamentali che non sono presenti nel curriculum universitario
del candidato.
Termine per l’iscrizione
Architettura: 15 aprile
Economia, Comunicazione e Informatica: 1 luglio
Le domande presentate successivamente verranno prese in considerazione compatibilmente con la disponibilità di posti.
Procedura di ammissione
Il formulario d’iscrizione e la procedura di ammissione dettagliata
sono disponibili sul sito www.master.usi.ch.
Tasse
La tassa semestrale è di CHF 4’000. Per studenti con domicilio
legale in Svizzera (compresi Liechtenstein e Campione d’Italia) al
momento del conseguimento della maturità, la tassa è di CHF
2’000. Il pagamento della tassa va effettuato all’inizio di ogni
semestre.
Borse di studio
Masters in Economia, Comunicazione e Informatica
Per l’anno accademico 2010-11 la Fondazione per le Facoltà
di Lugano dell’USI e l’Università della Svizzera italiana mettono a concorso 60 borse di studio una tantum dell’importo di
CHF 4'000. Le borse saranno assegnate a studenti ammessi al
primo anno di un Master biennale (Laurea Magistrale) con inizio in settembre 2010, in base al merito: fanno stato i risultati
conseguiti nel titolo di ammissione e saranno considerati i 20
migliori risultati secondo la seguente distribuzione: 20 borse
saranno assegnate a studenti che hanno conseguito il Bachelor
in una Università Svizzera, 20 a studenti che hanno conseguito
il Bachelor in una Università italiana, 20 a studenti che hanno
conseguito il Bachelor in una Università di altri stati.
Le domande sono da inoltrare entro il 31 luglio.
Maggiori dettagli sono disponibili sul seguente sito:
www.usi.ch/formazione-borse_studio
11
Practical Information
USI Masters
The Masters presented in this booklet are full-time Master of
Science or Master of Arts programmes that comprise 90-120
credit points (ECTS), which means that they are 3-4-semesters
long.
Credits
All taught courses are quantified in ECTS points worth. The
European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) guarantees that credits
are absolutely compatible and transferable within and all across
the European university system. In ECTS, one academic year of
full-time study corresponds to 60 credits, a semester to 30.
Admission Requirements
Bachelor’s degree, or four- or five-year degree, delivered by a
recognised university.
Admission for applicants with different university backgrounds
from the ones indicated in each Master’s description is subject
to individual evaluation. The admission committee of the different Master programmes have the right to integrate a set of
key courses that may not be present in the curriculum of the
candidate.
Applications Deadline
Architecture: 15th April
Economics, Communication and Informatics: 1 July
Late applications will be considered only in case of available
places. Please refer to each Master’s website.
Admission Procedure
The application form and details concerning the application
procedure are available on the website: www.master.usi.ch/en.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees amount to CHF 4,000 per semester. Applicants who
were legally domicilied in Switzerland (including Liechtenstein
and Campione d’Italia) at the time of the final high school exam
(maturità or equivalent) have a reduced semester fee of CHF
2,000.
Scholarships
Masters in Economics, Communication and Informatics
For the 2010-11 academic year, the Foundation for the Lugano
Faculties of USI and the Università della Svizzera italiana, will
award a total of 60 one-off study grants of the amount of 4'000
CHF each. The merit based grants are given to students admitted
as first-year students of a USI Master programme starting in the
Fall 2010. Merit is determined based on the results of the academic degree that gives access to the Master (usually the bachelor’s). Distribution of the grants will be as followed: 20 grants
will be awarded to students that pursued a Bachelor degree
at a Swiss University, 20 to students that pursued a Bachelor
degree at an Italian University and 20 to students that pursued a
Bachelor degree in a University from other countries.
Candidates are kindly asked to send the complete application
by July 31st.
Further details available at:
www.usi.ch/en/formazione-borse_studio
Calendario accademico / Academic Calendar
Sem. 1
Semestre autunnale / Autumn Semester 2010
Inizio dei corsi / Teaching begins
Fine dei corsi / Teaching ends
Esami, sessione 1 / Exams session 1
20.09.2010
23.12.2010
17.01-05.02.2011
Sem. 2
Semestre primaverile / Spring Semester 2011
Inizio dei corsi / Teaching begins
Vacanze pasquali / Easter holidays
Fine dei corsi / Teaching ends
Esami, sessione 2 / Exams session 2
Esami, sessione 3 / Exams session 3
21.02.2011
22.04-01.05.2011
03.06.2011
20.06-09.07.2011
05-17.09.2011
Sem. 3
Semestre autunnale / Autumn Semester 2011
Inizio dei corsi / Teaching begins
Fine dei corsi / Teaching ends
Esami, sessione 1 / Exams session 1
19.09.2011
23.12.2011
16.01-04.02.2012
Sem. 4
Anno / Year 2
Anno / Year 1
Calendario accademico / Academic Calendar 2010-2012
Semestre primaverile / Spring Semester 2012
Inizio dei corsi / Teaching begins
Vacanze pasquali / Easter holidays
Fine dei corsi / Teaching ends
Esami, sessione 2 / Exams session 2
Esami, sessione 3 / Exams session 3
20.02.2012
06-15.04.2012
01.06.2012
11-30.06.2012
03-15.09.2012
MASTER
INFO DAYS
5.3.10
4.3.11
MASTER
MEETINGS
19-30.4.10
1-15.4.11
13
Contatti / Contacts
Il Servizio orientamento
Le collaboratrici del Servizio orientamento sono a disposizione tutto
l’anno per consulenze telefoniche, per rispondere a domande tramite email e, previo appuntamento, per colloqui personalizzati.
Per approfondire le informazioni proposte nel presente libretto,
gli interessati sono invitati a
– Visitare l’USI in occasione delle giornate di porte aperte dedicate ai Master:
Master Info Days il 5 marzo 2010 e il 4 marzo 2011
Master Meetings: 19-30 aprile 2010 e 1-15 aprile 2011
– Navigare sul portale dei Master
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Servizio orientamento / Study Advisory Service
Ufficio / Office: 233
Via G. Buffi 13
CH-6904 Lugano
Svizzera
Tel: +41 58 666 47 95/ 46 72
Fax: +41 58 666 47 59
[email protected] / [email protected]
www.orientamento.usi.ch
The Study Advisory Service
The Advisory Service is available all year round to answer any
questions and give further information by phone, email or to set
up an appointment for individual consultancy.
To read more details about the degree programmes, we invite
interested readers to
– Visit USI in occasion of our Master Information Days:
Master Info Days: 5 March 2010 and 4 March 2011
Master Meetings: 19-30 April 2010 and 1-15 April 2011
– Navigate the Master website
master.usi.ch
Master of Science in Architecture
master.usi.ch
Master of Science in Architecture
Architecture
Goals and Contents
The Master of Science in Architecture offers the opportunity to
acquire the most advanced theoretical knowledge and operative
skills for the practice of contemporary architectural design.
Architectural design is taught through its disciplinary foundations
and is closely related with technological innovation, environmental issues, models of territorial management and the themes of
restoration and reestablishment of the historical, architectural
and environmental heritage.
The objective the Master pursues is to train professionals who,
on the basis of the acquired awareness and in-depth knowledge
of the complexity of current architectural practice, are competent both to carry out the functions of direct architectural design
and to coordinate the different specialists involved in professional projects.
The study programme consists of a series of theoretical lectures
and design studios dedicated to arguments and methods of architectural design in its different forms (housing, services industry,
culture, etc.) and scales (from interior design to the architectural
structure all the way up to the urban and territorial plan).
The programme draws on two different but correlated teaching
approaches.
The first consists in theoretical courses pertaining to the methodological, technological and historical knowledge that will enable
future architects to explore central themes of contemporary
architectural culture critically.
The second approach entails, each semester, the choice of a
design studio which focuses on a specific project typology,
whether architectural or urban.
In the years of the Master students are asked to produce two
theoretical papers on topics of their own choice with the approval of a teacher.
The last semester is entirely dedicated to the drafting of the final
thesis, which consists in a project that is related to a topic chosen
by the design studio professor. Although each professor chooses
a different topic to be developed by his students, all concern a
specific site selected by the school.
Graduates are qualified to practice architecture as independent
professionals or working with large architectural firms.
Thanks to the acquired skills, which cover the whole project
process and the different scales of intervention, graduates are
prepared for the elaboration of projects ranging from the preliminary project to the working drawings.
17
Year 2
Personalisation
(Semesters 1-3)
Year 1
Study Programme
First Semester
Design Studio
Paper*
15.0
5.0
Historical-Humanistic Optional Courses**
Restoration and Reuse of 20th C. Architecture
Urban Planning Techniques
Spatial Strategies for Great Urban Regions
Landscape Architecture 1
The Design of Holocaust Memorials
5.0
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
Technical-Scientific Optional Courses**
Construction Techniques of the 20th Century
Energy Strategies
Structures in Architecture
Building Facades
Project Management
2.5
5.0
2.5
2.5
2.5
Technical-Scientific Facultative Courses
Design
Quantitative Methods in the Analysis of Territory
Building and Subterranean Gases
GIS: Geographic Information System
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
Third Semester
Design Studio
Paper*
Preparation for the Diploma
15.0
5.0
2.5
Second Semester
Design Studio
Paper*
Digital Representation Techniques
New Media for Architecture
2.5
2.5
Historical-Humanistic Facultative Courses
Infrastructures and Urban Transformation
Urban Geography
Sustainable Development 1
Sustainable Development 2
Landscape Architecture 2
The Alps: Territoriality of a European Space
Modern and Contemporary Aesthetics
Music and Space
Paradigms of Organicism
The “Synthesis of the Arts”
The Invention of the Modern Viewer
The New Image
Styles and Techniques of Cinema
Production Design Module
Workshop on International Social Housing
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
5.0
2.5
7.5
Fourth Semester
Diploma Project
30
Total ECTS
* Two theoretical papers are compulsory.
15.0
5.0
120
** At least 10 ECTS are compulsory.
Master of Science in Architecture
Course Descriptions
Historical-Humanistic Optional Courses
Restoration and Reuse of 20th Century Architecture
The course consists of an introduction to the restoration and
reuse of the architectural heritage of the twentieth century. After
a general introduction to the issues, a number of case histories
will be presented and discussed to illustrate the broad spectrum
of knowledge and skills required by the practice of reuse and
restoration. They range from the historical-critical setting of the
work, to the designation of compatible uses or reuses and the
development of design strategies that will devote appropriate
consideration to the work as an economic, social, symbolic, historical and aesthetic resource.
Urban Planning Techniques
The course presents and discusses urban planning techniques
in the light of problems posed by transformations which have
changed the characteristics of the urban layout. For this purpose,
the accumulation of knowledge and experience is reconsidered in
the light of the trends which have taken place over recent decades
in various aspects of urbanism, with interpretations of the change
that has occurred and an indication of planning solutions. The
course will then focus on themes regarding the re-composition
of different landscape patterns that are recognizable within the
extraordinary mix of urban materials which form the contemporary
urban area, with comments on various recent urban projects.
Spatial Strategies for Great Urban Regions
The course deals with planning strategies to steer processes
of change in the contemporary city. The assumption is that
future architects must be aware of both the relevant underlying
dynamics of urban and metropolitan change and of planning
approaches which will enable the architectural project to be
positioned within a strategic framework. The course is divided
into three modules: City and territory in contemporary Europe:
processes of urbanization, urban diffusion, redefinition of functional relationships on the territorial scale; Innovative planning
strategies for great urban regions: methodological and theoretical issues; Case-studies presented in seminars with experts and
protagonists of relevant planning processes.
Landscape Architecture 1: Landscape in Transformation
Land, water, vegetation, wind: all the constituent elements
of the landscape are in continuous transformation. The manlandscape relation also changes unceasingly. While in the most
remote times man sought to fight against nature and dominate
it, today he seeks instead to guide its dynamics. But it is not
enough to be able to interpret the these interwoven processes,
natural and cultural: we also have to invent the instruments
and methods for inscribing new ones. Each intervention, each
modification of the territory, obeys its own rules and produces
different spatial effects, regardless of the scale and means, as
well as the artefact constructed.
The Design of Holocaust Memorials
The architectural competition for Ground Zero in New York has
shown how difficult and painful it can be to design an archi-
19
tectural frame for a collective memory in relation to sites of
unimaginable and unimagined horror and devastation. Is it after
all possible to lend artistic expression and architectural form to
the otherwise unspeakable? This course will address the question in relation to the numerous Holocaust memorials that have
been designed throughout much of Europe since 1945. We will
investigate the changing aesthetics of their concepts as well as
the challenges they posed to artists and architects alike: Daniel
Buren, Peter Eisenman, Rebecca Horn, Anselm Kiefer, Daniel
Libeskind, Richard Serra and Peter Zumthor to cite but a few.
Technical-Scientific Optional Courses
Construction Techniques of the 20th Century
The object of the course is to outline the critical history of the
leading ideas of the construction systems of the 20th century,
on the basis of understanding in depth of the built legacy in its
materiality, with regard to qualities that are technical (solidity,
inhabitability, comfort) and material (materials and their installation), as well as their significance and historical stratifications.
The course explores issues bound up with the transformations of
the modern construction site following the processes of industrialization, the permanence of knowledge and traditional or
regional practices, the evolution of comfort.
.
Energy Strategies and Solar Energy Systems
The syllabus of the course centres on the theme of the use of
energy and solar power on different architectural scales, from
the building to the territory. The course will supply information and instruments useful in the development of an energy-
aware approach to design and a correct integration of the solar
resource. It envisages seminars with the participation of experts
and the sharing of teaching material as the fruit of a project of
cooperation between the Schools of Architecture in Switzerland.
The main topics dealt with will be: energy: analysis of the question, paradigms of generation and strategies of conversion; the
use of local renewable resources on the scale of the building,
district and city; energy planning; solar energy systems.
Structures in Architecture
The structure characterizes the project, while also acting as a
constraint on its structure. From this it follows that the structure
is an instrument whose significance lies in its use. As an extension of the BAC syllabus, the MAS course will examine different
typologies of projects in order to delineate the rules that form the
basis of their conceptual development. In the field of geotechnics
the course analyzes problems of the stability of the ground with
projects for the consolidation of embankments and for foundations with different load forms. With regard to the design of the
buildings, the course outlines the general principles of anti-seismic
structures, static systems for large spans, and the technique of
prestressing and prefabricating reinforced concrete.
Building Facades
The course will illustrate various types of lightweight building envelopes – particularly curtain wall systems – through the presentation
of construction details of representative buildings, which are realized with advanced materials and technologies to reduce energy
consumption while safeguarding the architectural quality derived
from the transparency of the envelope. The course does not present
Master of Science in Architecture
a vocabulary of standardized solutions but seeks to show the positive results achieved by the interaction between various specialists
who participate to design the building envelope, not just as the
expression of an architectural conception but as the outcome of
specific practical, technical and economic requirements.
Project Management
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, instruments and techniques to design activities with the purpose of satisfying or surpassing the expectations of stakeholders. It is a central part of the architect’s responsibility to the client and society.
Managerial skills – from communication with clients and partners
to cost control and planning the schedule – are therefore integral
parts of the project manager’s formative equipment. Starting from
the life cycle of works of architecture, from the quality-cost-time
ratio and the various players involved, the course will develop the
concepts and vocabulary of the discipline.
Historical-Humanistic Facultative Courses
Infrastructures and Urban Transformation
The territory as the superimposition of networks, the collapse of
the industrial city and the financial crisis have made necessary
a new urban project which, without losing its cultural features,
will need to be integrated with a new technological vision. Urban
infrastructures of industrial origin will continue to be valid, but
will be changed by the effects of new and more immaterial
infrastructures, whose limited spatial impact will cause a greater
territorial isotropy, greater functional options and new scope for
competition between different territories.
Urban Geography
The course is articulated around the issues of the city, in a field of
scientific research at the intersection between human geography,
architecture and urban planning. The principal objective is the
investigation of the conceptual instruments best suited to describing and interpreting the relationships between the players who
contribute to the creation and development of urban space. This
first of all makes it possible to deal with the issues of the major
recent changes in urban development and then to pass on to the
analysis of the models of the contemporary city, bringing out the
problems bound up with sustainability and governability.
Sustainable Development 1: The New Paradigm
The course analyzes the political, economic and social premises
which have led to the qualitative breakthrough in the perception of the world, development, the economy and of relations
between the community and society viewed as a “new paradigm”. In this context, it then introduces the different theoretical
constructs devised over the last twenty years to orientate the
changes made to the system of values and scientific, technological and socio-economic policies. It will also study the new directives imposed in the field of the politics of the city and examine
their effects on the role of the architect.
Sustainable Development 2: Challenges of Global
Governance
The course, devoted to the analysis of current and future possible
developments, starts from the “global crisis of the system” (environmental, economic, social and political) which has compelled
our societies to adopt new models of sustainable development.
21
A special concern will be devoted to theories of the new sustainability and the “new city”, and to the analysis of those concrete
experiments whose implementation (above all as a response to the
spreading problem of shantytowns) has changed the figure of the
architect and the type of work architects are required to perform.
Landscape Architecture 2
The object of the course is to learn to see the landscapes around
us, understand the mechanisms that produce them, decipher
their evolution and identify their problems. The landscape today
is seen almost only from the point of view of its conservation,
while its transformation is considered a priori with suspicion.
However our concern is to observe precisely this. During the
semester a collection of projects will be screened and commented on. Starting from aerial photographs of landscapes, the students will then produce a number of collages. This manipulation
will enable us to imagine other transformations, new projects,
taking us beyond rigorous analysis.
The Alps: Territoriality of a European Space
The course sought to analyze the historical and contemporary
reality of the Alpine area through a twofold key to its interpretation. On the one hand it examined the evolution of the road
system across the Alps, as well as the implications of transits and
exchanges on their territorial organization and their patterns
within European space. On the other, it brought out the repercussions of modernization on the Alpine world and in particular
on the phenomena of settlement and urban development within
it. Through this twofold reading we sought to emphasize the
various ramifications of the concept of marginality (geographic-
territorial, economic, social and cultural) with the spread of
economic modernization in the industrial period.
Modern and Contemporary Aesthetics
The course will interweave aesthetics and ethics, starting from
the observation that traditional aesthetics, understood as the
theory of beauty, is to be seen as superseded. This will emerge
more clearly by delineating a specific logic of development for the
future of the arts and poetics (from Manet to Beuys), distancing
ourselves from “institutional theory” (H.S. Becker) and making use
of the critical approaches of Arnold Gehlen, Walter Benjamin and
Theodor Adorno. We will then deal with the specifically architectural debate over form, connotation, function and seriality.
Music and Space
The relationship between music and architecture is analyzed with
the aim of identifying the points of contact, linguistic exchanges
and concrete reciprocal pressures in relation to the “composition” of architecture and the “design” of music. The course will
turn on four introductory themes: the sound of space; the space
of sound; space in sound; sound in space. Then we will proceed
to an analysis of the music-space relationship in concrete contexts: the house, the city, the factory, the territory.
Paradigms of Organicism
Ever since it burst upon architecture, in the course of the nineteenth century, the term “organic” has acquired a range of different meanings, at times discordant, eluding an unambiguous
definition. Or rather it could be affirmed that there exist as many
forms of organicism as there are different ways of understand-
Master of Science in Architecture
ing the concept of “organic” and applying it to architecture.
The course proposes to investigate these different paradigms,
revealing their sources, instances and consequences. Beginning
with the principal experiences which developed in Europe and
America in the course of the twentieth century, the course will
focus on Swiss architecture in the postwar period, and particularly on architecture in Canton Ticino in the fifties and sixties.
basic question the “distracted” condition of the modern viewer.
Architects such as van Doesburg, Gropius, Mies, Tessenow, Loos,
Mart Stam and Le Corbusier measured themselves against this
culture of entertainment, of the urban picturesque, of strolling – widely documented by writers and philosophers such as
Baudelaire, Kracauer, Kraus, Musil, Hessel and Benjamin – to
integrate it into their compositional process.
The “Synthesis of the Arts”
The concept of the “synthesis of the arts”, which emerged in the
1950s and 60s, requires to be explained in a historical perspective, with special reference to the Modern Movement (Bauhaus,
De Stijl, etc.). Through the “readings” of projects and built
works of protagonists of the encounter between architecture
and art in Italy, such as Luigi Moretti, Gio Ponti, Giulio Minoletti,
Marco Zanuso and the artists involved in their respective
projects – from the supporters of Art Informel to Lucio Fontana
and Arte Nucleare, Carlo Accardi, Giuseppe Capogrossi and
Forma 1, Gianni Dova, Alberto Burri and yet others – the course
starts from the research projects under way at the Archivio del
Moderno and seeks to explore their different paradigms, revealing their sources and achievements.
The New Image
The major phenomenon in art today is the birth of a virtual
image which has changed our vision of the world modelled on
classical cinema. It is not a medium, rather an immedium, which
challenges the concept: Deleuze describes it as a “new image”,
a vast digital category that includes (among others) video, independent and experimental films and the visual archive, without
neglecting the cyberimage of the various automatons produced
by the “society of control”. We propose here to conduct a critical study through the great examples of resisting artists such as
Farocki or Zmijewski, McQueen or Chen Chieh-jen, the emerging
cinema of South America and Southeast Asia, or the avant-garde
theatres of Central and Eastern Europe.
The Invention of the Modern Viewer
The course will interweave themes of aesthetics and perception.
The objective is to review some salient projects from the twentieth century in order to determine in each case the status of the
viewer. Starting from the observation that every architectural
object conditions the viewer’s attitude to it in a precise way, we
will show how the architecture of the avant-garde posed as its
Styles and Techniques of Cinema
The course concentrates on the figure of Ken Adam (Berlin 1921)
and on the role he played in defining the relationship between
cinema and architecture in the postwar period: he made his
debut as an architect, but he soon began working in the film
industry, first as set designer and then as Production Designer.
In the early sixties he, more than anyone else, was responsible
for defining the revised and corrected role of the Production
23
Designer/architect in the cinema, as a figure entrusted with the
supervision of all the visual elements of a film: choice of locations, conception and construction of the set, furnishings, coordination of costumes and scenery.
on specific topics and take part in critiques of the projects. The
results of the course are then exhibited at both the Accademia
and abroad. The activities of WISH are set within the framework
of international cooperation for aid to development.
Production Design Module
The production designer Sonia Peng introduces students to
the roles to be met with in departments of Production Design.
She explains the nature of the set designer’s skills and how to
develop them; supplies the criteria adopted in the reading and
breakdown of a screenplay; illustrates the different skills of the
Production Designer, namely: designing the sets of a film; organizing relations with the director, director of cinematography
and production; drafting the shooting schedule; choosing and
examining the location, altering/rebuilding a location (typologies of setting: realistic or evocative set design, period setting);
making maquettes and designs; moving on the set; relating to
other departments; fitting in with the production schedule and
organization.
Technical-Scientific Facultative Courses
Workshop on International Social Housing
The WISH deals with the problem, of great current relevance, of
social housing in poor or emerging cities. The group of participants consists of five students from the Accademia and five from
the school of architecture of the city involved. During two months
in the summer the students produce projects for low cost housing
estates located in areas of the city already earmarked by the local
authority for this purpose. A field trip of study and preparation
precedes the design phase, carried out in Mendrisio. During the
course there are interventions by specialists, who present lectures
Design: NanoDesign
The relationship we have with the dimension of things has a scale
related to the physical condition of sensorial perception and connection between our limbs and things themselves. What does it
mean, therefore, to work with an artificial world that constitutes
reality but has “nanometric” dimensions, absolutely remote from
the sensory and instrumental relationship that we have become
accustomed to over millennia? What type of “artefacts”, what
instruments, what materials will we have to deal with in the
immediate future of the nanotechnologies? What type of human
habitat will we have to deal with and what relationship will we
be able to have with it? It is important that today architects face
the problem of the direct knowledge of these new and imminent
technologies, both because we could be excluded from them out
of ignorance, and because in them we will be able to find a new
formula for setting our creativity to work.
Quantitative Methods in the Analysis of Territory
The course introduces students to the basic methods of statistics
and the mathematical models used in the study of the territory
and its dynamics: growth models of populations in demographics and ecology, dynamic models of development of the territory,
models of traffic and pedestrian mobility and methods of con-
Master of Science in Architecture
figurational analysis. Configurational analysis is an instrument
employed to investigate the structure of a spatial system (for
example the territory or an architectural project) seen as a set
of parts in reciprocal relationship and to explore the relationship
between the form and function of space.
analysis and management; instruments (software and hardware)
for implementing a GIS; publication of geographic data via web;
the activities of the various operators in the sector, such as project
analysis, data acquisition, the preparation of interfaces. The course
will consist of theoretical lectures and laboratory exercises.
Building and Subterranean Gases
Subterranean migrations of gas, especially of radon and biogas,
can create serious problems for buildings, whether housing or
commercial structures. Radon is a radioactive gas of natural origin, derived from the decay of uranium, and emanates from the
ground, while biogas is often of human origin and produced by
large masses of refuse. The course pursues the following objectives: acquisition of scientific knowledge for a better understanding of the phenomenon and its application to urbanization;
understanding of the procedures of surveying and the principles
involved in gas reduction and reclamation of old buildings, as
well as basic methods of protecting new buildings; study in
depth of the influence of radon on the parameters of real-estate
evaluation and on the mode of transfer of property between
owners; definition of the responsibility of designers and the possibility of insurance coverage.
Digital Representation Techniques
The importance acquired by the model in its digital configuration,
compared with the traditional centrality of the drawing as a plane
figure, seems to be able to open the discipline of representation
to new horizons. Vision takes place in three-dimensional space;
this geometry helps to develop the spatial insight, which is almost
always excluded from three-dimensional programs. This insight
is especially useful in schools of architecture to form a mode of
thought capable of manipulating complex created images, which
has always been a physiological process: the Idea and its sharing.
GIS: Geographic Information System
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the
correct use and development of Geographic Information Systems
(GIS), now definitely the most widespread and effective instrument for the management and analysis of geographic data. The
subjects dealt will cover: basic structures of geographic data:
raster and vector; procedures of data acquisition, processing,
New Media for Architecture
The topic of the course is new media applied to architecture on
the small and large scale, in particular to communication and the
architectural project. The objective is to enable students to understand, through a critical and methodological development, how the
impact of the new media have changed the architect’s profession in
the communicative process and in architectural design itself.
Diploma Project
The diploma project is carried out in the last semester. The school
chooses each year a location for its diplomas and prepares the
students to the peculiarities of the territory and its culture with
lectures and field trips that take place in the preceding semester.
25
Each professor prepares a theme within the defined area. The
students are then given a choice of several professors they can
work with. On average each professor, who is assisted by a staff
architect, will guide a group of 3-12 students.
The diploma syllabus entails:
– individual architectural design work in the spring semester
– personal critiques with the professor of the architectural
design studio and instructors
– intermediate critiques with the professor of the design studio
and the president of the Panel of Judges
– meetings with teachers in the different areas of the theoretical
disciplines
– final critique with the professor of the design studio and the
full Panel of Judges.
General Information
Language
The main language of tuition is Italian. However there is usually at
least one design studio offered in English and some courses are
held in English. In the weeks preceding the fall semester, an Italian
course is organised (for both beginners and advanced users).
Admission Requirements
Bachelor degree from a school with an architectural programme
held as equivalent. The Admission Commission can establish
supplementary requisites to guarantee equivalent starting knowledge for all participants. Preliminary admission demands must be
received by April 15th. For details and information for ETH and
EPFL students, please refer to our webpage.
Scholarship
Each year the Università della Svizzera italiana offers five twoyear
scholarships for students who are particularly well qualified, have
completed the B.Arch. and intend to take the M.Arch. at the
Accademia.
WWW.
arc.usi.ch
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Accademia di architettura
6850 Mendrisio, Switzerland
Tel. +41 58 666 5000, Fax +41 58 666 5868
[email protected], www.arc.usi.ch
Masters of Science in Economics
master.usi.ch
Master of Science in Banking and Finance
Banking and Finance
Goals and Contents
The Master in Banking and Finance has been designed to provide
graduates with the necessary tools and skills for understanding
financial markets and products from a banker’s perspective.
Lugano being the 3rd financial marketplace in Switzerland
provides an ideal venue to offer students with different backgrounds the best possible start for a successful career in banking
or finance. The degree provides a background in finance methodology as well as the opportunity to go into more depth in
selected topics of banking and finance by choosing electives.
The Master programme stretches over two years (120 ECTS)
and is structured to allow the students to personalise their study
curricula according to their individual interests and educational
backgrounds. It includes four semesters of lectures and seminars,
and an internship. Typically, in the first semester students attend
the foundation courses in order to acquire the basics of finance,
accounting and statistics. The second and third semesters are
dedicated to core courses and electives. The final thesis should
show the candidate’s ability to integrate acquired knowledge
in the advanced scientific analysis of a topic in banking and
finance.
The Swiss Finance Institute at the University of Lugano coordinates the Master in Finance. The Swiss Finance Institute is
an initiative sponsored by the Swiss Bankers Association with
the purpose of achieving international excellence in banking
and finance education and research at Swiss universities. The
Institute is highly committed to banking and finance education
in Ticino and Switzerland. The importance of the financial area
in the Swiss economy strengthens the mission of the Institute to
train the people required to meet the challenges of globalisation
and the increasing competition in financial markets.
Student Profile
The Master in Banking and Finance is aimed at students who
wish to pursue careers within the main sectors of banking and
finance: Wealth Management, Private Banking, Investment
Banking, Commercial Banking, and Corporate Finance. The
programme is aimed at bachelor graduates with a background
in economics, management, or related disciplines, who are
interested in developing general expertise in finance and in the
banking sector.
The Faculty and the students are an international group, with
education and work experience from across the world. This further increases learning and cultural exchanges, as students also
learn to work effectively with people from different cultures.
Therefore a good command of English is a prerequisite.
29
Study Programme*
6
6
6
3
6
3
6
Core Courses (30 ECTS)
Private Banking
Introduction to Financial Engineering
or Derivatives
6
Financial Statement Analysis
Financial Intermediation
Corporate Banking
Electives
Fixed Income
Ethics and Law in Banking (in Italian only)
Structured Products
Advanced Corporate Finance
Entrepreneurship Writing Business Plans
Risk Management
Behavioural finance
Introductory Corporate Governance
6
4
6
6
3
6
6
3
Advanced Corporate Governance
Strategic Marketing
Human Resources Management
International Fiscal System
The programme may offer a choice of
course-seminars normally worth 3 ECTS.
Please refer to the official course time
schedule for details.
Sem. 3 + 4
Sem. 1
6
6
6
Sem. 2
Accounting
Capital Markets
Corporate Finance
Foundation Courses (27 ECTS)
Introduction to Probability Theory
Advanced or Applied Statistics
3
6
6
Internship
Thesis
Field Project (optional)
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
6
18
12
120
Master of Science in Banking and Finance
Course Descriptions
Foundation Courses
Introduction to Probability Theory for Finance
The goal of this course is to introduce students to important
probability theory concepts used in many areas of Finance. The
course will cover mostly probabilistic models in a static setting
and highlight to the end some of the possible extensions to
model dynamic random phaenomena. The focus will be on key
ideas and applications and less on formal developments. Several
applied examples and exercises will highlight the topics covered
in the class.
Advanced Statistics
The course deals with statistical model-building and statistical
inference. Examples, exercises and applications will be taken
mostly from generalized linear models and time series analysis.
Contents: main probability distributions employed in statistical
modelling, likelihood concepts, parametric inference, an introduction to nonparametric inference, a survey of classical methods in multivariate analysis.
Applied Statistics
The aim of this course is to review the main concepts of descriptive and basic inferential statistics and to deepen the knowledge
of inferential methods for empirical research with application
to economics, finance, management and marketing, both at a
univariate and multivariate level.
The focus of the course will be mainly applied. Together with the
theoretical concepts, data sets derived from empirical research,
experimental data and questionnaires will be analysed.
The different steps of an empirical research will be analysed
considering their statistical implications: definition of a sampling
plan, preparation of a questionnaire, data collection, input,
visualisation and processing; elaboration and analysis of the
conclusions.
The free-ware statistical software “R” (free version of the commercial software “SPlus”, one of the main software used for
statistical purposes) will be introduced.
Data, imported from an Excel spreadsheet into “R”, will be analysed using both parametric and non-parametric procedures. In
particular the statistical instruments needed to compare two or
more samples and to detect and analyse possible dependence
links between two or more characters (both qualitative and
quantitative) will be provided.
Accounting
This course in Accounting consists of two parts, the first part
covering Financial Accounting and the second part covering
Management Accounting. The main objective of the course is to
provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of financial
and cost accounting with a particular focus on modern concepts
in both fields. The course is of special interest for students who
wish to pursue a career in an accounting department of an industrial corporation. Based on theoretical concepts, the course heavily
incorporates practical aspects of cost and financial accounting in
order to prepare students to cope with real-world events.
31
Capital Markets
This course analyses investment decisions. The stock and bond
markets are discussed from the perspectives of the Efficient
Market Hypothesis and Behavioural Finance. The main derivative
contracts are introduced. Contents: portfolio analysis, efficient
sets, index models, the CAPM: theory and empirical evidence,
the APT, stock valuation, market efficiency and behavioural
finance, performance measures, options, forward and futures,
interest rates and term structure.
Corporate Finance
This course teaches the logic underlying the firm’s financial
decisions: investment, financing, and payout policies. The main
themes will be: What is corporate finance? The concept of value,
the discounted cash-flow (DCF) method in theory and practice,
capital budgeting decisions, market efficiency and financial policy, financial structure and the Modigliani-Miller theorem, payout
policies: dividends and share repurchases.
Core Courses
Private Banking
The course deals with the topic of the role of financial institutions in the market for asset management services, with special
emphasis on the business area known as private banking. The
main focus of the course is on the content of the service, on the
nature and management problems of the suppliers, and on the
competitive structure of the market. Emphasis is placed more
on the strategic and organisational issues of providing private
banking services rather than on the techniques and models for
managing a portfolio of securities.
Introduction to Financial Engineering
This course takes a look at the link between financial innovation
and the causes and dynamics behind this process over the last
30 years. The course also presents the evolution of structured
products, their use and markets. Lastly, through the use of
simulations, the course provides a procedure to evaluate risk and
return of complex portfolios.
Derivatives
This course analyses the main derivative contracts and their markets. Futures, forwards, options and swaps are the main topics.
Numerical and analytical models for their valuation are presented
and the empirical evidence is discussed. Contents: futures markets,
forward and futures prices, interest rate futures, swaps, option
markets, properties of option prices, trading strategies, binomial
trees, the behaviour of stock prices, the Black-Scholes model,
options on indices, currencies and futures, a general approach to
pricing derivatives, market risk, numerical procedures.
Financial Statement Analysis
This course is about the analysis of financial information, particularly the financial statements of companies, for making decisions
to invest in businesses. The primary focus is on equity (share) valuation. Topics include models of shareholder value, a comparison of
accrual accounting and discounted cash flow approaches to valuation, the analysis of profitability, growth and valuation generation
Master of Science in Banking and Finance
in a firm, diagnosing accounting quality, forecasting earnings and
cash flows, pro-forma analysis for strategy and planning, and the
determination of price/earnings and market-to-book ratios.
Corporate Banking
This course presents state-of-the art concepts of finance theory
and applies them to practical corporate financing issues. The
theoretical part of the course will briefly review standard corporate
financing theory, then move on to the concepts of asymmetric
information and agency costs, and how they play into the practical
issue of raising long-term funds for a company. The applied part
of the course will use case studies to bring together the major corporate finance concepts studied during the Master´s programme.
Electives
Fixed Income
The course analyses the valuation and hedging of fixed-income
securities in a stochastic environment and provides methods for
optimally managing portfolios exposed to interest rate risk. After
a brief overview of the basic concepts of fixed income markets,
probabilistic models for the evolution of the term structure of
interest rates will be considered in detail. Derivative securities
pricing and immunisation schemes will then be analysed. In addition to theoretical explanations, the course provides real-world
examples and applications throughout.
Ethics and Law in Banking
The course introduces students to some particular institutions of
the common law system (Britain and the United States) such as
trusts or fiduciary duties, as well as special aspects of contract
law like frustration, anticipatory repudiation and consideration.
Some of the topics covered include sources of banking law, legislation governing stock exchanges, due diligence and the guarantee of irreproachable business activity, banking secrecy, banking
contracts, ethics, administrative issues (the role and competence
of the Federal Banking Commission; procedural aspects; application of general principles), etc.
Structured Products
In an extensive interpretation, we may speak of structured products as soon as we combine two or more elementary financial
products into a new structure displaying original characteristics.
Structured products represented one of the most rapidly growing areas of finance in the last two decades, reaching a nearly
unlimited variety of forms. The goal of this course is to provide
an overview of the general process of developing, marketing,
and managing structured products as well as an introduction to
the most popular among these products.
Advanced Corporate Finance
In the real world, mergers, acquisitions and restructuring are
the most challenging applications for financial managers and
investment bankers. This course aims to bring together financial theory and practice in order to develop the analytical skills
needed in the field. The first part of the course deals with
takeovers and mergers. The second part will focus on financial
reorganisation and bankruptcy. A particular attention will be
devoted to the conflicts of interest arising in such situations
and to the implications of the restructuring taking place under
33
court protection (i.e. in a bankruptcy procedure) vs. out-ofcourt.
Risk Management
The main objective of this course is to introduce financial risk
management, focusing on risk management methodologies for
market and credit risk. The course starts with a general overview of the typology of financial risks. We then discuss the risk
management methodologies for market risk, modelling of risk
factors, stress testing and risk measures. The next steps are:
portfolio credit models, the modelling of default probabilities,
recovery rates, and credit ratings. Finally, we introduce the regulatory framework, in particular the Basel Accords.
Introductory Corporate Governance
When the internet bubble burst and when numerous accounting
scandals (e.g., WorldCom, Enron, Parmalat, etc.) came to light,
the markets crashed and countries around the world issued new
or revised corporate governance codes, including the U.S. (e.g.,
Sarbanes-Oxley Act). This module deals with one of the most
important financial issues of our times: corporate governance.
Upon completion of this module, students will know and understand the key issues and players involved in corporate governance.
Students will also gain an appreciation of how corporate governance issues are complicated. Finally, students will also be exposed
to the latest global issues with regard to corporate governance.
Advanced Corporate Governance
This course provides advanced applications of corporate governance problems from the viewpoint of the chief financial officer,
investment banker, management consultant, securities lawyer, and
financial analyst. The course will be of an applied nature, and thus
students are expected to collect, process and analyze stock market
and accounting data pertaining to real-world cases in order to get
a proper understanding of them. Upon completion of this course,
students will gain an appreciation of complicated corporate governance issues. Finally, students will also be exposed to the latest
academic research with regard to corporate governance.
Strategic Marketing
This course aims to develop the abilities to interpret different
market situations and to conceive and implement appropriate
responses. The focus of the course is on understanding the
economic consequences of marketing decisions, and thus on
the impact of various strategic choices in marketing, on the
economic and financial performance of businesses. The main
topic areas covered in this course are: the analysis of customer
– supplier relationships and of market dynamics, the assessment
of strategic marketing options, and the development and implementation of market strategies. The course approach is based on
the use of participative teaching methods, including a business
game, and the analysis and discussion of company cases.
