The background knowledge required to properly attend the degree programme relate to the logical skills and basic mathematics; it is provided to students in the secondary high school programme.
The student’s background will be initially assessed through a test processed at local or national level for scientific degree programmes. In the event that the assessment is not successful, for the specific features of the test and the indication of any additional credit obligations please refer to the teaching regulation of the Degree Programme.

As of a.y. 2020-2021, the Degree Programme in Informatics has a limited number of places available. The selection procedure is based on the result of the CISIA TOLC-I test in the mathematics, logic and verbal comprehension sections. The modes and procedures to participate in the call for applications are kept up to date on the website page of the Department https://www.fim.unimore.it/site/home/didattica/info-matricole/accesso-a-lt-informatica.html.

In order to ensure a successful attendance to the programme, students need to possess basic Mathematical knowledge/skills.

The knowledge and skills required are verified through a non-selective entry test, that will be deemed passed if the result is above a threshold defined by the Degree Programme. If the verification test is not taken or the result is not higher than the required threshold, specific additional training obligations (hereinafter OFAs) are indicated to be met within the first year of the programme by taking special subsequent verification tests.
The means of assessment and the contents of the test are published in detail, well in advance, on the relevant call for applications or notice.

Students failing to comply with the additional learning requirements (OFA) by the starting date of teaching activities of the second year (30 September) will be enrolled in the first year as repeating students of the Degree Programme.

In view of the access to the first year and the completion of the OFAs (additional training obligations), optional training activities are organised for the student: courses to fulfil with the OFAs, possibly provided in remote mote, related to the knowledge of basic Mathematics. The calendar and the distance learning modes are made known on the portal of the FIM Department www.fim.unimore.it.

Analyst/programmer
The skills required to carry out the functions previously listed are as follows:
- Knowledge of programming languages
- Knowledge of databases
- Knowledge of computer networks
- Knowledge of operating systems
- Ability to analyse an issue and process an algorithm to solve it
- Ability to translate an algorithm into a software programme
- Ability to design and implement databases
- Ability to manage a computer network

Analyst/programmer
In their early work experiences, graduates will more easily find a job of an executive nature in IT projects, even of a wide scope; the skills and the experience acquired allow most of our graduates to aspire within reasonably short times to take on the leadership in projects, mainly in small and medium businesses, or the administration management of the IT systems in place in those working contexts.

Analyst/programmer
Job opportunities:
- Analyst and programmer in small businesses within the ICT field.
- Analyst and programmer in medium or large businesses (ICT and not ICT).
- Analyst and programmer in the Public Administration.
- Administrator of computer networks in ICT and not ICT businesses.
- Self-employed professional

The Degree Programme in Informatics of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia aims to train graduates to analyse issues arising in various working contexts (from businesses to banks, from PA to research public centres) using proper IT methodologies, and develop software able to solve them in potentially different application environments, in which heterogeneous technologies are in place. The range of environments and technologies may include, for example, applications of traditional management or resource exploitation, as well as different operating systems, database management systems, and local or geographical networks.

In order to develop these skills, which properly meet the expectations laid down by the manufacturing sector, the study programme includes training activities in all the essential ITC fields. First of all, the areas of languages, algorithms, and programming methodologies, with both a knowledge and know-how approach. System/technologic aspects that are required to know and operate in the modern applicative environments are also developed, as well as calculator networks, operating systems, and database management systems. The skills in these sectors enable graduates to take on system administrator roles, too.

The ability to analyse issues, build models and calculate the costs of the solutions requires basic mathematic/scientific knowledge, even when the issues are not strictly of a mathematic nature. For this reason, the training programme offers more theoretical teachings (such as mathematic analysis and geometry) and theoretical-applicative teachings (such as numerical analysis and statistics). Together with the choice to develop the IT training in the essential areas of the subject, the scientific background fully allows students to continue their studies in a master’s degree or in vocational master programmes (1st level).

The allocation of university training credits to the various activities is subsequent to the obtainment of the objectives set. More specifically, the university training credits in the basic scientific training and in the ICT distinctive training represent more than two-thirds of the total, whereas students choose similar and integrating subjects in a significantly smaller proportion.
The similar subjects have been integrated with Law and Economics, to provide contents useful to complete the training of an IT student, in particular with regard to the professional aspects.
The other training activities, mainly internships and career guidance, the English language and other vocational activities, were properly provided based on what was perceived as necessary for a rapid integration in the employment context.

