As well as professional skills, the degree course at the University in Bolzano aims to develop personal qualities, the student should become independent as early as possible, choosing what to study and when. So no structured exam process, no limits set in terms of having to pass one exam before moving on to the next, no compulsory attendance, although the nature of the course structure means full attendance is fundamental. The study plan will include design projects, lectures, seminars, language courses, specialised courses and workshops. The lectures and design work are organised in semesters: in the four main semesters planned, the students have to choose and work up four of the eight design projects proposed. As well as these, during the course of their studies, students have to take a total of fourteen courses and seminars and attend five specialised course in the workshops. With the exception of the first semester, the choice of which to take and when is completely free. There is also complete freedom to change track during the course of the three years and even decide to transfer to another university – studies are structured according to the educational credit system (ETCS) recognised at an international level.

Looking at the design projects then, which are the central feature of the faculty of Art and Design’s educational model; these are interdisciplinary, the conceptual stage of the design process is immediately followed up by putting it into practice and experimenting. In addition to design work supervised by a professor of design are therefore two courses in practice and theory taught by specialists to expand knowledge of the subject in question. For each design project a maximum of twenty students can participate, a limit imposed so that each person is able to receive sufficient attention. The teaching body is international and of a high level. This year the “design leaders” are Antonino Benincasa, Sebastian Bergne, Kuno Prey, Katrin Androschin, Michael Corsar, Stephanie Kubanek, Kris Krois and Martina Drechsel.

The options are many and interesting, assures the energetic dean Kuno Prey. They include the design of objects for daily use, technical systems and services, the development of graphic design projects, corporate identity as well as graphic design for media and web design. A broad ranging spectrum which aims to anticipate the rapid changes of the various professional profiles within the job market. So it seems that their papers are all in order – all that remains is to wish them ‘buon lavoro’.

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Address: Piazza Domenicani 3, Bolzano, Italy
Tel: +39 (0)471 315 611
http://www.unibz.it