Human Resources Management
This course discusses core issues of human resources management. The relationship between the parts of the employment
relation is followed throughout its development. Examples of
topics discussed include investment in human capital, hiring
decision, employee training, the design of compensation and
incentive systems, and careers. The course pursues three specific
Master of Science in Banking and Finance
objectives: (1) show the importance of human resources management and personnel economics as fields of study, (2) explain
the implications of the basic principles of labour economics for
human resource management, and (3) apply the principles and
techniques of economic analysis to the discussion of major personnel issues and the solution of typical case problems.
International Fiscal System
This course is about the ways in which tax law applies to transactions in the international context. The objective of this course
is to introduce students to the EC rules relating to all forms of
taxation as wella as to the rules that operate at an international
or supra-national level. In addition to the anlysis of the features
found in double tax conventions and in the law of the European
Unionm there will be also an examination of financial instruments. This part of the course focuses on the models of taxation
of financial income (including derivatives, hybrid instruments,
investment funds etc.) and explores the treatment of financial
income under tax treaties patterned upon the OECD Model
Convention and European direct tax directives.
Field Project
Students are offered the option, albeit not the right, to develop
and carry out a Field Project in collaboration with companies or
institutions of the financial sector. This option is subject to the
availability and the suitability of such projects, and ultimately to
the approval of the Director of the Master.
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree (or
equivalent) from a recognised academic institution in Economics
or related disciplines. Good knowledge of English is required.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mbf.usi.ch
WWW.
mbf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Economia e Politiche Internazionali
Economia e Politiche Internazionali
nariato pubblico-privato costituisce una modalità privilegiata per la
realizzazione di programmi di interesse pubblico relativi a tematiche
fondamentali come l’energia, i trasporti o i progetti di cooperazione
allo sviluppo.
Obiettivi e contenuti
La Facoltà di Scienze economiche dell’Università della Svizzera italiana organizza un Master congiunto con l’Alta Scuola di Economia
e Relazioni Internazionali (ASERI) dell’Università Cattolica di Milano,
coinvolgendo studenti svizzeri, italiani e stranieri interessati ad un
curriculum di studi che permetta loro di ottenere un doppio titolo:
un Master italiano di primo livello e un Master svizzero (laurea
magistrale). Il MEPIN offre un ampio bagaglio di strumenti scientifici
e competenze specifiche, indispensabili per la comprensione dei
fenomeni economico-politici legati alla globalizzazione.
Le basi sulle quali si sviluppa l’intero programma sono legate allo
studio dell’economia, della finanza, del diritto e delle istituzioni,
delle politiche internazionali. Verranno inoltre fornite conoscenze di
carattere multidisciplinare necessarie per affrontare tematiche quali
lo sviluppo sostenibile, il microcredito, l’etica economico-finanziaria
e, più in generale, le forme di cooperazione tra autorità pubbliche
e operatori economici privati tese al raggiungimento di un obiettivo comune, quale la prestazione di un servizio o la creazione e la
gestione di un progetto.
Le partnership tra il pubblico e il privato sono oggi sempre più
frequenti in vari settori (sanità, public utilities, infrastrutture, servizi
sociali e risorse ambientali) e a tutti i livelli (locale, nazionale e
sopranazionale). In molte organizzazioni internazionali il parte-
Lo studio degli ambiti di intersezione tra pubblico e privato, dal
livello locale a quello globale, richiede competenze sia nel settore
economico-finanziario, sia in quello delle politiche pubbliche, nonché la conoscenza degli aspetti giuridico-regolamentari e di comunicazione relativi ai rapporti tra le due sfere. Il Master in Economia e
Politiche Internazionali risponde a queste esigenze proponendo un
approccio interdisciplinare che alle specializzazioni tematiche abbina
l’analisi complessa.
Ai partecipanti vengono proposte due serie di corsi, una nella
sede di Lugano (primo semestre) e una in quella di Milano (secondo semestre). Il programma si completa, nel terzo semestre,
con l’elaborazione di una tesi e con uno stage in un’istituzione
nazionale o internazionale (pubblica o privata). Il sistema adottato
per il conferimento del titolo è quello dei crediti. La formazione
poliedrica e interdisciplinare che offre il Master in Economia e
Politiche Internazionali ha permesso ai suoi diplomati di inserirsi
rapidamente e con successo in aziende multinazionali, in banche e
società finanziarie, in enti territoriali, in organizzazioni non governative, nell’insegnamento e in istituti di ricerca. Le figure professionali
che escono da questo Master possiedono sia competenze pluridisciplinari, sia conoscenze specifiche che permettono loro di operare
in tutti quei settori in cui pubblico e privato cooperano.
37
* Il piano dei corsi può
essere soggetto a cambiamenti.
Sem. 3
Sem. 2 all’ASERI
Sem. 1 all’USI
Piano dei corsi*
Area economica (8 ECTS)
Economia politica e istituzioni
4
Microeconomia: economia del
non-profit e delle imprese pubbliche 4
Area monetaria (8 ECTS)
Macroeconomia monetaria
Economia e istituzioni monetarie
4
4
Area economica (8 ECTS)
Principi di finanza internazionale
Finanza nelle aree integrate
Strategic Thinking
Economia dei mercati emergenti e
rischio paese
Le attività di investimento nel
capitale di piccole e medie imprese
Globalization processes and financial
markets
Area giuridica (8 ECTS)
Diritti dell’uomo, sviluppo sostenibile
e globalizzazione economica
4
Etica e diritto del sistema
bancario e finanziario
4
Area interdisciplinare (6 ECTS)
Microcredito, diritto e fiscalità.
Con l’aggiunta dei seguenti moduli:
Area istituzionale (8 ECTS)
Diritto internazionale dell’economia
Elementi di contrattualistica
Diritto del mercato dei capitali
PPP: regolamentazione e questioni
giuridiche
Management delle partnership
Area politica (8 ECTS)
Analisi delle politiche pubbliche
Regolazione politica dello sviluppo locale
- The Sociotechnical Foundations of
Property and their relevance to a
theory of Money
- Il ruolo della Banca mondiale
- Corporate Social Responsibility,
Società Civile e Sviluppo Globale 3
Il pensiero economico nella storia
delle idee e dei fatti
3
Corso avanzato di inglese
Politiche pubbliche dell’Unione europea
Illeciti finanziari internazionali
Governance del sistema internazionale
Global Business, National Governments
and World Politics
Ethics and Globalization
Area della comunicazione (6 ECTS)
Comunicazione organizzativa
English communication skills
development
Stage
Tesi
10
20
Totale ECTS
90
Master of Science in Economia e Politiche Internazionali
Contenuto e obiettivi dei corsi
Primo semestre: Università della Svizzera italiana
I corsi si suddividono in tre aree disciplinari (economica, monetaria e giuridica) alle quali si aggiunge un’area di orientamento
interdisciplinare.
Area economica
L’obiettivo primario dei corsi proposti è quello di studiare i meccanismi più importanti che stanno alla base del funzionamento
dei sistemi economici moderni. Le istituzioni, nel contesto economico, possono essere considerate esogene (come le forme
di mercato prevalenti o la politica monetaria e fiscale), oppure
endogene. In quest’ultimo caso esse sono connesse con la
struttura demografica, i trasferimenti tecnologici e i processi di
accumulazione dei risparmi e del capitale. Questo è un modo originale di esaminare la dinamica della struttura economica delle
nazioni moderne che ha occupato un numero crescente di economisti negli ultimi anni. In particolare, sono prese in considerazione le componenti della domanda aggregata, e cioè i consumi,
gli investimenti, la spesa pubblica e il settore estero.
Economia politica ed istituzioni
In questo corso di economia politica e istituzioni si analizzano
i grandi aggregati economici ed alcuni aspetti della teoria del
produttore e del consumatore, in modo da poter meglio comprendere i meccanismi endogeni ed esogeni dei nostri sistemi
economici post-industriali.
Micro-economia: economia del non-profit e
delle imprese pubbliche
In questo corso si analizza l´economia dei servizi di pubblica utilità utilizzando prevalentemente un approccio microeconomico.
Le domande che vengono affrontate sono: Che ruolo devono
assumere lo Stato e le istituzioni non-profit nell´offerta di servizi
di pubblica utilità? Quali sono i vantaggi e gli svantaggi di forme
istituzionali il cui obiettivo non è la massimizzazione dei profitti?
È possibile coniugare competizione e partenariato sociale, mercato e società civile?
Area monetaria
Lo scopo dei corsi proposti in quest’area è l’approfondimento dei
principi che regolano il funzionamento del sistema monetario e
del ruolo svolto dalle istituzioni monetarie nel contesto nazionale
e internazionale.
Macroeconomia monetaria
L’obiettivo del corso è lo studio dei principi che regolano il funzionamento del sistema monetario e del ruolo svolto dalle banche private e dalle banche centrali sia nel contesto nazionale, sia
in quello internazionale.
Nel corso si analizzeranno i principi logici ed empirici alla base
della struttura monetaria che presiede il sistema dei pagamenti,
nazionale e internazionale. Verrà dato ampio spazio allo studio
analitico del sistema bancario e alla sua interazione con l´attività
produttiva e con il mondo degli scambi economici. In particolare, si approfondiranno lo studio dell´intermediazione bancaria e
39
della natura, essenzialmente macroeconomica, degli squilibri che
colpiscono sia le economie dei paesi industrializzati, sia quelle dei
paesi definiti in via di sviluppo.
Una parte importante del corso riguarderà il problema del debito
estero, che verrà analizzato sia concettualmente, sia statisticamente e che proporrà una nuova analisi del pagamento degli
interessi.
Economia e istituzioni monetarie
Il corso copre gli aspetti salienti del dibattito riguardante il
ruolo della politica monetaria e delle Banche Centrali all’interno
del sistema finanziario internazionale. La struttura del corso si
compone di tre parti, in aggiunta ad un’introduzione delle principali caratteristiche della moneta e delle teorie della domanda
e dell’offerta di moneta. La prima parte si concentra sull’analisi
delle strategie e delle regole operative adottate dalle moderne Banche Centrali. La seconda esamina i legami tra politica
monetaria e crisi finanziarie, con approfondimenti riguardanti le
possibili spiegazioni della “prima crisi finanziaria del XXI secolo”
attualmente in corso. La terza è una descrizione delle caratteristiche delle principali istituzioni nazionali e sovra-nazionali.
Area giuridica
L’obiettivo dei corsi di quest’area è lo studio delle più importanti dinamiche istituzionali nell’interazione tra i diversi sistemi
economico-politico-giuridico.
Diritti dell´uomo, sviluppo sostenibile e
globalizzazione economica
Il corso procederà ad analizzare come le due componenti non
economiche del concetto di ´sviluppo sostenibile´, ossia la
preservazione delle risorse ecologiche e la garanzia dei diritti
dell´uomo, possano essere integrati nell´economia liberalizzata e
globalizzata. L´analisi si farà sulla base di quelle poche convenzioni internazionali che stabiliscono un equilibrio fra esigenze
economiche e necessità ecologiche, ma anche riferendosi a
decisioni di tribunali o istituzioni internazionali che hanno cercato di conciliare esigenze spesso presentate come inconciliabili.
Si potranno cosi evidenziare regole e principi dell´ordinamento
internazionale che permettono, o che rendono persino inevitabile, la riconciliazione dei valori umanisti, culturali e ambientali con
il funzionamento dei mercati.
Etica e diritto del sistema bancario e finanziario
La parte “etico-giuridica” del corso intende evidenziare le peculiarità e la portata giuridica delle particolari modalità di interazione tra principi etici e diritto che caratterizzano il settore bancario
e finanziario. Verranno innanzitutto descritte alcune forme di
investimento o di concessione di credito fondate direttamente su
principi etici, quali ad esempio il microcredito, le banche alternative, i fondi di investimento etici, ecc.
In seguito saranno analizzate le modalità di applicazione normativa di tali principi, recepiti nel quadro della garanzia di “irreprensibilità” dell´intermediario finanziario, garanzia che, corroborata
dall´obbligo di fedeltà e diligenza del mandatario e dal principio
di buona fede (anch´essi vincoli giuridici dall´evidente matrice
Master of Science in Economia e Politiche Internazionali
etica) comporta specifiche conseguenze nelle relazioni tra intermediari finanziari e clienti sul piano amministrativo, civile ed
eventualmente penale.
Queste premesse concettuali, applicabili ad ogni sistema normativo, nazionale e internazionale, nel settore degli intermediari finanziari, saranno illustrate sistematicamente alla luce di
un´ampia casistica tratta dal diritto svizzero, ciò che permetterà
allo studente di familiarizzarsi anche con la prassi giurisprudenziale delle autorità bancarie, amministrative e giudiziarie della
piazza finanziaria elvetica.
Una parte del corso sarà inoltre riservata a temi di grande attualità
e interesse quali l´assistenza giudiziaria internazionale in campo
bancario e finanziario, il riciclaggio, la corporate governance, gli
obblighi connessi alla quotazione in borsa, nonché le manipolazioni ed i conflitti di interesse nelle istituzioni finanziarie.
Area interdisciplinare
In quest’area si attivano inizialmente due corsi il cui scopo è di
fornire ai partecipanti una visione articolata degli aspetti economici, monetari, etici, giuridici e politici coinvolti nell’attività
economica e in quella istituzionale. Viene in sostanza sottolineata la parziale contraddizione tra legittimità ed efficienza e
tra legalità ed efficacia; moderno ma controverso criterio per la
determinazione della validità della legislazione. Questa tematica
sarà illustrata con esempi concreti relativi ai vari livelli istituzionali
e gestionali.
Economia, diritto e fiscalità
La parte giuridica riguarderà i seguenti temi: l´eguaglianza di
trattamento nel diritto tributario nazionale e internazionale; le
amnistie, i condoni e gli scudi fiscali connessi ai problemi della
parità di trattamento; le norme di diritto penale in contrasto con
la convenzione dei diritti dell´uomo e con la relativa giurisprudenza; il progetto di legge federale riguardante le nuove disposizioni
in caso di denuncia spontanea.
La parte economica riguarderà il problema del microcredito e in
particolare: l´origine del microcredito, il microcredito nei paesi in
via di sviluppo, il microcredito nei paesi industrializzati, il microcredito e la teoria monetaria.
Il corso sarà completato dai seguenti 3 moduli di 7 ore
– The Sociotechnical Foundations of Property and their relevance to a theory of Money
– Il ruolo della Banca mondiale
– Corporate Social Responsibility, Società Civile e Sviluppo
Globale
Il pensiero economico nella storia delle idee e dei fatti
Il corso propone una indagine sulla formazione storica dei
concetti economici correnti. Scopo del corso è introdurre gli
studenti ad una ricognizione storica e comparata dei principali
schemi elaborati dall´analisi economica. In questa prospettiva,
si intende dedicare particolare attenzione alla distinzione fra i
modelli teorici fondamentali della produzione e dello scambio,
considerati quali nuclei generatori dei principali schemi di teoria
economica.
41
Corso avanzato di inglese
Gli studenti hanno la possibilità di seguire un corso avanzato di
inglese.
Secondo semestre: Università Cattolica di Milano
I corsi sono articolati in 4 aree: economica, istituzionale, politica
e della comunicazione. Essi sono svolti da docenti provenienti
dagli Stati Uniti e dall’Italia sotto forma di moduli. In questo
campo d’insegnamento e ricerca l’ASERI dell’Università Cattolica
di Milano è un leader a livello internazionale.
Area economica
I corsi riguardano la struttura e il funzionamento dei mercati
finanziari internazionali, e i sistemi di regolamentazione e di
vigilanza sul loro operato. Sono analizzate con particolare attenzione le conseguenze della globalizzazione a livello della finanza,
della borsa, del rischio, dei mercati emergenti.
Verosimilmente i moduli proposti saranno i seguenti: Principi di
finanza internazionale, Finanza nelle aree integrate, Strategic
Thinking, Economia dei mercati emergenti e rischio Paese, Le
attività di investimento del capitale di PMI e Globalization processes and Financial markets.
Area istituzionale
Nei corsi proposti in quest’area si analizzano le dinamiche
istituzionali, il ruolo degli operatori dei mercati finanziari nel con-
testo del sistema globale e le regolamentazioni di tipo economico e giuridico sottostanti il suo sviluppo. Verosimilmente i moduli
proposti saranno i seguenti: Diritto internazionale dell’economia,
Elementi di contrattualistica, Diritto del mercato dei capitali, PPP:
regolamentazione e questioni giuridiche e Management delle
partnership.
Area politica
Le politiche pubbliche che accompagnano e talvolta contrastano
il processo di globalizzazione in atto sia nel contesto internazionale, sia dell’Unione europea sono l’oggetto dei corsi di
questa terza area, insieme a corsi sulle Relazioni Internazionali.
Verosimilmente i moduli proposti saranno i seguenti: Analisi
delle politiche pubbliche, Politiche pubbliche dell’Unione europea, Illeciti finanziari internazionali, Governance del sistema
internazionale, Global Business National, Governments and
World Politics, Ethics and Globalization e Regolazione politica
dello sviluppo locale
Area della comunicazione
Lo scopo dei corsi offerti in quest’area è di preparare gli
studenti ad affrontare i problemi legati al loro inserimento nel
mondo professionale, fornendo loro gli strumenti, analitici e
comunicativi, necessari a presentare le loro candidature, sostenere interviste e perfezionare la loro padronanza della lingua
inglese. Verosimilmente i moduli proposti saranno i seguenti:
Comunicazione organizzativa e English Communication Skills.
Master of Science in Economia e Politiche Internazionali
Terzo semestre: stage e tesi
Informazioni generali
Durante il terzo semestre gli studenti svolgono uno stage in
un’istituzione pubblica o privata, nazionale (banche, aziende,
istituti di ricerca) o internazionale (banche centrali, organizzazioni internazionali) e sono poi chiamati a redigere la tesi di Master.
La tesi si basa su un lavoro di ricerca individuale e originale che lo
studente svolge sotto la supervisione di un professore e difende
alla fine del programma di specializzazione davanti ad una giuria
di tesi.
Lingua
La lingua prevalente nei corsi è l’italiano ed è promossa la conoscenza della lingua inglese.
Requisiti di ammissione
Bachelor / laurea triennale (o equivalente) di un’università riconosciuta in Scienze economiche, Scienze politiche, Giurisprudenza,
Lettere, Lingue, Sociologia, Filosofia o discipline affini.
Organizzazione
Sarà possibile conseguire 30 crediti ECTS aggiuntivi nel terzo
semestre a Lugano, elevando il numero di crediti ECTS del Master
in Economia e Politiche Internazionali da 90 a 120. I corsi tra i quali
si potrà scegliere (e che saranno oggetto di valutazione da parte
del Direttore di Master) saranno in maggioranza quelli offerti dagli
altri Master attivi all'USI e in lingua inglese; previa autorizzazione
esiste la possibilità di svolgere il terzo semestre presso un’Università estera e vedersi riconoscere i crediti acquisiti.
La possibilità di acquisire 120 crediti sarà soggetta al pagamento
di tassa semestrale aggiuntiva.
WWW.
mepin.usi.ch
Contatti
Le iscrizioni sono aperte fino al 1 luglio presso l’Università della
Svizzera italiana. Le domande presentate successivamente al
termine verranno prese in considerazione compatibilmente con
la disponibilità di posti.
www.mepin.usi.ch
43
Per assicurare un’alta qualità degli insegnamenti e un buon
livello di interazione, il corso prevede un numero chiuso di 30
studenti (estendibile, a giudizio della direzione del Master, fino a
un massimo di 35 partecipanti). La selezione degli studenti avviene progressivamente, sulla base dell’ordine di ricevimento delle
domande di ammissione. Le domande di ammissione pervenute
con anticipo avranno maggiori probabilità
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Facoltà di Scienze economiche
Via Buffi , 13 – CH 6900 Lugano
Tel. +41 (0)58 666 40 00
Email: [email protected]
Per completare le procedure di immatricolazione presso l’Università Cattolica, i titoli di studio conseguiti presso Università non italiane dovranno essere accompagnati dalla relativa Dichiarazione
di Valore rilasciata dalla Delegazione Diplomatica Italiana nel
Paese/Regione in cui lo studente ha ottenuto il titolo.
Per ulteriori informazioni in merito alla Dichiarazione di Valore
potete rivolgervi a:
ASERI – Alta Scuola di Economia e Relazioni Internazionali
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Tel. +39 02 46 93 856
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aseri.it
Master of Science in Finance
Finance
Goals and Contents
Finance is the area of economics that studies investment decisions. These decisions are fundamental to the well-being of firms
and individuals. Investment outcomes are affected by randomness. Investment decisions involve trade-offs between risk and
expected return.
The Master programme stretches over two years (120 ECTS)
and is structured to allow the students to personalise their study
curricula according to their individual interests and educational
backgrounds. It includes four semesters of lectures and seminars,
and an internship. Typically, in the first semester students attend
the foundation courses in order to acquire the basics of finance,
accounting and statistics. The second and third semesters are
dedicated to core courses and electives. The final thesis should
show the candidate’s ability to integrate acquired knowledge in
the advanced scientific analysis of a topic in finance.
The Master programme includes four semesters of lectures
and seminars and an internship. A thorough understanding of
risk is necessary to the good management of financial assets.
Therefore the first semester is dedicated to the economic and
statistical foundations of financial markets and the quantitative
disciplines necessary to model them. This knowledge is then
applied to the analysis of financial instruments and their markets
in the core courses of the second and third semesters. Because
the programme is based on rigorous quantitative methods,
students are required to take the core courses before they can
chose electives. The final thesis should then show the candidate’s ability to integrate acquired knowledge in the scientific
analysis of quantitative finance problems.
The Swiss Finance Institute at the University of Lugano coordinates the Master in Finance. The Swiss Finance Institute is
an initiative sponsored by the Swiss Bankers Association with
the purpose of achieving international excellence in banking
and finance education and research at Swiss universities. The
Institute is highly committed to banking and finance education
in Ticino and Switzerland. The importance of the financial area
for the Swiss economy strengthens the mission of the Institute to
train the people required to meet the challenges of globalisation
and the increasing competition in financial markets.
Student Profile
The Master of Finance trains students interested in careers within
the core sectors of finance: Asset Management, Investment
Banking, Hedge Funds, Risk Management, and Corporate
Finance. The programme is aimed at international bachelor
graduates with a strong background in mathematics who are
interested in developing advanced technical expertise in finance.
A good command of English is a prerequisite.
45
Sem. 1
6
6
Accounting
Capital Markets
Corporate Finance
6
6
6
Core Courses (30 ECTS)
Financial Modelling
Financial Econometrics
6
6
Derivatives
Financial Statement Analysis
Financial Intermediation
6
6
6
Electives
Fixed Income
Numerical Methods in Finance
Structured Products
Advanced Corporate Finance
Private Banking
6
6
6
6
6
Risk Management
Introductory Corporate Governance
Advanced Corporate Governance
Behavioural Finance
Corporate Banking
6
3
3
6
6
Sem. 3 + 4
Foundation Courses (30 ECTS)
Probability
Advanced Statistics
Sem. 2
Study Programme*
Internship
Thesis
Field Project (optional)
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
6
18
12
120
Master of Science in Finance
Course Descriptions
Foundation Courses
Probability
The objective of this course is to introduce the probability theory
and the theory of stochastic processes, so as to provide graduate
students of finance with the basic tools necessary to understand
a recent research article on, for instance, derivative theory or
asset pricing. The course introduces some basic ideas of probability theory, it discusses the definition of a random variable and
the formal idea of stochastic independence, and it covers some
of the most important stochastic processes in finance.
Advanced Statistics
The course deals with statistical model-building and statistical
inference. Examples, exercises and applications will be taken
mostly from generalized linear models and time series analysis.
Contents: main probability distributions employed in statistical
modeling, likelihood concepts, parametric inference, an introduction to nonparametric inference, a survey of classical methods in multivariate analysis.
Accounting
This course in Accounting consists of two parts, the first part
covering Financial Accounting and the second part covering
Management Accounting. The main objective of the course
is to provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of
financial and cost accounting with a particular focus on modern
concepts in both fields. The course is of special interest for stu-
dents who wish to pursue a career in an accounting department
of an industrial corporation. Based on theoretical concepts, the
course heavily incorporates practical aspects of cost and financial
accounting in order to prepare students to cope with real-world
events.
Capital Markets
This course analyses investment decisions. The stock and bond
markets are discussed from the perspectives of the Efficient
Market Hypothesis and Behavioural Finance. The main derivative
contracts are introduced. Contents: portfolio analysis, efficient
sets, index models, the CAPM: theory and empirical evidence,
the APT, stock valuation, market efficiency and behavioural
finance, performance measures, options, forward and futures,
interest rates and term structure.
Corporate Finance
This course teaches the logic underlying the firm´s financial
decisions: investment, financing, and payout policies. The main
themes will be: What is corporate finance? The concept of value,
the discounted cash-flow (DCF) method in theory and practice,
capital budgeting decisions, market efficiency and financial policy, financial structure and the Modigliani-Miller theorem, payout
policies: dividends and share repurchases.
Core Courses
Financial Modelling
The purpose of this course is to provide students with the most
useful models and tools in financial economics from the point
47
of view of economic theory and applications. For every topic
considered, we will address both theory and quantitative applications. Topics will cover: efficient frontier methods, CAPM,APT,
binomial trees, contingent claim valuation, Monte Carlo simulation and measures of risk.
Financial Econometrics
This course is to familiarise the student with some of the most
popular econometrics methods encountered in applied work in
finance. After a brief review of the classical linear model, three
major topics are considered: the linear factor pricing model,
likelihood methods, with an application to ARCH and GARCH
models, and the generalized method of moments. Emphasis is
placed on the basic understanding of each approach, together
with computer applications and real date.
Derivatives
This course analyses the main derivative contracts and their markets. Futures, forwards, options and swaps are the main topics.
Numerical and analytical models for their valuation are presented
and the empirical evidence is discussed. Contents: futures markets, forward and futures prices, interest rate futures, swaps,
option markets, properties of option prices, trading strategies,
binomial trees, the behaviour of stock prices, the Black-Scholes
model, options on indices, currencies and futures, a general
approach to pricing derivatives, market risk, numerical procedures.
Financial Statement Analysis
This course is about the analysis of financial information, particularly the financial statements of companies, for making
decisions to invest in businesses. The primary focus is on equity
(share) valuation. Topics include models of shareholder value,
a comparison of accrual accounting and discounted cash flow
approaches to valuation, the analysis of profitability, growth
and valuation generation in a firm, diagnosing accounting quality, forecasting earnings and cash flows, pro-forma analysis for
strategy and planning, and the determination of price/ earnings
and market-to-book ratios.
Financial Intermediation
The programme will analyse theoretical and practical aspects of
the modern theory of financial intermediation with a large use
of author´s articles and practical session. The programme can be
roughly partitioned in eight sessions. Contents: roles and institutional constraints of financial intermediaries, financial decision
making under uncertainty, the production approach to the banking firm, the lender-borrower relationship, investment banks and
primary markets, systemic risk, risk management in the banking
industry, regulations.
Electives
Fixed Income
The course analyses the valuation and hedging of fixed-income
securities in a stochastic environment and provides methods for
optimally managing portfolios exposed to interest rate risk. After
a brief overview of the basic concepts of fixed income markets,
Master of Science in Finance
probabilistic models for the evolution of the term structure of
interest rates will be considered in detail. Derivative securities
pricing and immunisation schemes will then be analysed. In addition to theoretical explanations, the course provides real-world
examples and applications throughout.
Numerical Methods in Finance
The course will focus on analytical and numerical techniques to
price financial instruments with application to portfolio optimization and risk management. Particular emphasis will be devoted
to the application of alternative assumptions on the stochastic
behaviour of market instruments for pricing and risk management applications within a Monte Carlo simulation framework.
Topics will include: Monte Carlo valuation for Gaussian and
Poisson-Gaussian processes, Brownian motion and Ito´s lemma,
Interest rate and credit risk models, pricing techniques for plain
vanilla and exotic options and risk assessment.
Structured Products
In an extensive interpretation, we may speak of structured products as soon as we combine two or more elementary financial
products into a new structure displaying original characteristics.
Structured products represented one of the most rapidly growing areas of finance in the last two decades, reaching an early
unlimited variety of forms. The goal of this course is to provide
an overview of the general process of developing, marketing,
and managing structured products as well as an introduction to
the most popular among these products.
Advanced Corporate Finance
In the real world, mergers, acquisitions and restructuring are the
most challenging applications for financial managers and investment bankers. This course aims to bring together financial theory
and practice in order to develop the analytical skills needed in
the field. The first part of the course deals with takeovers and
mergers. The second part will focus on financial reorganisation
and bankruptcy. A particular attention will be devoted to the
conflicts of interest arising in such situations and to the implications of the restructuring taking place under court protection
(i.e. in a bankruptcy procedure) vs. out-of-court.
Private Banking
The course deals with the topic of the role of financial institutions in the market for asset management services, with special
emphasis on the business area known as private banking. The
main focus of the course is on the content of the service, on the
nature and management problems of the suppliers, and on the
competitive structure of the market. Emphasis is placed more
on the strategic and organisational issues of providing private
banking services rather than on the techniques and models for
managing a portfolio of securities.
Risk Management
The main objective of this course is to introduce financial risk
management, focusing on risk management methodologies for
market and credit risk. The course starts with a general overview of the typology of financial risks. We then discuss the risk
management methodologies for market risk, modelling of risk
factors, stress testing and risk measures. The next steps are: port-
49
folio credit models, the modelling of default probabilities, recovery rates, and credit ratings. Finally, we introduce the regulatory
framework, in particular the Basel Accords.
Introductory Corporate Governance
When the internet bubble burst and when numerous accounting
scandals (e.g., WorldCom, Enron, Parmalat, etc.) came to light,
the markets crashed and countries around the world issued new
or revised corporate governance codes, including the U.S. (e.g.,
Sarbanes-Oxley Act). This module deals with one of the most
important financial issues of our times: corporate governance.
Upon completion of this module, students will know and understand the key issues and players involved in corporate governance. Students will also gain an appreciation of how corporate
governance issues are complicated. Finally, students will also
be exposed to the latest global issues with regard to corporate
governance.
Advanced Corporate Governance
This course provides advanced applications of corporate governance problems from the viewpoint of the chief financial officer,
investment banker, management consultant, securities lawyer,
and financial analyst. The course will be of an applied nature,
and thus students are expected to collect, process and analyze
stock market and accounting data pertaining to real-world cases
in order to get a proper understanding of them. Upon completion of this course, students will gain an appreciation of complicated corporate governance issues. Finally, students will also be
exposed to the latest academic research with regard to corporate
governance.
Behavioural Finance
We start with a brief overview of the classical paradigms for decision under risk and the implications for portfolio selection and
asset pricing. We then provide a description of market anomalies
and market ineffeciencies, and discuss the behavioural biases of
real investors, as well as the implications for portfolio choices
and asset pricing. We then study behavioural models for portfolio choice and behavioural asset pricing models, and finally apply
these models in order to provide a behavioural explanation of
asset pricing and asset allocation puzzles arising from the classical finance theory.
Corporate Banking
This course presents state-of-the art concepts of finance theory
and applies them to practical corporate financing issues. The theoretical part of the course will briefly review standard corporate
financing theory, then move on to the concepts of asymmetric
information and agency costs, and how they play into the practical issue of raising long-term funds for a company. The applied
part of the course will use case studies to bring together the
major corporate finance concepts studied during the Master´s
programme.
Field Project
Students are offered the option, albeit not the right, to develop
and carry out a Field Project in collaboration with companies or
institutions of the financial sector. This option is subject to the
availability and the suitability of such projects, and ultimately to
the approval of the Director of the Master.
Master of Science in Finance
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree (or
equivalent) from a recognised academic institution in Economics
or related disciplines. Good knowledge of English is required.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mfin.usi.ch
WWW.
mfin.usi.ch
Master of Science in Management
Management
Goals and Content
The MSc in Management has been designed to provide graduates, from a wide variety of backgrounds, with the necessary
tools and skills for understanding modern management, creating
the best possible start for a successful career. The Degree provides both a broad background in management as well as the
opportunity to go into more depth in selected topics by choosing
electives. The programme has theoretical and practical elements,
allowing students to understand the theory while at the same
time being able to apply the knowledge to practical management situations. The last semester is a unique combination of
academic rigor through the writing of a thesis and a piece of
applied or consulting work – the field project – which is done in
groups for a real company.
The goal of the course is to create an understanding of the management processes that are the basis of organisations today. It
should also help to develop the skills necessary to perform successfully in business organisations from start-ups to multinational
companies, which are reflected in courses like Entrepreneurship
and International Business. However, as most tasks in organisations become increasingly interdisciplinary it is also important
to be able to work across traditional areas, which is another
skill that is actively encouraged within the programme. This
is also reflected in the variety of different teaching methods
used including lectures, case studies, group work, games and
fieldwork. However, all teaching methods stress an interactive
approach or dialogue with the students. The Faculty and the
students are an international group, with education and work
experience from across the world. This further increases learning
and cultural exchanges, as students also learn to work effectively
with people from different cultures.
The degree has two streams in the first semester. Students with
a background in economics or management will follow a set
of courses which are designed to further build on these areas.
Students without any background in economics and management will follow a set of courses which provide the understanding and fundamental insight into the management disciplines.
From the second semester the two streams will combine and
continue to develop new insights into management processes.
Student Profile
The programme is intended for students who have obtained a
Bachelor’s degree. Candidates are expected to have acquired
basic concepts of management and economics. Tutorials in these
areas are offered before the beginning of the programme. A
good command of English is a prerequisite.
First Degree in Economics or Management
Capital Markets
6
Public Management
3
Corporate Governance
3
Industrial Organisation 2
6
Applied Statistics
6
Strategic Marketing
6
First Degree in any other Subject
Accounting
Corporate Strategy
Industrial Organisation
Organisational Behaviour
Strategic Marketing
6
6
6
6
6
Core Courses (21 ECTS)
Managerial Economics 1
Entrepreneurship:
Theory and Practice
3
Frontiers of Strategy
International Business
Human Resources Management
Operations Management
6
3
3
3
Electives (6-12 ECTS)
Writing Business Plans
Innovation
Management of Family Enterprises
3
3
3
Decision Making
Mergers and Acquisitions
Service Marketing
Consumer Behaviour
3
3
3
6
Core Courses (18 ECTS)
Data Analysis
Corporate Finance
3
6
Research Methods
in Management
Managerial Economics 2
6
3
Sem. 3
Electives (9-15 ECTS)
Business Dynamics
Organization and Social Networks
3
3
Global Market Strategies
Change Management
Digital Marketing
3
3
3
Sem. 4
Capstone Work (30 ECTS)
Field Project
Thesis
Sem. 2
* Slight changes in the study
programme may occur.
Sem. 1
Study Programme*
Total ECTS
3
12
18
120
Master of Science in Management
Course Descriptions
First Semester with a Degree in Economics or Management
Capital Markets
The course is an introduction to the institutions and economic
functioning of capital markets. First, the course provides a general description of the basic features of these markets: the asset
classes, the trading mechanisms, and the main actors. Then, it
deals with individual portfolio choice. Next, individual portfolios
are aggregated to derive the main concepts of equilibrium in
equity markets (CAPM, APT). These concepts are used to introduce the notion of market efficiency. The empirical evidence on
market efficiency is discussed and analyzed from the point of
view of classical and alternative theories of capital markets, such
as Behavioral Finance. As a new chapter, the course deals with
fixed income securities (prices, yields, the term structure, and
bond portfolios management). The course then examines the
tools that financial analysts use to make investment decisions
(macroeconomic and equity analysis). Finally, all the notions
developed during the course are used to study applied portfolio
management. In this context, the tools to analyze the performance of different types of investment funds are introduced.
Public Management
“Public sector modernisation is no longer an option, but a
necessity. It will help Governments respond to changing societal
needs and maintain competitiveness in an uncertain international environment” (OECD, Modernizing Government. The way
forward). After decades of managerial and governance reforms,
Governments all around the world still need reforms and change
management processes. In this perspective the OECD report
“Modernizing Government” identifies six levers for the public
sector modernization and suggests paths and policies to improve
it. On the basis of the OECD report, the course explores these
six levers and develops a conceptual framework to understand
contemporary public sector reforms. At the end of the course,
students will be able to understand what countries are doing to
improve public management; they will also be able to formulate
recommendations to advance the public sector modernization
agenda.
Corporate Governance
This course is meant to cover the major areas of corporate governance, including an overview of key corporate governance
matters; the duties and responsibilities of directors, including
non-executives; the evolution of corporate law; executive pay;
earnings management; the significance of institutional investors for corporate governance; the legal control of insiders; and
takeover bids. An important goal will be to familiarize students
with the economic environment, legal rules and challenges of
corporate governance reform. Emphasis will be given to the
contemporary debates over the failure of boards to protect the
interests of minority shareholders, the limitations of executive
compensation policies, and the declining importance of the
market for corporate control to restrain managers. The course
will encourage students to use various analytical tools to deal
with key governance issues that face managers, directors, and
investors.
55
Industrial Organisation 2
Today´s markets are often characterised by a small number of
companies that control a large portion of the market. Industrial
organisation as a field of studies deals with the implications of
market structure for business behaviour. The course provides the
essential concepts needed to analyse the strategic behaviour of
companies in an economic environment that is uncertain but still
well defined in terms of market structure, regulations and behaviour of market players. The course starts from the basic concepts
of competition, markets and costs, and moves on to the dynamics of market structures and the impact of new technologies, and
finally to the analysis of oligopolies, market influence, mergers
and acquisitions.
Applied Statistics
The aim of this course is to review the main concepts of descriptive statistics and to deepen the knowledge of inferential
methods for empirical research with application to economics,
finance, management and marketing, both at a univariate and
multivariate level. The focus of the course will be mainly applied.
Together with the theoretical concepts, data sets derived from
empirical research, experimental data and questionnaires will
be analysed. The different steps of an empirical research will be
analysed considering their statistical implications: definition of a
sampling plan, preparation of a questionnaire, data collection,
input, visualisation and processing; elaboration and analysis of
the conclusions. The free-ware statistical software "R" (free
version of the commercial software "SPlus", one of the main
software used for statistical purposes) will be introduced. The
software can be downloaded from the website: http://www.r-
project.org/. Data, imported from an Excel spreadsheet into "R",
will be analysed. In particular the statistical instruments needed
to compare two or more samples and to detect and analyse possible dependence links between two or more characters (both
qualitative and quantitative) will be provided.
Strategic Marketing
This course focuses on companies´ marketing strategy options
and the impact of various strategic marketing choices on businesses´ performance. It aims to develop the abilities necessary
to interpret different market situations and to conceive and
implement appropriate responses. The distinctive characteristic
of the course is the emphasis on the consequences of marketing decisions for the company´s finances. Three main topic areas
covered are:
– Understanding market dynamic and customer – supplier relationships;
– Developing marketing strategies;
– Implementation of marketing programmes.
The course approach is based on the use of participative teaching methods, including a business game and analysis and discussion of company cases.
First Semester with a Degree in Other Subjects
Accounting
This course in Accounting consists of two parts, the first part
covering Financial Accounting and the second part covering
Managerial Accounting. The main objective of the course is to
Master of Science in Management
provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of financial
and managerial accounting with a particular focus on modern
concepts in both fields. The course is particularly suited for students who wish to pursue a career in an accounting department
of an international industrial corporation. Based on theoretical
concepts, the course heavily incorporates practical aspects of
financial and managerial accounting in order to prepare students
to cope with real-world events. The lectures are accompanied by
an exercise seminar.
