Data science for economics (DSE)

1. Curricular requirements

Candidates for admission to the Master's degree course may come from various bachelor's, but must have earned at least 30 ECTS in computer science and mathematics (scientific disciplinary sectors: from MAT-01 to MAT-09, INF-01, ING-INF/05) and/or in the area of economic sciences and statistics (scientific disciplinary sectors: SECS-S/01, SECS-S/02, SECS-S/03, SECS-S/06, SECS-P/05, SECS-P/01, SECS-P/02, SECS-P/03, SECS-P/07, SECS-P/08, SECS-P/10).
Curricular requirements must be met by the date of effective submission of the application for admission.

2. Proficiency in English

Proficiency in English at a B2 level or higher per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required for admission.
The B2-level requirement will be ascertained by the University Language Centre (SLAM) upon admission as follows:
- Language certificate of B2 or higher level issued no more than three years before the date of admission application. You will find the list of language certificates recognized by the University at: https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39322. The certificate must be uploaded when submitting the online application;
- English level achieved during a University of Milan degree programme and certified by the University Language Centre (SLAM) no more than four years before the date of admission application, including levels based on language certificates submitted by the applicant during their Bachelor's degree at the University of Milan. In this case the process is automatic, the applicant does not have to attach any certificates to the application;
- Placement test administrated by the University Language Centre (SLAM) according to the calendar published on the website: (https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39267/)
All those who fail to submit a valid certificate or do not meet the required proficiency level will be instructed during the admission procedure to take the placement test.
Applicants who do not take or pass the placement test will be required to obtain a language proficiency certificate recognized by the University (see https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39322) and deliver it to the SLAM via the InformaStudenti service by the deadline fixed for the master's programme (https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39267/).
Applicants who do not meet the requirement by said deadline will not be admitted to the master's degree programme and may not sit any further tests.

3. Personal competencies and skills: assessment criteria

Minimum curricular requirements cannot be considered as a verification of personal competencies and skills, which is mandatory. Admission is conditional and it depends on the assessment of the personal competencies and skills of the student provided by the Admission Board, whose members are appointed by the Faculty Board-Collegio Didattico.
Assessment of personal competencies and skills will be ascertained through a written online admission test, held in English language. A more detailed description of the test content and how the test will be structured and organised will be made available on the degree course website close to the opening of admissions. Candidates who do not sit or reach the minimum level required from the Admission Board in the admission test will not be admitted to the master's degree programme and cannot sit further tests.
For candidates who both meet the curricular requirements and reach the minimum level in the admission test, assessment of personal competencies and skills is based on the academic curriculum (quality of the previous degree as well as the average grade obtained in the bachelor program; grades obtained in mathematics, statistics, computer science and economics courses are part of the evaluation) and choice coherence (coherence between the academic curriculum and/or the activities previously carried out by the student and the learning objectives of the MSc in Data Science for Economics).
The Admission Board also reserves the possibility to request the applicant an oral interview (i.e., via Teams, Skype, Zoom or other platforms). The oral interview aims to verify the individual knowledge and skills required by DSE. A complete, detailed list of topics that can be asked during the interview is published on the DSE website. Students with a foreign qualification are also required to ascertain the basic requirements equivalent to the minimum requirements for students with an Italian qualification.
The DSE program also reserves the right to evaluate the possible definition of a planned maximum number of students, determined each year by the competent academic bodies, on the basis of structural, instrumental, and personnel resources available for the functioning of the degree course.

To obtain the degree, those who do not hold an Italian high school diploma or bachelor's degree must demonstrate proficiency in Italian at the A2 or higher level per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This level must be demonstrated prior to completing the course programme in one of the following ways:
- by submitting a certificate of A2 or higher level issued no more than three years prior to the date of submission. You will find the list of language certificates recognized by the University at: https://www.unimi.it/en/node/349/). The language certificate must be submitted to the University Language Centre (SLAM) via the Language Test category of the InformaStudenti service: https://informastudenti.unimi.it/saw/ess?AUTH=SAML;
v- ia an entry-level test administrated by SLAM that can be taken only once and is compulsory for all students who do not have a valid language certificate. Those who fail to reach A2 level will have to attend one or more than one 60-hour Italian course(s) geared to their level.
Those who do not take the entry-level test or fail to pass the end-of-course test after six attempts will have to obtain language certification privately in order to earn the 3 credits of Additional language skills: Italian.