# Bocconi University

Bocconi University or Università Bocconi (formally known in Italian as Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi – Luigi Bocconi Commercial University) is a private university in Milan, Italy. The university is consistently ranked as the best in Italy in its fields and among the best in the world.
The university provides education in the fields of economics, finance, law, business administration, management, political science, public administration, information science, data science, and computer science. Bocconi is a founding member of CEMS - The Global Alliance in Management Education, and the university through its graduate business school, SDA Bocconi School of Management, has received triple accreditation from the AACSB, EQUIS, and the AMBA where it offers MBA, Executive MBA, DBA, professional development, executive education, and professional certification programs.

## History

Bocconi University was founded in 1902 by Ferdinando Bocconi and was named after his son, who died in the Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The university was originally affiliated with the Polytechnic University of Milan engineering school and incorporated a teaching model that was based on what was in use at the École Supérieure of Antwerp.

## Campus

The campus was originally located in Via Statuto near the Pinacoteca di Brera, where its first building was inaugurated in 1902. The campus is now located beside Parco Ravizza, between Via Sarfatti and Viale Bligny and consists of several buildings within walking distance to Porta Ticinese, the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio:
* The Sarfatti Building is the oldest building on campus. It was designed in 1936 by the Italian architect Giuseppe Pagano. It contains classrooms, an aula magna, a restaurant, and most of the administrative offices. Its entrance features two lion statues which are the subject of several university myths.
* The pensionato building, which faces Via Ferdinando Bocconi, was inaugurated in 1956 by architect Giovanni Muzio and hosts some grand halls, some of the canteen and dormitory facilities (350 bedrooms on 5 floors), and some faculty offices. The different floors have an irregular form and bear the shape of a symmetric "L" letter, which stands for Laude.
* The SDA Bocconi building, which is also in Via Ferdinando Bocconi, was opened in 1985 and featured two blocks with a distinct set of dark metal panels. The building was extended in 2001, especially to host EGEA, the university bookstore. The campus football pitch is placed between the pensionato and the SDA Bocconi building.
* The modern Velodromo building was projected by Ignazio Gardella and opened in 2001. It is called so due to its form resembling an ellipsoid velodrome. Each of its four floors has about ten classrooms with a capacity of 150. The Velodromo uses a geothermal exchange heat pump as its air conditioning system, which provides energy conservation. A marble statue of Ferdinando Bocconi overlooks the foyer of the ground floor.
* Close by, in Piazza Sraffa, are the Library building (also built by Giovanni Muzio in 1962), the campus chapel "San Ferdinando", and some smaller buildings such as those with the offices of the Language Center and other extracurricular activities.
* In 2007, a new building was inaugurated in Via Guglielmo Roentgen known as Grafton Building from the name of the Irish practice Grafton Architects which designed the innovative building. The Grafton Building won the "World building of the year" at the World Architecture Festival 2008 held in Barcelona. The new building houses the offices of the entire Faculty, with its Departments and Research Centers in Viale Bligny. Its underground levels include, in addition to the new Aula Magna, seminar rooms, a spacious foyer, an exhibition area and parking. It is situated next to the Velodromo. The 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize was awarded to its designers, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.
Several other administrative and research offices of Bocconi's institutes are scattered across the area, especially around Parco Ravizza and Viale Isonzo.

### Dormitories

Bocconi University provides off-campus students with approximately 1800 places in dorms. Residences for students are Bocconi Residence, Javotte Residence, Dubini Residence, Spadolini Residence, Arcobaleno Residence, the more modern Isonzo Residence, Bligny Residence, and the latest Castiglioni Residence (inaugurated in 2018) and the former Kramer Residence (Now closed).