Corporate Strategy
This course covers a set of topics that supplement previous strategy courses in the first and second year. The main aims of the
course are to:
– Understand the resource allocation process in large organizations
– Understand the choice of organizational structure for large
organizations
– Provide the link between different areas and functions in the
organization
– Provide an evolutionary view on the birth and death of organizational populations.
We will look more specifically at the link between strategy and
operations, the choice of supply chain and service operations. We
will discuss the models for resource allocation in multi-divisional
firms, types of diversification, degree of internationalization,
and vertical integration. We will also look more closely at the
selection and type of partners in international alliances and joint
ventures. The final part of the course provides a detailed look at
how industries are founded and evolve over long periods of time.
The course will provide a set of theoretical as well as practical
tools and frameworks for analyzing the issues discussed.
Industrial Organisation
In a first part, this course introduces some basic notions of
microeconomics (demand, supply and markets) followed by a
more detailed discussion of costs. The second part of the course
treats selected issues of industrial organisation ( non competitive
markets, cartels, mergers, innovation, competition policy). The
course is held on the technical level of a textbook of intermediate microeconomics.
Organisational Behaviour
Organizational behavior is a course in applied behavioral science
that emphasizes how problems, solutions and decision-makers
interact in contexts that are both hierarchically structured, as
well as changing and uncertain. Organizational behavior brings
major insights from behavioral economics, social psychology and
organizational sociology to bear on a variety of issues that are
central to our capacity to understand, predict and manage companies and other complex organizations. Topics covered include
theories of motivation and incentives, individual decisions,
negotiation, communication, teamwork and social networks.
The main objective of this course is to help master students in
management to develop an appreciation for the way in which
these organizational elements interrelate and work together to
support corporate strategy and organizational performance.
57
Second Semester Core Courses
Managerial Economics 1
This course is a laboratory of Applied Microeconomics for
research in the field of Industrial Organisation. The main objective is to learn to apply microeconomic analytical tools and
empirical methods to the analysis of various issues in industrial
organisation. Several network industries will be explored. A particular attention will be given to the electricity sector. The course
will focus on the following issues: benchmarking and regulation,
efficiency and productivity analysis, estimation of demand functions. The course stresses applied aspects, which means that a
set of analytical tools will be provided to the students throughout the lectures. The applied nature of the course is achieved
by applying the theory into practice while discussing papers and
articles with the students. In this respect students are required
to present papers to the class. Moreover a laboratory session will
be organized such that students will spend a great deal of time
on the computer doing empirical works.
Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice
This course is addressed to students interested in exploring the
challenges of entrepreneurship, both in SMEs and in larger
organisations. The course will provide an insight into the entrepreneurial process and in particular: the challenges of getting
into business; the challenges of growing the business; the challenges in deciding whether to re-invest or exit; the challenges
of keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in large organisations.
The course is based on lectures, class workshops, case discussions and guest speaker conferences. The overall objective of
this course is to make the students aware of the opportunities
offered by an entrepreneurial career, but also of the requirements of such a career, in terms of personal preparation and
process orientation.
Frontiers of Strategy
This course aims at exploring three different blocks of prerequisites, for and boundaries of, successful organizational strategy:
1. Structure, 2. Learning and 3. Leadership.
Organizational success depends to a large extent on the fit
of structure with the market and internal conditions that an
organization has to face. Therefore this course will first look at
the different structural arrangements that organizations typically
possess. For many students this part of the course might be a
repetition of knowledge they have already gained. However,
knowledge of structural forms is so crucial that it deserves a
repetition. Alternative approaches as well as more sophisticated
approaches towards internationalization will also be presented.
Strategic decisions, especially decisions on changes in organizational strategy can be undertaken successfully only if the
organizational members are willing and able to learn from prior
experiences and if they are able to overcome their (quite natural)
resistance to change. Organizational learning, the concept of
the learning organization, as well as considerations concerning knowledge management are dealing with these topics.
However, these approaches differ so considerably in addressing
the subject of learning and knowledge that sometimes they are
even contradictory.
Finally, strategy can only be implemented successfully with long
lasting consequences if the interpersonal division of labour and
Master of Science in Management
communication is working in a satisfactory manner. This needs
leadership. Therefore the foundations, types and boundaries of
successful leadership in organizations will be discussed.
International Business
This course provides an understanding of the global context
within which companies conduct their operations. It will discuss how companies become involved in international business
and how they can maintain a global scope. The course takes
a managerial-strategic perspective in addressing the issues
companies face in the dynamic and fast-paced global business
environment.
Human Resources Management
This course discusses core issues in the management of human
resources. The relationship between the parts of the employment relation is followed throughout its development. Example
of topics discussed in Human Resources Management include
investment in human capital, hiring decision, employee training,
the design of compensation and incentive systems, and career
planning. The function of a human resource department but
the main part of the course is concerned with the responsibility
of every manager´s responsibility in managing human resources.
Furthermore, we will in the course also cover aspect of international human resource management.
Operations Management
This course addresses the management of operations in manufacturing and service organizations. Our objective is to introduce
students to concepts and techniques related to the design, plan-
ning, control, and improvement of manufacturing and service
operations. Managing operations effectively requires both strategic and tactical skills and is one of the most critical aspects of
an organization. Effective and efficient utilization of resources
by an organization determines its success in the long run and
operations management is a means to achieve this end. This is
especially true today, when we see that significant competitive
advantages accrue to firms that manage their operations effectively.
The course begins with a holistic view of operations, where
we stress the coordination of product development, process
management, and supply chain management. As the course
progresses, we will investigate various aspects of each of these
three tiers of operations in detail. We will cover topics in the
areas of process analysis, materials management, production
scheduling, quality improvement, and product design.
While the primary objective of this course is to familiarize students with the basic concepts, techniques, methods, and applications of operations management, it will provide you with an
understanding of operations and the role that they play within
an organization.
Third Semester Core Courses
Data Analysis
The goal of the course is to make students familiar with statistical data analysis – the art of examining, summarizing and drawing conclusions from data. This includes the organisation of a
coherent database and its use to produce statistical summaries
and inference. Statistical software is essential in this respect. It
59
lets the researchers focus on thinking about problems rather
then being engaged with computational details. The course
introduces students to the use of the SPSS statistical software.
The software environment is explored from the data entry to
the handling of the SPSS output. The course builds on students’
knowledge of introductory level statistics, such as frequency,
distribution and correlation.
Corporate Finance
This course teaches the logic underlying the firm´s financial
decisions: investment, financing, and payout policies. The main
themes are: What is corporate finance?; The concept of value;
The discounted cash-flow (DCF) method in theory and practice;
Capital budgeting decisions; Market efficiency and financial
policy; Financial structure and the Modigliani-Miller theorem;
Payout policies: dividends and share repurchases.
Research Methods in Management
This course not only aims at transferring the basic and most
important knowledge on conducting empirical research to management students but also at helping these students (future
managers) to make sense of statistics. Today´s managers are confronted with tons of statistical results from various management
areas, e.g. marketing, operations management, quality management and HRM. Unfortunately managers very often accept this
statistical information quite uncritically – often because they do
not know how to conduct empirical research properly and how
to interpret statistical results correctly. Therefore topics of the
course will not only cover issues like sampling theory, data coding and first and second steps of data analysis but also typical
interpretation problems that are, e.g., captured by phenomena
like the ´Simpson Paradox´ or the ´Monty Hall Problem´. The
relevance of these problems for managerial tasks will be demonstrated. The course should arouse a general understanding
of the most important statistical principles, based on practical
examples from the aforementioned management areas. In particular a ´multivariate´ thinking of managers should be especially
helpful to ask questions that go beyond typical managerial queries like ´Why is the R2-value so low?´ or ´Is this sample really
representative?´.
Beyond these ´quantitative´ aspects of the course, an introduction into qualitative research methods will also be provided.
Managerial Economics 2
The course deals with management strategies adopted to
gain and exercise market power, such us price fixing, vertical
restraints, R! joint – ventures, mergers and acquisitions, predation and abuse of dominant position. The focus is on the methods
to implement these strategies and on their welfare effects. Each
topic is tackled starting from describing the business practice and
then presenting the implications for antitrust policy. The course
provides also the historical, legal and economic background for
competition policy and covers the general framework of antitrust
policy in the US and in Europe. The theoretical framework is
applied to legal case studies, to grasp evidence on the current
attitude of antitrust authorities towards specific firms behaviors.
Master of Science in Management
Electives
General Information
Please refer to our website for a detailed description of proposed
electives.
Language
Courses are held in English.
Fourth Semester Capstone Work
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree (or
equivalent) from a recognised academic institution. Good knowledge of English is required.
Field Project
During the fourth semester students carry out a consulting
project for a company, choose from a list of projects provided
by the programme. The work and the recommendations to the
client organisation are based on the methodologies and frameworks learned during the degree. Students work in teams and
are supervised by faculty members who support them in managing contacts with the company, developing the project, preparing the final report and the presentation to the client. During
the field project period, teams attend research laboratories to
present and discuss the intermediary results of their consulting
activity with the members of other teams.
Thesis
The Master’s thesis is an academic piece of work, an original
contribution to the body of knowledge. The contribution can
either be theoretical or empirical based, but builds in any case
on solid research, and the use of appropriate concepts, methods,
and tools acquired during the programme. Faculty members
support and coach the participants during their work with the
Master’s thesis. This can be started during the third semester,
and should be completed by the end of the fourth semester of
the programme.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mmg.usi.ch
WWW.
mmg.usi.ch
Masters of Science in Communication
master.usi.ch
Master of Science in Communication, Management and Health
Communication, Management and Health
Goals and Contents
The world is getting more and more complex, with simultaneous
opposing demands for more specialisation, a broader understanding and an international outlook. While this is true for most
areas it is in particular true for the area of health, where science
and provision are getting increasingly more complicated.
The University of Lugano (USI) and Virginia Tech (VT) offer a new
dual Master degree in Communication Management and Health
(MCMH) which conveys the knowledge and skills necessary to
appreciate the complexity of the health sector and meet the
challenges that arise in it.
– MCMH combines theoretical and practical knowledge and
creates a solid link between concepts and their use in business by illustrating how theory can inform business analysis
and decisions.
– MCMH offers the unique opportunity to acquire a focused
and in-depth set of knowledge and skills related to the health
sector, analytical skills and a broad understanding of how
business and marketing functions operate.
An International and Multicultural Dual Degree
MCMH students benefit from studying in two international
settings and becoming acquainted with two different cultures.
MCMH students are taught at the University of Lugano (USI) and
at Virginia Tech (VT).
Lugano is located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, a privileged geographic position at the crossroads between Northern
and Southern European cultures. USI offers a professional, friendly, and personal learning environment as well as a highly innovative research spectrum. Virginia Tech (VT), situated on the east
cost of the USA, is a comprehensive, innovative research university. The marketing department has been ranked in the nation’s
top 20 marketing departments in research productivity.
Graduates will be awarded two Master of Science (MSc) degrees
– a VT MSc in Business with a specialization in Marketing and
– a USI MSc in Communication, Management and Health
Career Opportunities
The primary job market for candidates earning this degree is
the marketing and communication functions of pharmaceutical, bio tech, and insurance companies, government and other
organiza¬tions in the health sector where the combination of
analytical skills and understanding of the health sector will provide a competitive advantage. The skills and knowledge obtained
from the degree can also be used in many other areas such as
communication, management, marketing and other market
related functions.
Organisation
During the fourth semester students can write their master thesis
at the University of Lugano or at Virginia Tech, depending on
their choice of subject and supervisor. In addition students will
attend some courses focusing on practical examples from the
health sector.
63
Sem. 1
USI
Health Communication (30 ECTS)
Health Communication
Design and Evaluation of Health campaigns
6
6
Rhetoric and Argumentation in Health
Qualitative Research Methods in Health Communication
Risk and behavior-Communication successes & failures
Social Marketing
6
3
3
6
Sem. 2
VT or USI
Methods (30 ECTS)
Marketing Policy and Strategy
International Marketing Strategy
6
6
Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and the Public Purpose
Statistics for Research (II)
Electives
6
6
6
Sem. 3
USI
Management (27 ECTS)
Accounting
Organizational Behavior
6
6
Corporate Strategy
Health Policy
Electives (Technologies in Health,…)
6
3
6
Sem. 4
Study Programme*
VT: Virginia Polytechnic Institute
USI: University of Lugano
VT or USI
Thesis and elective (33 ECTS)
Management information in health sectors
Thesis
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
3
30
120
Master of Science in Communication, Management and Health
Course Descriptions
Health Communication
Health communication, as the study and application of communication theories in the field of health, is nowadays recognised as
a crucial domain to efficaciously inform and influence individual
and community health-related decisions. In this course, students
will study the most recent theoretical and practical developments
in the area of health communication and how this information
can be used to improve public health as well as individual behavior.
Design and Evaluation of Health Campaigns
The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and evaluate health communication campaigns. The course will examine models of programme design, development processes, health communication
and behavior theories used in health campaigns, establishment
of campaigns and evaluation goals and objectives. It will also
examine the types of evaluation used in programme evaluation
and the process of selecting appropriate methods and developing evaluation plans.
Research Methods in Health Communication
This course will explore epistemological assumptions, design,
and beginning methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis
in communication research. Topics include: developing expertise
in field research, and experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational methods in communication research. Students design
and produce an original project appropriate for their emphasis
area within the Master of Communication, Management and
Health degree.
Rhetoric and Argumentation in Health
This course focuses on the analysis, creation and evaluation of
persuasive communication in the field of health. By relying on
classical approaches from rhetoric and argumentation theory to
the study of persuasion, the first part of the course will provide
conceptual and methodological foundations for understanding
the use of language in discourse and texts to convince others of
certain viewpoints or ideas.
Accounting
This course in Financial and Managerial Accounting consists
of two parts, the first part covering Financial Accounting and
the second part covering Management Accounting. The main
objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive overview
of the functioning of financial and managerial accounting with
a particular focus on modern concepts in both fields. The course
is particularly suited for students who wish to pursue a career in
an accounting department of an international industrial corporation. Based on theoretical concepts, the course heavily incorporates practical aspects of financial and managerial accounting
in order to prepare students to cope with real-world events.
Besides the lectures, there will be an exercise seminar accompanying the course.
Organisational Behaviour
Organisational behaviour is a course in applied behavioural
science that emphasizes how problems, solutions and deci-
65
sion-makers interact in contexts that are both hierarchically
structured, as well as changing and uncertain. Organisational
behavior brings major insights from behavioral economics, social
psychology and organisational sociology to bear on a variety
of issues that are central to our capacity to understand, predict and manage companies and other complex organisations.
Topics covered include theories of motivation and incentives,
individual decisions, negotiation, communication, teamwork
and social networks. The main objective of this course is to help
master students in management to develop an appreciation for
the way in which these organisational elements interrelate and
work together to support corporate strategy and organisational
performance.
Corporate Strategy
This course covers a set of topics that supplement previous strategy courses in the first and second year. The main aims of the
course are to:
– Understand the resource allocation process in large organisations
– Understand the choice of organisational structure for large
organisations
– Provide the link between different areas and functions in the
organisation
– Provide an evolutionary view on the birth and death of organisational populations.
We will look more specifically at the link between strategy and
operations, the choice of supply chain and service operations. We
will discuss the models for resource allocation in multi-divisional
firms, types of diversification, degree of internationalization,
and vertical integration. We will also look more closely at the
selection and type of partners in international alliances and joint
ventures. The final part of the course provides a detailed look at
how industries are founded and evolve over long periods of time.
The course will provide a set of theoretical as well as practical
tools and frameworks for analyzing the issues discussed.
Social Marketing
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the principles and practices of social marketing. The key
concepts and conceptual frameworks in social marketing and
their implications on public health interventions will be examined. While social marketing addresses a broad range of social,
political issues and causes, this course will focus on health-related
topics (e.g., smoking cessation, nutrition, injury prevention, HIV
prevention, physical activity promotion, clean water treatment,
malaria prevention, sustainable farming, etc.).
Health Policy
The course first of all provides a critical analysis of market failures
in the health care sector and describes in what spheres government action is required. The seriousness and empirical relevance of market failures and the capacity of government action to
correct them will be ascertained by referring to both international and Swiss experience. The course then explores the tensions
associated with the desires to increase access to care, improve
quality, and limit rising costs. It examines alternative approaches
to structuring a nation’s health system, develops an analytic fra-
Master of Science in Communication, Management and Health
mework for the comparative analyses of health systems and for
the evaluation of reform proposals. Based on the understanding
of the social determinants of health, the final part of the course
highlights the links between policies within the health care sector and policies that affect other relevant areas like education,
economic development and the environment.
Management Information in Health Sectors
In the health sectors information management is a challenging
issue. This course improves some competencies that focus on
the work that leading person have to perform. The course
approaches output rather than input. Some examples are: What
role plays information management and what are the important
points in decision making process? What is relevant in communication to the workforce inside a company or institution or the
different other stakeholders and to clients and patients? What is
used in communication between partners or to positioning the
own institution versus others? How information management
changes the field in the health sector?
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mcmh.usi.ch
WWW.
mcmh.usi.ch
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
– Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a recognised academic institution
– Recognised English test (i.e. TOEFL or ESLN) with satisfactory
score for non-native speakers
– Intermediate statistics skills
Application Procedure
As this is a joint Master programme with Virginia Tech, students
must apply to both institutions. In order to apply, candidates are
invited to send their complete application (comprising the two
application forms, of USI and of VT) directly to USI.
Tuition Fees
Students pay fees according to where they spend the semester,
and are then dispensed with fees to the other institution. This
means the first and third semester to be paid at USI, second at
VT, and fourth depending on their choice of the thesis’ supervisor. At USI semester fees are 4’000 Swiss Francs (about 3’500
US dollars – please refer to the current exchange rate). For candidates residing in Switzerland at the time of the school leaving
exam, the semester fees are 2’000 CHF. At VT, the semester
fees are around $ 8’000 (about 9’000 CHF – please refer to the
current exchange rate).
Master of Science in Gestione dei Media
Gestione dei Media
Laurea Magistrale
Obiettivi e contenuti
Il programma di studi prevede un’analisi dei processi di creazione, produzione e diffusione di contenuti editoriali di diverso
tipo: dai giornali ai libri, dalla radio alla televisione, fino ai contenuti elettronici destinati alla distribuzione on line.
In particolare il Master offre l’opportunità di conoscere gli aspetti
fondamentali del funzionamento delle imprese dei media e
di approfondire gli aspetti che riguardano l’attività gestionale
di queste imprese (struttura economica e politiche di settore,
ricerca, creazione e sviluppo di prodotti e servizi, gestione dei
diritti, uso del web, ecc.).
L’obiettivo è di formare professionisti che, sulla base di una
conoscenza approfondita delle caratteristiche dei media, sappiano svolgere funzioni di progettazione, coordinamento e
controllo dei processi produttivi e distributivi di imprese editoriali
a stampa, audiovisive ed elettroniche, tenendo conto anche dei
principali fattori di contesto sia culturale che politico-economico,
con particolare attenzione agli aspetti di servizio pubblico (per es.
nel caso della radio e della televisione) e di interesse generale.
I corsi presentano tre componenti distinte e fra loro integrate. La
prima concerne la strumentazione teorica e metodologica che
permette di affrontare criticamente i temi studiati (le funzioni
gestionali nei media). La seconda prepara, attraverso lo studio
sistematico di una serie di casi, a comprendere situazioni, processi e tendenze che riguardano i vari settori dell’attività editoriale
e giornalistica. Infine, una terza componente è rappresentata
dall’intervento in aula di professionisti e manager che svolgono
funzioni di rilievo in imprese editoriali, i quali testimoniano problemi ed opportunità riscontrate nella loro esperienza di lavoro.
A integrazione degli insegnamenti teorici e delle attività pratiche
di progetti ed elaborati che si svolgono in relazione ai corsi seguiti (primo e secondo semestre), il Master prevede un periodo di
stage in un’azienda editoriale (terzo semestre), dove lo studente
entra in diretto contatto con un sistema produttivo e distributivo
reale e impara a focalizzare l’attenzione e ad analizzare, sotto la
guida costante di un tutor universitario, gli aspetti costitutivi a
livello di struttura e organizzazione.
Il Master si conclude con un semestre (quarto) dedicato
all’elaborazione della tesi finale consistente in una ricerca scientifica nell’ambito delle discipline che compongono il piano di
studi.
I diplomati del Master sono formati per occupare ruoli di gestione, coordinamento, ricerca e sviluppo nelle imprese editoriali
che operano nel campo della produzione giornalistica e libraria,
radiofonica e televisiva e dei nuovi media elettronici.
69
Sem.
3+4
Sem. 2
Sem. 1
Piano dei corsi*
Primo semestre (36 ECTS)
Economia e politica dei media
Gestione della pubblicità
Marketing dei media
Gestione dei diritti editoriali
Quality of Journalism and Social Responsibility of the Media
Argomentazione nei media
Contabilità finanziaria
Statistica applicata
6
6
3
3
6
6
3
3
Secondo semestre (30 ECTS)
Analisi dei consumi mediali e multimediali
Analisi del film e degli altri prodotti audiovisivi
Pianificazione strategica dell’impresa multimediale
Organizzazione della produzione editoriale
Communicating in the Media Branch
Media Law
Progettazione e analisi del web
6
6
3
6
3
3
3
Personalizzazione (54 ECTS)
Corsi a scelta
Stage o semestre all’estero in altra università
Tesi
Totale ECTS
6
18
30
120
* Il piano di studi può essere
soggetto a cambiamenti.
La versione disponibile sul sito web
del Master è costantemente aggiornata.
Master of Science in Gestione dei Media
Contenuto e obiettivi dei corsi
Primo semestre
Economia e politica dei media
Il corso mette a fuoco la struttura e i trend che caratterizzano i
principali mercati di riferimento delle industrie editoriali (cinema,
radio-tv, stampa giornalistica e libraria, ecc.) e le condizioni politiche e socio-culturali che ne influenzano lo sviluppo. Particolare
attenzione è data alle diverse forme d’intervento pubblico nel
mercato editoriale (dalle aziende mediali pubbliche, nazionali e
regionali alle forme di promozione, incentivazione e protezione
di attività editoriali) e al quadro di regole e iniziative dell’Unione
Europea e della Svizzera.
Gestione della pubblicità
Il corso verte sulla pubblicità considerata, soprattutto nelle sue
funzioni e componenti organizzative, produttive e comunicative.
Particolare attenzione è dedicata ai supporti di cui la pubblicità
può fruire ed agli strumenti di misurazione, nonché alle variabili
e alle tecniche che concorrono a definire target, campagne e
mezzi. La pubblicità è vista come un mercato di cui vengono
analizzati operatori, logiche economiche e flussi. In generale, la
pubblicità è qui considerata non solo come strumento di promozione dei consumi e costruzione della marca, ma anche come
risorsa fondamentale per lo sviluppo del mercato dei media e per
il loro finanziamento.
Marketing dei media
Il corso riguarda gli strumenti del marketing e le loro applicazioni
al settore specifico dell’editoria e dei media. Descrive, in sintesi, come le componenti generali del marketing devono essere
sfruttate tenendo conto della specificità dei prodotti editoriali e
delle loro modalità di consumo. Il corso si concentra sulla distribuzione, la promozione e la commercializzazione dei prodotti
editoriali. Si analizzano in particolare:
1) Le diverse reti distributive e le loro caratteristiche strutturali,
organizzative ed economiche nonché le modalità della loro
utilizzazione;
2) Le modalità di promozione dei prodotti secondo le reti distributive adottate;
3) I fenomeni di `traino’ commerciale (giornale e videocassetta,
vendita a dispense, ecc.);
4) l’impatto del web nell’editoria tradizionale.
Gestione dei diritti editoriali
Il corso mira a far comprendere agli studenti la centralità del
copyright (diritto d’autore e diritti editoriali) e la sua funzione
nelle strategie di gestione ordinaria e di valorizzazione economica di tutte le imprese editoriali. Inquadrato storicamente il tema
nel contesto più generale della tutela della proprietà intellettuale, il corso esamina e approfondisce attraverso contributi teorici,
esempi pratici e casi di studio, la formazione, fissazione, e valorizzazione del copyright nei diversi prodotti editoriali di finzione
e documentaristici (opere letterarie, musicali, cinematografiche,
televisive, multimediali) con particolare riferimento a:
– le modalità di definizione dei diritti editoriali e le principali
clausole che si incontrano negli accordi e nei contratti relativi;
71
– la struttura dei mercati rilevanti e le diverse tipologie di
comportamenti commerciali dei detentori di diritti (gestione
a pacchetto, per supporto, per canale, per mercati nazionali
ecc.);
– le modalità di negoziazione dei diritti e i principali luoghi di
promozione e di scambio (mostre, mercati, festival, ecc.).
Quality of Journalism and Social Responsibility of the
Media
Contrary to rhetoric of public service, journalism and the media
have become highly commercial activities in Western democracies. Even public TV and radio can hardly escape from the developments on the market place. Based on Rational Choice Theory
and an Economic Theory of Journalism, the seminar participants
will explore strategies to secure and improve journalistic quality
– and find out whether, how and in which markets such strategies can be successfully implemented. Another key question
is how concepts of corporate governance and corporate social
responsibility can be applied to media companies. The course is
closely related to research activities at the European Journalism
Observatory.
Argomentazione nei media
Il corso mette a fuoco i fondamenti dell’argomentazione applicata al campo della comunicazione dei media. Si affrontano la
costruzione e l’analisi di interventi argomentativi in relazione al
contesto di interazione e alle pratiche comunicative, considerando il diverso grado di argomentazione presente nei generi espositivi e commentativi dei messaggi mediatici. Dopo aver messo
a fuoco i tratti tipici dell’argomentazione nelle sue dimensioni
logica e relazionale, si affrontano i processi di costruzione degli
argomenti sulla base di un modello di topica e si incentra l’attenzione sulla qualità dell’argomentazione, con l’individuazione dei
processi manipolatori. Una parte significativa del corso è dedicata ad esercitazioni, nelle quali si affronta l’analisi argomentativa
della copertura dei media (a stampa o audiovisivi) di casi o di
temi rilevanti. L’impostazione didattica del corso si avvale di una
modalità mista, in presenza e a distanza; per la parte di apprendimento a distanza, si adotta il corso progettato per il Campus
Virtuale Svizzero ARGUMENTUM.
Contabilità finanziaria
L´obbiettivo del corso è di fornire le basi di Financial e
Management Accounting in modo che lo studente possa da
una parte capire e analizzare il conto annuale di un´azienda o
di un gruppo (bilancio, conto economico, conto dei flussi della
liquidità), d´altra parte di conoscere i principali strumenti usati dal
management nella gestione economico-finanziaria (contabilità
analitica e budget). Largo spazio sarà dato a esercitazioni attraverso la soluzione di semplici studi di casi.
Statistica applicata
Il corso assume le conoscenze di base di un primo corso di
statistica tra le quali le nozioni di statistica descrittiva (tabelle,
grafici, media, variabilità, correlazione e regressione lineare semplice) e di statistica inferenziale (stima puntuale e per intervallo).
Il corso è preceduto da un tutorial non obbligatorio offerto
agli studenti che possiedono tali prerequisiti. Lo studente sarà
addestrato all’uso del software statistico SPSS v. 18.0 nel cui
ambiente imparerà a riprodurre le procedure statistiche a lui
Master of Science in Gestione dei Media
note. Successivamente il corso introdurrà procedure statistiche
più avanzate quali i test di ipotesi su media e percentuali ed i test
statistici nello studio della dipendenza e nella analisi della regressione, della regressione multipla e non-lineare, della regressione
logistica e di quella multinomiale nonché alcune tecniche multivariate di riduzione dei dati quali la Cluster analysis, l’Analisi in
componenti principali e l’Analisi fattoriale).
Secondo semestre
Analisi dei consumi mediali e multimediali
Lo scopo del corso è quello di fornire un quadro completo e
aggiornato degli strumenti necessari per analizzare atteggiamenti e comportamenti dei pubblici dei media all’interno di un
contesto sempre più caratterizzato dalla multimedialità e dalla
crossmedialità.
Gli aspetti teorico metodologici del corso verranno presentati
attraverso l’applicazione concreta a recenti casi di studio e
l’intervento di responsabili della gestione di imprese mediali
che illustreranno le modalità di utilizzo effettivo delle tecniche
analizzate.
Gli studenti realizzeranno durante il corso un lavoro pratico di
ricerca nel quale potranno applicare le conoscenze acquisite.
Analisi del film e degli altri prodotti audiovisivi
Il corso analizza il film e altri prodotti audiovisivi di vario tipo
secondo gli aspetti contenutistici, linguistici, narrativi e comunicativi utili per identificare e valutare sia la loro qualità che il loro
uso potenziale. Nel corso, la parte teorica è strettamente intrecciata ad un´attività di analisi incentrata su prodotti audiovisivi
di vario genere e destinazione e finalizzata a individuare i loro
principali componenti, i modi di combinarli e di compararli in un
quadro di riferimento internazionale.
Pianificazione strategica dell’impresa multimediale
Il corso ha lo scopo di studiare le principali variabili che l’impresa
multimediale deve gestire per poter raggiungere i propri obiettivi. In particolare si affronteranno gli aspetti che riguardano i
processi decisionali in riferimento al contesto competitivo, alle
piattaforme tecnologiche, all’analisi della domanda e alla tipologia del prodotto.
Organizzazione della produzione editoriale
Il corso mette in evidenza le diverse fasi del processo produttivo di contenuti editoriali, dalla selezione di un soggetto al suo
trattamento e messa in forma fino alla confezione del prototipo
destinato alla riproduzione, distribuzione e diffusione.
L’obiettivo è di offrire allo studente gli strumenti per individuare e
valutare le principali variabili professionali, tecniche, economiche
e culturali che entrano in gioco nella produzione e le strategie
per coordinare le varie fasi del processo produttivo. Sono presi in
considerazione alcuni dei principali ambiti dell’attività editoriale
come l’editoria della stampa quotidiana, della televisione generalista e l’editoria discografica.
Communicating in the Media Branch: Media Journalism,
Media PR, Media Blogs & Media Monitoring
The Media branch is a rapidly changing world in itself – and
communication is one of the driving forces of the branch. But
communication is also “tricky”: Media journalists, covering
73
journalism and the media, will inevitably have to report about
competitors and, occasionally, about their own employer. PR
experts of media companies have “direct access” to the newsrooms of their own companies, but may be blocked by journalists
from competitors. For both groups, bloggers can be a great
source of information, but also “a pain in the ass”. With media
monitoring, communications researchers can provide more
transparency how the media industries and their newsrooms are
covered by others.
The purpose of the seminar is to make participants aware of the
cultural differences in creating transparency about journalism
and the media industries, the potential of improving communications, and ultimately the opportunities how communication
instruments in the media branch might be used more thoroughly
and more effectively. As future media managers should know
about the risks and effects of media PR and media journalism, the course includes many practical exercises and uses the
European Journalism Observatory as a platform for discourse.
Media Law
As media have no choice but to adapt their behavior to the
(constantly changing) legal framework governing their activities,
the goal of the course is to illustrate the most relevant issues
pertaining to media law, noteworthy editorial secrecy, the status
of broadcasting, the right of reply, privacy, pluralism or advertising.
Starting from Swiss law, the course will take into consideration
the highly international dimension of modern media and present the legal solutions (legislative norms and important judicial
decisions) developed by the European Union (and some major
member States like Germany, France and Italy) as well as the
United States.
Progettazione e analisi del web
Il corso analizza la complessa realtà del web dal punto di vista
comunicativo, con particolare attenzione a: analisi dei requisiti,
usabilità, metriche e promozione on-line. L’atelier presenta inoltre l’integrazione del canale on-line con gli altri canali comunicativi nel mercato dei media, anche attraverso casi di studio ed
esercitazioni pratiche.
Stage / semestre in un’altra università
Parte integrante del percorso accademico, lo stage ha l’obiettivo
di permettere allo studente di prendere contatto con il mondo
professionale a cui il master prepara, creare un collegamento
tra quanto studiato nei primi semestri e la realtà lavorativa, e di
individuare opportunità per un inserimento professionale. Lo studente, con il supporto del servizio stage&placement, è responsabile di trovare un posto di stage, in Svizzera o all’estero, entro
un ambito professionale coerente con il programma di master,
in aziende come imprese televisive e radiofoniche, testate giornalistiche, centri media, ecc.
In alternativa allo stage, per ampliare le competenze scientifiche,
lo studente può svolgere un semestre in una delle università partner dell’USI all’estero o in un’altra regione svizzera, integrando i
corsi seguiti nei primi due semestri con materie affini all’ambito
della gestione dei media.
Master of Science in Gestione dei Media
Tesi
La tesi di Master con cui lo studente conclude la propria formazione è volta ad approfondire una tematica di interesse per lo
studente, nell’ambito delle discipline studiate. Il lavoro di ricerca
scientifico, seguito da uno o più professori del Master, può essere di natura teorica e/o empirica: lo studente dovrà dimostrare di
saper utilizzare concetti, teorie, metodologie e strumenti appropriati ed avere capacità di analisi, di sintesi e di redazione.
Informazioni generali
Lingua
La lingua prevalente nei corsi è l’italiano ed è richiesta la conoscenza della lingua inglese.
Requisiti di ammissione
Bachelor / laurea triennale (o equivalente) di un’università riconosciuta in Scienze della comunicazione, Scienze umane, Lettere e
Filosofia con indirizzo in comunicazione o discipline affini.
La direzione del Master si riserva la possibilità di integrare il piano
di studi con alcuni corsi considerati fondamentali che non sono
presenti nel curriculum universitario del candidato.
WWW.
mgm.usi.ch
Contatti
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Servizio di orientamento
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mgm.usi.ch
Master of Science in Technologies for Human Communication
Technologies for Human
Communication
Goals
In the last decades Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) has radically changed the landscape of human communication. The widespread adoption of ICT-based communication and
interaction tools in all types of organisations has brought to the
foreground the necessity of new professional profiles. The MSc
in Technology for Human Communication is one of the few
masters worldwide that aims to satisfy this need, by forming
specialists able to
– Analyse, design, create, and maintain digital content for
multi-channel business communication (web sites, blogs, web
applications, mobile communication, digital television);
– Evaluate and assess the effectiveness of digital products;
– Promote digital products: search engine marketing and interactive advertising;
– Design innovative ICT tools for business communication support, interaction and collaboration;
– Design interaction modalities that exploit technologies for
supporting human activities.
A specialist of Technologies for Human Communication will find
a job in a wide variety of enterprises and public organisations.
In particular, small and medium enterprises strongly appreciate
the flexibility and versatility guaranteed by a multi-disciplinary
curriculum, that effectively combines communicative and technological competence.
Student Profile
The MSc programme in Technologies for Human Communication
is addressed to students with a Bachelor in communication,
human sciences, psychology, social sciences, or economics, who
intend to complement their cultural background with professional competence in ICT. The programme is also an interesting
option for students with a background in Computer Science or
Industrial Design.
Teaching
Thank to the small classes, teaching is based on a close contact
between students and lecturers. Professors and assistants come
from various fields of ICT and are actively engaged in international and Swiss research projects.
Sem. 1
Concepts and
Methods
Concepts and Methods (37.5 ECTS)
Software technology I: Programming concepts
Requirement, quality and usability
Psychology of new media
Interaction design
Workplace studies
Introduction to marketing
Software technology II: Modelling concepts
Information retrieval
Human-computer interaction
Legal issues in technological communication
human communication technologies at work
Human Communication Technologies at Work (16.5 ECTS)
Online communication and promotion
Collaboration technology
Communication and documentation of software solutions
Internet Technology
Information visualisation
Handson Skills
Hands-on Skills (18 ECTS)
Technologies for Communication Labs
Interaction Design Lab
Software Technology Lab
Online Communication and Promotion (Enterprise projects)
Personalisation
Study
Programme*
Personalisation (18 ECTS)
Elective courses
Elective courses (or Databases)
Elective course
Internship
Thesis
*
Sem. 2
Sem. 3
Sem. 4
6
4.5
3
3
3
3
6
3
3
3
4.5
3
3
3
3
3
1.5
4.5
3
6
3
6
6
3
12
18
Slight changes in the study
programme may occur.
Total ECTS
120
Master of Science in Technologies for Human Communication
Courses Descriptions
Concepts and Methods
Software Technology I: Programming Concepts
The course illustrates basic concepts of software technology, in
particular pertaining to computer programming, with the aim
of giving the students the ability to collaborate with computer
scientists and engineers in the development of communication solutions, and to evaluate the advantages, disadvantages
and characteristics of existing communication tools. The course
presents an introduction to software technology concepts, and
exemplifies such concepts using the JavaScript language, with
particular attention to the development of dynamic web applications. Part of the course is devoted to laboratory activities.
Requirement, Quality and Usability
The course aims at transmitting competence to: (i) analyse the
requirements of interactive web applications; (ii) evaluate the
quality, usability and accessibility of such applications on the
basis of the requirements of different stakeholders and of the
exigencies of users. The contents of the course include: methodologies for requirement analysis, design and assessment of usability, international standards for the evaluation of accessibility.
Psychology of new media (ex Hum. Commm. and Virt. Real.)
The course aims at showing how to design new media it is necessary to understand some crucial psychological aspects of human
interactions. Starting from the theoretical framework of enactive
cognition, the course will focus on how new media are introduced
and adopted in individual and professional everyday life.
The course will describe emerging trends in this area, highlighting the development trajectory of new communication media
and considering why some technologies succeed where others
fail according to the interaction affordances they propose to
users. One of the main topic of the course will be the sense of
presence (defined as the subjective experience agents have when
they engage in technology-based interactions), through which
learning and communication become possible. According to this
vision some of the more recent media (such as social networks,
shared virtual places and multiplayer 3D games) will be analyzed.
Finally guidelines for designing effective experiences for mediated communication and cooperation systems will be provided.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of a written report and
an oral exam. Study materials will be provided at the beginning
of the course in the form of a collection of scientific papers.
Interaction design
The course deals with the following themes: human action and
interaction from the point of view of collaboration; the processes
of work, learning, and knowledge creation and sharing; working
teams and communities of practice; the observation of actions
and interactions aimed at the design of tools for supporting collaboration; the paradigms and metaphors for the development
of collaborative environments (ubiquitous and pervasive computing, invisible and disappearing computer); multi-channel systems
for the support of collaboration; virtual and augmented places;
mixed objects; multi-disciplinary design of collaborative tools.
The course aims at transmitting competence on the analysis
and design of human cooperation tools, on their integration in
79
knowledge management systems, and on the evaluation of their
effectiveness in real- world contexts.
Workplace studies
The course is grounded on the idea that technologies modify
working practices and that in turn working practices modify
technologies. That implies that technologies are developed in
the framework of activity systems and ongoing interactions. As a
consequence, designing a new tool to be integrated in an organizational context should be understood as activity design, and the
success in introducing new tools is critically dependant on the
analysis of those professional activities that will be re-shaped.
