The graduation process
What is the final examination?
The final examination concludes your studies and allows you to obtain your degree.
To graduate, follow the eight steps of the procedure described below, in the order in which they are listed. Failure to complete any of these steps, or to meet the deadlines set for each graduation session, may result in your exclusion from the session concerned.
Final papers and theses are produced and submitted in digital format only. When writing your work, you must comply with the Guidelines for your degree thesis/final paper [ITA] and with the information provided on the pages ‘Writing and uploading your thesis’ and ‘Plagiarism-detection software and copyright’.
Well in advance of your intended graduation session, contact a lecturer on your degree programme to agree on the topic of your work and how it will be organised (meetings, interim deadlines, structure).
Also visit the ‘Graduate’ section of your degree programme website to check whether your department has established a procedure for assigning supervisors.
Check your administrative status and your academic record: make sure that you have paid all the tuition fees due, that your study plan is in order, and that you have earned - or will be able to earn by the deadline set for your subject area - all the credits in your study plan, including any additional credits, except those allocated to the final examination. You must also request recognition of your internship by the relevant deadline.
You may take any outstanding exams even after submitting your application, provided that you meet the deadlines published on the ‘Graduation session deadlines’ page. The results of these exams may be recorded even after the deadline for taking them.
Please note that you are not required to pay the first and second instalments for the academic year 2026/2027 if you graduate in the autumn session (October 2026) or in the extraordinary session (March-April 2027) of the academic year 2025/2026. If you have paid them nonetheless (or only the first one) and you obtain your degree in either of these sessions, the amount paid will be refunded automatically to your CartaConto by the end of July (less the regional tax for the right to university education).
Before starting your graduation application, you must complete the AlmaLaurea questionnaire via Personal Area > Final Examination > AlmaLaurea registration and graduating students’ questionnaire [ITA].
The graduation application must be submitted online only, via your Personal Area, by the deadlines set by the University.
If you are graduating early, and only in that case, send a request for assistance, selecting the category ‘Student and graduate careers / Graduation’ from the menu. The Student Administration Unit (Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees) will then enter your graduation application on your behalf.
When completing the application, enter the title and abstract of your thesis or final paper (the abstract must not exceed 1,500 characters; you can edit both yourself during the periods indicated on the ‘Graduation session deadlines’ page).
Each application refers to a single graduation session: if you do not obtain your degree in that session, you will need to submit a new application.
As soon as you have completed your application, pay for the revenue stamps for the submission of the graduation application and for the issue of your graduation diploma, via Personal Area > Online student services - ESSE3 > Payments. If you do not pay, your application will not be processed and you will not be able to upload your thesis or final paper.
Once the submission deadline has passed, your supervisor has seven days to accept or reject your application. If your supervisor does not respond, the Student Administration Unit will contact your supervisor to request a response.
Check the ‘Thesis/final paper information’ section of your graduation application to make sure that the status shown is ‘approved’.
Acceptance of your application does not automatically mean admission to the final examination: your supervisor may give a negative assessment of your work at any time, stating the reasons and informing you in writing in good time before the final examination.
Your final paper or thesis must be uploaded via your Personal Area by the deadline indicated on the ‘Graduation session deadlines’ page. If you do not upload it by the deadline, you will be excluded from the final examination.
You may upload your file more than once during the upload period: the last file uploaded by the deadline will be considered the final version and cannot normally be modified.
The University uses dedicated plagiarism-detection software to check the originality of all work submitted. The results of the check are sent to your supervisor if a similarity rate of 25% or more with other sources is detected.
If you do not pass one or more outstanding exams, or if you otherwise decide to withdraw from the final examination, you must fill in the withdrawal form and also inform the Student Administration Unit promptly.
Withdrawal from the extraordinary session
If you applied for the extraordinary session and do not graduate, you will have to enrol for the academic year 2026/2027 by paying the first and second instalments of your tuition fees. Please note that in this case you will be charged a single late-payment fee of €100.00.
If, as at 31 March 2027, you are enrolled for the academic year 2026/2027 (enrolment meaning payment of the first and second instalments), you are at most in your first year beyond the standard duration of your programme and the final examination is the only requirement you have yet to fulfil, you will be automatically exempted from paying the third instalment and the late-payment fees on the first and second instalments, for one academic year only.
Please note: the exemption from paying the third instalment does not apply to students enrolled on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Hospitality Innovation and e-Tourism and in Digital Management.
If you wish to benefit from an income-based reduction in tuition fees, by 31 March 2027 you must:
- enrol for the academic year 2026/2027 by paying the first and second instalments of your tuition fees, using only the payment methods listed on the ‘How to pay’ page;
- obtain an ISEE certificate for subsidised benefits relating to the right to university education, issued with you as the beneficiary and free of omissions or discrepancies;
- fill in all sections of the online application for fee reductions in your Personal Area and submit it. Please note: to submit your application, click the ‘Submit request’ button, otherwise it will not be considered. If you have submitted your application correctly, you will receive a receipt confirming its submission, which you must keep.
Bachelor’s degree programmes do not include a public defence: your supervisor assesses your final paper and records the final examination within the period indicated on the ‘Graduation session deadlines’ page. You are awarded your degree as soon as the final examination is recorded: you will receive an automated e-mail at your institutional e-mail address stating your final degree mark. Your graduation diploma will be presented to you on Graduation Day.
Your final degree mark is calculated as the sum of:
- your credit-weighted average mark, expressed out of 110 (based on all the exams you have passed, including any additional exams);
- your final examination mark (from 0 to 6 points, awarded by your supervisor);
- any bonus points awarded automatically according to the table linked below.
The assessment of the final examination may take into account not only your final paper but also your academic record as a whole.
The award of the distinction cum laude (“lode”) is at the discretion of your supervisor.
Once you have been awarded your degree, you can:
- request certificates of degree award;
- request your Diploma Supplement;
- claim your Open Badge.
For further information, see the page ‘Certificates, graduation diploma and Diploma Supplement’.
Duration of student e-mail account and connected apps
For all current and former Ca’ Foscari students, the e-mail account, all connected Google apps (e.g. Drive) and access to Office 365 will be deactivated:
- 6 months after obtaining the final qualification;
- upon closure of the academic record, in the event of withdrawal from studies or completion of single courses;
- after 3 years without enrolment at the University.
For further information, see the page ‘Duration of student e-mail, Google services and Office 365’.