## Academics
### Undergraduate programs

The university offers four three-year undergraduate courses in Economics which share a common basis in the first three semesters and then distinguish themselves from one another by focusing on either Finance (CLEF), Social sciences (CLES) or Business administration (CLEAM); the fourth course is entirely taught in English (BIEF) and is targeted at both international students and students pursuing an international career. Students in this course have the choice to major in Economics, Management or Finance during their course of studies.
A fifth separate three-year undergraduate course in Economics focuses on the economics and management of Arts, Culture and Communication (CLEACC).
Another three-year undergraduate course is the Bachelor's in International Politics and Government (BIG), the first degree in the field of political science and international relations offered by the university.
Also the university offers a Bachelor of Arts in partnership with HEC Paris. Announced in October 2023, it is focused on Data, Society & Organizations, it combines data sciences and social sciences. Students spend the first three semesters in Italy and the last three in France on the Jouy-en-Josas campus.
Bocconi also offers the World Bachelor in Business program, a four-year undergraduate degree developed in partnership with the University of Southern California and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, allowing students to study across three continents and earn degrees from all three institutions.
The university also offers a five-year course in Law, which incorporates the Italian equivalents of the Bachelor of Laws and the Master of Laws.
The bachelor's degrees in finance (BIEF) has been recognized by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA Institute). The partnership is granted to programs which cover at least 70% of the content necessary to take the CFA Program Exam level III, the highest level.
In a joint venture with the Central European University of Budapest, Hungary, Bocconi also offers a four-year Dual Degree in International Business, the first two years of which are spent in Budapest and the latter in Milan.

### Graduate programs

The Bocconi Graduate School mainly offers master programs taught in English, with some also in Italian:
* International Management;
* CEMS MIM Program
* China MIM Program
* Management (English and Italian);
* ESSEC – Bocconi Double Degree
* Marketing Management (English and Italian);
* Accounting, Financial Management and Control (English and Italian);
* Finance (English and Italian);
* Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media and Entertainment;
* Economics and Management for Arts, Culture and Communication;
* Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations
* Economics and Social Sciences;
* Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology;
* Data Science and Business Analytics;
* Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance
* LSE – Bocconi Double Degree;
* Sciences Po – Bocconi Double Degree;
* Law and Business Administration (Only in Italian).
Bocconi has established many partnerships for its Master of Science programs: the Master of Science in Finance was among the first six programs in the world to establish a partnership with the CFA institute and the first in continental Europe, while the Masters of Science in Management and International Management enable a select number of students to take part in the CEMS Master of International Management, of which Bocconi is a founding member, along with HEC, ESADE and University of Cologne.

### School of Law

Bocconi University School of Law was established in 2006, consolidating the tradition of legal studies at Bocconi under the aegis of the "A. Sraffa" Institute for Comparative Law. The School of Law currently offers a combined LL.B. and LL.M. in Law, runs the Specialization School for Legal professions in cooperation with the University of Pavia, and hosts a Summer Academy in cooperation with the University of Trento, as well as with the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.

### PhD School

The Bocconi PhD School offers the following 4-year PhD programs:
* PhD in Economics and Finance;
* PhD in Business Administration and Management;
* PhD in Statistics and Computer Science;
* PhD in Public Policy and Administration;
* PhD in Legal Studies (3-year program);

### SDA Bocconi

SDA Bocconi (Italian: Scuola di Direzione Aziendale Bocconi, lit. 'Bocconi School of Management') is the graduate business school of the university. The business school offers MBA programs, executive education, professional certifications, and a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Founded in 1971, SDA Bocconi is fully accredited by the AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA. The school is also the publisher of E&M (Economia & Management), an Italian business and management review. The SDA also offers further Master of Science programs in Corporate Finance and Banking, Real Estate Management, Fine Food and Beverage management, Fashion Management, Design Management, Sports Law and Sport Management, and a Master in Stage and Show Management.

## Research and endowment

In 2006, research was mainly funded by Bocconi itself (around €1.5 million), the European Union (around €1.4 million) and the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (around €300 thousand), in addition to other external sources (around €11 million). In 2011, the European Research Council (ERC) assigned around €5 million to five projects in the area "social science and humanities" led by five Bocconi professors.
Bocconi is a member of the Offshoring Research Network, an international network researching the offshoring of business processes and services.