Students will be introduced to helpful models and methodologies, borrowed from cultural psychology, to analyze systems
of professional activities. In particular the concept of cultural
mediation (Vygotskij), activity theory (Engeström), the analytical
model of communities of practice (Wenger), and ethnography as
research methodology will be presented.
After the presentation of such models and methodologies the
students will be asked to carry out the analysis of some working activity as a prerequisite for the design of new tools to be
introduced in a given context. Students will be evaluated on the
basis of a written report and an oral exam. Study materials will
be provided at the beginning of the course in the form of a collection of scientific papers.
Introduction to Marketing
The course deals with basic theories and models in marketing
(both strategic and operational).
The objectives of this course are to:
1. Introduce the students to the concepts, analyses, and activities that comprise marketing management,
2. Help the students sharpen their analytical skills and show how
to use them to assess and solve marketing problems.
The students will be introduced to the principles underlying the
major marketing activities and given opportunities to try their
hand at analyzing markets and formulating strategy; along with
the theoretical part, a number of exercises and case-studies will
be discussed.
Software Technology II: Modeling Concepts
To develop software applications it is necessary to model crucial
aspects of both the application domain and the functional structure of the application. A large variety of modelling techniques
have been proposed, and several have gained universal acceptance. The following modelling methods will be presented in the
course: regular expressions for describing the structure of flat
sequences; context free grammars for describing the structure
of nested sequences; finite state machines, Petri nets, and BPMN
(Business Process Modelling Notation) for the specification of
processes and activities; and UML (Unified Modelling Language)
for specifying and documenting software systems. These modelling techniques will also be addressed in the laboratory work.
Information Retrieval
The creation and use of digital archives is rapidly increasing,
thus bringing to the foreground the need of effective solutions
for their management and for the retrieval of the documents
Master of Science in Technologies for Human Communication
they contain. Knowledge of basic and advanced techniques for
efficient and effective Information Retrieval (IR) is important not
only for professionals working at the development of IR systems,
but also for users who want to be aware of the systems´ structure and in view of better exploitation. The course, which mainly
addresses the problem of managing and retrieving textual documents, deals with the following topics: introduction to the IR
field and to IR systems; methods for estimating of the relevance
of documents with respect to users´ queries; representation and
management of digital archives: web IR: retrieving documents
on the web, web search engines; information filtering.
such as finding a route in a city, analysing the stock market trends
during a certain period, or understanding the weather forecast
in Europe, may be understood better using graphics rather than
text. Graphics are powerful as they instantly convey large amounts
of information, and allow us to recognise essential features and
make important inferences. Information Visualization explores
the use of computer-supported interactive visual representations,
with the aim of explaining data, amplifying understanding, and
supporting rational choice. In this course students will learn how
to represent pictorially structured and unstructured data, to make
them easier to comprehend and interpret.
Human-Computer Interaction
ICT interfaces may significantly accrue the human potential
for interacting with the environment and with other people.
The course focuses on the techniques that make it possible to
facilitate the communication processes of persons with sensorial,
physical, cognitive, or relational impairments. To this purpose, socalled augmentative communication tools have been developed,
in which an important role is played by multi-modality, that is,
by the simultaneous exploitation of several perceptual channels. The course presents methods for the analysis, design, and
evaluation of ICT environments for multi-modal augmentative
communication, and introduces the most important applications
of such tools in the areas of individual expression, learning, communication, collaboration, professional training, and therapy.
Legal Issues in Technological Communication
The advent of the internet has brought to the foreground new
legal questions and has accrued the importance of problems that
used to be considered as marginal. The course illustrates typical
problems, like the management of domain names, the security
of networks, and the civil and penal responsibilities of intermediaries. Specific attention is devoted to cybercrime, privacy
and copyright. The different topics of the course are dealt with
at both conceptual and practical levels (through case studies).
They will be considered from the points of view of Swiss and
European law and, where relevant, of American law.
Information Visualisation
In several real-world situations we try to understand some phenomena, data, and events using graphics. Some aspects of reality,
Human Communication Technologies at Work
Online Communication and Promotion
Computer-mediated communication in general, and the internet
in particular, have opened new and unexpected opportunities
for human communication, through a reinterpretation of space
81
and time, as well as through the integration of many semiotic
codes: text, image, audio, video (media convergence). In the
course, the role of web sites as communication tools is explored;
the contribution by different professionals-their collaboration
and their misunderstandings-is presented, as well as the role
of the users and their actual usages in shaping an application.
Special attention is paid to issues like promotion, maintenance,
localisation, web-metrics. In addition, the issues related to the
so-called Web 2.0 are presented and explored from a communicative perspective.
Collaboration technology
The course´s main objective is to study, analyze, and evaluate
the technological and communicative problems that arise in the
design of web systems, and in particular in the design of web
applications devoted to improve human collaboration and communication, social interactions and knowledge sharing. In particular in the first part of the course the architecture of Internet
applications is presented and the technological problems related
to their developments will be investigated. In the second part of
the course different type of existing tools for collaborative work
will be presented and analyzed, like for instance: wikis, semantic
wikis, and content management or groupware systems.
The course consists of conceptual lessons and laboratory activities that will allow the students to have a direct experience of
the usage of:
– a wiki (MediaWiki)
– a semantic wiki l(Semantic MediaWiki)
– a content management system (Joomla, Tiki Wiki)
Student will be evaluated on the basis of weekly assignments,
a final written exam, and the realization of a project. The study
material consists of the lecturers slides, on-line papers, manuals,
and tutorials.
Communication and Documentation of Software Solutions
The course presents conceptual and practical tools for communicating complex technological solutions in different contexts:
feasibility studies, project proposals, detailed development plans,
and project presentations to different types of stakeholders and
at different stages of development. The contents of the course
include: components and facets of technological projects, main
elements of project communication, project documentation,
feasibility study, resource allocation and budgeting, and presentation of technological products.
Internet Technology
The course deals with the main concepts regarding the Internet as
an aggregate of different technologies, with a particular attention
to the Web and its continuous evolution. Its main objective is to provide the students with the competence and the tools to understand
and leverage these technologies for their own projects.
The course presents the following topics: basics about the Internet
(networks, protocols, standards and applications), the Web of
documents or Web1.0, using search engines and communities
of practice to find information on the Internet, the Social Web or
Web2.0, collective intelligence and ways to exploit it (folksonomies,
recommendation systems, data mining techniques), the Semantic
Web or Web3.0, and the future of the Web.
Master of Science in Technologies for Human Communication
Student will be evaluated on the basis of assignments and of a written exam. The study material consists of the lecturer´s slides, on-line
papers, manuals, and tutorials.
Information Visualization
In several real-world situations we try to understand some phenomena, data, and events using graphics. Some aspects of reality,
such as finding a route in a city, analysing the stock market trends
during a certain period, or understanding the weather forecast in
Europe, may be understood better using graphics rather than text.
Graphics are powerful as they instantly convey large amounts of
information, and allow us to recognise essential features and make
important inferences. Information Visualization explores the use
of computer-supported interactive visual representations, with the
aim of explaining data, amplifying understanding, and supporting
rational choice. In this course students will learn how to represent
pictorially structured and unstructured data, to make them easier to
comprehend and interpret.
Hands-on Skills
Technologies for Communication Lab
The course offers an overview of information-communication
and technology tools. A wide choice of hands-on technology
laboratories is offered (image editing, audio and video editing,
database design, web publishing, web animation, panoramic
images, mark-up languages etc.). The laboratories are taught
from basic to advanced level and are adapted to the level of
knowledge and skills of the students.
Interaction Design LAB
The course is based on a practical exploration of Human
Computer Interaction design. The main aim is to give students extensive practice in the processes involved in designing
novel highly interactive systems and to introduce them to new
developments in design methodology. The course is basically
structured with a minimum of lecturing (during which the main
methodology issues are introduced) and exercises following the
project brief. Students will apply the methods they have learned,
presenting their jobs to their peers and teachers in formal presentation sessions.
Software Technology LAB
The aim of this course is to give a common basic knowledge and
a shared language, useful to interact with specialist of software
developement. This will be achieved through the exploration
of diffused concepts that are widely applied in the software
development field. The laboratory activity is based on a chosen
real-world case. After an overview of characteristics, methodologies and technologies used to create web-based solution for
communication-oriented software, the students will work on to
solve this practical case using the new knowledge presented.
Some concepts that will be presented are: software lifecycle
models, formal language for specifying functionalities and properties (UML), basis of web-enabled software solution, language
for dynamic web development (PHP), standard language for data
exchange (XML). A substantial part of the laboratory activities
will be devoted to group work directed toward the proposed
real-world project´s realization.
83
Online Communication and Promotion (Enterprise Projects)
Information and Communication Technologies have a deep
impact onto companies and institutions, onto their way of communicating internally and externally, as well as onto the way they
carry out their business. In this laboratory -run as a supervised
professional workshop-students participate in web projects with
different companies or institutions. Doing so, they can integrate
many elements from other courses, and get a direct experience
of different types of clients and real-life needs. Moreover, students are helped to develop their own problem solving skills as
well as their ability to work in goal-oriented teams.
General Information
Language
The programme’s language is English.
Admission Requirements
Bachelor of Science (or equivalent) in a recognised faculty of
communication, human sciences, psychology, social sciences,
economics, computer science, or industrial design.
Tuition Fees
For the internship semester, students pay a fee reduced by 50%.
Personalisation
Elective Courses
15 ECTS are devoted to elective courses; of these, up to 6 ECTS
may be used to cover the subject of Data Bases, if such topics
are not already included in the student’s Bachelor curriculum. At
least 6 ECTS must be taken from technology oriented courses of
other Master programmes.
Thesis
The Master’s thesis, which concludes the study program, is
based on original research work on a theme pertaining to the
conceptual and/or practical aspects of ICT solutions for human
communication and interaction.
Contacts
Univeristà della Svizzera italiana, USI
Dr. Nicoletta Fornara
Via G. Buffi 13
CH-6900 Lugano
[email protected], www.mtec.usi.ch
WWW.
mtec.usi.ch
Master of Science in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
Technology-Enhanced Communication
for Cultural Heritage (TEC-CH)
TEC-CH is a Master of Science in Communication designed to
train the next generation of communication professionals using
state-of-the-art information technologies (e.g. the Web, Web
2.0, mobile devices, podcasting, and interactive installations).
The programme is intended for university graduates with
backgrounds in the Humanities, Communication Sciences and/
or Cultural Heritage. Based on an interdisciplinary humanistictechnological approach, the Master enables students to plan and
develop communication strategies by means of digital and interactive media. The main field of application is Cultural Heritage,
but orientations in Tourism and Marketing are also possible.
Career Opportunities
TEC-CH graduates are eligible for leadership or project management positions for digital and interactive media projects in the
cultural field. Depending on the emphasis of their study plan,
they may also work as educators, content developers, producers of interpretive media, or communication specialists in the
Cultural, Tourism or Marketing sectors.
Contents
Students receive a comprehensive preparation which combines
knowledge and practical skills at the confluence of the disciplines
of Communication Science, Technology, Design, Education,
Interaction Design, Management and Economics.
The knowledge component includes:
– Cultural Heritage (CH) and related fields such as marketing,
legal issues (e.g., intellectual property rights management),
economics, eLearning, and international tourism
– Communication Science (from foundations to best practices)
– Computer Science (Informatics) and related new media technologies (multimedia authoring, the Web, Web 2.0, mobile
devices, podcasting, and interactive installations)
– Experience, interaction and exhibition design.
The skills component includes all stages of the development life
cycle of media products:
– Conception of high-level communication strategies for technology-based experiences
– Design of user-centred, technology-based experiences
– Creation of content suitable for technology-based experiences
– Use of tools for production of multimedia content
– Analysis and evaluation of multimedia applications, usability
and user-testing.
85
International, Multicultural and
Rooted in Real-world Experience
TEC-CH benefits from an international setting, which enhances
cultural exchange and encourages openness towards diverse
cultural viewpoints. Previous classes hosted students across five
continents. TEC-CH instructors come from Europe and North
America, and advanced seminars are led by top-level professionals from all around the world.
Study Programme
The study programme includes lectures, hands-on technical labs,
and intensive seminars taught by leading professionals. A wide
array of elective courses is offered, enabling students to put
a special emphasis in their study plan to different skills – e.g.
content writing or information organisation – and different
application areas – Cultural Heritage primarily, but also Tourism
or Marketing.
Besides coursework on campus, students spend a one-semester
internship in an institution chosen and arranged by themselves
with the University’s support. In previous years, students spent
their internships in prestigious institutions, such as The Louvre,
Centre Pompidou (Paris), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
(San Francisco), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum or The New
York Dance Museum (New York). The final semester is dedicated
to the completion of the thesis, on a topic of the student’s
choice.
Academic Staff
TEC-CH instructors are both reputed faculty and active professionals in the Cultural Heritage and technology-based communication fields.
Academics come from prestigious athenaeums and higher-education schools, such as the University of Lugano (Switzerland),
the Politecnico of Milan (Italy), the University of San Gallen
(Switzerland), the University of Toronto (Canada), the University
of California (USA).
Intensive courses and seminars are held by professionals working in museums and cultural institutions – e.g. San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art (USA), Victoria Museum (Melbourne,
Australia), the Museum of Cultures (Lugano, Switzerland).
Other instructors are freelancers or are working in companies specialized in giving innovative solutions for the use of
information technologies in Cultural Heritage communication
(e.g. IDEUM, Corrales, USA; Sandbox Studios / Museum411,
Minneapolis, USA; Libraries without Walls, California, USA).
Master of Science in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
Core Courses
Core Courses (63 ECTS)
Advanced Seminars
Communication for CH
Communication Technologies Labs
Design of Interactive Applications for CH
Design Lab
Economics for CH
Field Project
Electives
Electives (19 ECTS)
Cultural Management
3
Destination Management and Marketing
4.5
Economics and Politics of International Tourism 4.5
Exhibits and Museum Scenography
3
Interaction Design
3
Interaction Design Lab
1.5
Pers.
Study Programme*
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
6
Personalisation (38 ECTS)
Internship
Thesis
Field Project Lab
Interactive Communication for Museums
Multichannel Communication Lab
New Media in Education
Requirements, Quality and Usability
Usability Lab
Virtual Environments for CH
1.5
3
3
3
4.5
3
3
Information Visualization
Introduction to Marketing
Legal Issues in Technological Communication
Online Communication and Promotion
Psychology of New Media
Research Lab
3
3
3
4.5
3
3
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur, please check the TEC-CH website for the updated version.
20
18
120
87
Course Descriptions
Core Courses
Advanced Seminars
Professional guest speakers are invited to lecture on cuttingedge subjects in the field of Cultural Heritage. The aim is to keep
students updated with the newest trends in this area and to benefit from professional testimonials on communication best practices. Subject areas range from digitization of rare artefacts, new
trends in cataloguing cultural objects, immersive architectures
for Cultural Heritage visualization, educational programmes for
Cultural Heritage institutions, etc.
Communication for Cultural Heritage
This course covers the basics of communication theory with
direct applicability to the field of Cultural Heritage. The theoretical part is complemented by examples of communication practices in CH, with the aim of enabling students to acquire critical
skills for evaluating communication artefacts and projects in the
CH domain.
Communication Technologies Labs
A wide array of hands-on technology labs is offered (image editing, audio and video editing, database design, web publishing,
web animation, panoramic images, etc). The laboratories are
taught from basic to advanced level and are adapted to the level
of knowledge and skills of the students.
Design of Interactive Applications for Cultural Heritage –
Design Lab
These courses focus on acquiring skills for an effective design of
applications, satisfying goals and requirements of different types
of stakeholders. Various Cultural Heritage contexts (e.g., museums, archives, archaeological sites, etc.) are examined. Students
will design their own cultural media application.
Economics for Cultural Heritage
The course aims at outlining the contribution of economics to
the study of Cultural Heritage services, with special focus on
museums. Attention will be paid to the role and motivations of
different actors (public, private and non-profit sector) operating
in the Cultural Heritage field and to the possible models of interaction among them, stressing their different behavioural models
and the crucial role of information.
Field Project
In this real-life practical course, students apply their knowledge
and skills in multimedia production in the development of a
technological communication project in the field of Cultural
Heritage, developed in collaboration with a cultural institution.
Work is team-based and done under the supervision of a tutor.
Field Project Lab
In this laboratory, students will learn how to create mock-ups
and prototypes for illustrating the design ideas developed during
the Field Project and presenting them to the stakeholders.
Master of Science in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
Interactive Communication for Museums
This course explores the world of creative and ground-breaking
multimedia for cultural institutions. Students look at the process
of multimedia development and at best practices in interpretation for cultural institutions. Emphasis is on museums, in terms
of both web-based and gallery-based applications.
Usability Lab
This course teaches basic usability principles, established
approaches, methods and techniques for the evaluation of web
applications. It includes practical exercises of usability analysis
performed on websites. The course combines lectures and lab
sessions supervised by tutors.
Multichannel Communication Lab
In this practical laboratory, participants will gain practical skills in
the development of small-scale digital multimedia applications,
using a ready-made design format, a predefined workflow, a fast
data upload, and instantaneous publishing of contents through
the use of multimedia authoring tools for various channels (web,
CD-ROM, iPod, cell phones, etc.).
Virtual Environments for Cultural Heritage
How effective are virtual environments for the communication of
cultural contents? This course attempts to answer this question
through a critical analysis of case studies where virtual reality
technologies are used in various contexts (e.g., interactive installations within museums, 3D graphic reconstructions for archaeological sites, technology-based information points, etc.).
New Media in Education
The course highlights the numerous opportunities offered by
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enrich
the learning experience and explores their application in the
Cultural Heritage field. A large variety of case studies will be
discussed to determine under which circumstances eLearning
activities can provide added value to Cultural Heritage communication and education.
Recommended Electives
Requirements, Quality and Usability
The course introduces the basics for elicitation of requirements,
definition of communication goals and key values in designing
a web application. A part of the course is dedicated to usability
and accessibility evaluation.
Destination Management and Marketing
This course deals with the concept of “Destination” as the
competitive unit of a tourism offering. At the end of the course,
students will be able to analyse the competitive position of destinations and be familiar with the methods and tools for strategic
destination management.
Cultural Management
This course examines the methodologies and techniques for
effective management of projects in the field of Cultural
Heritage. Organisational issues, budget, cost control, monitoring, validation, management, project financing, etc. are explored
through case studies analysis.
89
Economics and Politics of International Tourism
This course covers the special characteristics of tourism compared to other economic sectors. It deals with motivations for
travelling, the variables which determine the choice of destination, the expenditures of visitors, the growth and productivity
problem in a sector with personalized services, the structure
and dynamics of the world tourism market, and the concept of
sustainable development.
Exhibits and Museum Scenography
This course introduces key topics in museology, museography
and exhibition design. After examining a number of methodological tools, students are encouraged to conceive and design an
innovative project in the field of museum practices.
Interaction Design
The course aims at transmitting competence on the analysis
and design of human cooperation tools, on their integration in
knowledge management systems, and on the evaluation of their
effectiveness in real-world contexts.
Interaction Design Lab
The course is based on a practical exploration of HumanComputer Interaction design. The aim is to give students extensive practice in the processes involved in designing novel, highly
interactive systems and to introduce them to new developments
in design methodology.
Information Visualization
Information Visualization explores the use of computer-supported interactive visual representations, with the aim of explaining
data, amplifying understanding, and supporting rational choice.
In this course students will learn how to represent structured and
unstructured data visually, to make them easier for comprehension and interpretation.
Introduction to Marketing
The course deals with basic theories and models in marketing
(both strategic and operational).
The objectives of this course are to: 1) introduce students to the
concepts, analyses, and activities that comprise marketing management; 2) help students sharpen their analytical skills and use
them to assess and solve marketing problems.
Legal Issues in Technological Communication
The advent of the internet has brought to the foreground new
legal questions, and problems that used to be considered as
marginal have accrued new importance. The course illustrates
typical problems, such as the management of domain names,
the security of networks, and the civil and penal responsibilities
of intermediaries. Specific attention is devoted to cybercrime,
privacy and copyright.
Online Communication and Promotion
Computer-mediated communication in general, and the internet
in particular, have opened new and unexpected opportunities
for human communication, through a reinterpretation of space
and time, as well as through the integration of many semi-
Master of Science in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
otic codes: text, image, audio, video (media convergence). The
course explores the role of websites as communication tools,
focusing on the issues of promotion, maintenance, localisation,
and web-metrics.
General Information
Psychology of New Media
Starting from the theoretical framework of enactive cognition,
the course will focus on how new media are introduced and
adopted in individual and professional everyday life.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree
(or equivalent) from a recognised academic institution in the
Humanities, Cultural Heritage, or related disciplines. Good
knowledge of spoken and written English is required.
Research Lab
This course allows students to become familiar with the standard
methodologies in human sciences research, through a research
subject of their choice. Work is done under the guidance of an
experienced tutor.
WWW.
tech-ch.usi.ch
Language
This programme is held entirely in English.
Application Deadline
Application periods run twice per year. Students can enrol in the
programme in the Fall semester (starting mid-September) or in
the Spring semester (starting mid-February). For further details
on admission, please refer to the website.
Contacts
For content-related questions, please contact
TEC-CH
Tel. +41 58 666 4713
[email protected]
www.tec-ch.usi.ch
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
viva, di una «lingua dolce e sapida, fatta di suoni di solidarietà»
(O. Mandelštam, 1933).
Laurea Magistrale
Obiettivi e contenuti
Ha scritto Yves Bonnefoy che l’arte italiana è l’ «arrière-pays»,
il retroterra di qualsiasi esperienza e memoria del bello; e Osip
Mandelštam osservò che per leggere Dante occorre avere uno
sguardo volto al futuro. Questo è l’ambito della civiltà italiana: la
memoria di una perfezione condivisa, l’esercizio di un pensiero
capace di abbracciare gli «universali» della condizione umana.
Questa universalità non è somma di digressioni all’infinito: è, al
contrario, come scrisse Jorge Luis Borges della Divina Commedia,
capacità di racchiudere tutta una vita in un verso. Comprendere
il vissuto della storia, gli universali del pensiero, stringerli in sintesi, offrirli come una ‘prospettiva’: arte, filosofia, poesia, spiritualità chiamate a dar forma all’essenziale.
In questa prospettiva, il Master di Lingua, Letteratura e civiltà italiana proposto dall’Università della Svizzera italiana meglio realizza (rispetto ad altri percorsi di studio attivi in Italia o in Svizzera)
quanto Gianfranco Folena disegnò storicamente nel suo saggio
L’italiano in Europa (1983): una lingua di civiltà delle arti, capace
di unire creazione e ragioni civili del ‘patrimonio dell’umanità’.
Per questo sono stati chiamati ad insegnare docenti che, dalla
Svizzera, dall’Italia, dalla Francia, dalla Germania, incarnino essi
stessi – nel loro percorso di ricerca – questa parabola, sempre
Il percorso del Master individua tre sbocchi professionali,
oltre alla possibilità di proseguire con un dottorato di ricerca:
l’insegnamento dell’italiano, della sua lingua e civiltà, nelle
scuole della Svizzera, e non solo; la formazione bibliografica e
archivistica per le Biblioteche e gli Archivi; la conoscenza dei
modi e delle forme della conservazione dei manufatti artistici
e del patrimonio per la gestione dei Musei e del lascito della
«memoria collettiva». Dopo il primo anno di Master (due semestri con insegnamenti comuni per tutte le specializzazioni), il III e
IV semestre prevedono insegnamenti specialistici per conseguire
competenza nell’ambito dei tre profili individuati. Una tesi di
ricerca nell'area prescelta completerà, per tutti e tre i percorsi, il
biennio formativo.
Nel processo di formazione di una coscienza della comune civiltà
europea, che attende l’esercizio di responsabilità dei giovani del
XXI secolo, questo Master si presenta come il maturo convergere
a sintesi di larghissime esperienze di insegnamento e il coerente
articolarsi di paradigmi di lettura critica per disporre, dal presente, di “cornici d’avvenire”.
Sem. 1
(30 ECTS)
Lingua (6 crediti)
Grammatica e Atti di linguaggio
Storia della lingua italiana
Letteratura (15 crediti)
Letteratura Medievale e Umanistica
Letteratura del Rinascimento e del Barocco
Letterature comparate
Sem. 2
(30 ECTS)
Lingua (6 crediti)
Argomentazione
Retorica e stilistica
Letteratura (12 crediti)
Letteratura dell’Ottocento e del Novecento
Letterature comparate
Ermeneutica e storia della critica
Sem. 3
(30 ECTS)
Lingua e testi (6 crediti)
Costruzione di testi
Storia del libro e bibliografia
Arti / Storia / Civiltà (9 crediti)
Iconologia letteraria
Storia delle comunicazioni nell'Italia contemporanea
Estetica
S. 4
93
Quarto semestre (30 ECTS)
Tesi
3
3
6
6
3
3
3
6
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Arti / Storia / Civiltà (9 crediti)
Storia dell’arte medievale
Rinascimento e Barocco
Letteratura e arti
Storia, cultura, mentalità
3
3
3
3
Arti / Storia / Civiltà (12 crediti)
Storia delle forme
Il testo in scena
Musica e letteratura
Storia e teoria del cinema
Storia della spiritualità
3
3
3
3
3
Crediti di specializzazione* (15 crediti)
Archivistica
Archivistica
Gestione dei testi
Musei e patrimonio delle arti
Museologia e museografia
Storia della fotografia: arte e documento
Totale ECTS
* Una parte dei crediti può essere acquisita tramite lo svolgimento di stage o un semestre di mobilità.
3
3
3
3
30
120
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
Tema annuale
Paesaggi: natura e artificio
«Quando il Signore Dio fece la terra e il cielo, nessun cespuglio
campestre era sulla terra, nessuna erba era spuntata – perché
il Signore Dio non aveva fatto piovere sulla terra e nessuno
lavorava il suolo e faceva salire dalla terra l’acqua dei canali per
irrigare tutto il suolo –; allora il Signore Dio plasmò l’uomo con
polvere del suolo» (Genesi, II, 4-7). La fonte “jahvista” della
Creazione sembra far sorgere l’uomo come rimedio alla sterilità
della natura: non c’erano canali, né erbe, né campi. L’uomo sarà,
da allora, il signore del paesaggio. Le epoche e le poetiche hanno
alternato i loro sguardi su ciò che circonda il vivere umano:
talvolta facendo del paesaggio un prolugamento antropico: orti
e giardini che circondano palazzi e dimore, o squisiti “lontani”
che sono cortina di misurati ritratti; talaltra preferendo dirupi e
balze, cime e folti boschi e selve incantate, deserti e fortunali di
mare. Sempre il “paesaggio” è stato il modo di pensare l’uomo
nel suo “esser-qui”, dal lucreziano Naufragio con spettatore
(studiato da Hans Blumenberg) ai leopardiani dialoghi con la
luna. La natura e i suoi cieli sono spesso il miglior commento e il
più fidato correlativo dei sentimenti umani: dal canto di Paolo e
Francesca: «E come i gru van cantando lor lai, / faccendo in aere
di sé lunga riga, / così vid’io venir, traendo guai, / ombre portate
da la detta briga» (Inf., V, 46-49) alle specularità di sorti meditata
da Zanzotto: «Fiammelle qua e là per prati / friggono luci disperse ognuna in sé / quelle siamo noi, racimoli del fuoco / che pur
disseminando resta pari a se stesso / è zero che dona, da zero,
il suo vero» (Papaveri, da Conglomerati, 2009). Da più di un
secolo, anche la città è paesaggio: foreste di ciminiere, selve di
antenne, fiumi di auto…: la natura scomparsa rientra, nel nostro
orizzonte, come metafora o nostalgia; in fondo il paesaggio è
scelta e gesto che intima a noi stessi: «Qui non resta che cingersi
intorno il paesaggio / qui volgere le spalle» (A. Zanzotto, Ormai,
da Dietro il paesaggio).
Primo anno
Grammatica e atti di linguaggio
Claudia Caffi / Johanna Miecznikowski
Paesaggi discorsivi: i percorsi e le distanze
Il corso affronterà argomenti centrali della pragmatica linguistica
privilegiando quegli argomenti che più si prestano a un raccordo
non occasionale con una prospettiva testuale e stilistica. Prevede
una prima parte in cui verranno presentate alcune nozioni di
base, quali la performatività e la teoria degli atti linguistici, e una
seconda parte che consisterà in ricognizioni mirate all’interno dei
seguenti campi:
1 segnali di orientamento nel contesto: la deissi. Verranno messi
a fuoco i mezzi con i quali i parlanti, come dice Benveniste, ‘si
appropriano’ della lingua commutandola in discorso.
2 Segnali di orientamento nel testo: l’anafora. Insieme ad altri
mezzi della coesione testuale, saranno presi in considerazione
i diversi tipi di anafora.
3 Le distanze: si tratterà di indagare, anche attraverso la discussione di esempi, i vari mezzi di presa di distanza dei parlanti
dal proprio dire e dall’interlocutore. Verranno dunque presentate le forme della mitigazione e, all’interno di essa, della
modalizzazione assertiva. Verranno in questa cornice impiegate le categorie introdotte in Caffi (2007) di siepi, cespugli e
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schermi che corrispondono rispettivamente a casi di vaghezza, di indirettezza e di sfocamento dell’origine enunciativa.
L’ultima parte del corso consentirà uno sguardo a zone particolarmente vivaci della ricerca pragmatica attuale, quale quello
della cortesia.
Il corso presuppone le nozioni di base della linguistica generale.
Storia della lingua italiana
Silvia Albesano
«Bassi sudari brumosi», «pellicole di pioggia», «giallastre alluvioni di pericolo». La lingua creata del paesaggio nel Partigiano
Johnny di Beppe Fenoglio.
Nel passaggio dalla prima stesura del romanzo, in inglese, alle
complesse riscritture successive, l’elemento paesaggistico sembra dilagare ed evolvere verso un grado sempre maggiore di
autonomia e astrattezza, tanto da sganciarsi quasi completamente dal dato reale e risultare trasfigurato in una dimensione
epica, archetipica. Mezzo di questa trasformazione – che passa
per l’autotraduzione in italiano – è un imponente e radicale
processo di reinvenzione linguistica che il corso cercherà di indagare e documentare analizzando le modalità con cui i limiti del
sistema vengono forzati per sfruttarne le potenzialità creative,
anche attingendo a parole e strutture di altre lingue (l’inglese su
tutte, il francese, il latino, e, se pure in misura minore, il dialetto)
e di altri autori (tra i quali gli amatissimi elisabettiani, Milton,
Coleridge, Hopkins).
Letteratura medioevale e umanistica
Corrado Bologna e Mira Mocan
Orizzonti dell’anima
“Transibo […] et istam naturae meae, gradibus ascendens ad
eum qui fecit me, et venio in campos et lata praetoria memoriae, ubi sunt thesauri innumerabilium imaginum” (Aug., Conf.,
X 8, 12): il pensiero allegoristico tardo-antico e medioevale,
coniugando le immagini bibliche della vita come iter dell’homo
viator e dell’elevazione come ascensione sui monti dello spirito
(Salmi 120-134) insieme con l’idea agostiniana che l’anima è un
locus qui non est locus, tratteggia una descrizione del paesaggio dell’interiorità. Le figure così delineate vengono assorbite
e rielaborate attraverso un’ampia metaforica spaziale nella
letteratura volgare dei secoli XII-XIV, dai trovatori provenzali a
Dante a Petrarca. Il corso si impernierà sulla lettura di alcuni testi
significativi, soprattutto dalla lirica cortese e stilnovistica, dalla
Commedia e dal Canzoniere.
Letteratura del Rinascimento e del Barocco
Prima Parte: Carlo Ossola
Jerusalem. Paesaggi di profezia e di pellegrinaggio
Dall’Itinerarium ad sepulcrum Domini del Petrarca alla battaglia
sotto le mura della città santa nella Gerusalemme Liberata e nella
Conquistata, la visione di Sion ha dettato, sul modello biblico,
visioni profetiche, itinerari di pellegrinaggio, Lamentationes e
Laudes in tutta la prima età moderna e nel secolo barocco; suggerendo poi nel Novecento riflessioni di metodo sulla “memoria
collettiva”, come nei saggi di Maurice Halbwachs. Il corso prenderà in esame i principali classici di questo viaggio di salvezza,
trovando infine – nel perplesso consentire alla storia di Torquato
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
Tasso – una città terrena avvolta, come oggi, nel dissidio della
pluralità: «Però che dentro a una città commisto / Popolo alberga
di contraria fede» (Liberata, I, 84).
Seconda parte: Stefano Prandi
Spazio e paesaggio nella tradizione epico-cavalleresca, dall’Ariosto
al Tasso
Già col Boiardo la letteratura cavalleresca italiana assume una
topica ambientale in gran parte stilizzata e irrelata rispetto agli
scenari arturiani; ciò non significa, tuttavia, che essa si presenti
monocorde, tutt’altro: nell’Ariosto si assiste infatti sia ad un formidabile dispiegamento spaziale del teatro dell’avventura e della
quête, sia al prodursi di una modalità narrativa che, nel montaggio delle sequenze, mira a superare i classici limiti imposti alla
letteratura, nel dibattito proprio dell’ut pictura poësis, quanto a
capacità di rappresentare il simultaneo. Mutando radicalmente
prospettiva sul piano narrativo, col Tasso muta anche il valore
dello spazio simbolico del paesaggio, che si arricchisce di una
nuova quinta individuabile nell’interiorità stessa dei grandi personaggi tragici della Liberata.
Letterature comparate
Piero Boitani
Paesaggio: letteratura e pittura nella notte
Quando inizia il “senso del paesaggio” nella letteratura e nelle
arti visive? Si parla generalmente del Settecento, ma ci sono
pitture provenienti dalla Grecia classica o dall’antica Roma che
dimostrano una sensibilità paesaggistica piuttosto sviluppata (per
non parlare della pittura cinese). I testi di Omero e di Virgilio, per
esempio, paiono andare nella medesima direzione. Il corso esplo-
rerà l’evoluzione di tale sensibilità nella letteratura e nella pittura
antiche, medievali (Dante e Petrarca, ma anche scene pittoriche
della Natività, Epifania e Crocefissione, e Giotto), rinascimentali
e moderne. Un’attenzione particolare sarà dedicata alle rappresentazioni del paesaggio notturno.
Storia dell’arte medievale
Gerhard Wolf
La città medievale: le pietre, le immagini
Per il descrittivo completo, riferirsi al sito.
Rinascimento e Barocco
Carla Mazzarelli
L’invenzione della natura: agli esordi della pittura di paesaggio
Il corso intende delineare origini e sviluppo della pittura di
paesaggio, attraverso la sua progressiva evoluzione come tema
figurativo fino alla nascita del genere autonomo nel primo
Seicento. Dall’intima connessione tra natura e figura riscontrabile nella pittura veneta del XV e XVI secolo (Giorgione, Giovanni
Bellini, Tiziano) al ruolo svolto, nella riscoperta dei valori mimetici
del reale, dalla cultura fiamminga e dall’incontro di quest’ultima
con la ’geografia’ naturale del paesaggio italiano, sino alla elaborazione del paesaggio classico, momento tradizionalmente individuato nel dipinto di Annibale Carracci La Fuga in Egitto (1603;
Roma, Galleria Doria Pamphilj), opera emblematica della nascita
di un genere destinato ad avere ampia fortuna per tutto il corso
del XVIII secolo: il paesaggio storico. Il percorso tracciato dall’elaborazione dei nuovi temi e contenuti pittorici sarà indagato
tenendo conto anche delle relazioni intercorse tra pittore, opera
e collezionista, e dal ruolo svolto dal paesaggio – in rapporto
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anche agli altri generi pittorici – nei sistemi espositivi e d’arredo
delle residenze rinascimentali e barocche. Attraverso l’evoluzione
del gusto per la pittura di paesaggio e di natura, indagato anche
in sede teorica e trattatistica, si delinea uno dei temi fondanti
della nuova iconografia barocca.
nella società urbana del basso Medioevo si incrocia con sensibilità nuove nei confronti del paesaggio. Sono sensibilità e sguardi
che interessano la storia della cultura e delle mentalità perché
sono il riflesso di profonde trasformazioni nella relazione tra
uomo e natura e tra individuo e società.
Letteratura e arti
Marco Maggi
Scambi di vedute. Il paesaggio tra poesia e pittura.
Non è rara, soprattutto a partire dal Settecento, la descrizione
letteraria di pitture di paesaggio. Nelle tele di Claude Lorrain e
Vermeer, Cézanne e Morandi, i poeti meditano sul gioco delle
interferenze di visione e memoria, natura e artificio, da cui trae
origine il paesaggio; per riconoscervi – volto a sé nuovamente
lo sguardo – l’entre-deux della «condition humaine» (dittico di
René Magritte, 1933 e 1935). Si leggeranno, tra gli altri, testi di
Marino, Diderot, Keats, Leopardi, Baudelaire, Rilke, Proust, Auden,
Williams, Plath, Stevens, Celan, Bertolucci, Handke, Bonnefoy.
Argomentazione
Eddo Rigotti
Una prima parte del corso, richiamata nei suoi tratti fondamentali l’evoluzione della retorica classica, si incentra sul contributo
allo studio dei processi argomentativi offerto dalla filosofia e
dalla logica tardo-antica e medievale, considerando in particolare le elaborazioni della Topica di Severino Boezio, Abelardo,
Pietro Ispano e Buridano. La rilevanza di questo contributo è
sicuramente ribadita dalla sua marcata attualità che emerge,
nella seconda parte del corso, dalla considerazione delle ricerche
a noi contemporanee sugli schemi argomentativi che rappresentano una naturale continuazione dei Topoi. Un’ultima parte, per
altro più estesa delle precedenti, si incarica di illustrare alcune
applicazioni nella cultura italiana ed europea della teoria dell’argomentazione. Vengono messi a fuoco alcuni passi di Dante
(della Divina Commedia e della Monarchia) ed alcuni passi del
De Regimine Principum di Egidio Romano.
Storia, cultura, mentalità
Agostino Paravicini-Bagliani
Per le società altomedievali così profondamente arroccate al
simbolismo come chiave di lettura del cosmo e della creazione, il
rapporto con il paesaggio oscilla sempre, in un modo o nell’altro,
tra natura e artifizio, poichè la natura è anzitutto un serbatoio di
segni e di valori (positivi e negativi). Dal XII in poi affiora però,
soprattutto nell'Europa mediterranea, un rapporto nuovo con
la natura che permette di osservare, studiare ed apprezzare il
paesaggio con sentimenti sempre più vicini alla realtà. Il corso
tenterà quindi di studiare come il permanere dei valori simbolici
Retorica e stilistica
Annick Paternoster
‘Il locus amoenus nella prospettiva dialogica. La scena e le opinioni nel dialogo teorico del Cinquecento.’
Tra Quattro- e Cinquecento, il dialogo teorico viene spesso situato in un locus amoenus quale luogo ideale per il libero scambio
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
delle opinioni. Il corso propone di verificare con quali mezzi
stilistici l’interazione dialogica mantenga l’ethos di uguaglianza
inaugurato dalla cornice. Ci chiediamo come le diverse opinioni siano attenuate in direzione del relativismo e del consenso,
richiamandoci alla retorica classica, nonché alla pragmatica della
cortesia e della mitigazione. L’analisi si concentra sul Libro del
Cortegiano, B. Castiglione, ma guarderà a predecessori (il dialogo neociceroniano) e continuatori (Sp. Speroni e T. Tasso).
