The course provides for the acquisition of 15 credits chosen by the student. Given the wide variety of the issues covered by the four curricula, each year a large number of optional corse are activated and then they are selected by students based on their interests and inclinations. The teachings originate within defined cultural areas, corresponding to the four curricula, but they are usually brought in order to be profitably used by students of other cultural areas, who want to learn specific topics, in the spirit of optional exams.

Practical knowledge, fundamental to the course of study, is well developed in this area precisely because the number of students accessing each course is limited depending on the actual availability of seats and in relation to practical activities in the classroom or in the laboratory. Many courses in this area include practical activities to be performed directly at the desk, well managed only if the number of students is limited.

In the academic year 2014-2015, based on the experience of the previous year, the same access mode will be kept with a few changes:

• to ensure a good staff/student ratio it was established to enroll up to a maximum of 40 students per course, except for courses with a high practical content, which will be limited to 20 students;
• each student must register on the web-site made available by the teacher in a number of courses sufficient to achieve the credits provided for their curriculum;
• registrations will open on 2 March and will close on 27 March 2015;
• students who will request it will be allowed to take courses on the basis of the order of registration;
• students who mistakenly register to a number of greater number of courses than necessary to achieve the 15 credits will be automatically allocated on the basis of availability of places. Enrolment is allowed in an additional course for students whose curriculum includes 18 credits for choice exams.

List of optional activities in the current academic year