### Departments

* Accounting
* Economics
* Finance
* Management and Technology
* Marketing
* Decision Sciences
* Legal Studies
* Policy Analysis and Public Management
* Computing sciences

### Permanent Research Centers

* ASK – Centre for Research on Management and Economics of Arts and Culture Institutions (Study centre on the economics and management of the arts and culture)
* PAOLO BAFFI CENTRE – Paolo Baffi Centre on International Markets, Money and Regulation
* CAREFIN – Centre for Applied Research in Finance
* CERGAS – Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management (Institutional structures; management of public and private companies providing healthcare and social services)
* CERMES – Centre for Research on Marketing & Services (Marketing and competitive analysis; commercial consumption and distribution; trade fairs)
* CERTeT – Center for Research on Regional Economics, Transport and Tourism (Urban, regional and transport structures of territorial economics; evaluation of EU policies on territorial development)
* CREDI – "Ariberto Mignoli" Centre for European Research on Business Law and History
* CReSV – Center for Research on Sustainability and Value
* CRIOS – Center for Research on Innovation, Organization and Strategy
* DONDENA CENTRE – Carlo F. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (Interdisciplinary research on social cohesion, demography, life course dynamics and public policy)
* IEFE – Centre for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy (Energy economics and policies; environmental policies and management; economics and management of public utility companies – energy and environmental)
* IGIER – Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research. Part of the Institute of Economics, it operates jointly with two international bodies, the US-based NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research, and the UK-based CEPR, Centre for Economic Policy Research (Economics and economic policy)
* ECONPUBBLICA – Centre for Research on the Public Sector (Taxation system; organisation of the social state; privatisation; income distribution; fiscal federalism)

## International rankings

| Institute | Subject | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| QS World University Rankings | Social Sciences and Management | 16th | 16th | 10th | 10th | 16th | 16th | 11th | 17th | 22nd |
| QS World University Rankings | Finance Masters | 11th | 10th | 10th | | 10th | 11th | 8th | | |
| QS World University Rankings | Management Masters | 13th | 11th | | | 9th | 11th | 11th | | |
| QS World University Rankings | Accounting & Finance | 17th | 17th | | 16th | 17th | 18th | 29th | 33rd | 27th |
| QS World University Rankings | Business & Management Studies | 9th | 7th | 6th | 7th | 7th | 8th | 10th | 11th | 10th |
| QS World University Rankings | Economics & Econometrics | 16th | 16th | 16th | 18th | 16th | 16th | 16th | 16th | 17th |
| QS World University Rankings | Global MBA | 20th | 22nd | | | 23rd | 10th | 22nd | | |
| QS World University Rankings | Global EMBA | | | | | | 16th | 19th | | |
| Financial Times | Global MBA | 3rd | 6th | | 13th | 12th | 31st | 29th | 22nd | 25th |
| Financial Times | European Business Schools | 6th | 5th | | | | | | | |
| Financial Times | Executive Education (customized) | 5th | 9th | | | | 4th | 7th | 4th | 6th |
| Financial Times | Executive Education (open) | 9th | 14th | | | | 23rd | 28th | 33rd | 39th |
| Financial Times | Master in Finance (pre-experience) | 18th | 13th | | | | | 8th | 7th | 9th |
| Financial Times | Master in Management | 11th | 8th | | | | 10th | 6th | 10th | 11th |
| Bloomberg | European B-Schools ranking | | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 5th | 5th | | | |
| ARWU | Economics | 32nd | 32nd | | | | 27th | 31st | 40th | |
| ARWU | Finance | 47th | 51–75 | | | | 34th | 36th | 50th | |
| ARWU | Management | 29th | 25th | | | | 30th | 34th | 41st | |
| Times Higher Education | Business and Economics | | | | | | | 27th | | |
| US News | Best Global Universities for Economics and Business | | | | | | 24th | 27th | | |
| Forbes | The Best International MBAs: One-Year Programs | | | | | 4th | | | 5th | |
| The Economist | MBA | | | | | 6th | 28th | 38th |

## Student life
### Student publications

The university hosts student-run publications:
* Tra i Leoni: a campus magazine run by the eponymous society.
* Bocconi School of Law Student-Edited Papers: the Law School's official student publication. The journal's editorial board are selected by way of an annual write-on competition, and go on to select and provide feedback on submitted papers, as well as organizing the annual call for papers.
* IS@B News: a campus magazine run by the International Student Association (IS@B).
* Be OBjective Magazine: a bimonthly pdf magazine founded by students from the ACME course. The magazine focuses on art, culture, media and entertainment.