Letteratura dell’Ottocento e del Novecento
Prima Parte: Antonella Anedda
“Qui non resta che cingersi intorno il paesaggio” (Andrea Zanzotto)
Il corso si propone di riflettere sulla relazione tra poesia e paesaggio, tra scrittura e sguardo sul mondo. Paesaggio non come
sfondo ma come luogo del fare poetico, come attraversamento
di spazi diversi: l'isola e il mare, il giardino e il monte. Saranno
letti e percorsi poeti, saggisti e narratori anche lontani tra loro
(come Elsa Morante e Alice Munro, Odisseus Elitis e Andrea
Zanzotto) intendendo la parola paesaggio anche come “passaggio” traduzione e traccia del tempo umano nello spazio.
Seconda parte: Giacomo Jori
Il paesaggio della fine. L’Apocalisse nella letteratura italiana contemporanea.
È già nella Bibbia che la fine dei tempi – il ravvolgersi del liber
mundi – avanza dall’orizzonte, si rivela nel paesaggio: «et
vidi cum aperuisset sigillum sextum et terraemotus factus est
magnus et sol factus est niger tamquam saccus cilicinus et luna
tota facta est sicut sanguis et stellae caeli ceciderunt super terram sicut ficus mittit grossos suos cum vento magno movetur et
caelum recessit sicut liber involutus et omnis mons et insulae de
locis suis motae sunt» (‘All’apertura del sesto sigillo apparve ai
miei occhi questa visione: si udì un gran terremoto; il sole s’offuscò, da apparire nero come un sacco di crine; la luna, tutta, prese
il colore del sangue; le stelle dal cielo precipitarono sulla terra
come i frutti acerbi di un fico, che è scosso da un vento gagliardo; il cielo si accartocciò come un rotolo che si ravvolge; monti e
isole, tutte, scomparvero dai loro posti’). E così sarà ancora per il
giovane Pasolini: «Verso occidente si spalancava tutta la pianura
friulano-veneta, delimitata a nord dai dorsali alle prealpi, a una
cinquantina di chilometri di distanza, che la luce filtrata dalle
nuvole di sangue, pareva illimpidire e riavvicinare: erano toccabili, come specchi, e il loro indaco scorreva netto sotto la striscia
verdazzurra di cielo che le nubi lasciavano nudo proprio lungo
la linea ondulata dei monti. I tre amici, passeggiando, non avevano parole, incantati da quel capolavoro che aveva qualcosa di
terrificante. “Siamo nella Valle di Giosafat” mormorò Paolo…»
(Atti impuri, 1947); e per Andrea Zanzotto: «Per le estreme vie
della terra caduta | assisto da giorni tardi e scarsi | discendo nel
sole di brividi | che spira da tramontana» (Dietro il paesaggio,
1951). Da Giuseppe Ungaretti (Apocalissi, 1961) a Mario Soldati
(Lo smeraldo, 1974) – nel secolo di Auschwitz e di Hiroshima,
del Tramonto dell’Occidente – il corso si propone di indagare
i segni della fine, la rivelazione, che la letteratura ha additato
nell’orizzonte del mondo.
Letterature comparate
Piero Boitani Paesagggio: letteratura e pittura nella notte
(Vedere, nel semestre autunnale, il corso di Letterature comparate)
99
Ermeneutica e storia della critica
Andrea Celli
"Scomposizioni novecentesche. Critica e poetica di un paesaggio
paradigmatico".
La nozione di paesaggio trova significato nella corporeità specifica
di un territorio. Nel Novecento la letteratura e la poesia ma anche
la teoria letteraria hanno approfondito questa riflessione su geografie singolari, trovando affinità con discipline come la geografia
e l’antropologia del paesaggio e rivendicando una stretta analogia
tra esercizio di scrittura e composizione del territorio, tra testualità
e geografia. Se di paesaggio si tratta di parlare in rapporto a uno
specifico luogo, mediatore di sguardi concreti, quello veneto si
presenta come uno degli archetipi di un immaginario cosmopolita
dell’Italia su cui all’alba del moderno la nozione stessa si modella.
Il corso intende esaminare l’intrecciarsi di questo nodo tematico
e interdisciplinare nelle pagine di alcuni autori novecenteschi, tra
i quali Zanzotto, Piovene, Meneghello, Parise, Comisso, Rigoni
Stern, provando a far emergere palinsesti originari e scomposizione/ricomposizioni recenti di una lingua/geografia.
Storia delle forme
Victor Stoichita Per il descrittivo, riferirsi al sito.
Il testo in scena
Stefano Tomassini
I Fiori in rivolta: il giardino di Adone.
Il corso affronta la costruzione dello stereotipo dell’identità
maschile attraverso la sua materializzazione nelle pratiche e nei
regimi discorsivi messi in opera nella librettistica del teatro musicale e di danza lungo tutta la tradizione del moderno. A partire
dalla celebrazione dell'indecente bellezza maschile di un ragazzo
adolescente, Adone, eroe-fiore che sovverte l'oggetto primo del
desiderio dominante maschile e eterosessista, fino a che un cinghiale, la Bestia, non arrivi a ricordare, di quella bellezza senza
contropartita, tutta la sua fragilità. La nozione performativa di
testo in scena, che nomina l’insegnamento, è qui assunta nel suo
senso più dinamico, dunque ridiscutibile e provvisorio, vòlto più
alla messa in crisi delle nozioni tradizionali di testo senza attribuirsene, però, una presunta universale o universalizzabile.
Musica e letteratura
Jürgen Maehder
Storia del melodramma italiano – Il ruolo del libretto nel sistema
produttivo.
L´opera in musica su testo cantato in italiano – creata a Firenze
nel 1599 e presente come spettacolo pubblico a Venezia sin dal
1637 – costituisce da oltre 400 anni una delle manifestazioni della
cultura letteraria italiana che più hanno influenzato l´immagine
dell´Italia nel mondo. La rapida diffusione europea dell´opera di
corte durante la seconda metà del Seicento e durante tutto il
Settecento, poi la diffusione mondiale del melodramma romantico
dell´Ottocento e dell´opera italiana di fine secolo hanno creato una
presenza quasi mondiale di cultura musicale e letteraria italiana. Il
corso presenterà un abbozzo della storia del melodramma, vista
attraverso la produzione librettistica prevalentemente di lingua
italiana; il lavoro si concentrerà su aspetti strutturali della librettistica attraverso i secoli e la loro relazione con le strutture musicali
dell´epoca. Laddove influssi di altre culture operistiche furono decisivi per lo sviluppo dell´opera italiana, p.e. nel caso del wagnerismo
italiano, anche queste culture saranno esaminate.
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
Storia e teoria del cinema
Francesco Casetti
Il corso analizza il film e altri prodotti audiovisivi di vario tipo
secondo gli aspetti contenutistici, linguistici, narrativi e comunicativi utili per identificare e valutare sia la loro qualità che il loro
uso potenziale. Nel corso, la parte teorica è strettamente intrecciata ad un´attività di analisi incentrata su prodotti audiovisivi
di vario genere e destinazione e finalizzata a individuare i loro
principali componenti, i modi di combinarli e di compararli in un
quadro di riferimento internazionale.
Storia della spiritualità
Benedetta Papàsogli
Luoghi e paesaggi dell’anima
La rappresentazione della vita spirituale come itinerario – verso
l’alto o verso il profondo, verso il centro o verso l’infinito, attraverso i sentieri tortuosi della tentazione o nel grande mare dove
la nave non lascia traccia – si esplica, tanto nella pedagogia
quanto nella descrizione dell’esperienza, come invenzione di
paesaggi. D’altronde la memoria biblica ha iscritto per sempre
nell’immaginario della tradizione ebraico-cristiana luoghi topici
come il deserto e il giardino, la città sul monte e i fiumi della terra
d’esilio. Saranno dunque echi biblici quelli che il corso andrà
sollecitando nella rilettura di testi spirituali e mistici, e insieme,
secondo il dinamismo proprio dell’espressione simbolica, paesaggi dell’anima in cui si è espressa, all’inizio dell’età moderna, una
coscienza antropologica sempre più profonda e più raffinata.
Secondo anno
Costruzione di testi
Johanna Miecznikowski
Il corso intende aiutare gli studenti a sviluppare le loro competenze di analisi testuale e di scrittura. A livello teorico, si
approfondiranno nozioni di linguistica testuale legate ai generi
discorsivi, alla composizione del testo (il testo e le sue parti –
temi e oggetti di discorso) e alla polifonia (dialogicità – discorso
riportato – evidenzialità). Si discuteranno, a livello pratico, sia
procedimenti generali che elementi specifici del lessico e della
grammatica dell´italiano funzionali alla costruzione di testi.
L´insegnamento sarà accompagnato da esercizi utili alla stesura
di testi scritti, alla preparazione di esposizioni orali e alla preparazione della tesi di master.
Storia del libro e bibliografia
François Dupuigrenet Desroussilles
Introduzione allo studio del libro italiano.
Il corso è diviso in due moduli di diverso indirizzo. Un modulo si
svolgerà in biblioteca e sarà dedicato ad una introduzione pratica,
"hands-on", alla storia del libro a stampa del periodo artigianale
(XV-XVIII s.) e industriale (XIX-inizio XX s.) in Italia. Esempi scelti in
campo letterario, tra il Cinquecento e il Novecento, saranno analizzati a questo fine unendo le tecniche della bibliografia testuale
di tradizione inglese e americana (Fredson Bowers, Thomas
Tanselle, Conor Fahy) con gli studi di "mise en texte" promossi da
Henri-Jean Martin e con lezione filologica di due grandi maestri
di lingua italiana: Giovanni Pozzi e Armando Petrucci. Durante il
secondo modulo si esamineranno e criticheranno le principali fonti
101
digitalizzate disponibili per lo studio del libro a stampa: database
bibliografiche, fac-simile e edizioni digitali.
Iconologia letteraria
Lina Bolzoni Per il descrittivo, riferirsi al sito.
Storia delle comunicazioni nell´Italia contemporanea
Giuseppe Richeri
Il corso analizza lo sviluppo dei principali mass media dall´eredità
del periodo fascista alla ricostruzione post-bellica fino alla fine
del ´900. Particolare attenzione è data alle principali fasi di sviluppo della televisione e della stampa e alle trasformazioni dei
rispettivi contenuti, della struttura organizzativa e della regolazione. Il percorso seguito dai mass media nel periodo considerato
è analizzato e interpretato alla luce dell’evoluzione del contesto
socio-culturale del paese e delle reciproche influenze tra mass
media, società politica e società civile.
Estetica
Francisco Jarauta Per il descrittivo, riferirsi al sito.
Museologia e Museografia
Christoph Frank Per il descrittivo, riferirsi al sito.
Storia della fotografia: arte e documento
Daniela Mondini
L’obbiettivo sul Ticino: Storia della fotografia – arte e documento
Il seminario si propone di dare un’introduzione alla storia della
fotografia in tre moduli di diverso indirizzo. In una prima parte
sarà studiata e discussa in aula una serie di testi teorici sulla qua-
lità mediale della fotografia e del “fotografico”. In una seconda
parte il corso prevede sopraluoghi in varie collezioni fotografiche
svizzere e italiane per conoscere le qualità tecniche, i problemi di
conservazione del materiale fotografico storico e i procedimenti
di catalogazione, riproduzione digitale e presentazione sia in
rete sia museografica di questi preziosi documenti. In un terzo
modulo si evolveranno gli assi di analisi individuali per le singole
ricerche degli studenti (tesine di circa 10 pagine).
Archivistica
Lucia Roselli
Nella prima parte il corso intende affrontare le tematiche basilari
per la conoscenza dell´archivio nella sua evoluzione storica con
riferimento agli aspetti teorici ed agli elementi gestionali. L´archivio
sarà osservato nelle sue diversificate immagini che comprendono
in primo luogo i momenti formativi e strutturali ed in secondo
luogo le attività che si riferiscono alle diverse operazioni.
Dopo una presentazione introduttiva destinata ad offrire sintetiche
indicazioni sulla storia degli archivi il momento centrale del corso
sarà dedicato alla vita dell´archivio, in un percorso naturale che va
dalla fase iniziale (organizzazione della memoria, origini e strutture del protocollo), a quella di deposito (conservazione, selezione
e scarto; massimari e loro applicazioni), a quella storica (criteri di
riordinamento e metodologie di inventariazione; standard descrittivi e di struttura; mezzi di corredo e strumenti per la ricerca).
La seconda parte del corso intende approfondire temi inerenti
alle origini, sviluppo e gestione dell´archivio quale diretta conseguenza dell´attività del soggetto produttore. Particolare attenzione sarà dedicata alla formazione, sviluppo e conservazione degli
archivi di persone fisiche tra 800 e 900.
Master of Arts in Lingua, letteratura e civiltà italiana
Gestione dei testi
Paul Gabriele Weston
Il corso si pone due obiettivi: da un lato far luce sul rapporto tra
informatica e discipline umanistiche, privilegiando un approccio
di tipo trasversale rispetto ai metodi dell'informatica, rispetto alla
specificita' dei singoli campi di applicazione; dall'altro lato individuare un certo numero di strumenti, di natura cartacea oltre che
digitale, necessari all'esecuzione di ricerche di tipo bibliografico.
Costituiranno, pertanto, oggetto di studio i fondamenti delle
forme di codifica e di elaborazione delle informazioni attraverso cui opera l'informatica, i problemi della rappresentazione
dell'informazione e dell'elaborazione dei dati, l'organizzazione
ipertestuale dei testi e dei documenti multimediali, resa possibile
dall'introduzione del web. Verranno, inoltre, illustrate le caratteristiche dei principali repertori bibliografici, dei cataloghi elettronici, degli spogli di periodici e delle biblioteche digitali.
Informazioni generali
Requisiti di ammissione
Sono ammessi:
1) Studenti che hanno ottenuto un diploma di Bachelor in area
umanistica con un numero adeguato di crediti nelle diverse
discipline dell’italianistica (almeno 60 su 180). Potranno essere
ammessi al Master coloro che discutono la prova finale di laurea triennale (Bachelor) entro la fine del corrente anno 2010.
2) Studenti che hanno ottenuto una laurea quadriennale in area
umanistica, previa valutazione degli studi pregressi ed eventuale
colloquio con il direttore del Master. Essi potranno conseguire il
Master con 60 crediti di studio più complemento della tesi.
3) Studenti in corso di laurea quadriennale in area umanistica
alla condizione che abbiano certificato almeno 180 crediti di
cui almeno 60 nelle diverse discipline dell’italianistica.
La direzione del Master si riserva la possibilità di integrare il piano
di studi con alcuni corsi fondamentali ove non siano presenti nel
curriculum universitario del candidato.
Contatti
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Istituto di studi italiani
Tel. +41 58 666 42 95 / 47 00
[email protected]
www.mlci.usi.ch
WWW.
mlci.usi.ch
Borse di studio
Per l’anno accademico 2010-11 l’USI mette a concorso 5 borse di
studio destinate a studenti iscritti al Master in Letteratura e civiltà
italiana. La borsa copre la tassa annuale ed è rinnovabile per il
secondo anno. Per il bando dettagliato riferirsi al sito.
Masters of Science in Economics and Communication
master.usi.ch
Master of Science in Corporate Communication
Corporate Communication
Goals and Contents
Corporate communication is today considered a key management function. It is about managing relationships with the
organisation’s stakeholders in order to maximise the corporation’s reputation capital and thus to guarantee access to strategic resources. In this it is a strategic partner of other corporate
functions: for instance in managing relationships with investors, it interacts with financial managers; in dealing with public
authorities and regulators, it collaborates with legal services; in
addressing issues of identity and corporate culture, it partners
human resources specialists; in communicating with customers,
it collaborates with marketers, etc. Corporate communication
specialists therefore need to acquire solid general management
skills in order to carry out their roles effectively.
To this purpose, the programme develops analytical and decision-making abilities for corporate communication, grounded
in a sound knowledge of organisation, business economics and
management. In order to help develop these analytical and
decision making skills, lectures are integrated with more active
teaching methods, consisting of discussion of case histories, roleplaying, business games, individual and group projects, etc.
Graduates from the programme will be ready to enter the corporate communication profession at a management level. The
skills acquired meet the requirements for professional careers
in organisations of different kinds as well as in corporate communication agencies and consulting firms. Graduates will also
be able to undertake specialised roles, in areas such as internal
communication, media, financial relations, public affairs or marketing communication management.
The programme stretches over two years (120 ECTS credits) and
is structured to allow the students to personalise their study
curricula according to their individual interests. Typically, in the
first semester students attend the general management classes
in order to acquire the basics of management. The second and
third semesters are dedicated to core courses and electives.
Students are required to take core courses that regard specific
corporate communication topics and methodology. Students
complete their curriculum with electives that can be chosen
among courses offered by the programme and by other USI’s
related programmes. During the last semester students work in
teams on a field project and individually write up their master’s
thesis.
Student Profile
The programme is intended for students who have obtained a
Bachelor’s degree. Candidates are expected to have acquired
basic concepts of management, economics and communication.
Tutorials in these areas are offered before the beginning of the
programme. A good command of English is a prerequisite.
105
Sem. 1
General Management (30 ECTS)
Industrial Organisation
Strategic Marketing
6
6
Sem. 2
Core Courses (39 ECTS)
Corporate Identity and Image
Integrated Marketing Communication
Investor Relations
Sponsoring and Partenership Management
Issues and Crisis Management
Advertising and Branding
6
3
3
3
3
3
Sem. 3
Internal Communication
Commercial Communication Law
Media Relations
Data Analysis
Corporate Communication Research
3
3
3
3
6
Sem. 4
Study Programme*
Capstone Work (30 ECTS)
Field Project
Thesis
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
Organisational Behaviour
Corporate Strategy
Accounting
6
6
6
Electives (21 ECTS)
Students are required to choose courses
for 21 ECTS among the elective, specialisation
or core courses offered in other USI’s related
Master programmes.
By combining electives, students can obtain
a second specialisation (‘minor’).
12
18
120
Master of Science in Corporate Communication
Course Descriptions
General Management
Industrial Organisation
In a first part, this course introduces some basic notions of
microeconomics (demand, supply and markets) followed by a
more detailed discussion of costs. The second part of the course
treats selected issues of industrial organisation (non competitive
markets, cartels, mergers, innovation, competition policy). The
course is held on the technical level of a textbook of intermediate microeconomics.
Strategic Marketing
This course focuses on companies´ marketing strategy options
and the impact of various strategic marketing choices on businesses´ performance. It aims to develop the abilities necessary
to interpret different market situations and to conceive and
implement appropriate responses. The distinctive characteristic
of the course is the emphasis on the consequences of marketing decisions for the company´s finances. Three main topic areas
covered are:
– Understanding market dynamic and customer – supplier relationships;
– Developing marketing strategies;
– Implementation of marketing programmes.
The course approach is based on the use of participative teaching methods, including a business game and analysis and discussion of company cases.
Organizational Behaviour
Organizational behavior is a course in applied behavioral science
that emphasizes how problems, solutions and decision-makers
interact in contexts that are both hierarchically structured, as
well as changing and uncertain. Organizational behavior brings
major insights from behavioral economics, social psychology
and organizational sociology to bear on a variety of issues that
are central to our capacity to understand, predict and manage companies and other complex organizations. Topics covered include theories of motivation and incentives, individual
decisions, negotiation, communication, teamwork and social
networks. The main objective of this course is to help master
students in management to develop an appreciation for the
way in which these organizational elements interrelate and
work together to support corporate strategy and organizational
performance.
Corporate Strategy
This course covers a set of topics that supplement previous strategy courses in the first and second year. The main aims of the
course are to:
– Understand the resource allocation process in large organizations
– Understand the choice of organizational structure for large
organizations
– Provide the link between different areas and functions in the
organization
– Provide an evolutionary view on the birth and death of organizational populations.
107
We will look more specifically at the link between strategy and
operations, the choice of supply chain and service operations. We
will discuss the models for resource allocation in multi-divisional
firms, types of diversification, degree of internationalization,
and vertical integration. We will also look more closely at the
selection and type of partners in international alliances and joint
ventures. The final part of the course provides a detailed look at
how industries are founded and evolve over long periods of time.
The course will provide a set of theoretical as well as practical
tools and frameworks for analyzing the issues discussed.
Accounting
This course in Accounting consists of two parts, the first part
covering Financial Accounting and the second part covering
Managerial Accounting. The main objective of the course is to
provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of financial
and managerial accounting with a particular focus on modern
concepts in both fields. The course is particularly suited for students who wish to pursue a career in an accounting department
of an international industrial corporation. Based on theoretical
concepts, the course heavily incorporates practical aspects of
financial and managerial accounting in order to prepare students
to cope with real-world events. The lectures are accompanied by
an exercise seminar.
Core Courses
Corporate Identity and Image
The identity of a firm can be considered as important a resource
as its financial, human or technological resources. In fact today
organisations often offer the same products and services,
and even communicate in the same way. Therefore, what the
organisation is – its `raison d’être’ – becomes the ultimate differentiating factor which makes the company unique. Managing
company identity is thus a necessity. In this regard, identity and
image are closely connected, making corporate communications an evolved corporate function which contributes to the
definition of strategies and to the alignment of resources. The
purpose of this course is to help students understand how and
why the management of identity and image are an important
part of corporate strategy, and to give students the theoretical
and practical tools necessary for the task.
Integrated Marketing Communication
This course looks at issues of company communication in a multidisciplinary perspective and aims to present various conceptual
models and useful operational tools for planning and managing
communication effectively. It focuses on the role that communication has in developing market relations, considering that communication decisions are a result of a convergence of decisionmaking processes inherent in both communication and marketing
policies. The course also covers operational aspects of managing
marketing communication, following a specific process (from the
identification of a target group, through decisions about media
and messages, to the evaluation of the results) and integrating
various market communication tools. Particular emphasis is placed
on internet, database, and direct communications.
Master of Science in Corporate Communication
Investor Relations
The purpose of this course is to help students understand how
and why investor relations are an important part of the corporate
communication mix. The course discusses the current capital
marketplace; the main theories and concepts of investor relations; as well as its particular methodologies and practices.
In exercises, students will analyze communication challenges and
will learn to develop implementation strategies and solutions.
Students will become familiar with the fundamentals, contents,
target groups, instruments and legal framework of investor relations. They will learn the communication needs of the corporate
lifecycle, both in continuing investor relations (financial calendar
work) and in relevant capital market transactions such as mergers & acquisitions or initial public offerings.
Sponsoring and Partnership Management
The relevance of Sponsorship and Partnership Management
(S&P) has become very important among the Corporate
Communications and Marketing disciplines. S&P enables companies to build emotional ties with their stakeholders and customers; whether this is through the means of sports, cultural events,
the association with institutions, social initiatives etc. Although it
is said that S&P is a little bit of science, a little bit of art and a little bit of magic, this module presents the key concepts, theories
and fundamental principles in this area. In the second part of
the course, the participants are trained by means of case studies.
Strategies are discussed, such as the philanthropy approach, the
ambush marketing, the buy-in strategy, the partnership and the
ownership approach.
Issues and Crisis Management
Companies and institutions today need to take into account
an increasing number of publics ready to take action on issues
that concern them, and for which they hold these organisations
responsible. The increasing complexity of social, economic and
technological systems is also the reason why the number of
crises that can potentially harm a company is constantly growing. Active issues management and well prepared crisis plans
have therefore become standard management tools in well-run
companies. Through the use of case studies, students learn to
design issues and crisis management policies and tools by means
of analysis of the problems and the expectations of the publics
concerned.
Advertising and Branding
The course is concerned with building, measuring and managing
brands over time, and with how to leverage advertising and the
other elements of the marketing communications mix to build
and strengthen brand equity.
Firms are increasingly becoming aware that one of their most
valuable assets is the brand associated with their products and
services. Creating strong brands that deliver customer value,
and maintaining and enhancing the strengths of those brands
over time, are management imperatives. Given that marketing
acts as the boundary spanning activity between the firm and
the external environment, nearly everybody will, at some point
in their career, wear a marketing hat. Thus, understanding key
marketing topics such as branding is beneficial regardless of
one´s professional background and career direction.
109
Internal Communication
Companies are composed of people. They organize in and
through communication. By communicating they articulate
purposes, organise resources and monitor performance. Internal
communication is at the core of these processes and is located
at an intersection of human resources management, communication management/corporate communication/public relations,
corporate branding and (internal) marketing. The purpose of
this course is to enable students to understand the genealogy
and the current status of theorising, the research and practice
of internal communication as a key organising process. Internal
communication is an organisational sense-making process creating or destroying meaningful experiences of people inside and
outside organisations in the context of blurring borders between
the two groups. Internal communication enables companies to
perform reliably and to change at the same time (reorganise,
shrink or grow). It is always there; but it is hard to isolate and
manage. It is the first responsibility of every executive. The course
explores what is internal communication: conceptualisation,
organisation and practice, internal communication at the times
of transformation (restructuring, Mæ´s, etc.), and its operation
across borders (regionalization and globalization).
Commercial Communication Law
Communication cannot function without respecting some basic
rules. The course introduces students to the various limits set
upon commercial communication by legislators or tribunals in
order to protect specific public or private interests, like the norms
governing advertising, unfair competition, privacy or the right of
reply. As modern communication does not stop at national bor-
ders, and as regulations change more and more quickly, the relevant rules are not described and discussed from a purely legalistic perspective (as would be the case with lawyers), but from a
political, dynamic and an international one. That means that not
only Swiss law is addressed, but EU and US law as well.
Media Relations
The objective of the course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of communication within the mass media
environment, as well as applied skills in managing reporter interviews and news conferences as a spokesperson for a company
or government agency. The course includes two parts: 1) mass
communication theory and media relations within the new technology environment; 2) two days of applied interview techniques
and conducting news conferences at the RSI television station
studios. Thus, in this course, students become familiar with theoretical approaches to news media while also developing practical
methods for handling reporter interviews on-camera, as well as
appearing before media representatives as corporate or government spokespersons. Specific areas addressed in the course
include: the development of mass communication theory, the
role of media in the modern world, working with contemporary
journalists, and conducting effective media relations as a public
relations professional.
Data Analysis
The goal of the course is to make students familiar with statistical data analysis – the art of examining, summarising and
drawing conclusions from data. This includes the organisation
of a coherent database and its use to produce statistical sum-
Master of Science in Corporate Communication
maries and inference. Statistical software is essential in this
respect. It lets the researchers focus on thinking about problems, rather than being engaged with computational details.
The course introduces students to the use of SPSS® statistical
software. The software environment is explored from data entry
to the handling of SPSS® output. The course builds on students’
knowledge of introductory level statistics, such as frequency,
distribution, correlation and regression. For students without
this background a compulsory tutorial will be provided during
the second semester.
Corporate Communication Research
Corporate communication is a research-based discipline. Research
is in fact the starting point for effective communication planning
and evaluation. The course explores the research process, and
the research approaches used in the field of corporate communication. After an introduction concerning the nature of social
science research, the course focuses on how to design a research
process. Research is designed around a problem statement that
needs to be explored through preliminary research and then
analysed through detailed research. These two phases need to
be planned carefully, choosing the appropriate tools that allow
primary and secondary data to be elicited. In the third part,
the course then explores the main qualitative and quantitative
research methods, such as survey design, questionnaire development, interview techniques, focus groups, content analysis,
observation and experiments. Each tool is also discussed in terms
of statistical implications and specific applications in the strategic
communication process.
Electives
The programme offers each year a certain number of electives
(examples of electives offered by the programme in the past
editions are Public Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics
in Corporate Communication, Corporate Governance, Global
Corporate Communication, etc.). During the second and third
semester, students are required to choose courses for 21 ECTS
among these courses and the elective, specialisation or core
courses offered in other USI’s related programmes. The choice
should be discussed with the programme director. By combining
electives, students can obtain a second specialisation (‘minor’).
Capstone Work
Field Project
During the fourth semester, students are asked to carry out a
consulting project for a client company. Students choose from
among a list of projects selected by their tutors within the topic
areas covered in the programme. Students are expected to base
their work and their recommendations to the client organisation
on sound research, using the methodologies learned in the third
semester. Students work in teams and are tutored by faculty
members who support them in managing their contacts with
the company, in developing the project and in preparing the
final report and the presentation to the client. During the field
project period, teams attend research laboratories to present and
discuss the intermediary results of their consulting activity with
the members and tutors of other teams.
111
Thesis
The Master’s thesis is essentially an academic piece of work, an
original contribution to the body of corporate communication
knowledge. Such a contribution can either be more theoretical,
or more empirical, but always builds on a solid research effort,
and on the use of appropriate concepts, methods, and tools
acquired during the programme. Faculty members support and
coach the participants during their work with the Master’s thesis.
This can be started during the third semester, but should be completed by the end of the fourth semester of the programme.
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree
(or equivalent) from a recognised academic institution in Social
Sciences and to have acquired basic concepts of management,
economics and communication. Good knowledge of English is
a prerequisite.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mcc.usi.ch
WWW.
mcc.usi.ch
Master of Science in Financial Communication
Financial Communication
Goals and Contents
The goal of the Master in Financial Communication is to form
specialists able to bridge the gap between the financial experts
and the investment decisions makers, by means of advanced communication principles, techniques and skills applied to finance.
Joining in a comprehensive approach the knowledge of business
economics and law, with the appropriate argumentative and
interpersonal skills, our graduates will be prepared to put financial information “at work”, in order to foster appropriate investment decisions. They will be trained to intermediate, in a sensible
and timely manner, financial institutions and various other companies, with their clients, investors and other stakeholders, so
being an effective interface between the financial industry and
the public at large. Moreover, by following the logic of the information flow in the financial market (how financial information is
generated, transmitted and analyzed), the study programme will
allow our graduates to meet the exigencies and the challenge of
working with and within the financial media.
The two-year study programme (120 ECTS) combines a state-ofthe-art theoretical training with real-life case-studies and simulations, relying on innovative and interactive teaching methods.
The study curriculum comprises both core and elective courses,
centered around three main pillars – business economics and
finance, communication and argumentation, and law and ethics.
By the end of the programme, our students will have acquired
fundamental analytical, argumentative and interpersonal skills,
grounded in a solid knowledge of financial market behavior,
strategies and regulations, which will enable them to efficiently
craft the information for financial decisions.
This programme is designed for graduates with a three-year bachelor’s degree in economics or communication sciences. Students
can benefit of personalized study plans, in accordance with their
initial background and the number of credits (ECTS) accumulated
at the moment of admission, as well as with their further individual interest in the area of financial communication.
Graduates are expected to find employment in banking,
consultancy, investor relations, and the corporate communication areas of most firms. They are trained to bridge possible
communication gaps between financial experts and the public
at large.
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Sem. 1
6
6
Accounting
Capital Markets
Interpersonal Tools for Financial Communication
6
6
6
Core Courses (27 ECTS)
Economics of Information
Financial Statement Analysis
6
6
Investor Relations
Financial Communication Law
Argumentation Skills for Financial Communication
3
6
6
Electives
Introductory Corporate Governance
Advanced Corporate Governance
Ethics and Law in Banking (in Italian only)
Strategic Marketing
Corporate Strategy
3
3
4
6
6
Negotiation
Consumer Behaviour
Human Resources Management
3
6
3
Quality of Journalism and Social Responsibility
of Media
6
International Fiscal Law
Introduction to Financial Engineering
Entrepreneurship: writing business plans
6
6
3
Sem. 3 + 4
Foundation Courses (30 ECTS)
Corporate Finance
Applied Statistics
Sem. 2
Study Programme*
Internship
Thesis
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
The programme may offer a choice of seminar
courses that are normally announced with the course
time schedule at the beginning of each semester
6
18
120
Master of Science in Financial Communication
Course Descriptions
Foundation Courses
Corporate Finance
This course teaches the logic underlying the firm’s financial
decisions: investment, financing, and payout policies. The main
themes will be: What is corporate finance? The concept of value,
the discounted cash-flow (DCF) method in theory and practice,
capital budgeting decisions, market efficiency and financial policy, financial structure and the Modigliani-Miller theorem, payout
policies: dividends and share repurchases.
Applied Statistics
The course deals with statistical model-building and statistical
inference. Examples, exercises and applications will be taken
mostly from generalized linear models and time series analysis.
Contents: main probability distributions employed in statistical
modelling, likelihood concepts, parametric inference, an introduction to nonparametric inference, a survey of classical methods in multivariate analysis.
Accounting
This course in Managerial Accounting consists of two parts, the
first part covering Financial Accounting and the second part
covering Management Accounting. The main objective of the
course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of financial and cost accounting with a particular focus on
modern concepts in both fields. The course is of special interest for students who wish to pursue a career in an accounting
department of an industrial corporation. Based on theoretical
concepts, the course heavily incorporates practical aspects of
cost and financial accounting in order to prepare students to
cope with real-world events.
Industrial Organisation
Industrial organisation as a field of studies deals with the implications of market structure for business behaviour. The course
provides the essential concepts needed to analyse the strategic
behaviour of companies in an economic environment that is
uncertain, but still well defined in terms of the market structure,
regulations and behaviour of market players. The course starts
from the basic concepts of competition, markets and costs, and
moves on to the dynamics of market structures and the impact
of new technologies, and finally to the analysis of oligopolies,
market influence, mergers and acquisitions.
Capital Markets
This course analyses investment decisions. The stock and bond
markets are discussed from the perspectives of the Efficient
Market Hypothesis and Behavioural Finance. The main derivative
contracts are introduced. Contents: portfolio analysis, efficient
sets, index models, the CAPM: theory and empirical evidence,
the APT, stock valuation, market efficiency and behavioural
finance, performance measures, options, forward and futures,
interest rates and term structure.
115
Core Courses
Financial Communication Law
This course aims to provide students with a better understanding of the legal issues involved in commercial communication.
It focuses on the laws applied to investment security, marketing (advertising and sponsorship, unfair competition, consumer
protection), and questions of privacy, especially protection of the
reputation of companies and managers, banking and telecommunications confidentiality and data protection. As modern
communication is no longer restricted to national borders and
legislation changes ever more frequently, norms are not examined from a purely juridical point of view (as a lawyer would do),
but internationally and dynamically. Hence, not only Swiss law,
but also relevant regulations in European and American law, are
considered. New developments like e-commerce, e-banking and
crisis communication are also studied from a legal perspective.
The course includes theoretical lectures and case studies.
Economics of Information
The course gives a theoretical outline for the analysis of communication in the market and its influence on financial negotiation.
Students analyse the value of information, its asymmetry and the
effects caused by this. Applications include portfolio management and evaluation of performance in conditions of incomplete
information.
Financial Statement Analysis
This course is about the analysis of financial information, particularly the financial statements of companies, for making
decisions to invest in businesses. The primary focus is on equity
(share) valuation. Topics include models of shareholder value,
a comparison of accrual accounting and discounted cash flow
approaches to valuation, the analysis of profitability, growth
and valuation generation in a firm, diagnosing accounting quality, forecasting earnings and cash flows, pro-forma analysis for
strategy and planning, and the determination of price/earnings
and market-to-book ratios.
Investor Relations
Investors take numerous criteria into consideration when evaluating companies and their investment decisions are not shaped
solely by financial data. Corporate strategy and the implementation thereof, management quality and communications expertise
are also important. The entirety of these factors shapes the
expectations of financial market participants. Their expectations
can also be influenced by companies through investor relations
work. The course discusses the theory and concepts of investor
relations as well as related measures and platforms. In various
exercises, students analyse communication challenges from the
investor’s perspective and learn to develop implementation strategies and solutions.
Argumentation Skills for Financial Communication
This course focuses on argumentation strategies, both logical (deductive, inductive and abductive) and relational (those
regarding authority, reputation, identity, emotional appeal, etc.)
as applied to interaction (negotiation, mediation and settlement
of interests and conflict solving) in various institutional contexts.
The aim of this course is to develop students’ knowledge of
Master of Science in Financial Communication
and competence in analysis and evaluation of the quality of
argumentation, recognition of manipulation and planning and
production of appropriate and effective argumentation in the
field of financial communication.
Interpersonal Communication Tools
The course aims to develop personal skills in analysing interaction, in order to develop appropriate communication as well
as to provide the conceptual tools for evaluating the quality of
interpersonal communication in financial institutions. Managing
communicative interaction is examined in terms of the quality of
the relationship (involvement, listening and empathy, intercultural respect) and of the quality of the information exchanged
(informative, clear, relevant, persuasive). An important aspect of
communication management is the ability to elicit useful information in different situations, whether it is in a meeting with a
client, teamwork, strategic conversations or board meetings. As
far as the specific requirements for financial communication are
concerned, the course concentrates on developing the ability
to “translate” and mediate information and to make technical
evaluations using terms that are comprehensible to the vast
majority of investors and useful for decision making. The topics
of trust and risk are also discussed as they are key factors in interpersonal relationships in the world of finance. The competences
developed are applied to the various media used in interpersonal
communication: from letters to emails, videoconferencing and
platforms for on-line collaboration. Particular attention is paid
to the use of images both in face-to-face and mediated communication.
Introductory Corporate Governance
When the internet bubble burst and when numerous accounting
scandals (e.g., WorldCom, Enron, Parmalat, etc.) came to light,
the markets crashed and countries around the world issued new
or revised corporate governance codes, including the U.S. (e.g.,
Sarbanes-Oxley Act). This module deals with one of the most
important financial issues of our times: corporate governance.
Upon completion of this module, students will know and understand the key issues and players involved in corporate governance.
Students will also gain an appreciation of how corporate governance issues are complicated. Finally, students will also be exposed
to the latest global issues with regard to corporate governance.
Advanced Corporate Governance
This course provides advanced applications of corporate governance problems from the viewpoint of the chief financial officer,
investment banker, management consultant, securities lawyer, and
financial analyst. The course will be of an applied nature, and thus
students are expected to collect, process and analyze stock market
and accounting data pertaining to real-world cases in order to get
a proper understanding of them. Upon completion of this course,
students will gain an appreciation of complicated corporate governance issues. Finally, students will also be exposed to the latest
academic research with regard to corporate governance.
Corporate Strategy
The aim of the course is to introduce the participants to the
field of corporate strategy. It explores the central issues in the
management of corporate strategy, namely strategic analysis,
strategy formulation, and implementation and management.
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The course aims to provide students with a set of analytical
tools and concepts drawing on recent developments in the field
of corporate strategic management. The emphasis is on understanding the forces shaping business strategies and critical variables in strategy development in companies of varying sizes and
in different contexts.
Strategic Marketing
This course aims to develop the abilities to interpret different
market situations and to conceive and implement appropriate
responses. The focus of the course is on understanding the
economic consequences of marketing decisions, and thus on
the impact of various strategic choices in marketing, on the
economic and financial performance of businesses. The main
topic areas covered in this course are: the analysis of customer
– supplier relationships and of market dynamics, the assessment
of strategic marketing options, and the development and implementation of market strategies. The course approach is based on
the use of participative teaching methods, including a business
game, and the analysis and discussion of company cases.
Electives
Introduction to Financial Engineering
This course takes a look at the link between financial innovation
and the causes and dynamics behind this process over the last
30 years. The course also presents the evolution of structured
products, their use and markets. Lastly, through the use of
simulations, the course provides a procedure to evaluate risk and
return of complex portfolios.
