University of Catania

[EduCativ]

The university, founded in 1434, is the oldest in Sicily, named Siculorum Gymnasium or Studium Generale. Nowadays, with a population of over 45,000 students, it is a prominent university in Sicily. To achieve this purpose, it is essential that the university attracts students of the highest potential, locally and internationally, and delivers our students an excellent educational experience: by offering method, efficiency, and efficacy, to increase the institution's prestige and attractiveness to students.
Our mission is to give all students, during their university, high-quality teaching, innovation, and research activities that make the university a unique experience.
The Athenaeum plays a vital role in the Mediterranean area, enhancing cooperation and dialogue between cultures and promoting international networks among universities.
The university website is designed to help international students and professors present all the opportunities that our university and the city have to offer. Moreover, it provides a general description of the university and gives practical advice, useful to facilitate cultural experiences in our academic community.
The governing bodies of the University of Catania are the Rector, the Academic Senate, the Board of Directors, the Board of Auditors, the Evaluation Unit, the Director-General, who shall exercise the powers laid down by the laws of the Republic, by the University Statute and by executive regulations.
The academic year in Italy is made up of two semesters. The first semester starts in September/October and ends in January/February. The second semester starts in February and ends in July. The actual start and finish dates will vary in different universities. However, each semester lasts around 20 weeks and comprises a teaching period lasting around 14 weeks and an exam period lasting around six weeks.
Most teaching still occurs in large lecture halls, but this will depend very much on the single course of study. Students are also expected to carry out a considerable amount of self-study outside the classroom to prepare for exams.
Exams are held after the teaching period and are mainly oral exams, although some courses will have written tests taking place during the semester or before the oral exam. Each exam will have several dates offered during the exam period, and students can choose which date they wish to take the exam. They are also entitled to turn down a mark and retake the exam if they are not satisfied with the result. Rules apply as to how often a student can take an exam within an examination period.
Examinations are graded according to a scale ranging from 0 to 30, with 18 as a pass mark. A "cum laude" may be added to the highest grade (30 30 e lode) as a mention of unique distinction. All examination results are used to calculate the overall degree mark on a scale of 0 – 110.

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