In order to be admitted to the final examination for the Master’s Degree Program in Cognitive Sciences and Communication Theories, students must have acquired all the credits foreseen by the Study Manifesto, with the exception of those assigned to the final examination and must have paid all university fees and contributions. A student who has acquired all the credits foreseen by his or her study plan may obtain the degree regardless of the number of years he or she has been enrolled at the University.
In order to obtain the Master’s Degree Program, the student must submit an application for thesis assignment to the Student secretariat, countersigned by the supervisor, through the Director, at least 6 months before the starting date of the first useful degree session. To this end, the date of the entry protocol will be considered authentic. For students in mobility, this latter requirement will be certified by the contact person for internationalization. When submitting the application, the student indicates the supervising professor, chosen among the professors of the University of Messina, and the topic of the thesis. The role of supervisor can also be played by substitute teachers and teachers assigned a teaching contract in the academic year in which the application is presented.
The final exam for the Master’s Degree Program consists in the public discussion of the thesis, related to an original work carried out by the student. The thesis should preferably be of an applicative, design or experimental nature, from which the Commission can evaluate the cultural and scientific maturity as well as the quality of the work carried out. The student and the Advisor may avail themselves of the collaboration of a Co-Supervisor in the preparation of the thesis. The Co-supervisor may be a professor of another university, even abroad, or a professional figure, even of another nationality, outside the University. The specific task of the Advisor and the eventual Co-Supervisor is to coordinate the activities of the student in the preparation of the dissertation in relation to the number of formative credits foreseen for this activity.
The thesis, which must be written entirely in English, accompanied by the signature of the Advisor, must be submitted by the candidate to the competent administrative offices at least 7 days before the final exam. At the same time, the student must deposit a one-page summary of the thesis, in paper and electronic format (MS Word or PDF), at the Department's Teaching Secretariat which, in turn, will forward it to the individual Examination Commissioners as an attachment to the convocation for the final exam session.
The Commission for the evaluation of the final exam is appointed by the Director upon proposal of the Coordinator of the Master’s Degree Program. The Commission is composed of at least seven members, the majority of whom are tenured professors of the University, who teach in the Department. The Commission may include tenured, substitute or contract professors, researchers, professors in charge and assistants, even if they belong to another department of the University, provided that they comply with the University Didactic Regulation. The commission may also include professors from other universities and experts from research institutions.
In order to pass the final exam it is necessary to obtain a minimum score of 66/110. The maximum score is 110/110, with the possible attribution of honors. Honors may be awarded, upon proposal of the supervisor and unanimous decision of the Commission, only for theses that are, in the opinion of the Commission, of high quality.
The conduct of the final exams of the Master's Degree is public, as is the announcement of the final result. The final exams are conducted in the form of a presentation of the thesis, also using multimedia support, and a discussion with questions put to the student. At the end of the final examination, the Degree Committee communicates the degree score. The proclamation takes place in a brief public ceremony, immediately after the conclusion of all the final tests, or on subsequent days. The place, date, and time of the proclamation ceremony will be communicated to the Didactic Secretariat of the Department by the Coordinator together with the communication of the date of the final exam. The final exams for the achievement of the title are divided into at least three sessions. The delivery of the diplomas takes place during collective ceremonies on the dates specified in the Educational Calendar.
For further details see the Didactic Regulations of the Master Degree Program in Cognitive science and Theory of communication.
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