Ethics and Law in Banking and Finance
The course introduces students to some particular institutions of
the common law system (Britain and the United States) such as
trusts or fiduciary duties, as well as special aspects of contract
law like frustration, anticipatory repudiation and consideration.
Some of the topics covered include sources of banking law, legislation governing stock exchanges, due diligence and the guarantee of irreproachable business activity, banking secrecy, banking
contracts, ethics, administrative issues (the role and competence
of the Federal Banking Commission; procedural aspects; application of general principles), etc.
Issues and Crisis Management
Companies and institutions today need to take into account
an increasing number of publics ready to take action on issues
that concern them, and for which they hold these organisations
responsible. The increasing complexity of social, economic and
technological systems is also the reason why the number of
crises that can potentially harm a company is constantly growing. Active issues management and well prepared crisis plans
have therefore become standard management tools in well-run
companies. Through the use of case studies, students learn to
design issues and crisis management policies and tools by means
of analysis of the problems and the expectations of the publics
concerned.
Service Marketing
More than half of the GDP of developed economies originates in
the service sector. The exchange process and market for services
differs in several respects from that for tangible goods. That
Master of Science in Financial Communication
poses some specific problems in marketing and management of
services that will be exposed and discussed in this course. The
course revolves around three main themes: peculiarities of the
market and of the exchange process for services; managing service content and quality; organisational aspects of marketing in
service companies. Students are expected to actively participate
in discussions of case studies as well as to carry out field work
and present the results.
Corporate Identity and Image
The identity of a firm can be considered as important a resource
as its financial, human or technological resources. In fact today
organisations often offer the same products and services, and
even communicate in the same way. Therefore, what the organisation is - its `raison d’être’ - becomes the ultimate differentiating
factor which makes the company unique. Managing company
identity is thus a necessity. In this regard, identity and image
are closely connected, making corporate communications an
evolved corporate function which contributes to the definition of
strategies and to the alignment of resources. The purpose of this
course is to help students understand how and why the management of identity and image are an important part of corporate
strategy, and to give students the theoretical and practical tools
necessary for the task.
Entrepreneurship
The course offers participants the opportunity to learn to
develop and evaluate business plans. The course simulates an
entrepreneurial experience. Students are required to develop
business plans for two different start - ups: one for a manufac-
turing company and the other for a services company. Students
will work in groups on the two business plans and will evaluate
their peers´ business plans. Time pressure is part of the teaching
approach, as well as the ability of organizing group activities.
Tutorial classes will help groups to focus their efforts and to deal
with methodological issues.
Consumer Behaviour
This course explores the conceptual frameworks and the analytical
research tools for understanding customers’ market behaviour.
Understanding customers is important in particular when building a company’s intangible resources such as brand, customer
loyalty, and customer relations and in conceiving and delivering
customer value. Developing effective customer relationships is
based on understanding the cognitive and behavioural factors
underlying their behaviour. The first part of the course deals with
the main theories explaining consumer behaviour. The second
part builds on this analytical framework to develop models for
eliciting effective customer response.
Human Resources Management
This course discusses core issues of human resources management. The relationship between the parts of the employment
relation is followed throughout its development. Examples of
topics discussed include investment in human capital, hiring
decision, employee training, the design of compensation and
incentive systems, and careers. The course pursues three specific
objectives: (1) show the importance of human resources management and personnel economics as fields of study, (2) explain
the implications of the basic principles of labour economics for
119
human resource management, and (3) apply the principles and
techniques of economic analysis to the discussion of major personnel issues and the solution of typical case problems.
Negotiation
Negotiation is a central element in managerial life. Negotiations
are required not only with external parties but also within the
firm. The course will consider both co-operative and competitive
dimensions of negotiation and examine the ethical issues which
arise. The purpose of this course is to understand the theory and
processes of negotiation as it is practiced in a variety of settings.
Negotiation is the art and science of securing an agreement
between two or more independent parties. This course focuses
on understanding the behaviour of individuals, groups and
organisations in the context of competitive situations
International Fiscal System
This course is about the ways in which tax law applies to transactions in the international context. The objective of this course
is to introduce students to the EC rules relating to all forms of
taxation as wella as to the rules that operate at an international
or supra-national level. In addition to the anlysis of the features
found in double tax conventions and in the law of the European
Unionm there will be also an examination of financial instruments. This part of the course focuses on the models of taxation
of financial income (including derivatives, hybrid instruments,
investment funds etc.) and explores the treatment of financial
income under tax treaties patterned upon the OECD Model
Convention and European direct tax directives.
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree (or
equivalent) from a recognised academic institution in Economics,
Communication Sciences, or related disciplines. Good knowledge
of English is required.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mfc.usi.ch
WWW.
mfc.usi.ch
Master of Arts in International Tourism
International Tourism
Goals and Contents
Having developed very rapidly in recent decades, international tourism has become one of the world economy’s major
industries. The World Travel and Tourism Council projects that
between now and 2013, the tourism and hospitality industry will
generate 250 million jobs, consisting of approximately 10% of
total world employment.
Yet, managing international tourism demands a serious commitment: it is challenging and one must take into account a variety
of different economies, institutions, legal systems, languages and
cultures. To strike a fair balance between the various elements
at play – the tourist industry, the tourist, the local community,
the environment – entrepreneurs and operators need to have an
excellent grasp of several (even fairly disparate) disciplines, highly
professional skills, a strategic and essential view of phenomena,
with a strong sense of responsibility.
The Master aims to be part of a new wide-ranging form of training that is strongly oriented towards a multidisciplinary approach
in contents and methods and occupies a unique position in a
new educational context that is wide-ranging and with a strong
inter-disciplinary orientation:
– Economics and management (of tourism, of tourist business,
of culture, of territory and environment);
– Communication (in tourism, tourism marketing, information
technologies, and human sciences);
– Politics, Institutions and International relations.
The Master’s program trains professional figures with qualified
management career prospects in the foremost sectors of international tourism, as for instance:
– Tour operators;
– International organizations active in the field of tourism;
– National and regional tourist offices;
– Tourist communication (publishing, corporate communication, inter-cultural communication).
The Master in International Tourism is organized jointly by the
– Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Communication
– Sciences of the University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera
italiana, USI) in association with the Faculty of Political
Sciences of the University of Pavia.
The strategic partners of this program in International Tourism
are the
– École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) of the University
of Lausanne and
– the Institut für Öffentliche Dienstleistungen und Tourismus
(Institute for Public Services and Tourism) of the University of
St. Gallen.
121
Sem. 1
(24ECTS)
Leveling in Communication
Leveling in Economics
Laboratory in Tourism Attractions and Events
Economics and Politics of International Tourism
Sem. 2
(30 ECTS)
Event Management
Tourism Planning and Development
Innovation and Cooperation in Tourism
Management and Marketing Issues in Tourism
Management of Small and Medium Enterprises
Sem. 3
(27 ECTS)
Cultural Management
Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
Architecture and Tourism
Sem. 4
(39 ECTS)
Study Programme*
Research Methods
Strategic Management of Tourism Destinations and Organizations
Internship***
Study tour
Thesis
Total ECTS
3
3
1.5
4.5
International Relations and Tourism
New Media for Tourism Communication
Cultural History of Tourism
Technologies for Communication **
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Economics of Leisure and Mobility
4.5
International Relations and Tourism - Case Study
3
Laboratory in Heritage Interpretation
3
Destination Management and Marketing
4.5
3
4.5
3
Rhetoric and Persuasion in Tourism Communication 3
Personalization courses from other
master courses
13.5
3
6
6
6
18
120
*
Changes in the study program may occur.
** The MA in International Tourism shares courses with the MSc in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage
*** Optional to do the internship between the 2nd and 3rd or after finishing the 4th semester
Master of Arts in International Tourism
Course Descriptions
Semester 1
Leveling in Communication
The course introduces students to the key theoretical directions
in communication and develops an understanding of way of
thinking about communication in societal, cultural and professional context. It plays a preliminary role for further communication subjects by explaining the basic principles in communication
philosophy, and providing necessary tools and strategies for
successful communication. Main emphasis will be placed on
concepts from logic and critical thinking, semiotics, pragmatics
and professional communication in technical documents.
Leveling in Economics
The aim of the course is to give the basic principles in micro- and
macroeconomics, as an introductory for the further economic
subjects. The topics covered during the course are: how the
market works on interdependent actors, the market forces of
supply and demand, the efficiency of the market explained
by the concept of consumers and producers surplus and firm
behaviors and the organization industry in a competitive market
or in monopoly.
International Relations and Tourism & Case Study
The course will introduce the basic issues and explanatory concepts of International Relations, in order to provide the students
with the necessary tools to understand international politics.
To this aim, first, the course will present the main approaches
to international politics and the main empirical debates in
International Relations, such as the role of power, economic
interdependence, international institutions, domestic regimes,
war and terrorism. Second, the course will place international
tourism against the background of the overall process of globalization, underlining the political dimensions of tourism as an
international phenomenon, and the way the contemporary international system influences tourism factors and requirements.
New Media for Tourism Communication
The course provides the conceptual tools to interpret and evaluate tourism communication enhanced by new media, with a
particular emphasis on Internet and Web technologies. The
topics covered are the methodologies for requirements analysis,
multi-channel applications, and usability evaluation techniques
for interactive application in the tourism sector, diffusion theories, web management and promotion in the tourism industry.
A project (supervised by instructors and tutors) and web laboratory sessions introduce students to the basics of professional
software for the design of web applications.
Economics and Politics of International Tourism
The course serves as an interdisciplinary introduction to the
science of tourism, with emphasis on economic aspects. The
discussion covers the special nature of tourism compared to
other sectors of the economy. In particular it deals in seven
separate parts with the motivation for travelling, the variables
which determine the choice of destination and expenditures
of visitors, the growth and the productivity problem in a sector
with personalized services, the structure and the dynamics of
123
the world tourism market, the implementation of the concept of
sustainable development in the field of tourism which depends
largely on public goods and on the principles of international and
national tourism policy in a market economy. Actual cases from
all over the world are presented and discussed for each part of
the course such as the Tourism Satellite Account, the impact of
the Euro, the financing of SME´s in tourism, poverty alleviation
and tourism, or the future of National Tourism Organizations.
Cultural History of Tourism and Laboratory in Heritage
Interpretation
The course will offer an overview concerning the rise and development of tourism and tourism industry in the 19th and 20th
centuries, focusing on economic, social and cultural aspects, and
examining in details some moments of high significance: Thomas
Cook, the “golden era” of cruises, tourism and Nazism, “mass
tourism”, “Hippie Trail” and backpackers. The second course
will focus on “Heritage Interpretation”, i.e. on the use of history,
tradition and memories with the purpose of attracting tourists.
Classical and social studies will help us to focus on the most
important topics involved, such as “authenticity”, “reproduction” of places, the relations between the tourism departments,
the tourism companies, the tourists and the local community.
Many significant case studies will be proposed and discussed,
with a greater emphasis on Unesco World Heritage List.
Laboratory in Tourist Attractions and Events
The course offers the student an overview of consumer behavior and travel motivation. Simultaneously the student obtains a
broader perspective of the scientific changes presently occurring
due to; the development of the purchasing powers evident in
new source markets, the dislocation of social structures and the
formation of lifestyle groups. The resulting consequences thereof
require differentiation of the tourism product offers. The student
further learns the procedure involved regarding the staging of
the tourism product offers, their psychological foundations, and
the practical know-how concerning the; culture and history,
public baths, mountainous regions, hotels and restaurants, visitor centers of tourism operations and the creation of themes for
parks and how they are attractively incorporated.
Technologies for Communication
The course offers an overview of information-communication
and technology tools. A wide choice of hands-on technology
laboratories is offered (image editing, audio and video editing,
database design, web publishing, web animation, panoramic
images, mark-up languages etc.), allowing each student to tailor
the courses to his/her previous knowledge and taste.
Semester 2
Innovation and Cooperation in Tourism
This lecture gives also an overview on the industrial organization of tourism. Structure, strategies and performance of civil
aviation, railways, accommodation, cable cars and cruise shipping, are analyzed. It gives an insight into the ongoing structural
change in those industries under conditions of global competition. It shows how the dialectic between competition and cooperation contributes through new structures to innovation.
Cases with successful forms of cooperation and integration and
Master of Arts in International Tourism
innovative business models will be presented and discussed with
the participants in a interactive way.
Event Management
The business of event management plays a key role in the marketplace. Students will learn in this course main strategies in the
event industry, the environmental changes that drive its growth
and will analyze a few practical case studies.
Tourism Planning and Development
An analysis of the socioeconomic planning process involved in
developing tourism destinations in global, community, metropolitan, urban and rural settings. Emphasis on policy and product
development, regeneration and enhancement of facilities and services to meet the needs of tourists. Includes the adjustment process
involved in integrating tourism into a developing economy, and the
project management skills inherent in steering a development from
inception to fruition. Extensive use is made of concepts from sociology, economics, political science and business disciplines. Special
readings from the current literature, case studies, guest speakers,
and video cases will form an integral part of this course.
Management and Marketing Issues in Tourism
The course explains Lugano´s communication philosophy and
gives an introduction to the major concepts of communication
in the field of tourism. These concepts are explained by the presentation of selected issues in tourism such as the communication
mix, the promotion of brands and the management of crisis.
Experts from the World Tourism Organization, the Swiss National
Tourist Office will present their cases.
Management of Small and Medium Enterprises
The objective of this course is to provide students with an analytical and decision making framework to deal with the main
managerial issue of SMEs operating in tourism sectors.
The course is organized around three focuses:
1. SMEs management and decision making framework;
2. Family businesses´ issues and decision making tools;
3. Strategic management for service businesses
The course is based on readings, workshops, lectures, case discussions and experiential exercises.
Economics of Leisure and Mobility
The vast majority of individuals and households in developed
economies share three economic features: they have more money
than they need for their subsistence, they dispose of more time
than they need for earning their living, and they have access
to more space than they need for being. The objective of this
course is to understand how individuals allocate non-work time
and money in space. Tourism is nothing else than a special form
of this allocation process. Allocation of time and money in space
implies choices about types of leisure activities on the one hand,
and mobility decisions on the other. These choices are made with
respect to specific supplies of leisure and mobility services offered
under distinct market constellations. The course is structured
accordingly, analyzing demand, supply and market structures first
from the viewpoint of leisure, secondly of mobility.
125
Destination Management and Marketing
During lectures, discussions, case studies and excursions this
course deals with the concept of "Destination". The topics covered in this course are: relevant trends in tourism demand and
supply, destinations and places of attraction, competitive position of destinations, tools for strategic destination management,
marketing strategies and marketing plans for destinations, challenges of destination finances management, management structures in destination governance and destination cooperation.
Semester 3
Cultural Management
After a general overview on cultural policies and on economics
of art and culture, the course will introduce the main trends in
the field of cultural management. Particular attention is paid to
the role of the cultural sector as a resource for local development
connected to the tourism and environmental sector. Through
Swiss and European ´expert guest speakers´ and case studies,
course participants are introduced to the main issues of cultural
networks and districts and to the development of inter-sectorial
projects in intercultural settings.
Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
This course provides a survey of the ways in which economics
is used to analyze and resolve problems of environmental and
natural resources management. The students will develop the
understanding of economic concepts and methods necessary for
analyzing and formulating environmental and natural resources
policy instruments. Emphasis will be put on the relationship
between tourism and sustainable development.
Architecture and Tourism
Understanding the urban context helps to build up a vocabulary
to manage urban situations. Questioning Who is the expert
of architectural judgment? will allow to approach the world
of architecture from less formal way and give insights for the
mediation with architects and urban planners. Students will
analyze a few practical case studies and acquire knowledge of
different urban models and their exposure to tourism. At the end
of this course, participants should know what success factors are
important to consider by developing architectural concepts and
be able to critically evaluate architectural programs.
Rhetoric and Persuasion in Tourism Communication
This course illustrates the three vital components of classical
rhetoric – argument, arrangement, and style – demonstrating
their effective application in the specific domain of tourism communication. Students will learn how to structure advertising and
presentations of potentially touristic targets (e.g. holiday-villages,
cruises, museums and other cultural events) both in the perspectives of persuading a tourist to chose a certain destination, or to
motivate him to attend certain events when he is already at the
destination. The course will consider the production of persuasive communication delivered though face-to-face interaction,
leaflets and online texts.
Master of Arts in International Tourism
Personalization Courses
Students can create their own individual curriculum and specialization by taking courses offered by other Master's programs.
cise moments: during the internship and on the study tour, which
is done with professors in highly tourist oriented countries. The
destinations and the procedures of the study tours are decided
with students who are in the process of writing their theses.
Semester 4
Thesis
Research Methods
The aim of this course is to offer an overview of qualitative and
quantitative methods, essentials for developing analytical tools.
The content of this course includes different approaches to tourism
research, research plans and proposals, literature analysis, etc.
Strategic Management of Tourism Destinations and
Organizations
The course is designed to provide students with an opportunity
to develop and hone their analytical and interpretive skills using
the academic and practical tools acquired at USI as well as strategic management principles and practices in a tourism setting.
The students will be expected to perform in this environment
and you must be proficient at creating sustainable competitive
advantage. Creating competitive advantage requires managers
who are capable of identifying opportunities in the environment
and exploiting them before anyone else does or in such a way
that it is different and more effective than other destinations
and/or tourism organizations.
Internship and Study Tour
Studying international tourism inevitably means considering relations with businesses, governmental institutions and international
organizations. This fundamental aspect is emphasized in two pre-
The students devote most of the fourth semester to researching and writing their theses. In order to make their work easier,
the Library of the University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera
italiana) has a vast selection of specialized texts on the various
sectors of international tourism.
General Information
Language
This program is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree (or
equivalent) from a recognized academic institution in Economics,
Communication Sciences, Political Science, Tourism or other
related fields. Good command of English is required.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mt.usi.ch
WWW.
mt.usi.ch
Master of Science in Marketing
Marketing
effective solutions that a company can adopt in dealing with
various marketing situations. For this purpose traditional teaching is integrated with more active teaching methods, consisting
of discussion of case histories, role-playing, business games, and
work on individual and group projects.
Goals and Contents
Organisations and businesses that seek success endeavour to
serve their clients and customers effectively. Since firms depend
on customers and suppliers for the resources needed to carry out
their business it is critical that management builds and sustains
relationships with customers and suppliers The management of
these relationships is critical for the development of any business.
It is one of the key tasks of marketing and requires an effective
understanding of how relationships work and will involve most
management positions within the company.
The programme stretches over two years (120 ECTS credits) and
is structured to allow students to personalise their study curricula
following their individual interests. In the first semester students
attend general management classes in order to acquire a broad
knowledge of management. The second and third semesters are
dedicated to core courses and electives. Students are required to
take core courses in core marketing topics and methodologies,
and complete the curriculum with electives that can be chosen
among courses offered by the programme and by other programmes provided by USI. During the last semester students
work in teams on a field project and write up their master’s
thesis.
Graduates from this programme will acquire competencies to
meet the requirements of a professional career in companies of
different size. The programme seeks to prepare participants to
assume general management positions or to take up specialised
positions such as product and marketing managers. Graduates
may also take up professional positions in marketing research
and communications.
The programme is designed to develop participants’ analytical
and decision-making skills grounded in a solid knowledge of best
management practices and a rigorous methodological approach.
In particular it develops the capability to analyse and interpret
markets as well as the ability to conceive and put into practice
Student Profile
The programme is intended for students who have obtained a
Bachelor’s degree. Prior to joining the course, candidates are
expected to have acquired a basic understanding of management, economics and communication. Tutorials in these areas
are offered before the beginning of the programme. Since all
courses are in English, a good knowledge of the language is
essential.
129
Sem. 1
General Management (30 ECTS)
Industrial Organisation
Strategic Marketing
6
6
Sem. 2
Core Courses (39 ECTS)
Consumer Behaviour
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Advertising and Branding
Integrated Marketing Communication
Service Marketing
Business-to-Business
6
3
3
3
3
3
Sem. 3
Distribution Management
Data Analysis
Marketing Research
Commercial Communication Law
Marketing Strategy and Planning
3
3
6
3
3
Sem. 4
Study Programme*
Capstone Work (30 ECTS)
Field Project
Thesis
Total ECTS
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
Organisational Behaviour
Corporate Strategy
Accounting
6
6
6
Electives (21 ECTS)
Students can choose courses for 21 ECTS among
the elective, specialization or core courses offered
in other USI’s related Master programmes.
Examples of electives offered by the programme
in the recent past include: Digital Marketing, Sales
Management, International Marketing, Cause-related
marketing, Customer Relationship Management
12
18
120
Master of Science in Marketing
Course Descriptions
General Management
Industrial Organisation
In a first part, this course introduces some basic notions of
microeconomics (demand, supply and markets) followed by a
more detailed discussion of costs. The second part of the course
treats selected issues of industrial organisation (non competitive
markets, cartels, mergers, innovation, competition policy). The
course is held on the technical level of a textbook of intermediate microeconomics.
Strategic Marketing
This course focuses on companies´ marketing strategy options
and the impact of various strategic marketing choices on businesses´ performance. It aims to develop the abilities necessary
to interpret different market situations and to conceive and
implement appropriate responses. The distinctive characteristic
of the course is the emphasis on the consequences of marketing
decisions for the company´s finances. Three main topic areas
covered are:
– Understanding market dynamic and customer - supplier relationships;
– Developing marketing strategies;
– Implementation of marketing programmes.
The course approach is based on the use of participative teaching methods, including a business game and analysis and
discussion of company cases.
Organisational Behaviour
Organisational behavior is a course in applied behavioral science
that emphasizes how problems, solutions and decision-makers
interact in contexts that are both hierarchically structured, as
well as changing and uncertain. Organisational behavior brings
major insights from behavioral economics, social psychology and
organisational sociology to bear on a variety of issues that are
central to our capacity to understand, predict and manage companies and other complex organisations. Topics covered include theories of motivation and incentives, individual decisions,
negotiation, communication, teamwork and social networks.
The main objective of this course is to help master students in
management to develop an appreciation for the way in which
these organisational elements interrelate and work together to
support corporate strategy and organisational performance.
Corporate Strategy
This course covers a set of topics that supplement previous strategy courses in the first and second year. The main aims of the
course are to:
– Understand the resource allocation process in large organizations
– Understand the choice of organizational structure for large
organizations
– Provide the link between different areas and functions in the
organization
– Provide an evolutionary view on the birth and death of organizational populations.
131
We will look more specifically at the link between strategy and
operations, the choice of supply chain and service operations. We
will discuss the models for resource allocation in multi-divisional
firms, types of diversification, degree of internationalization,
and vertical integration. We will also look more closely at the
selection and type of partners in international alliances and joint
ventures. The final part of the course provides a detailed look at
how industries are founded and evolve over long periods of time.
The course will provide a set of theoretical as well as practical
tools and frameworks for analyzing the issues discussed.
Accounting
This course in Accounting consists of two parts, the first part
covering Financial Accounting and the second part covering
Managerial Accounting. The main objective of the course is to
provide a comprehensive overview of the functioning of financial
and managerial accounting with a particular focus on modern
concepts in both fields. The course is particularly suited for students who wish to pursue a career in an accounting department
of an international industrial corporation. Based on theoretical
concepts, the course heavily incorporates practical aspects of
financial and managerial accounting in order to prepare students
to cope with real-world events. The lectures are accompanied by
an exercise seminar.
Core Courses
Consumer Behaviour
This course explores the conceptual frameworks and the analytical research tools for understanding customers’ market beha-
viour. Understanding customers is important in particular when
building a company’s intangible resources such as brand, customer loyalty, and customer relations and in conceiving and delivering customer value. Developing effective customer relationships
is based on understanding the cognitive and behavioural factors
underlying their behaviour. The first part of the course deals with
the main theories explaining consumer behaviour. The second
part builds on this analytical framework to develop models for
eliciting effective customer response.
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Companies depend on a multitude of relationships with suppliers
and intermediaries and operate within “supply chains”, that are
a complex network of relationships with other companies that all
concur in creating value for end-users. This course is designed to
provide the conceptual frameworks and methodological tools to
gain an understanding of purchasing and supply chain dynamics.
Emphasis will be placed, to in- and out-sourcing decisions and
to the management of supply and distribution networks. The
conceptual content of the course will be applied to empirical
analysis of supply chain-related issues in a variety of industries
and companies.
Advertising and Branding
The course is concerned with building, measuring and managing
brands over time, and with how to leverage advertising and the
other elements of the marketing communications mix to build
and strengthen brand equity.
Firms are increasingly becoming aware that one of their most
valuable assets is the brand associated with their products and
Master of Science in Marketing
services. Creating strong brands that deliver customer value,
and maintaining and enhancing the strengths of those brands
over time, are management imperatives. Given that marketing
acts as the boundary spanning activity between the firm and
the external environment, nearly everybody will, at some point
in their career, wear a marketing hat. Thus, understanding key
marketing topics such as branding is beneficial regardless of
one´s professional background and career direction.
Integrated Marketing Communications
This course looks at issues of company communication in a
multidisciplinary perspective and aims to present various conceptual models and useful operational tools for planning and
managing communication effectively. It focuses on the role that
communication has in developing market relations, considering
that communication decisions are a result of a convergence of
decision-making processes inherent in both communication and
marketing policies. The course also covers operational aspects
of managing marketing communication, following a specific
process (from the identification of a target group, through
decisions about media and messages, to the evaluation of the
results) and integrating various market communication tools.
Particular emphasis is placed on internet, database, and direct
communications.
Service Marketing
More than half of the GDP of developed economies originates
in the service sector. The exchange process and market for services differs in several respects from that for tangible goods. This
poses some specific problems in the marketing and management
of services that will be exposed and discussed. The course revolves around three main themes: peculiarities of the market and
of the exchange process for services; managing service content
and quality; and organisational aspects of marketing in service
companies. Students are expected to actively participate in
discussions of case studies as well as to carry out field work and
present their results.
Distribution Management
Distribution includes all of the activities that are involved in delivering a suitable offering to end-customers. This is a very broad
topic and the course will concentrate on some of its key aspects.
It examines distribution from the perspective of suppliers, distributive intermediaries and retailers. More specifically it deals with
distribution in the modern economy; distribution as a problem
for manufacturers; physical distribution; retail evolution and strategy. The course will comprise lectureing sessions and research /
group work presentations by students. An interactive atmosphere will be sought via open discussion of different issues between
the instructor and students.
Business-to-Business
Most business transactions take place between companies and
customers that are businesses or some other type of organisation. The scope of this course is to explore the workings of
industrial or business markets, and to discuss the implications for
marketing. The course deals with three topics: 1) how to assess
business markets, understand customer needs, and interpret the
dynamics of business markets; 2) how to conceive and put into
practice effective solutions to problems that arise in relationships
133
with customers; and 3) how to develop market strategies and
organise the company for effective performance.
Data Analysis
The goal of the course is to make students familiar with statistical data analysis – the art of examining, summarising and
drawing conclusions from data. This includes the organisation of
a coherent database and its use to produce statistical summaries
and inference. Statistical software is essential in this respect. It
lets the researchers focus on thinking about problems rather
than being engaged with computational details. The course
introduces students to the use of the SPSS statistical software.
The software environment is explored from the data entry to
the handling of the SPSS output. The course builds on students’
knowledge of introductory level statistics, such as frequency,
distribution and correlation.
Marketing Research
The course explores the research process and the most common
research methods in marketing. After an introduction concerning the nature of empirical research, the course focuses on
how to design a research process around a problem statement
and how to carry out the subsequent field research in order to
obtain relevant primary and secondary data. The course explores
the main qualitative and quantitative research methods, and in
particular, issues related to survey design, questionnaire development, interview techniques, focus groups, observation and experiments. A significant part of the course deals with data analysis
and the application of findings in taking marketing decisions.
Commercial Communication Law
Communication cannot function without respecting some basic
rules. The course introduces students to the various limits set
upon commercial communication by legislators or tribunals in
order to protect specific public or private interests, like the norms
governing advertising, unfair competition, privacy or the right of
reply. As modern communication does not stop at national borders, and as regulations change more and more quickly, the relevant rules are not described and discussed from a purely legalistic
perspective (as would be the case with lawyers), but from a
political, dynamic and an international one. That means that not
only Swiss law is addressed, but EU and US law as well.
Market Strategy and Planning
This course considers some key marketing strategy issues facing
organisations in depth. The course focuses on the main steps
of the strategic market management process, with a particular emphasis on alternative strategies and outcomes. Both the
traditional customer-centred view and the value-based views of
marketing are considered. Also, a critical approach is employed
to discuss enduring controversies in marketing strategy and
planning. Through this course, students will acquire an advanced
knowledge of marketing strategy, develop relevant analytical
skills, be able to think critically about marketing strategy, and
be able to make strategic decisions to deal with specific business
situations.
Among business disciplines, marketing is the primary contact
point between a business and its customers. Nearly everybody
will, at some point in their career, wear a marketing hat. Thus,
understanding marketing is beneficial regardless of one¿s pro-
Master of Science in Marketing
fessional background and career direction. This course develops
an advanced strategic management viewpoint in planning and
evaluating marketing decisions. It will help students understand
the importance of marketing as a key strategic driving force
within organizations.
the company, in developing the project and in preparing the
final report and the presentation to the client. During the field
project period, teams attend research laboratories to present and
discuss the intermediary results of their consulting activity with
the members and tutors of other teams.
Electives
Thesis
The Master’s thesis is an academic piece of work that should
provide an original contribution to the body of marketing knowledge. Such a contribution can be either theoretical or empirical,
but should always builds on a solid research effort, and on the
use of appropriate concepts, methods, and tools acquired during
the programme. Faculty members support and coach the participants during their work with the Master’s thesis. This can be
started during the third semester, but should be completed by
the end of the fourth semester of the programme.
Each term the programme offers a certain number of electives
(examples of electives offered by the programme in the recent
past include: Digital Marketing, Pricing, Sales Management,
International Marketing, Cause-related marketing, Customer
Relationship Management). During the second and third semester, students are required to choose courses totaling 21 ECTS
from among these courses and the elective, specialisation or core
courses offered in other USI’s related programmes. The choice
should be discussed with the programme director. By combining
electives, students can obtain a second specialisation (‘minor’).
Capstone Work
Field Project
During the fourth semester, students are asked to carry out a
consulting project for a client company. Students choose from
among a list of projects selected by their tutors within the topic
areas covered in the programme. Students are expected to base
their work and their recommendations to the client organisation
on sound research, using the methodologies learned in the third
semester. Students work in teams and are tutored by faculty
members who support them in managing their contacts with
135
General Information
Language
This programme is entirely held in English.
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree
in Social Sciences (or equivalent) from a recognised academic
institution. In addition candidates are expected to have acquired
basic concepts in management, economics and communication.
Good knowledge of English is a prerequisite.
Contacts
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Study Advisory Service
Tel. +41 58 666 4795
[email protected]
www.mktg.usi.ch
WWW.
mktg.usi.ch
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Public Management and Policy (PMP)
muovere il cambiamento in questi settori presuppone competenze
in diversi ambiti, che il PMP-USI offre grazie ad una formazione:
Con specializzazione in:
– Economia e management pubblico
– Comunicazione pubblica
– interdisciplinare: integrando le competenze delle Facoltà di
Scienze della comunicazione e Scienze economiche, il programma offre un’esperienza formativa unica e a “tutto tondo” in
campi quali le scienze politiche e quelle della comunicazione, il
management e l’economia pubblica, il diritto e la sociologia;
Obiettivi
Negli ultimi anni il settore pubblico ha conosciuto rilevanti processi di innovazione. Il cambiamento riguarda sia il management
operativo di amministrazioni e organizzazioni che il funzionamento politico (il riferimento più immediato riguarda il crescente
impatto del livello sopranazionale). I recenti avvenimenti economici su scala globale hanno inoltre riportato il settore pubblico
al centro del funzionamento dei sistemi economico-sociali.
Parallelamente, il settore non-profit vede il suo campo di azione allargarsi, ad esempio nell’erogazione di servizi di pubblica
utilità. Nell’insieme, al settore pubblico e al privato non profit
si chiede di assumere il ruolo di attore protagonista dell’innovazione, a supporto di famiglie, di individui come pure di attività
economiche, culturali e sociali. In questo contesto, il sistema
pubblico propone, sia a livello locale e regionale che nazionale e
internazionale, prospettive professionali interessanti e stimolanti,
ma richiede anche nuovi e qualificati profili.
Il Master in Public Management and Policy (PMP) offre le competenze necessarie ai futuri professionisti del settore pubblico e del
privato non profit, sia in ambito nazionale che internazionale. La
capacità di assumere posizioni di responsabilità nonché di pro-
– interuniversitaria: il Master s’inserisce nella rete interuniversitaria svizzera “Swiss Public Administration Network” (www.
swipan.ch) – sostenuta dalla Confederazione svizzera. Oltre
a favorire la mobilità degli studenti, le università partner
(USI, Berna, Losanna/IDHEAP) offrono un ricco ventaglio di
specializzazioni, di cui due a Lugano. Dopo la formazione di
base, gli studenti hanno l'opportunità di proseguire con la
specializzazione in una delle altre Università della rete;
– interculturale: l’organizzazione e le modalità didattiche del
Master riflettono alcune delle specificità svizzere, come il multiculturalismo, il plurilinguismo e il federalismo. Un approccio
attento alle differenze culturali, le scelte linguistiche del programma e le diverse provenienze dei suoi partecipanti intendono sostenere l’acquisizione di competenze interculturali e l’arricchimento del bagaglio linguistico dello studente – elementi
necessari per i futuri professionisti del settore pubblico.
Possibilità di carriera
Il PMP permette di accedere, in Svizzera o in altri Paesi, a
posizioni di responsabilità sia all’interno dell’amministrazione
137
pubblica (federale, cantonale e locale), che entro organizzazioni
internazionali e del privato non profit. Le specializzazioni offerte
dal PMP-USI – in Comunicazione pubblica e Economia e management pubblico – preparano a professioni che in questi settori
sono centrali. Nel breve termine ci si aspetta che il Master PMP
diventi la porta d’ingresso principale per una larga fetta dell’impiego pubblico svizzero: per questa ragione, esso beneficia del
sostegno delle autorità federali e intercantonali.
Organizzazione
Il master PMP è una formazione a tempo pieno che si svolge su due
anni (4 semestri): 3 semestri di corsi ed uno da dedicare alla stesura
della tesi. I momenti formativi si distinguono in 3 blocchi, per un
totale di 120 ECTS: base (60 ECTS), specializzazione (30 ECTS) e tesi
(30 ECTS). Il primo anno prevede la formazione di base, i cui corsi –
tenuti prevalentemente in italiano, ma anche in inglese – coprono le
seguenti aree: scienze politiche, management pubblico, diritto, economia pubblica, metodologie di ricerca. Il secondo anno permette
invece allo studente di personalizzare il percorso, in base ai propri
interessi, al proprio curriculum accademico e ai propri obiettivi
professionali: il terzo semestre, scegliendo una delle specializzazioni
offerte, il quarto, dedicandolo al lavoro di tesi.
Mobilità
Gli studenti possono inoltre svolgere i blocchi formativi in diverse
università e aree linguistiche (Lugano, Losanna, Berna): dopo la
formazione di base presso l’USI gli studenti hanno l’opportunità
di scegliere una delle specializzazioni offerte dalle altre Università
partner. Allo stesso modo gli studenti delle Università partner possono completare la loro formazione a Lugano. La tesi può essere
elaborata sia nell’Università in cui si segue la formazione base sia
in quella di specializzazione.
Sulla base del regolamento dello Swiss Public Administration
Network (SPAN), attualmente in fase di approvazione, agli studenti che avranno conseguito dei blocchi formativi in una delle
Università partner, sarà rilasciato un titolo da parte dell’Università
della Svizzera italiana in collaborazione con la rete SPAN. Per
contro, agli studenti che seguiranno un ciclo completo all’USI,
sarà rilasciato unicamente un titolo da parte dell’Università della
svizzera italiana.
A Lugano, il Master PMP offre due distinte specializzazioni:
Specializzazione in economia e management pubblico
La specializzazione in economia e management pubblico offre
agli studenti una focalizzazione sulle competenze e abilità
necessarie per gestire con successo le amministrazioni pubbliche.
Attraverso una specializzazione prevalentemente settoriale, essa
si propone di approfondire il funzionamento di specifiche aree
del settore pubblico e di fornire le chiavi di lettura per comprenderle e interpretarle, qualificando ulteriormente le competenze
gestionali di base. I corsi sono tenuti in inglese.
Specializzazione in comunicazione pubblica
La specializzazione in Comunicazione pubblica offre competenze
e strumenti per gestire in modo efficace la comunicazione delle
istituzioni e organizzazioni del settore pubblico e privato non
profit, per le quali essa riveste un ruolo sempre più importante
e strategico – sia per il funzionamento e la gestione interna, che
per la loro interazione con il contesto in cui operano.
I corsi sono tenuti prevalentemente in inglese, alcuni in francese.
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Piano dei corsi*
Formazione di base (60 ECTS)
Anno 1
Formazione di base
In italiano o inglese
Scienze politiche
Dottrine politiche
Politiche e istituzioni pubbliche
International Organisations and Relations
3
6
6
Diritto
Diritto costituzionale
International Law
Administrative Law
Tecniche legislative
3
3
3
3
Metodologie di ricerca
Metodologie di ricerca: quantitative **
Metodologie di ricerca: qualitative
3
3
* Il piano dei corsi può essere soggetto a cambiamenti.
Management pubblico
Strategia e management nella pubblica
amministrazione e nel non profit
Organizzazione e gestione del personale
nella pubblica amministrazione
Comunicazione e management istituzionale
Economia pubblica
Macroeconomia *
Microeconomics *
Public Economics and Policy
Economia del non profit
*
Gli studenti in possesso di un bachelor in economia frequentano corsi di
livello avanzato.
** Gli studenti in possesso di un bachelor in economia hanno la possibilità di
seguire un corso di econometria a livello Master.
6
3
6
3
3
3
3
139
Specializzazione in economia e management pubblico (30 ECTS)
Sem. 3
In inglese
Economia e management pubblico
Programming and Control in the Public Sector
Public Administration and the Business Environment
Corsi a scelta (18 ECTS) - Corsi consigliati:
Industrial Organization I or II
Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
Cultural Management
Social marketing I & II
Health Policy
3
3
6
3
3
3/6
3
Management of Public Services
Public Management Reforms in OECD Countries
3
3
Advanced Microeconomics
Advanced Macroeconomics
Managerial Economics II
3
3
3
Inoltre: corsi offerti dalla specializzazione in
Comunicazione pubblica
Sem. 3
In inglese o francese
Specializzazione in comunicazione pubblica (30 ECTS)
Scienze della Comunicazione
Political Communication
4.5
Communication interculturelle
4.5
Argumentation pour la communication publique I
3
Interpersonal communication within public contexts
3
Gestione della Comunicazione
Instruments pour la communication publique
Social marketing I
Fundraising and social venture capital
e-Government
Corsi a scelta (6 ECTS) - Corsi consigliati:
Social marketing II
Argumentation pour la communication publique II
Communication dans le secteur des politiques socio-sanitaires
Statut de l’information publique
Inoltre: corsi offerti dalla specializzazione in Economia e management pubblico
3
3
1.5
1.5
3
3
3
3
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Contenuto ed obiettivo dei corsi
1° anno: Formazione di base
Area delle Scienze politiche
Dottrine politiche
Il corso propone un’introduzione ai principali concetti della teoria
politica attuale, mostrandone da un lato la continuità con quelli
proposti dai principali autori del passato – pensatori e filosofi,
uomini di scienza e di azione; dall’altro lato, illustrando i cambiamenti e le specificità dei paradigmi di base (quali ad esempio
democrazia vs. dittatura). Alcune tematiche d’attualità serviranno ad esemplificare i principi e i concetti illustrati, ad esempio
quelle concernenti le relazioni con paesi economicamente emergenti, la legittimità dell’intervento dello Stato o l’efficacia delle
istituzioni pubbliche.
