The thesis work requires 75 hours (three CFU) of activity in a university laboratory, another public or private structure, or abroad within the Erasmus or another international mobility program in which the university participates. The activity must be carried out under the responsibility of a supervisor, appointed by the Degree Program and chosen from its faculty. In the case of external activities, the supervisor from the Degree Program will work alongside the one appointed by the host structure. The student agrees with the supervisor on the content of the work and the laboratory where it will be carried out. The thesis is generally experimental in nature but does not necessarily need to be of particular originality, and it can be written in English.
The student must request authorization to carry out the thesis work from the President of the Degree Program with a formal request. The forms are available online on the website www.dcbb.unipg.it by clicking on the "Didattica" and "Laurea triennale in Biotecnologie" links. If not regulated by a specific agreement, the experimental work done by the student to prepare the thesis is considered educational activity, and the costs are borne by the host structure, which holds the intellectual property of the knowledge and results.
At the end of the thesis work, the student prepares a paper, typically 50-70 pages in length, which must be written in relation to the chosen topic and the type of work carried out. It should generally include an introduction, a description of the specific objectives, a detailed description of the methods used to achieve the objectives, and a thorough analysis of the literature. The student may consult previous thesis works as examples, available at the Degree Program’s teaching office.
To be admitted to the final exam, the student must have acquired all the credits required by the study plan for activities other than the final exam. The final exam for obtaining the degree is public and consists of a presentation of the thesis work to a special committee, using computer, audiovisual, multimedia, or other types of support. The degree examination committee consists of a minimum of seven and a maximum of eleven members, selected by the President of the Degree Program from the university’s faculty and researchers and appointed by a specific decree from the Rector.