University of Bologna - Alma Graduate School

The University

The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and it is the oldest university in the Western World. In spite of its age, the University of Bologna has always been educating its students with innovative academic programs. Alma Graduate School, the Business School of the University of Bologna, combines twenty years of renowned experience in delivering MBA programs with a well established tradition of cooperation with leading Italian and international companies.

The Business School

Alma Graduate School is the Business School of the University of Bologna. It was founded in 2000 as a consortium between Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation in Bologna, the Guglielmo Marconi Foundation and Profingest, which involves many of the most important economic actors of the Emilia-Romagna region, such as Lamborghini, Ducati, or Max Mara. The school adopts an innovative interdisciplinary approach to build up its programs, also thanks to the involvement of several Departments of the University of Bologna and of many relevant Italian companies.

Alma Graduate School provides on-campus facilities for students, faculty, and staff: the reading rooms, the computer labs, the Aula Magna, the multimedia and conference rooms, not to mention the restaurant and gym. Alma Graduate School’s state of the art computer labs and technological equipments are always available to students, as well as Alma’s protected wireless network, which fully covers Villa Guastavillani and its premises. A shuttle bus connects the school with major bus stations in downtown Bologna in less than 10 minutes. Public parking is available on campus as well.

The Program

UNICREDIT MBA RETAIL IN THE BANKING AND FINANCIAL INDUSTRY

The UniCredit MBA Retail in the Banking and Financial Industry is designed to enhance management knowledge and skills, setting solid foundations for a career in the banking and the financial industry. The program offers a unique opportunity to blend theory with experience and provide students a high quality mix of analytical and problem-solving skills required to succeed in the retail sector.

The program is divided into three main areas. General Management is intended to provide the basics to successfully manage a business organization. Finance and Banking and Service and Retail Management aim at presenting the tools enabling the understanding of financial markets and financial instruments, as well as enrich participants with the expertise needed in the field of the retail industry and financial organizations.

An additional part of the program is intended to link and review, with a more critical eye, different aspects of the ‘core’ courses of the UniCredit MBA through the analysis of important issues of Organizational Identity and Business Sustainability. Other program features are: Internship, Career Development activities, and Language Courses (Italian and Business English).


MBA DESIGN, FASHION AND LUXURY GOODS

The only full-time international MBA, taught in English with a high level international faculty, specializing on design, fashion and luxury products in Italy.

- Strategic partnerships with leading Italian design, fashion and luxury companies
- Various specializations including:
o Design products for you and your home
o Cars, Yacths and Motorbikes
o Watches and Jewellery
o Fashion products
o Accessories and shoes
o Wine and food

The MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods is a challenging, intensive 12-month full-time international program in English offered by Alma Graduate School. In the years, the business school of the University of Bologna has developed a hands-on, experiential learning environment that accompanies students in their cultural, professional, and personal growth.

The goal of this MBA program is to enable participants to pursue a successful career in the design, fashion, and luxury goods sector through the following:
1. Acquiring of traditional management skills (MBA core courses);
2. Becoming intimately acquainted with the design, fashion, and luxury goods business world;
3. Meeting and working together with top managers of the sector.

The MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods is designed to enhance management knowledge and skills together with competences specific to the sector. The program offers a unique opportunity to blend theory with experience and provides students a high quality mix of analytical, creative, and problem-solving skills required to succeed in the design, fashion, and luxury goods business world.

Managing this sector requires the ability to successfully combine creativity and innovation with long-term marketing, distribution, and organizational strategies. Therefore, the curriculum of the MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods is divided in three main parts: General Management (core MBA courses) and International Markets, which are designed to provide students with the necessary management and business skills; and a Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods concentration, designed to provide an opportunity for specialization and in-depth focus on both traditional and cutting-edge issues in the design, fashion, and luxury goods world.

Other program features are: the internship, career development activities, and language courses (Italian and Business English). Students will achieve a considerable first-hand experience by participating in other curricular activities, such as: field trips, in-company day visits, wine and food tasting, etc.

The Faculty

Faculty members at Alma Graduate School work together offering outstanding teaching standards. A joint team of distinguished national scholars, visiting professors, and top-level managers guarantees an international and interdisciplinary approach.

Each year, Alma Graduate School invites leading experts from around the world, both from academia and business, to share their experience. These lectures are open to all students and are intended to supplement and stimulate classroom discussion.

Entry Requirements

INTERNATIONAL MBA PROGRAMS: UniCredit MBA Retail in the Banking and Financial Industry and MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods

To apply for admissions prospective students should possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution; candidates should also have 3 to 5 years of qualified work experience. Particular emphasis is placed on the international exposure of the applicants. The program is taught entirely in English, therefore, candidates must be proficient in English in order to apply for Alma Graduate School international MBA programs (UniCredit MBA Retail in the Banking and Financial Industry and MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods).

The Admissions Committee, made up of Alma Graduate School faculty members, reviews the applications on a rolling basis. The final deadline for submission of the 2009/2010 application form is July 15th, 2009. However, in order to facilitate and speed up the selection process there are two mid-term deadlines: May 15th (round 1) and June 15th (round 2). Please remember that submitting your application early will increase your chances of being admitted into the program.