Politiche e istituzioni pubbliche
Il corso comprende una parte teorica e metodologica seguita
da una parte seminariale incentrata sulle realtà istituzionali svizzere. La prima parte del corso propone un’analisi politologica
dei diversi ruoli dello stato nelle società contemporanee e della
ripartizione delle competenze fra il settore pubblico e quello privato. Vengono approfondite le tematiche della comunicazione
fra amministrazione pubblica, società e economia; l’analisi delle
politiche pubbliche; le nuove tendenze del Public management
e più particolarmente la logica del New Public Management e il
suo impatto sull’efficienza economica, la distribuzione del reddito e il tasso di povertà nei paesi occidentali e in transizione. La
parte seminariale del corso mette l’accento sulla comunicazione
delle istituzioni pubbliche svizzere, intesa come uno scambio
permanente tra i cittadini e lo Stato: essa è perciò una funzione
importante dello stato democratico e nel contempo una risorsa
e uno strumento per governare.
International Organisations and Relations
Against the reality of globalization, the course aims at offering
basic and practical knowledge about the system of international
relations and its interlinked international organizations. The
course will show various approaches to the study of international
relations as well as of the role of international actors (States, IO,
NGOs, corporate actors) and their interaction in the formulation
and implementation of relevant policies. The course has an
operational focus as it emphasizes the functioning of the global
governance system, the direct knowledge of some of the most
important international organizations as well as their interaction
with civil society and the business sector.
Area del Management pubblico
Strategia e Management nella pubblica amministrazione
e nel non profit
Il corso presenta le tendenze in atto nelle amministrazioni
pubbliche, facendo riferimento alle esperienze europee ed allo
sviluppo di logiche di public management in Svizzera. Il primo
blocco affronta i processi di cambiamento e modernizzazione
nel settore pubblico, con particolare riguardo alla valutazione
delle performance, ai sistemi per il miglioramento della qualità,
all’accountability ed al marketing pubblico. Il secondo blocco
141
esplora le relazioni tra amministrazioni pubbliche, imprese private ed organizzazioni non profit, con particolare riferimento allo
sviluppo di logiche di partenariato pubblico privato.
NPOs and NGOs. They will then acquire the theoretical and
analytical tools necessary to the task.
Area del Diritto
Organizzazione e gestione del personale
Il corso si propone di fornire le nozioni di base necessarie a
comprendere e gestire il cambiamento e il comportamento
organizzativo. A tal fine, verrà adottato un approccio multidisciplinare, che combina elementi dell´analisi economica, psicologica
e sociologica, focalizzandosi su aspetti quali: il cambiamento
organizzativo nella pubblica amministrazione (con particolare
riferimento a quella elvetica e il comportamento organizzativo
a livello di individuo (motivazione, apprendimento e decision
making), di relazioni inter-personali (processi di socializzazione,
comunicazione, impression managament, negoziazione e team
work) e di sistema organizzativo.
Comunicazione e management istituzionale
La prima parte del corso sarà incentrata sull’esame dei compiti
e dei metodi della comunicazione delle istituzioni pubbliche e
private non profit, considerandola nel contesto del management
delle loro differenti attività. Saranno puntualizzati i principi etici
che reggono la comunicazione nell’ambito degli ordinamenti
statali democratici, in particolare quelli federalisti e partecipativi
e verrà inoltre proposta una visione d’insieme degli strumenti
utilizzati per la loro comunicazione tanto esterna che interna.
The second part of the course addresses identity and image
management. Students will learn how and why management
of identity and image are an important part of communication
management and the management of public organizations,
Diritto costituzionale
Le istituzioni, in particolare quelle pubbliche, si muovono in un
ambiente politico-sociale profondamente innervato da norme
di tipo giuridico. Il corso, dopo avere rilevato le maggiori scelte
costituzionali svizzere, presenta il quadro giuridico che sta alla
base dell’intervento dello stato su alcuni temi etici, politici e
sociali importanti, ad esempio: la separazione dei poteri, con il
principio di legalità, la relazione tra libertà individuali e interessi
e scelte collettive, il federalismo e in particolare il principio della
forza derogatoria del diritto federale, la giustiziabilità dei diritti
costituzionali, compresa la responsabilità internazionale della
Svizzera, e alcune particolarità dei diritti politici.
International Law
The course focuses on the fundamental standards which govern
international relations; after a description of the relevant legal
instruments, particularly international treaties and conventions,
as well as of existing compliance and enforcement mechanisms,
some renowned international organizations will be presented,
primarily the United Nations and the European Union. The
course concludes with a chapter dedicated to international protection of human rights and to humanitarian law.
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Administrative Law
The course develops the legal principles and tools which enable
public agencies (at national as well as cantonal and local levels)
to fulfill their tasks both efficiently and respectfully of the fundamental freedoms of the citizens. In particular it will focus on
important instruments like regulations, individual decisions and
judicial review. Particular attention will also be devoted to the
legal aspects of modern trends like decentralization, citizen participation or private-public partnerships.
Tecniche legislative
L’obiettivo di questo corso è di mettere in grado lo studente
di acquisire le nozioni fondamentali concernenti la redazione
dei diversi testi giuridici ad esempio concernenti le regole che
reggono la loro strutturazione interna o le relazioni tra norme
giuridiche di diverso livello (cfr ad esempio la problematica della
costituzionalità delle nuove leggi). Il corso procederà utilizzando
esempi provenienti da istituzioni di diverso tipo e livello.
Area dell’Economia pubblica
Macroeconomia
In questo corso si introdurranno, attraverso l’osservazione dei
dati macroeconomici della Svizzera e di altri Paesi, le principali
variabili macroeconomiche - produzione, disoccupazione, inflazione, disavanzo del bilancio statale e disavanzo (o avanzo) della
bilancia commerciale, delle partite correnti e dei movimenti di
capitale con l’estero-e le relazioni esistenti fra esse. Si passerà
quindi all’analisi di breve periodo del funzionamento di un’economia, e in particolare delle componenti più importanti della
domanda aggregata: consumi, investimenti, spesa pubblica ed
esportazioni nette. Successivamente l’attenzione sarà estesa ai
cicli economici, all’inflazione e alla disoccupazione.
Advanced Macroeconomics
The course covers intermediate macroeconomic theory. It is tailored for Master students with bachelor courses in Macroeconomics
and as such will extend the material covered in these courses.
After a revision and extension of macroeconomics models in the
short and medium run, such as the IS-LM and the AS-AD model,
the course will move to topics including economic growth, real
business cycles, monetary policy and international macroeconomic topics.
Microeconomics
Microeconomics studies individual decision making by consumers
and firms and their interaction in markets. The course presents
and introduction to microeconomics The first part is devoted to
classical theory and includes: consumer choice, theory of the
firm, markets, partial and general equilibrium, welfare theory
and choice under uncertainty. In the second part of the course,
we will introduce aspects of market failure to illustrate situations
and ways of public intervention in the market.
Advanced Microeconomics
The course covers intermediate microeconomic theory. It is
tailored for Master students with an bachelor courses in
Microeconomics. The material includes classical microeconomic
theory (consumer and firm theory, partial and general equilibrium, choice under uncertainty), market failure and some more
143
modern topics (game theory and possibly contract theory and
challenges to expected utility). An important part of the course
will be devoted to the solution of exercises, both in class and
with individual (and group) work.
Public Economics and Policy
The course presents an introduction to public economics and
public policy. It will cover both aspects of expenditure and revenue of governments. Topics include: externalities, public goods,
social insurance and redistribution, optimal taxation and fiscal
federalism. We will cover both theoretical and empirical aspects
of each topic and spend some time to study the Swiss context.
Economia del non profit
Nel corso si analizza ruolo, organizzazione, finanziamento e
performance delle organizzazioni non profit, con particolare riferimento a forme emergenti di economia solidale (imprese sociali,
commercio equo e solidale, finanza etica) e all’attività delle ONG.
Particolare attenzione sarà data a vantaggi e svantaggi della
formula non profit e alla possibilità di coniugare competizione e
partnership sociale, mercato e società civile.
Area delle Metodologie di ricerca
Metodologie quantitative: statistica applicata
Oggi sono disponibili strumenti informatici di grande potenza
per l´analisi dei dati empirici concernenti i processi comunicativi,
ma il loro uso e la corretta interpretazione dei risultati richiedono conoscenze statistiche relativamente approfondite. Obiettivo
del corso e di fornire queste basi concettuali e metterle in opera
in un ambiente SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).
Il corso presuppone una conoscenza base di statistica (che, se
necessario, potrà essere recuperata prima dell´inizio del corso).
Metodologie qualitative
Dopo aver messo in luce alcuni dei fondamenti epistemologici
essenziali alla base della ricerca di tipo qualitativo, il corso si
incentrerà sullo studio dei principali metodi qualitativi correntemente utilizzati nei settori trattati dal Master e sulla presentazione dei più importanti strumenti e tecniche ad essi legati. Questo
con l´ausilio di esempi pratici che coinvolgeranno attivamente gli
studenti.
2 anno: specializzazione in economia e management pubblico
Area del Economia e management pubblico
Programming and Control in the Public Sector
While the emphasis of public sector reforms might change over
time, one enduring characteristic is the focus on improving
public financial management. Therefore, the course offers first
an international overview of the approaches to programming,
budgeting and control in the most advanced countries. In addition, attention will be paid to analyze the fundamental management control concepts and tools of public organizations. Finally,
the course puts specific emphasis on dealing with cost and performance management as pillars of a fundamental framework
for decision-making oriented towards the public interest.
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Public Administration and the Business Environment
Public and private sectors are nowadays increasingly interdependent. Recent developments worldwide have, in fact, shown how
the market model and the public interest model are both simplistic
notions. When considering the future of economy and society,
both need to be taken into account and the ability to cut across
the boundaries of one toward the other become a key factor. In
this perspective, the course will explore the nature of businessgovernment relationships, moving from regulation and financial
relationships towards public-private partnerships and lobby. At
the end of the course, students are expected: to understand how
public sector organizations influence the behaviours of business
firms, and vice versa, and to develop the skills necessary to successfully manage the business-government interaction.
red and, typically, they issue different administrative reforms to
respond to raising societal, political and managerial pressures. In
this perspective, the course aims at introducing student to the
structures, behavior and processes of public administration in a
comparative perspective. Students will be expected to select a
country to follow throughout the course as case study. At the
end of the course, students are expected to understand why
countries are structured in different ways, what administrative
reforms are used to respond to societal pressures by different
countries and what are their implications for public managers.
Management Of Public Services
Public services share the social value of their access and the
inherent complexity of their delivery models, raising several challenges for management. The course analyzes and deals with the
main managerial aspects the healthcare sector and important
network industries (e.g., local transport, energy). After a brief
international overview of each sector, the course covers both
traditional issues of managing public services (e.g. organization
design, performance and quality management) and cutting-edge
topics (e.g. e-health, e-government, networks), which are high
on the policy agenda.
Industrial Organization I or II
The course presents an introduction to the modern theory of
Industrial Organization. In most markets the assumptions of
perfect competition are not met. We will work to understand
the working of industries with limited competition and its implications both from a theoretical and a practical point of view.
Aspects considered include basic monopoly and oligopoly theory; price competition; cartels; mergers and acquisitions. Industrial
Organisation II concludes with the introduction of the main concepts used in the analysis of regulation of network industries.
Public Management Reforms in OECD countries
Different countries address variations in purpose of government
in different ways. More specifically, they are differently structu-
Corsi a scelta (18 ECTS)
Oltre ai corsi offerti dalla specializzazione in Comunicazione pubblica, si consiglia i seguenti corsi.
Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
This course provides a survey of the ways in which economics
is used to analyze and resolve problems of environmental and
natural resources management. The students will develop an
145
understanding of economic concepts and methods necessary for
analyzing and formulating environmental and natural resources
policy instruments. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship
between tourism and sustainable development. The applied
nature of the course is achieved by applying theory to practice
while discussing papers and articles with the students. In this
respect students are required to present papers to the class.
Cultural Management
After a general overview on cultural policies and on economics of
art and culture, the course will introduce the main trends in the field
of cultural management. Particular attention will be paid to the role
of the cultural sector as a resource for local development connected
to the tourism and environmental sector. Through European expert
guest speakers and case studies, course participants will be introduced to the main issued of cultural networks and districts and with
the development of inter-sectorial projects in intercultural settings.
Social Marketing I & II
V. descrittivo sopra.
Advanced Macroeconomics
V. descrittivo sopra
Advanced Microeconomics
V. descrittivo sopra
Managerial Economics II
The course deals with management strategies adopted to
gain and exercise market power, such us price fixing, vertical
restraints, R! joint – ventures, mergers and acquisitions, predation
and abuse of dominant position. The focus is on the methods
to implement these strategies and on their welfare effects. Each
topic is tackled starting from describing the business practice and
then presenting the implications for antitrust policy. The course
provides also the historical, legal and economic background for
competition policy and covers the general framework of antitrust
policy in the US and in Europe. The theoretical framework is
applied to legal case studies, to grasp evidence on the current
attitude of antitrust authorities towards specific firms behaviors.
2 anno: specializzazione in comunicazione pubblica
Health Policy
The course provides a critical analysis of market failures in the
health care sector. It examines alternative approaches to structuring a nation’s health system, develops an analytic framework
for comparative analyses and the evaluation of reform proposals.
Based on the understanding of the social determinants of health,
it highlights the links between policies within the health sector
and other policies that are relevant for people health.
Area delle Scienze della comunicazione
Political Communication
The course focuses on the main features of political communication as practiced by politicians and by states. Lectures will
examine the rhetorical rules that govern political speeches and
political texts as well as the nature and goals of political rituals
and political symbols.
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Communication interculturelle
Le cours présente les approches utiles à l’analyse des situations
multiculturelles, des problèmes qu’elles impliquent et des opportunités qu’elles offrent. En partant de la clarification du rapport
que l’individu entretien avec «sa» culture et des attitude qu’il
développe à l’encontre d’«autres» cultures, le cours propose des
méthodes aptes à construire et implémenter les compétences
communicatives nécessaires pour résoudre, gérer ou prévenir les
problèmes liés à la multiculturalité dans le contexte des différentes activités du secteur public.
Argumentation pour la communication publique I et II
(la partie II optionnelle)
Le cours observe les stratégies de nature logique et relationnelle appliquées à l’argumentation dans différents contextes
institutionnels. L’objectif est d’offrir les connaissances et les
compétences appropriées pour analyser et évaluer les argumentations, reconnaître les manipulations et créer des interventions
argumentatives correctes et efficaces. Une partie du cours est
vouée à l’analyse des pratiques argumentatives activées dans la
communication interne et externe des institutions.
Interpersonal communication within public contexts
The course presents different models aimed at understanding
and analysing the relational dimension in interpersonal communication, particularly focusing on the sistemic model, on recent
interpersonal Motivational Systems as well as on group dynamics – a classic topic in social psychology. After illustrating the
theoretical frameworks, the course will present case studies and
specific interactive situations.
Area della Gestione della comunicazione
Instruments pour la communication publique
Le cours offre une introduction aux instruments de communication interne et externe des institutions publiques, avec une
attention particulière aux institutions suisses. Grâce à la participation d’expert actifs dans le secteur, le cours vise à développer
des compétences opérationnelles.
Social Marketing I + II (part II is elective)
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the principles and key concepts of social marketing
such as conceptual frameworks and their implications on public
health and social change initiatives. The course will allow students to focus on topics of their interest (e.g. nutrition, HIV prevention, sustainable living, climate change, voting behavior, etc.)
by addressing issues in health, society and politics.
Fundraising and social venture capital
Il corso presenta le principali caratteristiche della gestione finanziaria nel settore non profit. La prima parte è dedicata al fundraising; saranno presentati il ciclo del fundraising, i criteri etici e di
trasparenza nella raccolta dei fondi, il ruolo del fundraiser e le
tendenze in atto (web fundraising, e charity). Verranno discussi
casi applicativi nei settori sportivo, culturale e sociosanitario.
Nella seconda parte verrà presentata l’evoluzione dal fundraising
al fund-management e le relazioni tra le organizzazioni non profit e gli intermediari finanziari etici (istituzioni di micro credito e
micro finanza, banche etiche, fondi social venture capital), discutendo esperienze a livello svizzero (BAS) ed europeo.
147
E-governement
The course examines the main opportunities offered by new
technologies for governments’ action. The use of the Internet
and other communication technologies in order to provide
information and services to citizens, businesses, and other
public organizations has important implications for government
efficiency, transparency, communication, service delivery and
engagement with citizens. The course will also introduce the
evolution and the challenges of e-government.
Corsi a scelta (6 ECTS)
Oltre ai corsi offerti dalla specializzazione in Economia e management pubblico, si consiglia di seguire i seguenti corsi.
Communication dans le secteur des politiques socio-sanitaires
Le cours donne les éléments pour comprendre la dynamique
et les enjeux politiques et sociaux auxquels sont confrontés les
systèmes socio-sanitaires des «pays riches», qui voient une diminution des ressources disponibles pour assurer le financement,
à un coût socialisé, de la croissance attendue de la demande.
Cette dynamique sera particulièrement traumatisante pour les
systèmes de santé qui ont jusqu’ici assuré à leur citoyens une
liberté de choix et de consommation pratiquement illimitée. Ce
sera en particulier le cas pour la Suisse.
Social Marketing II
V. descrittivo sopra
Argumentation dans la communication publique II
V. descrittivo sopra
Statut de l’information publique
L’information n’est plus le fait du prince. Le cours présentera ces
nouvelles législations qui régissent les informations détenues par
les autorités publiques que sont les lois sur la transparence de
l’administration, celles sur la protection des données et celles sur
l’archivage. Il décrit également les règles qui régissent la communication officielle de l’administration et ses rapports avec la presse.
Tesi
La tesi di master, con cui lo studente conclude la propria formazione, consiste in un lavoro di ricerca che approfondisce una tematica
nell’ambito di uno dei diversi settori della pubblica amministrazione.
Questo lavoro, seguito da uno o più professori di master, può essere
di natura più teorica o più empirica: in ogni caso lo studente dovrà
dimostrare di saper utilizzare concetti, teorie, metodologie e strumenti appropriati e capacità di analisi, di sintesi e di redazione.
Master of Science in Public Management and Policy
Informazioni generali
For detailed information in English, please refer to the website,
also availabe in English.
Lingua
I corsi della formazione di base (1 anno) si tengono prevalentemente in italiano, mentre le specializzazioni attivate per il 2 anno
prevedono lo svolgimento dei corsi prevalentemente in inglese,
ma anche in francese.
Requisiti linguistici minimi:
– per il primo anno è richiesta una competenza attiva in italiano
o inglese e una competenza passiva nell’altra lingua;
– per la specializzazione in Comunicazione pubblica è richiesta
una competenza attiva in inglese o francese e una competenza
passiva nell’altra lingua;
– per la specializzazione in Management e economia pubblica
è richiesta almeno una competenza attiva in inglese.
Requisiti di ammissione
Possono essere ammessi al Master gli studenti in possesso di un
bachelor negli ambiti di economia pubblica, gestione d’impresa/
management, scienze politiche, sociologia, diritto, scienze della
comunicazione, oppure un titolo universitario giudicato equivalente.
Contatti
Università della Svizzera italiana, USI
Servizio orientamento
Tel. +41 58 666 47 95
[email protected]
www.pmp.usi.ch
WWW.
pmp.usi.ch
Masters of Science in Informatics
master.usi.ch
Masters of Science in Informatics
Masters of Science in Informatics
The Faculty of Informatics stands out as a centre of competence
in advanced informatics and has become one of Switzerland's
major poles for teaching and research. The Faculty offers one
general Master's degree with possibilities to major in five specialized areas and one professional area of specialization for
students who want to update their knowledge aimed more
immediately towards the professional world. The Masters offered by the Faculty of Informatics provide high specialization both
in terms of professional training and of academic research.
The general Master's degree
MSc in Informatics
(see p. 152)
with its five areas of specialization
Computational Science
(see
Distributed Systems
(see
Embedded Systems Design
(see
Intelligent Systems
(see
Software Design
(see
p.
p.
p.
p.
p.
Teaching
Top-level faculty of international renown teach innovative
courses, with a strong multi-disciplinary orientation and in collaboration with prestigious institutions at local and international
level. Teaching at the Faculty of Informatics emphasizes close
contact between students and staff. Professors are pursuing
research on a variety of topics and are active participants in Swiss
and international research projects and networks. Visiting professors from renowned universities complement the top-quality
teaching. The Faculty of Informatics aims to train informatics
experts that are interdisciplinary in approach, with abstract
thinking and generalization skills, a sound knowledge in the
application fields of information technologies, as well as projectmanagement and teamwork abilities.
ECTS
120
154)
156)
158)
160)
162)
120
120
120
120
120
and one professional area of specialization
Applied Informatics
(see p. 164)
90
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
151
Admission Requirements
The formal requirement for admission to the Master's degrees in
Informatics is a Bachelor's degree from a recognized academic
institution (or completion of a full three years of study at university level, 180 ECTS) in the field of computer science, mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, or related disciplines.
Futhermore, good command of English is required.
Special conditions applying for the various Masters
• For the MSc in Applied Science, students with a Bachelor
degree from a Swiss university of Applied Science are admitted without debits.
• For the MSc in Computational Science, candidates should
have fundamental knowledge in computer science, mathematics, numerical analysis, software development. Example:
Bachelor in informatics with good mathematical knowledge,
bachelor in mathematics with good knowledge in informatics, bachelor in engineering sciences or application area with
good knowledge in mathematics and informatics.
For candidates missing some particular knowledge, a "qualifying semester" could be introduced. In this semester, the
master-candidates would attend selected Bachelor courses.
More detailed admission conditions are available on:
www.master.inf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Informatics
Master of Science in Informatics
Goals and Contents
The Master of Science in Informatics provides advanced theoretical and practical skills on topics of computer systems and
computational sciences. The programme is designed for both
Bachelor students who wish to complete their education and
professionals seeking to refresh their knowledge and skills. The
Master combines the study of fundamental aspects of computer
systems with a hands-on approach, preparing professionals for
successfully pursuing a career in research and development.
Computer science is a highly pervasive and fast evolving area.
The programme prepares students for current and evolving technologies in computer sciences by deepening their knowledge in
several directions: Students learn how to develop, select, and
evaluate computer programmes with the help of a strong theoretical background. In parallel they acquire abilities to understand, design, simulate and optimise complex systems where
important competences include the capability to learn and to
adapt to unpredictable and dynamic situations. Students learn
how to design, test and analyse software programmes providing
the required level of software quality using the appropriate software engineering methodologies. Fundamental aspects include
the capability to design and reason about distributed systems,
advanced data management systems, and modern computing
systems.
Career Prospects
Informatics is a growing sector and offers excellent career
prospects. Informatics as a science and technology is indeed
both the infrastructure and the engine of today's society. In
Switzerland, informatics plays a key role in the production
(manufacturing of machinery, chemistry, etc.) and in the service (banking, insurance, trade, transport, administration, etc.)
industry. The national training and research institutions have
acquired a considerable reputation worldwide in particularly in
the Information Technology sector. Many IT companies world
leaders have, or are planning to have, research and development
centers in Switzerland.
Considering this, graduates in informatics have very good assets
on the job market. The demand for well educated specialists in
Informatics is very high and is expected to grow even more.
Study Programme
This full-time programme is worth 120 ECTS and stretches over
two years. It allows students to personalize their study curricula
according to their individual interests. In the first semester students attend mandatory courses to acquire the basic knowledge.
The second and third semesters are dedicated to specialized
courses and electives. Students complete their curriculum with
electives that can be chosen among courses offered by any related programme of the university. The last semester is dedicated
to the writing of a substantial master's thesis.
153
Sem. 1
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Topics in Informatics
6
6
Sem. 2
Design 101
Human-Computer Interaction Design
Intelligent Information Access
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modeling, Simulation, Optimization Lab
Robotics
Robotics Lab
3
6
6
6
3
6
3
Software Architecture and Design
Software Architecture and Design Lab
Software Quality
Software Quality Lab
Introduction to Information Security***
Theory of Computation***
Distributed Algorithms
6
3
6
3
6
6
6
Computer Aided Verification
Heuristics
Heuristics Lab
Software Performance
Software Performance Lab
Software Design and Evolution
6
6
3
6
3
6
Ubiquitous Computing
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
Wireless and Mobile Networking
Topics in Algorithms***
Master Thesis**
3
6
3
3
6
S. 4
Algorithms and Complexity
Distributed Systems
Intelligent Systems
Sem. 3
Study Programme*
Master Thesis
Total ECTS
*
Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
** Start in third semester if passed 60 ECTS.
*** Bachelor's courses open to Master's students.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 166-174.
24 or 30
120
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Computational Science
Computational Science
Combining strong competences in advanced scientific
computing, informatics and high performance computing
Advanced mathematical modeling and high performance methods
in numerical simulation open new perspectives for science, research and economy. Exploiting the capabilities of modern supercomputers, increasingly complex problems can be tackled - covering a very broad spectrum of disciplines, from exact and natural
sciences to economics and social sciences, including biomedical,
environmental, materials, and engineering sciences.
The ICS (Institute of Computational Science) provides a unique
research environment, where strong competences in modeling,
simulation and information science come together in an open
and application oriented atmosphere. At ICS, mathematical state-of-the-art simulation and modeling techniques meet software
design and development, and the specialized Master studies
in Computational Sciences at USI aim at exploiting the unique
nature of this group.
This field of studies offers the possibility to learn a strongly interdisciplinary method for solving problems, still focusing either more
on the mathematical or the informatics aspects of the discipline.
Throughout the studies, the student will continuously work on
projects, in close collaboration with ICS partners such as CSCS (the
Swiss National Supercomputing Centre) and SUPSI (the University
of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland).
Teaching
Given the high ratio between the number of professors and
that of students, personal assistance and mentoring is a natural
part of the modern teaching environment of ICS, which also
features a project-based approach ensuring continuous experience on real life problem solving based on a sound theoretical
background, English as teaching language, state-of-the-art
knowledge in methodology and development, and access to
HPC resources. With all these points together, USI trains future
modeling and simulation professionals, which are increasingly
required by industry to do research and development.
Career Prospects
The graduates of the MSc in Computational Science have a
variety of options for professional employment. For their product
development, an increasing number of industries in different
fields rely on numerical methods that allow the realization of
experiments "in silicio". This is of particular interest for experiments that would be extremely costly, if not impossible at all, to
carry out physically.
The demand for well educated professionals in this field is high
and is expected to continue growing; examples of application
fields are design and optimization in mechanics, finance, insurance business, medicine, biology, and weather forecast services.
The collaborations in place between the Institute and different
industrial partners allow students to gain experience, for example during their thesis, in a mixed academic and industrial environment.
155
Sem. 1
6
6
6
6
6
High Performance Methods
Project / Lab (HPC)
Advanced Discretization Methods
Advanced Simulation Techniques II
Modern Discretization Techniques
6
6
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Computational Data Analysis
Distributed Systems
Decomposition Techniques
Project / Lab
6
6
6
6
6
S. 4
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Topics in Informatics
Simulation Methods
Intelligent Systems
Advanced Simulation Techniques I
Algorithms and Complexity
Sem. 2
Study Programme
This full time programme is worth 120 ECTS and stretches over
two years. It allows students to personalize their study curricula
according to their individual interests. As the Master will be launched in September 2010, the precise study programme is still
under construction. The following is thus a draft and might be
changed.
Study Programme
Sem. 3
The Master in Computational Science is also an excellent preparation for an academic or scientific career at universities or
research institutes. In fact, the research done at ICS is leading
edge in many different fields.
Master Thesis
Total ECTS
30
120
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 176-179.
Master of Science in Distributed Systems
Distributed Systems
Goals and Contents
Think of the interconnected data management systems of a
global institution: a bank, an airline, or a national government.
Think about the large clusters of computers used by scientists to
map the human genome. Think about a large scale, networked
multiplayer game. Think of a telecommunication network such
as the GSM network or the Internet.
Career Prospectives
The Master of Science in Distributed Systems develops professionals capable of designing and developing distributed systems. In
particular, the emphasis of the design taught is on dependability,
which means that systems are engineered to withstand failures
of system components, and to gracefully sustain heavy computations and / or intense communication traffic. The knowledge and
technical expertise acquired in this Master is an ideal basis for a
career as a system engineer, with employment opportunities in
virtually any company whose business depends on computing systems. Moreover, the analytical skills that characterize this Master
make up a versatile professional profile, as they are more generally
applicable to a range of diverse problem-solving tasks.
These are all distributed systems and, like them, many others
are being developed and used pervasively in our modern society.
Needless to say, computers and networks play a central role within
these systems. They process, store, and transmit information to
support a wide variety of tasks, ranging from the safety-critical
operations of a transportation system, to the business-critical
functions of a bank, to the performance-critical computations of
the scientific models studied by physicists or molecular biologists.
Study Programme
This full time programme is worth 120 ECTS and stretches over
two years. It allows students to personalize their study curricula
according to their individual interests. In the first semester students attend mandatory courses to acquire the basic knowledge.
The second and third semesters are dedicated to specialized
courses and electives, whereas the last semester is dedicated to
the writing of a substantial master's thesis.
The MSc in Distributed Systems provides students with an in-depth
perspective on advanced topics of distributed computer systems.
The programme focuses on the design, implementation, and performance analysis of reliable, secure, and scalable software. The
Master combines the study of fundamental aspects of distributed
systems with a hands-on approach, preparing professionals both
for working in the industry and continuing towards a Ph.D.
To obtain a major in Distributed Systems students take at least
30 ECTS worth of courses in that area. In the following list of
courses, courses written in orange can be considered for this
specific major. Please be aware that from one academic year to
another, slight changes in the study programme may occur.
157
Sem. 1
Algorithms and Complexity
Distributed Systems
Intelligent Systems
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Topics in Informatics
6
6
Sem. 2
Design 101
Human-Computer Interaction Design
Intelligent Information Access
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modeling, Simulation, Optimization Lab
Robotics
Robotics Lab
3
6
6
6
3
6
3
Software Architecture and Design
Software Architecture and Design Lab
Software Quality
Software Quality Lab
Introduction to Information Security***
Theory of Computation***
Distributed Algorithms
6
3
6
3
6
6
6
Sem. 3
Computer Aided Verification
Heuristics
Heuristics Lab
Software Performance
Software Performance Lab
Software Design and Evolution
6
6
3
6
3
6
Ubiquitous Computing
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
Wireless and Mobile Networking
Topics in Algorithms***
Master Thesis**
3
6
3
3
6
S. 4
Study Programme*
Master Thesis
Total ECTS
*
Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
** Start in third semester if passed 60 ECTS.
*** Bachelor's courses open to Master's students.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 166-174.
24 or 30
120
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Embedded Systems Design
Embedded Systems Design
The Master of Science in Embedded Systems Design is promoted
by ALaRI (Advanced Learning and Research Institute), in association with Faculty of Informatics of the University of Lugano. It
is offered in collaboration with ETH Zurich and Politecnico di
Milano.
Goals and Contents
Embedded systems offer challenging opportunities to young
designers, both by interweaving technologies such as microelectronics, computer science and telecommunications, and by
focusing on the most advanced applications.
The degree programme stretches over two years with four
semesters of study organized in mandatory and elective courses,
including the development of the final Master’s project. Students
can personalise their study curricula according to their individual
interests, expectations and ambitions.
Design laboratories follow an interdisciplinary approach in which
students learn the discipline of design, applying the competences acquired in the different courses in an integrated way.
A research project is an integral part of this study programme,
leading to the final Master’s thesis.
During the first two semesters, the study programme is identical for all students; subsequently, students can choose between
two tracks:
– Design and Research - towards a career in either the academic or the industrial environment
– Business Projects – towards a career involving also management, economics and marketing of embedded systems
Aware of the real need for a cross-disciplinary approach to education, ALaRI equips talented students with a unique body of
knowledge about the multi-interdisciplinary area of embedded
systems. Training includes interpersonal skills indispensable in
today’s industry, such as team work, complex project management and market sensitivity.
Both tracks qualify graduates to seek admission to PhD studies.
The ALaRI teaching programme is characterized by two distinct
features:
– cooperation between university and industry
– interdisciplinarity through design laboratories and projects
ALaRI research activities focus on topics of great scientific interest
and industrial applicability, based on real-life design issues. The
main research trends concern: Security, Pervasive Computing,
System-level Design, System-on-chip.
Professors from renowned European and US universities and
research centres assure top-quality teaching. Experts from industry contribute with their know-how as tutors or advisors in the
research projects.
159
Sem.
3+4
Sem.
1+2
Study Programme*
First year
Common Courses (60 ECTS)
Introductory Courses
Technical Courses**
Second year
Design and Research (60 ECTS)
Technical Courses**
Master Project
Design Lab 2
0
50
40
15
5
Total ECTS
Design Lab 1
Master Project***
Second year
Business Projects (60 ECTS)
Technical Courses**
Design Lab 2
Business Courses
Business Plan on Master Project
Master Project***
5
5
28
3
12
3
14
120
After the second semester, students can choose between two
tracks: Design and Research or Business Projects.
* Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
** Technical courses consist of fundamental and elective courses.
*** The Master Project starts during the second semester, and continues
during the third and fourth ones, leading to the final Master Thesis.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 180-183.
WWW.
alari.ch
Master of Science in Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems
Goals and Contents
Intelligent Systems are an area of computer science and engineering dealing with intelligent behaviour, adaptation and learning
in machines and robots. Intelligent systems are concerned with
the design of computational systems that function in a changing,
unpredictable and usually incompletely known environment by
showing high-level abilities. The goal is to take inspiration from
nature, human performance and mathematically sound problem
solving tools in order to build powerful systems able to achieve
complex goals in complex environments using limited computational resources. Intelligent systems use concepts coming
from neuroscience, natural systems, biology, cognitive science,
engineering, physical systems and from artificial intelligence and
optimisation techniques.
Students graduating from this programme develop the ability
to work on complex problems and in their future careers they
will be able to apply their competences in interdisciplinary areas
with enhanced analytical and technical skills. Examples include
planning and scheduling, control, robotics, business forecast,
intelligent searching agents, video games, artificial music, automatic answering and diagnostic, and handwriting and speech
recognition.
The coursework material, software tools and robots reflect the
latest state of the art and further opportunities for involvement
will arise during the course of the thesis with perhaps the chance
to study for a PhD.
Career Prospects
Students graduating from this programme develop the ability
to work on complex problems and in their future careers they
will be able to apply their competences in interdisciplinary areas
with enhanced analytical and technical skills. Examples include
planning and scheduling, control, robotics, business forecast,
intelligent searching agents, video games, artificial music, automatic answering and diagnostic, and handwriting and speech
recognition.
Study Programme
This full time programme is worth 120 ECTS and stretches over
two years. It allows students to personalize their study curricula
according to their individual interests. In the first semester students attend mandatory courses to acquire the basic knowledge.
The second and third semesters are dedicated to specialized
courses and electives, whereas the last semester is dedicated to
the writing of a substantial master's thesis.
To obtain a major in Intelligent Systems students take at least
30 ECTS worth of courses in that area. In the following list of
courses, courses written in orange can be considered for this
specific major. Please be aware that from one academic year to
another, slight changes in the study programme may occur.
161
Sem. 1
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Topics in Informatics
6
6
Sem. 2
Design 101
Human-Computer Interaction Design
Intelligent Information Access
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modeling, Simulation, Optimization Lab
Robotics
Robotics Lab
3
6
6
6
3
6
3
Software Architecture and Design
Software Architecture and Design Lab
Software Quality
Software Quality Lab
Introduction to Information Security***
Theory of Computation***
Distributed Algorithms
6
3
6
3
6
6
6
Computer Aided Verification
Heuristics
Heuristics Lab
Software Performance
Software Performance Lab
Software Design and Evolution
6
6
3
6
3
6
Ubiquitous Computing
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
Wireless and Mobile Networking
Topics in Algorithms***
Master Thesis**
3
6
3
3
6
Sem.
4
Algorithms and Complexity
Distributed Systems
Intelligent Systems
Sem. 3
Study Programme*
Master Thesis
Total ECTS
*
Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
** Start in third semester if passed 60 ECTS.
*** Bachelor's courses open to Master's students.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 166-174.
24 or 30
120
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Software Design
Software Design
Goals and Contents
The Master of Science in Software Design provides students with
an in-depth perspective on advanced topics of modern software
systems related to their design, development and evolution.
The Master of Science in Software Design uses a project-driven,
hands-on approach, the primary goal of which is to teach cutting
edge software engineering theory and practice. In conjunction
with business and management aspects, students are trained to
become competitive and business-savvy software designers for
the highly competitive software industry of the 21st century.
Skills
The acquired skills allow graduates to be immediately productive
in a real-life working environment. Students learn skills such as
the use of cutting edge development tools and methodologies
to obtain a profound knowledge about software engineering
and design principles. The skills acquired in class are practiced
by working on the design and development of complex systems.
This qualifies graduates to work as software designers, software
architects, and project managers in industry. The Master in
Software Design is also an excellent preparation to pursue a PhD
in computer science.
Study Programme
This full time programme is worth 120 ECTS and stretches over
two years. It allows students to personalize their study curricula
according to their individual interests. In the first semester students attend mandatory courses to acquire the basic knowledge.
The second and third semesters are dedicated to specialized
courses and electives, whereas the last semester is dedicated to
the writing of a substantial master's thesis. Students complete
their curriculum with electives that can be chosen among courses offered by any related programme of the university.
To obtain a major in Software Design students take at least 30
ECTS worth of courses in that area. In the following list of courses, courses written in orange can be considered for this specific
major. Please be aware that from one academic year to another,
slight changes in the study programme may occur.
163
Sem. 1
Algorithms and Complexity
Distributed Systems
Intelligent Systems
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Topics in Informatics
6
6
Sem. 2
Design 101
Human-Computer Interaction Design
Intelligent Information Access
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modeling, Simulation, Optimization Lab
Robotics
Robotics Lab
3
6
6
6
3
6
3
Software Architecture and Design
Software Architecture and Design Lab
Software Quality
Software Quality Lab
Introduction to Information Security***
Theory of Computation***
Distributed Algorithms
6
3
6
3
6
6
6
Sem. 3
Computer Aided Verification
Heuristics
Heuristics Lab
Software Performance
Software Performance Lab
Software Design and Evolution
6
6
3
6
3
6
Ubiquitous Computing
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
Wireless and Mobile Networking
Topics in Algorithms***
Master Thesis**
3
6
3
3
6
S. 4
Study Programme*
Master Thesis
Total ECTS
*
Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
** Start in third semester if passed 60 ECTS.
*** Bachelor's courses open to Master's students.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 166-174.
24 or 30
120
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Master of Science in Applied Informatics
Applied Informatics
Goals and Contents
The Master of Science in Applied Informatics is offered jointly by
USI's Faculty of Informatics and by the Department of Innovative
Technologies of the University of Applied Sciences of Southern
Switzerland.