Graduates have communication skills to use both with colleagues and non-IT people, to whom they show their work results. They are able to read technical (computer) literature in English in a profitable manner.
Such skills are achieved mainly through (1) team work in projects to refine the interaction and communication abilities among fellows and (2) the request to present their own work within projects, in a clear and concise manner other than using a proper technical language (where needed) through various communication methods and technologies. Direct tutoring by professors is also used (and in addition to the activities provided by the language centre, as far as English is concerned).
These skills are assessed through different means, including written and oral tests, reports and/or presentations explaining software projects.

Graduates in Informatics will be skilled to find data and information useful to the development of their work, in particular to formulate issues and define solving strategies. They will be able to provide independent judgements on their choices and critically assess the results obtained, also based on such choices.

Both individual and group projects are the best teaching tools for reaching these objectives; the objectives reached are assessed during the project presentation and discussion, by asking students to explain the reasons why they have made such project and technological choices. Also the internship and the final test are functional to gain the independent judgement: students propose independent solutions to meet the requirements set by a tutoring professor/company, then discussed with them.

Graduates in Informatics must gain high skills of continuous and independent learning, also because of the characteristics of the ITC subject, which experiences a constant and rapid evolution.
The obtainment of this result is substantially ensured by the training path as a whole, as it gives graduates the opportunity to master the techniques and methodologies, in addition to a basic scientific background, enabling them to continuously update and even continue their studies by enrolling in a master’s degree programme.
More specifically, the following characteristics of the training path are among those that mainly help refine the learning skills.
- During their study programme, students are exposed to knowledge, technologies, and scientific methodologies that are quite heterogeneous and constantly evolving. This makes them used to the effort of constantly reviewing their knowledge and learning skills gained.
- The basic scientific knowledge, which is traditionally considered less rewarding than the practice of the subject chosen by the student, are nonetheless essential to refine the ability to learn complex concepts and thus help students to keep up-to-date and/or continue their studies.
- Project reports and oral presentations force students to a greater learning effort for the subject they will discuss (according to the well-know statement that only if you have understood properly you will be able to explain it well).
The expected results are assessed in the final examination.

Basic science area
Modena Computer Science graduates will have knowledge and understanding of the principles and logical-mathematical tools for modelling preparatory to the study of computer science disciplines. They will have knowledge of abstraction methodologies as well as the main algorithmic techniques for problem solving, which are also preparatory to the study of computer science disciplines and, in particular, the development of advanced software applications.

Application analysis, project and implementation
Graduates in Informatics shall prove to have a sound knowledge and understanding skills in the following fields:
- real algorithmic techniques, project and use of data structures;
- formal languages;
- programming paradigms and languages (imperative, object-oriented, functional, logical or inspired by natural systems);
- methodologies and techniques of (and tools to aid) software design;
- optimisation and machine learning methodologies and techniques;
- architectural and language aspects that impact on performance;
- technologies for the representation and management of both structured and non structured data.


System administration
Graduates in Informatics will have the essential knowledge relating to the hardware/software architecture of modern IT systems, specifically regarding:
1) the architecture of calculators, including architectures that are massively parallel;
2) the organisation and functionality of modern operating systems;
3) the structure and operation of the local communication networks and the Internet, main services offered and relevant protocols;
4) the organisation and functionality of database management systems.

Basic science area
For the graduates in Informatics at the University of Modena, the skills to apply the knowledge (in a professional manner and with a good level of independence) will mainly be reflected in:
1) the ability to analyse issues and describe them in a mathematic / algorithmic form in order to resolve it by using IT tools;
2) the ability to evaluate, against an abstract still significant model, the computational cost of an algorithm (time and quantity of memory required for its execution);
3) the ability to model systems based on interacting entity networks;
4) the ability to analyse and describe the behaviour of a computer system through proper mathematical / statistical parameters.
5) the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of abstraction methodologies and their impact on the design of architectures and languages.


Application analysis, project and implementation
The knowledge of a wide range of technologies and methods for software design and development results (also and mainly thanks to the many hours dedicated to laboratories and project development) in the actual skill of:
1) developing efficient software solutions starting from an algorithmic description or even simple formal models;
2) managing the integration of multiple programmes in an application that can be “distributed” to third parties, also taking care of the documentation aspects;
3) developing and integrating solutions based on algorithmic methods, numerical calculation and machine learning
4) designing systems and applications that maximise performance
5) working to the development of software solutions, which may include sophisticated data and information structures.


System administration
The knowledge and the practice carried out (by means of laboratory and project activity) give graduates in Informatics the following basic skills relating to:
- the management and administration of an operating system based on Unix/Linux;
- the design and configuration of a computer local network;
- the design of simple databases and database inquiry through the SQL language;
- ability to design and implement applications through database technologies.