The Italian university system is different from the American model in many ways. For instance, Italian professors traditionally prefer lecture style teaching, and local students are expected to provide more of their own structure to master the material and prepare for exams. Grades are based on the final oral, or occasionally written, exam. In contrast, BCSP courses are taught by Italian university professors, and their structure resembles that of an American college course. At the BCSP office, during ongoing academic advising, students receive thorough guidance in order to adapt to the Italian university system.

Direct enrollment means that students register at University of Bologna and take on average 2 classes per semester alongside their Italian peers.

Courses and Credit Approval

• To find information on courses, go to the Academics tab on the BCSP website; IU provides a helpful list, and a direct link to the UniBo Course Catalog.
• To discuss program fit, such as program type, expectations, level of structure/independence, or to compare options, get advice from Global Learning advisors, Italian Studies faculty, and returned students. 
• For assistance in selecting courses, see your faculty or college advisor. (Note: You may earn elective, distributional, minor or major credit depending on your major and college.)
• Complete the Proposed Course of Study form that is part of the Global Learning application for a record of how your courses will count for credit at Cornell.

Academic Policies

• Universiity courses in English are permitted when no Italian course on the same topic is available and it is related to the students major/minor, or for students at the intermediate level of Italian
• Take the equivalent of 15 Cornell credits for a full semester, even if it is possible to take fewer and still graduate on time
• Complete all the academic work and stay until the end of the program, defined as the last officially-sanctioned exam for any course you take abroad

Registration and Grades

• You will be registered at Cornell and will earn credit for approved coursework for your semester/year study abroad
• Decisions on the final allocation of credit are made upon successful completion of the course (equivalent of a “C” or higher—all courses for a letter grade)
• Grades will appear on the Cornell transcript in the same format as they are recorded on the original transcript generated by the study abroad program or university. Grades are not factored into the Cornell GPA