The programme is designed for students who want to update
their knowledge aimed more immediately towards the professional world. This Master provides students with an in-depth
perspective on advanced topics of computer systems. The study
track combines the study of fundamental aspects of computer
systems with a hands-on approach, preparing professionals for
successfully pursuing a career in research and development.
The Master in Applied Informatics allows students to deepen
their knowledge in many directions: students learn how to analyze, select and evaluate computer programmes with the help of
a strong theoretical background, which includes notion of computational complexity and formal methods like abstract algebra
and logic. In parallel they acquire abilities to understand, design,
simulate and optimize intelligent and complex systems where
important competences include the capability to learn and to
adapt to unpredictable and dynamic situations. Students learn
how to design, test and analyze software programmes provid-
ing the required level of software quality using the appropriate
software engineering methodologies. Fundamental aspects
of students' knowledge include the capability to design and
use advanced data management systems, to operate modern
operating systems and to use advanced concepts of modern
programming languages.
Career Prospects
Students graduating from this programme develop the ability to
work on applied problems and in their future careers they will
use their knowledge in interdisciplinary areas with enhanced
analytical and technical skills and with the ability to develop
sophisticated solutions and to manage teams of people in challenging tasks.
Study Programme
The programme stretches over three semesters (90 ECTS credits)
and is full time. In the first semester students attend compulsory
classes in order to acquire basic knowledge. The second semester is dedicated to core courses, where students are free to chose
among those offered by the Faculty of Informatics. The third
semester is dedicated to the Master's project.
To obtain a major in Applied Informatics students take at least
30 ECTS worth of courses in that area. In the following list of
courses, courses written in orange can be considered for this
specific major. Please be aware that from one academic year to
another, slight changes in the study programme may occur.
165
Sem. 1
Algorithms and Complexity
Distributed Systems
Intelligent Systems
Sem. 2
Advanced Data Management Systems
Design 101
Human-Computer Interaction Design
Intelligent Information Access
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modeling, Simulation, Optimization Lab
Robotics
Robotics Lab
S. 3
Study Programme*
Project
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
24
6
Total ECTS
90
*
**
6
6
6
Software Engineering
Topics in Informatics
6
6
6
3
6
6
6
3
6
3
Software Architecture and Design
Software Architecture and Design Lab
Software Quality
Software Quality Lab
Introduction to Information Security**
Theory of Computation**
Distributed Algorithms
6
3
6
3
6
6
6
Slight changes in the study programme may occur.
Bachelor's courses open to Master's students.
The detailed course descriptions are available at pages 166-174.
WWW.
master.inf.usi.ch
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
Applied Informatics / Distributed Systems / Intelligent Systems /
Software Design.
Please find hereafter a description of the contents of each
course. To find even more details for each course (for example
professors and bibliographic references), please refer to the website: www.master.inf.usi.ch
First year - Fall semester
Algorithms and Complexity
Algorithms are fundamental to computer science and software
engineering. An important part of computing is the ability to
select algorithms appropriate to particular purposes and to
apply them, recognizing the possibility that no suitable algorithm
may exist. Efficiency is a pervasive theme throughout this area.
The goal of this course is to develop algorithm designanalysis
techniques by drawing on problems from across many areas of
computer science and related fields (systems and network, computer vision, operations research, computational biology, data
mining, etc...). The notion of computational intractability, and
NP-completeness in particular, plays an important role. Some of
the time, an interesting problem arising in an application area
will be amenable to an efficient solution, and some of the time
it will be provably NP-complete; in order to fully address a new
algorithmic problem, one should be able to explore both of these
options with equal familiarity. The discovery that a problem is
NP-complete should not be taken as the end of the story, but
as an invitation to begin looking for approximation algorithms,
heuristic local search techniques, or tractable special cases. We
include extensive coverage of each of these three approaches.
Distributed Systems
This course is an introduction to distributed systems. It covers
basic principles, architectures, and algorithms of distributed
systems. The course is structured in four parts: (i) foundations
of distributed systems, focusing on system models; (ii) system
infrastructure, such as operating system support, distributed
file systems, and distributed shared memory; (iii) basic distributed algorithms (coordination and agreement); and (iv) distributed data management, including distributed transactions
and concurrency control. Contents: Introduction to distributed
systems and models; process and object communication; operating system support; distributed file systems, distributed shared
memory; time and global states; coordination and agreement;
transactions and concurrency control; distributed transactions;
and replication.
Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems solutions arise in a wide range of modern
applications: web search, robotics, embedded computing, pattern recognition, scientific computing, scheduling, optimization,
game playing, etc. In the theoretical part of this course, foundations of machine learning and computational intelligence will be
covered. In the practically oriented part examples of learning systems will be covered. Contents : Elements of statistical machine
learning; probabilistic data models and maximum likelihood estimate; Hidden Markov Models, neural networks; decision trees;
167
support vector machines; reinforcement learning; unsupervised
learning techniques; evolutionary computation. This course will
provide a basis for designing intelligent systems and understanding their behavior.
Software Engineering
Software engineering is the discipline of building software in a
methodical way to ensure that software satisfies its users´ needs,
is dependable and maintainable. The course teaches the students
how to organize software development projects, how to analyze
and specify software requirements, and how to verify software.
The course will focus on the use of formal models and methods
in software development. Contents : Software lifecycle models.
Project planning and management. Standards. Maturity models. Requirements elicitation and specification. Notations and
models for formal specification: state machines and Statecharts,
Petri nets, declarative descriptions (Alloy). Verification: testing,
analysis, model checking.
Topics in Informatics
The objective is to provide students with an overview of a wide
range of topics in informatics. This course gives an overview of
the current active areas in informatics/computer science. Lectures
are given by different members of the faculty who highlight their
individual research areas. The purpose of the course is to give
students some familiarity with major areas of computer science
regardless of the students´ specialty.
First year - Spring semester
Advanced Data Management Systems
The objectives of the course are: Design database systems based
on different data models and technologies; Understand and design
data warehouse architectures; Design and develop data infrastructure for Business Intelligence applications; Acquire design methodologies based on different data models paradigm. Learn data
analysis and data mining techniques. The course includes the following topics: Object databases; Object relational databases; XML
and databases; Design and implementation of Data warehouses;
Data Mining; New paradigms in database design and development; Infrastructure for high availability data systems.
Design 101
This course teaches the student the universal principles of design,
how to recognize and appreciate the elegance of design present
in nature and how this maps to human design in a variety of
domains, such as graph design, table design, slide design, etc.
The course will be held as a seminar with lectures and presentations /seminar works done by the students.
Human-Computer-Interaction Design
This class aims at familiarising students with theory, terminology and basic definitions in Human Computer Interaction, HCI.
The class will focus on how to keep users and their skills, needs
and overall profiles central when developing innovative systems.
Students will get an awareness and appreciation of the crucial
implications of good interfaces in terms of overall system performance and user satisfaction. Simplicity and usability will be
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
the main principles around which the course will be structured.
A system that is too difficult to use is useless by definition. User
friendly interfaces account for the success of many popular applications, it is enough to think about Google with its simplicity
and effectiveness. Examples of good and bad web design will be
used extensively during the course as a direct and simple way to
get students to thinks of existing problems and solutions when
considering user and computer interaction.
Intelligent Information Access
The availability and need to access vast amounts of heterogeneous multimedia information available in databases, Digital
Libraries and on the Web requires the design and implementation of advanced information access techniques that are adaptive to the domain, the user and the user needs. In other words,
it requires intelligent information access. This class will investigate models, techniques and tool for the design, implementation
and evaluation of such intelligent information access systems.
Contents: Introduction to data and text mining. Text content
analysis and natural language processing. Information extraction. Information Retrieval. Text and web mining. Document
and web clustering, categorisation and opinion mining. Text
summarisation. Question answering. Information visualisation
and intelligent interfaces.
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization
Modelling, simulation and optimisation are fundamental to
solving problems in a number of fields of science, technology
and life. Students will learn to design, implement, simulate, and
optimise a model of dynamic system. Simulation, the explora-
tion of the dynamic behaviour of the model in time and space,
is discussed for both continuous and discrete-event systems.
Simulating a model allows the evaluation of indicators of the
performance of the modelled system, improving our understanding of its behaviour and dynamic complexity. Optimisation
techniques allow to explore the space of the system trajectories
generated by simulation in order to find the best way of managing the system under study. Contents: The system dynamics
approach to modelling: causal-loop diagrams and stocks and
flows. Introduction to systems: definition and properties, linear systems, equilibria and stability. Simulation of continuous
systems, validation and sensitivity. Control and optimisation of
continuous systems. Notes on stochastic modelling: Markov
chains and queuing networks. Discrete event systems: principles
of their simulation, input and output data analysis, experimental
design and the response surface methodology; optimisation via
simulation; verification validation and testing.
Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization Lab
The modelling, simulation and optimisation lab is a set of experimental lectures during which the concepts introduced in the
course are further developed and put into practice. Examples
and small experiments will also be presented during the course
lectures, but in the lab the students will have more time to "get
their hands dirty" and to solve more complex problems. Two
software tools will be presented and used for the lab courses:
MATLAB, a multi-purpose numerical computing environment,
and AnyLogic, a multimethod simulation platform that incorporates state-based, dynamic and agent-based simulation meth-
169
ods. During the lab courses, the software tools will be presented,
and students will use them for solving exercises to in order to
become comfortable with them and the underlying mathematics. A set of different modeling assignments will be solved during the lab courses, during which students will build real-world
models of different types (causal loop diagrams, system dynamics models, discrete event simulations).
Robotics
Understanding the foundation of robotics is essential for building
complete knowledge of artificial systems. Intelligence appears
when a physical life-form is interacting with the environment
and it can only be observed in an interactive process. Artificial
systems cannot be fully understood by simulating them, because
generalization from real embodied systems to simulated systems
leads always to an oversimplification of the real world and its
challenges. Upon completion of the robotics course, students
should have learned about the different classes of robots, their
application areas and their varying concepts of programming and
problem solving strategies. The learned theoretical skills will be
applied to hands-on examples and exercises in the robotic laboratory, both helpful for the full understanding of the concepts
and for inspiring students own ideas and further research.
Robotics Lab
The learned theoretical skills of the robotic lecture will be applied
to hands-on examples and exercises in the robotic laboratory.
After the course the students will understand the complexity and
difficulties in real robot applications. Additionally, they will be
able to identify their own research interests and ideas in the field
of robotics. Contents: The course includes the following topics:
Programming methods for different kinds of robots; Using and
integrating sensors and actuators for navigation, localization and
mapping of mobile robots; Applying computer vision algorithms
on real robotic tasks; Implementing and using different levels of
robotic behavior control.
Software Architecture and Design
This class teaches the students to structure complex software
systems using components and to keep track of the rationale
behind their design. Architecture is not only necessary as the global blueprint to guide the design and manage the complexity of
large software systems, but should also be seen as the focus of
the main design decisions influencing the properties (modularity,
maintainability, extensibility, portability, interoperability, reuse,
performance) of the resulting system.
Software Architecture and Design Lab
This lab complements the main class, as the students have the
opportunity to learn how to use the state of the art tool-chain
of the software architect within a project-oriented environment.
Students will also get first-hand experience on relevant technologies in the area of architectural styles and patterns, component
models, and composition techniques. Contents: Architectural
Styles: Monolithic, Layered, Client/Server, REST, Service-oriented,
Peer-to-Peer, Event-driven, Data-centric, Pipes/Filters, Spacebased, Plugin; Component Models and Frameworks: JavaBeans/
J2EE, Eclipse/OSGi, CORBA, Web Services, .NET, Delphi;
Composition Techniques: RPC, Message Queues, Workflow
Management Systems, Hot Folders/FTP, Shared Databases.
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Software Quality
The main goal of this course is to understand and master the different aspect of software quality. Students will learn quality goals and
trade-off, different testing and analysis techniques, and how to plan
and monitor the quality process. Contents: The course assumes
basic knowledge of software test and analysis problems and techniques, classic functional testing techniques, classic structural testing techniques, inspection techniques, and classic testing tools. The
course presents a detailed framework of software quality, describes
core techniques, discusses problems and solutions, and provides a
detailed description of the software quality process.
Software Quality Lab
The objective of the course is to practice with software testing
and analysis tools and techniques, and understand the role of
automation within the quality process. Contents: During the
course, students will learn how to work with different testing
and analysis tools and will understand how to position tools
within a quality process.
Introduction to Information Security
The goal of this class is to expose students to the fundamental
concepts of computer and communications security. The growing importance of networks and distributed systems, and their
use to support safety-critical applications, has made computer
and communications security a central issue for systems today.
Additionally, the rise of social networks and location-based services has increased the amount of our personal data held by third
parties significantly. It is therefore imperative that students know
the technical foundations of computer and communications
security, as well as the basic goals and mechanisms of privacyaware data processing.
Contents: This course provides an overview of the available technologies for achieving security and privacy in an electronic world.
Topics discussed include encryption; authentication; security
protocols; computer, network, and web security; anonymity; and
privacy enhancing technologies.
Theory of Computation
The class introduces the fundamental mathematical properties of
computer hardware, software, and certain applications thereof.
It explores what can and cannot be solved on a computer,
how quickly, with how much memory, and on which type of
computational model. The class is divided into two major parts:
computability theory and complexity theory. Computability
theory deals primarily with the question of whether a problem
is solvable at all on a computer. Complexity theory considers
how efficiently the problem can be solved. Two major aspects
are considered: time complexity and space complexity, which
respectively address a problem of how many steps does it take
to perform a computation, and how much memory is required
to perform that computation. The subjects have strong connections with engineering practice. Practical exercises will involve
experimentation with various tools.
Second year - Fall semester
Computer Aided Verification
As the complexity of computer systems grows, their reliability
and security can no longer be sufficiently controlled by the tra-
171
ditional approaches of testing and simulation. Model checking
and related computer aided verification techniques are practical alternatives to simulation for debugging complex systems.
These methods allow the designer to verify that a mathematical
model of a system satisfies the system´s formalised requirements,
or to systematically seek for cases where it fails to do so. This
approach has been most effective in the analysis of hardware
designs, and is an integral part of the design cycle in companies
like Intel, IBM, and Cadence. Much recent research has focused
on applying similar techniques to improve the reliability of systems software. The course introduces the theory and practice of
formal methods for the design and analysis of concurrent and
embedded systems. The emphasis is on the underlying logical
and automata-theoretic concepts, the algorithmic solutions, and
heuristics to cope with the high computational complexity.
Distributed Algorithms
Distributed algorithms arise in a wide range of applications:
telecommunications, distributed information processing, scientific computing, embedded computing, etc. The course will
provide the basis for designing distributed systems and formally
reasoning about their correctness. It will address issues related
to what distributed systems can and cannot do (i.e. impossibility results) in certain system models. Emphasis will be given to
fundamental distributed systems problems and how they relate
to practical applications. The course will focus on three aspects
of distributed computing: system models, fundamental problems in distributed computing, and application of distributed
algorithms. System models include synchronous versus asynchronous systems, communication models, and failure models. The
following fundamental problems will be surveyed: consensus,
atomic broadcast, leader election, atomic commit, and mutual
exclusion. Algorithms and impossibility results in various models
are presented. Applications of distributed algorithms will mainly
consider replication techniques.
Heuristics
For many optimization problems of interest the complexity of
the problem and the time and computational constraints do
not allow to find an exact solution. In these cases, it is common
practice to rely on the use of a heuristic optimization algorithm,
that can find a good, maybe even the optimal, solution in a
relatively short time, but it does not provide formal guarantees
about the quality of the found solution. The course surveys the
most prominent heuristics and meta-heuristics for combinatorial
and continuous optimization. All the different approaches make
use of different strategies to perform an intelligent and computationally efficient search of the solution space. The strategies
are derived from various combinations and adaptations of principles and ideas from biological and physical systems, artificial
intelligence, and operational research. Their characteristics and
performance are analyzed in the context of different optimization problems, including both deterministic and stochastic ones.
The main goal of the course is to develop the ability to select the
(meta-) heuristic which is the most appropriate for the characteristics of the problem under consideration, and to effectively
tune and/or adapt it.
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Heuristics Lab
This course complements the course on Heuristics and works
out the different issues that must be dealt with when passing
from theory to practice implementing and evaluating (meta-)
heuristics. The students will implement and make experiments
with a subset of the heuristics and meta-heuristics introduced
in the Heuristics course. The aim of the course is to let the students building a practical understanding about the behavior,
potentialities, and limits of the different approaches, as well as
about the general issues related to code optimization, parameter
tuning, and code reusability and portability. Considering the
empirical nature of (meta-)heuristics, the course also focuses on
the methodological issues that must be confronted undertaking
their experimental evaluation, including experimental design,
sources of test instances, measures of performance, statistical
analysis of results, and presentation in reports.
Contents: The course investigates the practical aspects of some
of the main (meta-)heuristics for combinatorial and continuous
optimization that are introduced in the course of Heuristics.
With the support of software packages and libraries, the student
makes implementations of these algorithms for solving different
classes of optimization problems (e.g., traveling salesman, vehicle routing, set covering, and continuous multimodal functions),
and designs and runs experiments for parameter tuning and
relative comparison of performance.
Software Performance
This class prepares students to engineer efficient software
systems, to detect performance problems and improve the
performance of existing systems, to validate performance
models or theories, and to demonstrate or identify the potential of possible new research problems. Contents Performance
Patterns and Antipatterns; Instrumentation; Profiling; Tracing;
Monitoring; Performance Metrics; Workloads; Benchmarks;
Scalability; Performance Tuning; Performance Testing; Regression
Benchmarking; Non- Determinism in Performance; Experiment
Design; Statistical Analysis and Graphical Representation of
Experimental Results; Experimental Validation of Performance
Models; Experimental Comparison of Performance of Alternative
Implementations.
Software Performance Lab
The Software Performance Lab complements the Software
Performance course. It provides an opportunity to apply the
approaches studied in the Software Performance course, and to
go beyond the material covered in the course. Contents: The lab
will consist of an experimental study of software performance.
This study can be related to a student´s Master´s thesis topic, a
Design Lab project, or another past project.
Software Design and Evolution
This course provides students with an overview of design heuristics and puts them in an evolutionary context. It teaches
students to design systems to withstand the inevitable decay
and using reverse engineering and reengineering techniques,
it lets students "see" software as more than just source code.
Contents: The Software Life-Cycle; Object-Oriented Design;
Responsibility-driven Design; Designing Classes; Encapsulation;
Design Patterns; Software Quality; The Law of Demeter; Software
Performance; Software Metrics; Design Heuristics and Style
173
Guidelines; Detection Strategies & Design Disharmonies; User
Interface Design; Software Evolution; Reverse Engineering;
Reengineering Patterns; Visualization.
Ubiquitous Computing
The goal of this class is to introduce the vision of ubiquitous
computing and expose students to the fundamental concepts
and technologies in the area. The term "ubiquitous computing" describes the vision of incorporating sensing, computation, and communication into everyday things in order to make
them and their surroundings "smart". Smart things can detect
where they are, sense what is around them, detect and communicate with other smart things, remember what they were
used for previously, and reason about the kind of future actions
they might likely be used for. Interaction with smart things
does not happen through keyboards and mice, but through
tangible interfaces, contactless ID chips, gesture and movement
detection, or through wearable sensors. Originally conceived
in the early 1990s, this vision of a disappearing computer is
rapidly attaining levels of both technical and economical feasibility. Organic displays (OLEDs), electronic ink (eInk), Near Field
Communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID),
Zigbee, and Bluetooth are but a few examples of the recent
technological developments that drive this trend; Pay-per-use
insurances, smart homes, and mobile payments but a few examples of recent economic developments.
Uncertain Reasoning and Data Mining
To understand and have hands-on experience with modern tools
to develop knowledge-based systems and data mining applica-
tions. The focus will be on Bayesian networks for the part on
models of experts´ knowledge, and on pattern classification for
the data mining part. Nowadays these tools form the basis of
most intelligent real-world applications such as those concerned
with prediction, diagnosis, and recognition. Contents The first
part focuses on Bayesian networks: preliminaries on probability
theory; causal graphs and d-separation; definition of Bayesian
network; modeling with Bayesian networks; inferences with
Bayesian networks; junction tree algorithm for belief updating;
parameter estimation from complete and incomplete data. The
theoretical lectures will be complemented by practical sessions
based on the SamIam sotware. The second part is concerned
with pattern classification: introduction to data mining; types of
data; measures of similarity; summary statistics; data preprocessing; feature selection; discretization; classification; decision
tree induction; overfitting; evaluating and comparing classifiers;
advanced methods; nearest neighbors; ensemble methods. The
theoretical lectures will be complemented by practical sessions
based on the Weka software.
Wireless and Mobile Networking
This course focuses on the key concepts in wireless networking,
and pays special attention to emerging networking and computing paradigms. Students with a solid background in Computer
Science will learn about the state-of-theart in wireless networking, and they will be exposed to ongoing and emerging research
directions in the field. This course combines traditional lectures
with in-class discussions of key research papers that individual
students will read and present to their peers. The main objective is to provide the students with the tools to begin their own
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
research in the field of wireless and mobile networking. Contents:
The first part of the course will provide students with an overview
of wireless networking and will examine wireless data networks
(infrastructurebased and ad hoc), along with novel networking
paradigms such as delay-tolerant and opportunistic networking.
The second part of the course will be entirely devoted to the
emerging field of wireless sensor networks.
Topics in Algorithms
Efficient algorithms and data structures lie at the core of every
complex computing system. When designing systems, it is
therefore essential to have a basic understanding of important
applicable algorithmic tools and techniques. Many of today´s
computing systems consist of many parallel processors that are
sometimes even distributed over a large network. Computers
scattered across the world share data and run applications over
the Internet, small wireless devices will soon be able to form
complex networks and even a single modern processor consists
of many parallel cores. Parallel and distributed systems require
algorithmic methods in addition to the classical algorithms and
data structures that were developed for standard centralized
systems.
The objective of this course is twofold. Largely, the lecture will be
devoted to discussing data structures and algorithmic techniques
for parallel systems and networks. To obtain efficient solutions
in such systems, communication restrictions (latency and bandwidth) and the difficulty of coordinating computations of different machines or processes are often as important as the amount
of computation carried out by individual processors.
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
Master in Computational Science
Please find hereafter a description of the contents of each
course. To find even more details for each course (for example
professors and bibliographic references), please refer to the website: www.master.inf.usi.ch
First year - Fall semester
Topics in Informatics
The objective is to provide students with an overview of a wide
range of topics in informatics. This course gives an overview of
the current active areas in informatics/computer science. Lectures
are given by different members of the faculty who highlight their
individual research areas. The purpose of the course is to give
students some familiarity with major areas of computer science
regardless of the students´ specialty.
Topics will vary from year to year.
Computational Geometry
This course is an introduction to computational geometry, the
area of design and analysis of algorithms dealing with geometric
problems. Computational geometry is well related to a variety of application domains in which geometric algorithms play
a fundamental role such as computer-aided design (CAD), databases, geographic information systems (GIS), graphics, robotics,
computational science, and many others. The course will cover a
variety of topics such as convex hulls, line segment intersection,
triangulations, proximity and Voronoi diagrams, point location, as
well as data structures for the representation and manipulation
of multidimensional data such as range trees, kd-trees, segment
trees, quad trees etc. Algorithmic techniques of general interest
such as approximation and randomization, through their application to geometric problems, will also be covered. The focus of the
class will be on the design and analysis of algorithms.
Geometry Processing
3D geometry is fundamental to many applications, including virtual characters for animated motion pictures, interactive design
of cars and airplanes, and complex simulations of materials and
matter. This course covers the whole 3D geometry processing
pipeline from measuring real objects with laser scanners or
tomography to converting the resulting point clouds or scalar
fields into triangle meshes, to further simplifying, compressing,
parametrizing, smoothing, and editing these triangle meshes
and converting them into smooth surfaces, and finally rendering
3D geometry on screen.
Linear and Nonlinear Multiscale Solution Strategies: From
Contact and Friction to Large Deformations
For the solution of linear or nonlinear systems of equations,
often multiscale strategies are employed. Prominent examples
are multigrid methods for elliptic problems. As a matter of fact,
a multiscale approach allows for developing highly efficient
solution strategies. However, in particular for nonlinear and constrained problems, the derivation of reliable as well as efficient
solution strategies is far from trivial. In this course, we start from
well known subspace correction methods for linear problems
and proceed to more recent developments as nonlinear multi-
177
grid and recursive trust-region methods. Furthermore, we will
consider the parallelization of these methods.
the form of an ordinary or partial differential equation or in the
form of a numerical simulation.
Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems solutions arise in a wide range of modern
applications: web search, robotics, embedded computing, pattern recognition, scientific computing, scheduling, optimization,
game playing, etc. In the theoretical part of this course, foundations of machine learning and computational intelligence will be
covered. In the practically oriented part examples of learning systems will be covered. Contents: Elements of statistical machine
learning; probabilistic data models and maximum likelihood estimate; Hidden Markov Models, neural networks; decision trees;
support vector machines; reinforcement learning; unsupervised
learning techniques; evolutionary computation. This course will
provide a basis for designing intelligent systems and understanding their behavior.
Algorithms and Complexity
Algorithms are fundamental to computer science and software
engineering. An important part of computing is the ability to
select algorithms appropriate to particular purposes and to
apply them, recognizing the possibility that no suitable algorithm
may exist. Efficiency is a pervasive theme throughout this area.
The goal of this course is to develop algorithm designanalysis
techniques by drawing on problems from across many areas of
computer science and related fields (systems and network, computer vision, operations research, computational biology, data
mining, etc...). The notion of computational intractability, and
NP-completeness in particular, plays an important role. Some of
the time, an interesting problem arising in an application area
will be amenable to an efficient solution, and some of the time
it will be provably NP-complete; in order to fully address a new
algorithmic problem, one should be able to explore both of these
options with equal familiarity. The discovery that a problem is
NP-complete should not be taken as the end of the story, but
as an invitation to begin looking for approximation algorithms,
heuristic local search techniques, or tractable special cases. We
include extensive coverage of each of these three approaches.
An Introduction to Advanced Techniques in Numerical
Simulation (Part I and II)
In this course, we introduce and discuss mathematical tools
from numerical analysis. We start with recalling basic techniques
as interpolation, approximation and direct solution techniques
for (sparse) linear systems. We then proceed by giving an
introduction to functional analysis. This will be combined with
an introduction to partial differential equations. We then will
show, in what way this framework can be exploited to deal with
the analysis of iterative solution methods, of partial differential
equations, and of discretization schemes. All of our theoretical
findings will be accompanied by illustrative examples, either in
First year - Spring semester
Software Atelier V: Parallel Software Methods
The course is divided into four parts that share a single overall
objective: applying the theoretical concepts and wrapping up
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
the students´ previous programming experience. During the first
part, students will work on implementing data structures and
writing unit tests for existing code. They will deal with different
kinds of data, working with generic data structures as well as
domain-specific ones. During the second part, design patterns
will be presented as a tool to formalize the "common sense"
they should have acquired during the final projects of the first
and second year. Starting from a simple skeleton, students will
create a small application. Every week a new feature will be
introduced using a new design patterns. The remaining two
parts are smaller and focused on reading and understanding
existing code. During the third part, they will experiment with
modifying on an existing codebase; during the fourth part, they
will learn how codereading abilities can help debugging code
and anticipating existing problems. Sudents are expected to have
knowledge of Java, C, Ruby, and basic knowledge of JUnit.
Analysis and Application of Advanced Discretization
Methods: From Discontinuous Galerkin to Nonconforming
Domain Decomposition
Coupled "multiphysics" problems require particular attention
when it comes to the discretization of the underlying heterogeneous models. In this course, we consider well established
and more recent developments in the area of finite element
discretization methods. Starting from the classical saddle point
theory, we will deal with modern developments as discontinuous
Galerkin methods and nonconforming domain decomposition
methods. In this way, we will be able to derive and analyze stable
discretization methods for coupled and heterogeneous problems
in mechanics and fluid mechanics.
Analysis and Application of Advanced Discretization Methods:
From Discontinuous Galerkin to Nonconforming Domain
Decomposition
Coupled "multiphysics" problems require particular attention
when it comes to the discretization of the underlying heterogeneous models. In this course, we consider well established
and more recent developments in the area of finite element
discretization methods. Starting from the classical saddle point
theory, we will deal with modern developments as discontinuous
Galerkin methods and nonconforming domain decomposition
methods. In this way, we will be able to derive and analyze stable
discretization methods for coupled and heterogeneous problems
in mechanics and fluid mechanics.
Second year - Fall semester
Software Engineering
Software engineering is the discipline of building software in a
methodical way to ensure that software satisfies its users´ needs,
is dependable and maintainable. The course teaches the students
how to organize software development projects, how to analyze
and specify software requirements, and how to verify software.
The course will focus on the use of formal models and methods
in software development. Contents: Software lifecycle models.
Project planning and management. Standards. Maturity models.
Requirements elicitation and specification. Notations and models
for formal specification: state machines and Statecharts, Petri
nets, declarative descriptions (Alloy). Verification: testing, analysis, model checking.
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Computational Data Analysis
This course is aimed at students who wish to gain a working
knowledge of advanced computational methods of modern data
analysis and forecast as applied in economics, engineering, and
the natural and social sciences.
It assumes knowledge only of basic calculus, matrix algebra, and
elementary statistics, some experience with MATLAB programming language is desirable for the programming exercises of
the course.
Domain Decomposition Methods for Linear and Nonlinear
Problems
For the massively parallel solution of linear and nonlinear problems, often domain decomposition methods are employed. In
this course, we provide an introduction to domain decomposition methods, related methodological approaches (FETI, FETI-DP)
and discuss recent and advanced techniques as nonlinear domain
decomposition methods. Theoretical properties as well as implementation oriented methodological aspects will be treated.
Distributed Systems
This course is an introduction to distributed systems. It covers
basic principles, architectures, and algorithms of distributed
systems. The course is structured in four parts: (i) foundations
of distributed systems, focusing on system models; (ii) system
infrastructure, such as operating system support, distributed
file systems, and distributed shared memory; (iii) basic distributed algorithms (coordination and agreement); and (iv) distributed data management, including distributed transactions
and concurrency control. Contents: Introduction to distributed
systems and models; process and object communication; operating system support; distributed file systems, distributed shared
memory; time and global states; coordination and agreement;
transactions and concurrency control; distributed transactions;
and replication.
Subdivision and Wavelets
Subdivision is the process of repeatedly refining a polygonal
curve or surface by inserting new points, edges, and facets
according to simple local rules such that a smooth curve or
surface is created in the limit. In this course we mainly study the
special case of uniform, stationary, and linear subdivision methods and point out their relation to wavelets and multi-resolution
hierarchies. We further discuss the relevant applications, including curve and surface design, finite element simulations, and
image compression.
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
Master in Embedded Systems Design
Please find hereafter a description of the contents of each
course. To find even more details for each course (for example
professors and bibliographic references), please refer to the
website: www.alari.ch
Course Descriptions
The programme offers technical and business courses that can
be fundamental or elective, according to the track chosen. For
more details, please refer to the Master’s website.
Fundamental Courses
Computer Architectures
The course deals with advanced computer architectures with a
particular focus over the embedded systems. Topics include cache
architectures, pipelined CPUs, Instruction-Level and Thread-Level
Parallelism (with emphasis to superscalar architectures), DSP
CPUs, and multiprocessor architectures.
Software Compilers
The course presents the essentials of compiler organisation,
starting from front-ends and IR generation to machine dependent/independent optimization techniques. Lab sessions introduce
tools for scanner and parser generation (flex, bison), portable
front-ends for C (SUIF), Java bytecode interpreters etc.
Real-Time Operating System and Scheduling
The course gives an introduction to the basic concepts of realtime computing and focuses on the two major issues: real-time
scheduling and real-time kernels. It discusses predictable scheduling algorithms and addresses the challenges and issues in the
design and implementation of real-time operating systems.
Specification Languages
This course introduces the specification models used to describe
the functionality of embedded systems. It discusses how the specification models can be used to make a design flow refining an
initial specification down to an implementation. This is illustrated
with interactive exercises in SystemC design environment.
Networking
A lot of embedded systems (e.g., PDAs, cell phones) now have
graphical user interfaces, hardware and software expansion
options, and network connection. This course provides an overview of embedded systems networking with a demonstration of
Java networking software in laboratory sessions.
Digital Controls
Digital controls exploit steadily increasing computational capabilities to shift emphasis from hardware to software taking full
advantage of modern embedded solutions. The course illustrates
the main issues of digital controls theory with the basic notions
required for design and implementation of a system.
Digital Signal Processing
This course is aimed at illustrating the relevance and need for
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signal processing techniques in present-day multimedia and
communications systems. It gives an introduction to multi-rate
systems and filter banks, discusses optimal and adaptive filtering
along with case studies (e.g., ADSL modem, smart antenna).
Design Technologies
This course illustrates the computer-aided methods for digital
design. It discusses high-level models and languages, high-level
synthesis, combinational logic synthesis for multi-level networks
(algebraic and Boolean methods, timing issues), sequential logic
synthesis (FSM optimization and retiming) etc.
Low Power Design
This course provides an exhaustive review of state-of-the-art
techniques for power estimation and optimization at different
levels (e.g., system, behavioural, RTL) of designing a system. Lab
sessions are organized over the usage of state-of-the-art CAD
tools (e.g., synopsys design/power compiler).
Validation and Verification
The course introduces students to verification of hardware and
software through model checking. The foundations of model
checking are presented starting from the modelling of systems
and properties, and then proceeding with the basic algorithms.
The laboratory sessions focus on usage of model checkers.
Re-programmable Systems
The course deals with the high-complexity re-programmable circuits (particularly embedded systems) focusing on the automatic
synthesis and generation of logic schematics from functional
description in VHDL. Also, laboratory sessions introducing microcontrollers and FPGAs (e.g., Altera) are organized.
Microelectronics
In designing embedded systems and Systems on Chip (SoC),
today one needs to be capable of integrating all the system components on a single chip. This course discusses the layout design,
design of CMOS circuits, focuses on deep submicron technologies presenting possible solutions at circuit and layout levels.
Dependable Systems
Proliferation of embedded systems forces the increased demand
of dependability, timeliness, and security. The course discusses
the basic concepts, measures and models used in dependable
computing and communication along with testing methods,
fault tolerance, diagnosis, and recovery techniques etc.
Performance Evaluation
The course starts with the basic concepts of queuing network
models. It discusses the influence of relative sizes of different
types of memories (e.g., RAM, caches, disks) on the performance
of a system. Notions of parallel processing techniques and of the
improvements achievable with their implementation are given.
HW/SW Co-design
The heterogeneity of today’s embedded systems poses new problems when it comes to specifying, simulating, designing, and optimizing such complex systems. The course discusses hw/sw partitioning, design space exploration, interface synthesis, and estimation.
Masters of Science in Informatics, Course Descriptions
Algorithms for Wireless Communication
The course focuses on the design (synthesis) and performance
evaluation (analysis) of algorithms. The complementary nature of
mathematical analysis and computer simulation will be discussed.
While the focus is on algorithms, the interaction of algorithmarchitecture design will be addressed via discussion of a number of
real-world commercial designs, which will serve as case studies.
Embedded Database
The course introduces the main features of active, real-time, and
main memory databases comparing them with the traditional structure of a DBMS for Information System management applications.
The case of mobile, context-aware very small databases, resident
on smart cards, PADs, cellular phone SIM cards or Wireless Sensors,
will be thoroughly studied and an example application will be presented.
Transforms Theory
The course is intended as an introduction to the foundations of
transform theory. The topics studied include Fourier series and
integrals, Fast Fourier transform, Laplace transform, Zeta transform, and Wavelet transform. The main objective of the course
is to provide a working knowledge in the subject.
Statistics
The course illustrates the basic principles of modelling based on
electronic data, discusses the techniques of explorative analysis,
continuous and discrete random variables starting from an introduction to probability theory. Also the idea of statistical induction (for both uni and multi-variate cases) is presented.
Business Courses
Business courses, fundamental for the business projects track,
provide conceptual framework for embedded systems business.
The courses are:
1. Introduction to Management,
2. Managerial Accounting and Finance,
3. Strategy, Organisation, & General Management,
4. Marketing & Purchasing,
5. Business lab.
Elective Courses
Here below some elective courses aim at giving students the
idea about how tailoring their studies. Electives can strengthen
the student’s pursuit of academic or career goals focusing on
living-edge and advanced subjects. Different choices of elective
courses may be proposed in different years.
VLIW Architectures
VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) is a successful design
philosophy for general-purpose, embedded, and DSP processors.
The course points out the VLIW philosophy and discusses exception handling, speculative execution, predication, customizablity,
power/energy considerations etc. Also, laboratory sessions are
organized using the VEX (VLIW EXample) tool from HP labs.
Retargetable Compilers
The course focuses on mapping high-level language programmes
written in C to embedded processors along with laboratory sessions for the same. The course presents techniques for efficient
machine programmes generation including optimization for power
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consumption and generation of compilers for new processors (retargetable compilers) from machine descriptions. The overall goal
is to provide insight into the mutual dependencies of architectural
processor features and efficient algorithm implementation.
Future Architectures
The course initially describes the state-of-the-art in the design of
superscalar processors and examine the main hurdles for their
scalability: increasing complexity, limited parallelism of applications, memory to processor gap, power consumption, power
density, soft errors, and wire delays.
The course describes current research efforts in clustered microarchitectures, speculative multithreaded processors and power-aware
microarchitectures, design of the memory hierarchy, data speculation
techniques, and tools for programme analysis and optimization.
Network-on-Chips
With deep-submicron technologies, the major challenge designers of a System-on-Chip (SoC) must overcome is to provide a
functionally correct, reliable operation of the interacting components. The course points out the basic concepts (e.g., synchronization), discusses buses and some state-of-the-art Networkon-Chips (NoCs). After introducing some necessary fundamental
concepts, this course presents and discusses major aspects of
Networks on Chip (NoC) design: integration (mapping) of functional and architectural specification, SoC communication architectures, communication trade-offs. Also, laboratory sessions are
organized using a NoC simulator from NEC labs.
Cryptography
Security is a critical concern in some embedded systems. The
course firstly gives an introduction to data security and cryptography along with cryptanalysis. Subsequently, it discusses starting from simple blockciphers to stream ciphers, Data Encryption
Standard (DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) – Rijndael,
public key cryptography (RSA), digital signatures etc.
Seminars
Interactive seminars offer participants tools for acquiring and
improving their interpersonal skills.
Thesis from Master Project
The final Master’s thesis is the outcome of a research project as
integral part of the study programme. This original contribution to
the body of embedded systems design can be more theoretical or
experimental, but always builds on a solid research effort, and on
the use of appropriate concepts, methods, and tools acquired during the Master. Faculty members support and coach students during their Master’s thesis work. The thesis can be started during the
third semester and completed by the end of the fourth semester.
Placement
ALaRI advices and supports its graduates seeking employment
thanks to its network of collaborative relations with universities,
research centres and industries. Such contacts aim at creating
opportunity for full-time jobs, interships, or PhD positions.
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