Bocconi University

Bocconi University is based in the heart of Milan. This private university was established in 1902 with a generous endowment from Ferdinando Bocconi, a wealthy merchant.  

Today, Bocconi is a research institute of international standing in business, economics, and law. The student body comprises of 15,000 students with 124 nationalities.  

Milan is one of Italy's most vibrant and exciting cities. The streets of the city blend the old - the relics of the former Roman empire - with the new - towering skyscrapers in the city's business district. Traditionally known for its high fashion and art scene, the city has also become one of Europe's most important financial hubs. 

You can read more about Milan on the Bocconi website.

2 places, (CIVICA only) 

The scheme is open to second year LSE undergraduate students (not available for BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics students) who have been accepted onto the CIVICA Engage Track. Generally we require applicants to have passed all of their first year exams (without resits) and to have achieved a 2:1 average across their courses. 

Host Institution Requirements: Additional academic standing requirements may apply depending on the faculty or program. 

Bocconi offers a wide range of courses, taught both in Italian and English.  

The 2024/5 courses are available here: Educational offer for Incoming Exchange Students - Bocconi University 

Lectures begin in early September each year. Students can take a minimum of 1 course, and a maximum of 5 courses per semester. The credit system is ECTS equivalent. Grades are marked out of 30, with 18/30 being the minimum passing grade.  

Some courses have a “Suggested background knowledge”, this can be found on the Course Profile (found on Educational Offer - Incoming exchange students - Universita' Bocconi).  

The Welcome Orientation takes place in late August, this is a series of social events and orientation activities before lectures begin. Academic Advisors are available to advise exchange students on the course content and guide them in building their study plan.   

Individual counselling, group work activities, and walk-in sessions are available to students. This is in addition to resources to build healthy habits.  

Italian Language Crash Courses are available, in late August for 2 weeks and a direct follow-up. This is an uncredited course, and is therefore not included in the official Bocconi transcript. Italian Language Courses - Bocconi University 

Students are able to reserve a room in accommodation located 5 minutes from the Bocconi campus. Exchange students are reserved spaces in twin rooms, this is €2975 for the whole period, or single rooms are €4200 for the whole period (prices are of 2024/5). These are all on a first-come first-serve basis and opens in late October. Exchange incoming housing - Bocconi University 

Private accommodation:  

€600 - €900 (per month) for a private room 

€500 - €600 (per month) for a shared room 

€800 - €1200 (per month) for a flat 

Food: 

- Italian breakfast: €2-3 (espresso, coffee or cappuccino + croissant) 

- One main course at the university canteen: approx. €5 

- Lunch at cafes: €10 

- Pizza dinner: €15-30 

- Dinner at a restaurant: €30-50 

Transportation:  

The youth monthly pass costs €22 for students up to 27 

years of age and €39 for students older than 27.  

Health Insurance 

€135 for a year (WAI ITALY) 

Permit of Stay 

€100.46 + €16 for the revenue stamp 

Bocconi does not require incoming exchange students to have health insurance to complete enrolment in the exchange programme. Non-EU students must have health insurance with international validity to be issued the study visa and the permit of stay. EU students are required to have the European Health Insurance Card or a similar private insurance policy with international validity to benefit from health services.  

Bocconi has partners with International SOS to offer medical, safety, and security advice to students 24/7. 

The emergency number in Italy is 112. 

There is a diverse range of student groups including management, fashion, environment and sustainability, entrepreneurship, music, theatre, sports, marketing, finance, diversity, cinema, innovation and technology, arts, and more.   

In mid-September each these groups have a fair to better learn what they do.  

Non-EU students (including British citizens) will need to apply for a long-stay student visa to study in Italy. Citizens of European Union countries do not need a visa to study in Italy. 

Contact Bocconi via email: inexchange@unibocconi.it or phone: +39-02-5836-2236 

In person they are available at:  

International Student Desk (ISD) 

Università Bocconi, Piazza Sraffa 11, 20136 Milano 

 Incoming Exchange Students - Bocconi University 

• I think Bocconi and this exchange in general really opened my eyes on so many aspects. It allowed me to take a step back, reflect on what I want for my life and how it is so important for me to position myself within the world instead of focusing and being locked in my mind all the time. It s important that as young, perfectionist and pressured individuals we learn to deal with our stress and anxieties to be able to move forward and learn and grow in all environments. 
  
