Control Engineering

The final exam is a fundamental, decisive, and highly qualifying element of the master's degree program in Control Engineering, and is designed to be an important credential for graduates entering the workforce.

In general, the final exam consists of a theoretical, design, or experimental activity lasting an average of six months, in which students are required to apply the knowledge acquired during the degree program to produce a theoretical, design, or experimental work related to a topic (related to automation) proposed by the supervisor. This work demonstrates, first, a mastery of the state of the art relating to the proposed topic and, second, the ability to add elements of innovation/originality to this state of the art, the correctness and effectiveness of which is verified through theoretical demonstrations and/or simulations and/or experimental tests.
In addition, the Final Exam must demonstrate the student's ability to present the work carried out (i) in a text written in English (thesis) that contains all the above elements, presented in a clear, detailed, and understandable manner even to individuals with a scientific background but who are not necessarily specialists in the subject, (ii) in an oral presentation (final exam) that, in a limited amount of time, is able to effectively communicate the salient aspects of the work.

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A student honors program is being activated for a limited number of highly qualified students that are registered to this master course. Upon selection, students in this program will be assigned to a tutor and will be involved in additional scientific and educational activities, beyond those being part of the regular course of study.

The students admitted to the Students Honor program will be assigned a tutor and will carry out the following activities, for a minimum of 100 hours and a maximum of 200 hours, based on a program defined by the tutor which generally includes: (a) theoretical and methodological activities, such as participation to a doctoral course, to a course of the Sapienza High School of Advanced Studies (SSAS) or participation in a summer school; (b) project activities, such as research and development activities in the industrial sector through the participation in internships within research and development projects, academic research projects through the participation in project and laboratory activities. Erasmus students who carry out part of their curriculum at a foreign university and have access to the Students Honor program can carry out a part of it at the hosting foreign institution.

The call for applications is published each academic year, typically in the month of December. The submission deadline and the publication date of the results are specified in the call.

In a given academic year, applications are restricted to students who enrolled in the previous academic year to the first year of the Master of Science in Control Engineering for their first time, and that have earned by November 30 of the current academic year at least 42 credits in their first-year curriculum, reaching a weighted average grade on exams larger or equal than 27 (out of 30) (in the average, every grade is weighted by the number of credits of the exam). The maximum number of students admitted to the honors program is currently 7 (seven).

In order to complete successfully the honors program, students must have fulfilled the planned scientific and educational activities and have earned all the credits in their curriculum by the end of their second academic year, with a weighted average grade on exams larger or equal than 27 (out of 30).

Upon graduation, a student who has successfully completed the honors program will receive a certificate that mentions the extra activities performed. Participation to the honors program will be declared in the academic transcripts of the student. At that stage, Sapienza will assign an award equal to the amount of the registration fees paid for the last year of the course of study (in practice, the fees of the second year of study will be reimbursed).

Sapienza's Career Service supports students and graduates in the delicate transition from university to the world of work, providing various services including:
- assistance and information on the services provided;
- individual career guidance counseling;
- CV review;
- training catalog for career guidance and employability development;
- partnership agreements with companies for the implementation of placement and career guidance initiatives;
- confidential selection processes;
- organization of recruiting and orientation events;
- organization of Career Days.

Career support takes the form of specific activities organized by the Career Service and/or by faculties and other university structures, or in collaboration with companies, external public or private bodies, and trade associations.
Career guidance activities may consist of seminars, workshops, and themed events on career guidance, transferable skills, and career management skills (e.g., soft skills, CV writing, active job search strategies, video CVs, social networks, Employability Lab, etc.).
To facilitate meetings with companies and organizations, Recruiting Days, Career Days, Testimonial Days, company presentations, company visits, assessments, business games, mentoring programs, and other placement-related initiatives are organized, including those with alumni and corporate mentors. These events can be held either online or in person and are aimed at finding the most suitable profiles for the professional opportunities offered by companies.
Seminars, workshops, and thematic events dedicated to placement (e.g., innovation, start-ups, business incubation, focus on professions, Innovation Camp, etc.) are also available to students and graduates.

Students and graduates have access to the JobTeaser Sapienza IT platform to:
• create and customize their CV;
• apply for job opportunities in line with their curriculum profile;
• consult the list of companies and associations registered on the platform to contact them independently;
• book recruiting events, company presentations, and scheduled Career Days.

Every year, the Career Service organizes the University Career Day, dedicated to students and graduates from all eleven Sapienza faculties, as well as various Career Days for specific subject areas or faculties, such as: Career Day for Human and Social Sciences; Career Day for Economics and Law; Career Day for STEM.

The services, calendar of events, and opportunities dedicated to students and graduates are published on the University website at the following page: https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina/career-service-studenti-e-laureati
The Career Service manages its own social media channels on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, where it promotes services, calls for applications, competitions, and other opportunities for students and graduates.

Contact: https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina/contatti-career-service

***Activities of the CdS***

The numerous contacts and consultations with companies, as well as the many applied research projects that have resulted from them, have made it possible to create stable synergies and continuity (technology transfer) between the activities of the CdS and leading national companies (TIM, Leonardo, Enel, Thales Alenia Space Italia (TASI), Telespazio, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Technip, Elis, On-Air, Whoosnap, GS Automation).
In particular, the numerous applied research projects carried out by DIAG professors, at European and national level, in collaboration with the above-mentioned companies, have very often made it possible to accompany new graduates in Control Engineering into the workplace, as they have provided them, on the one hand, with technical skills that are particularly attractive to companies (in particular, the ability to apply in practice the theoretical methodologies acquired during their master's degree, the refinement of fundamental soft skills in the business world, such as the ability to work in a team and the ability to conceive project proposals from an organizational and administrative point of view) and, on the other hand, the administrative and financial tools (research grants, scholarships, contracts, internships) to manage the delicate period between their master's degree and permanent employment in companies or universities.
The virtuous circle that has been created through the aforementioned mechanisms of collaboration with companies is such that the CdS often cannot meet the demands from companies for new graduates in Control Engineering to enter the workforce. In this context, there is also a strong demand from companies for Control Engineering students to write their master's thesis and/or do internships/work placements, in collaboration with CdS professors, on topics of interest to the company. In these cases, it is very common for the company to be so satisfied with the collaboration that it offers the student a job in the company even after graduation.
In light of the above, it is worth highlighting the constant and demanding work carried out by the program's professors who are most involved in consultations and projects with companies, aimed at guiding graduating students and recent graduates, who are often confused by the numerous job opportunities available to them.