Selected candidates will be invited to attend a personal admissions interview. Candidates will be notified via e-mail. The admissions interview will be held at Alma Graduate School at the earliest mutually convenient time for the candidate and for the Admissions Committee (preferably before the deadline of the subsequent round). If this is not possible, a telephone / Skype interview will be arranged. Please note that no interview feedback will be provided by staff members.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all candidates whose native language is not English. Candidates may waive the TOEFL requirement if they have successfully completed (with an average grade of B or better) at least one full-time academic year at an English speaking university. Applicants must provide supporting evidence for this in place of TOEFL scores. Please request ETS to send Alma Graduate School your official score report (Alma Graduate School institution code: 4177). Please, include a copy of your own unofficial score report when e-mailing your application form and other documents.

Applicants are also required to submit official scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Please request GMAC to send Alma Graduate School your official score report (the program is listed as International MBA and the code is: HFZ-J4-87). Please, include a copy of your own unofficial score report when e-mailing your application form and other documents. Applicants may exceptionally submit GRE test scores. Alternatively, candidates may also sit for the Alma Graduate School Admissions Test in Bologna (mid-July).

Application Procedure

APPLICATION CHECKLIST FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA PROGRAMS: UniCredit MBA Retail in the Banking and Financial Industry and MBA Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods
(*) indicates documents that must be submitted via regular post


- Application Form (*). Please read it thoroughly and fill it in with all the information required. After having completed the application form, please print it, sign it, and send it to the International MBA Admissions Office (Villa Guastavillani, Via degli Scalini, 18 – 40136, Bologna, Italy). Remaining documents needed to enroll can be sent separately as long as they match the information provided in the application form. All digital and hard copy documents must in any case reach Alma Graduate School by July 15th, 2009.

- Résumé (one page, in English).

- Undergraduate Degree (*). An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution is required to apply to International MBA programs. Please send your official transcripts, diplomas or certificates (issued in the original language with a certified translation into English) via regular post.

- TOEFL Scores. Alma Graduate School code for receiving test scores is 4177. If you have not requested ETS to send us your scores, please do so. Please include a copy of your own unofficial score report when e-mailing your application form and other documents. If you have attended an English speaking institution (high school, college, university, etc.) for a minimum period of one year full-time, please attach such evidence and you will be exempted from submitting TOEFL scores.

- GMAT Test Scores. Please request GMAC to send Alma Graduate School your official score report. Alma Graduate School code for receiving test scores is HFZ-J4-87. Please include a copy of your own unofficial score report when e-mailing your application form and other documents.

- Letters of Recommendation (*). We request two (2) letters of recommendation (academic or professional).

- Photocopy of International Passport or Identity Card (EU citizens only).

- Photograph. Please send us a passport-sized digital photograph.

- Cover Letter (*). Signed and dated.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition Fee for Alma Graduate School international MBA programs is € 25,000 (+ VAT if abblicable). The tuition fee includes study materials, tutoring for selected courses and the use of Alma Graduate School facilities. The course fee does not include travel or living expenses.

Financial Aid

Every year, thanks to the support of its partners, Alma Graduate School offers full and partial merit-based scholarships.
Thanks to an agreement between Alma Graduate School and UniCredit, candidates for the UniCredit MBA are also eligible to apply for student loans. These low-interest and long-term (up to 10 years) loans, offer attractive repayment options. Loans will cover the full amount of the tuition fee (€ 25,000) or the portion of it that is not covered by the UniCredit Scholarships (in the case of partial scholarships). In addition to this, all participants – including those without scholarship – can benefit from a € 10,000 loan, designed to help them cover their living expenses in Bologna during the academic year.

Location

Villa Guastavillani, a XVI century residence located at the foothills of Bologna, is less than 10 minutes away from the city centre, where history, tradition, and technology live side by side in a framework of natural beauty.

Bologna is a city well known for its ancient university, its medieval towers, rich cultural and social life, a strong tradition of hospitality towards students, its well-preserved city center, and its cuisine. Almost 100,000 university students live in Bologna and this makes of Bologna the most famous and most lively university town in Italy. Participants will fall in love and remain forever fond of the culture, the art, and the incredible scenery of this area. Bologna and its privileged location, set in a prime position in the North of Italy, is only one hour away from Florence and Milan, two hours from Venice and Rome.

Accommodation

Alma Graduate School provides special services for international participants in order to facilitate their arrival and stay in the city of Bologna. For example, as an incoming student, you will receive all necessary support in terms of administrative and immigration matters in order to ensure you have health insurance coverage, visa, and residence permit.

Student Life

An academic year spent at Alma is an unforgettable experience. Life at Alma is characterized by its vibrant community. This community is made up of students from different countries, professors of various academic backgrounds and managers from our Business Network. A network of Alumni is very active in the school environment and highly influential in the business community.

Pre-MBA Course

An intensive Italian language course are available for international students who wish to become involved in the Italian business world and lifestyle, improving their language skills during their stay in Italy. The intensive Italian language course is scheduled in the weeks immediately preceding the beginning of the first term. Business English classes will be offered to all students thoughout the year.