  I learnt a lot also in terms of studies, how to approach exams in a less toxic and stressful way and saw I excelled so much more in that case. I have been able to experience for the first time a second approach to education in university and it showed me that there is so many different ways of approaching the same things, and that it s all about perspective. I believe that this will definitely help me in starting my new and last academic year at LSE with less anxiety pressure and mental pressure. This in turn will help me grow as a person and excel in my academics because I will feel good about myself. 
  
  I was also able to secure a 6 month internship in a deep tech startup and that gave me the opportunity of being immersed within the Italian culture to another level. It is something I would have never had the time to do were I in London and yet it contributes so much to my professional growth and development. I learned so much and for once, I really have the time to be fully a part of a company instead of just spending 3 months there. I think this will greatly contribute to my profile attractiveness for future jobs and I am very grateful for that. 
  
  Overall, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else. I learnt so much and grew on an academic, professional and above all personal level. I would recommend it to anyone who is ready to welcome new ideas, positive and constructive criticism, and who always wanted to have the opportunity to try out new subjects and interests they never allowed themselves to take a look at. 
  
  By Violette Lafarge - CIVICA Exchange (2022/23)
• My exchange year has given me time to get to know myself. The host institution (Bocconi University) was less academically demanding than LSE so I had time to focus on different projects and aspect of my life – than purely academic. I had the time to reflect on my objectives, goals and re-think my career path. I was able to catch up on independent project – like reading, creative writing and travelling. 
  
  From an academic perspective, at Bocconi I was able to choose subjects that I would usually not have the opportunity to study during a Law degree. I broadened my knowledge and interests in topics of history, politics, economics, media and the arts. This was an invaluable opportunity, which largely broadened my general knowledge and awareness. 
  
  The extra year gave me time to further develop my career. I had the chance to take on research project with LSE professors, for which I could not find time during the LSE academic year. I also found the space to apply for very competitive vacation schemes for which the application process takes months. I was successful in securing the places I applied for, which was not the case the year before when I had to handle both the LSE academic requirements and the application processes. I was also working part-time which greatly contributed to my CV. 
  
  Moreover, I was able to create a lot of friendships with people from different cultures and learn another language. I had more time to dedicate to getting to know other people – the smaller-size of Milan allowed those connections to flow more naturally than in a large city as London. I got to travel a lot with those friends – allowing me to really understand the cultural, social and political background and contexts in Italy. After 4 months, I felt so confident in Italian that in my second term I chose a course in history of music taught solely in Italian, which I was very proud of.  
  
  Finally, studying in another educational system and living in another city allowed me to appreciate LSE and London even more. It was a great opportunity to take a year break from those environments, but being away from them made me see why they are special – which made me even more excited to continue studying in the UK next year. 
  
   By Natalia Neuber - CIVICA Exchange (2022/23)
• The most important insight that I can provide to any students considering to go abroad is to open your eyes - it may seem a clichė but so many people claim that they are open-minded but in fact they do not realise that they are still so close-minded to different races, cultures, people, diversity. So many people claim that they know so much about the world because they have travelled there, or lived there for a couple years, but there’s always a new place to explore, new cultures to discover, a new part of yourself to open up.
  
  Personally speaking, I found the culture the most enriching part of my study abroad experience, I would even make references to the country I used to study in when something reminds me of it, picking up habits from the locals, because I really did feel integrated into that society even if it was just a couple of months. I was particularly satisfied with the people whom I got to meet as I was part of a programme which integrated a diverse mix of students coming from all around the world. I have grown so much as an individual, I returned to my home school with a multitude of stories to share with my peers, full of love, life and laughter. I kept in contact with my friends I met on exchange and made plans to visit each other,I can confidently say that I have friends all over the world and I feel welcomed to all of these countries!
  
  The simplest way I could express my experience is that I learnt to focus on the bigger picture - there are so many opportunities in the world, so many people waiting to meet you, so much to experience, so much that I don’t know, and there is so much I want to learn about in the world. In spite of this, I must admit, the experience was not perfect - nothing is, but what you do gain from it far outweighs the bad stuff.
  
  By Hoi Ka Lam - GMIM student (2022/23)