### Superstitions

In the atrium of the oldest building of the university, there are three sets of doors. The central doors, which are larger than the others, have two lions on either side of them. There is a superstition within the university that students who pass in between the two lions via the central doors risk not being able to graduate. This derives from the adage "Chi passa tra i Leoni non si laurea alla Bocconi."
If seen from the top, the three main buildings of Bocconi seem to spell "30L" (30 cum laude), the maximum achievable grade in any exam. The building in Via Roentgen is the "3", the velodrome is the "0" and the main building is a cross of two "L"s.

## Notable people
### Alumni

* Alberto Alemanno, professor of law at New York University (NYU)
* Alberto Alesina, Harvard University professor
* Franco Amatori, Bocconi University professor of Economics History, past president of the European Business History Association
* Jörg Asmussen, member of the executive board of the European Central Bank
* Oriana Bandiera, professor of economics at the London School of Economics
* Tito Boeri, professor of Labour economics at Bocconi University, columnist for La Repubblica and former president of INPS (National Institute for Social Security in Italy)
* Luigi Corradi, engineer and CEO of Trenitalia
* Francesca Cornelli, Dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, previously professor of finance and deputy dean at London Business School
* Jelena Djokovic, tennis player and Novak Djokovic's wife
* Luigi Einaudi, President of the Italian Republic (1948–1955) and governor of Bank of Italy
* Francesco Giavazzi, economist and Bocconi University professor
* Vittorio Grilli, Italian Minister of Economy and Finance (2012–13) and previously a professor at Yale University
* Fiorella Kostoris, professor of economics at the Sapienza University of Rome
* Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault; former president of SEAT
* Antonio Merlo, Rice University professor and dean
* Mario Monti, former Italian Prime Minister (2011–13)
* Emma Bonino, former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–14)
* Vittorio Colao, CEO of Vodafone Group, Italian Minister for Technological Innovation in the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi
* Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, economist and former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance (2006–08)
* Corrado Passera, former Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Infrastructure and Transport (2011–13)
* Barbara Pollastrini, former Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities in the Prodi II Cabinet (2006)
* Nouriel Roubini, NYU Stern School of Business professor
* Fabrizio Saccomanni, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Italian government and former General Manager of the Bank of Italy
* Paolo Scaroni, CEO of Eni; chair of AC Milan
* Renato Soru, billionaire entrepreneur and manager, founder of the internet service company Tiscali
* Luigi Zingales, University of Chicago Booth School of Business professor
* Patrizia Toia, Italian politician and member of the European Parliament
* Marco Patuano, CEO of TIM Group
* Federico Marchetti, CEO and founder of YOOX Net-a-Porter Group
* Marco Cappato, Italian politician and member of the European Parliament
* Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi, economist
* Alessandro Pansa, former CEO of Leonardo
* Claudio Costamagna, chairman of Advanced Accelerator Applications
* Giovanni Arrighi, professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University
* Domenico Lombardi, president of The Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
* Eduardo Missoni, secretary general of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
* Andrea Enria, chair of the ECB Supervisory Board (2019–present), and previously chair of the European Banking Authority (2011–19)
* Mario Biondi, novelist, travel writer, poet
* Paolo Brera, journalist, author, and former assistant professor of political economy at Bocconi University
* Teresa de Lauretis, writer and professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz
* Valerio Massimo Manfredi, journalist, television host, historical novelist
* Mario Arcelli, economist, Minister for the Budget in the Italian government
* Fabio De'Longhi, CEO of De'Longhi
* Francesco Milleri, CEO of Luxottica
* Salvatore Aranzulla, blogger and entrepreneur
* Dubravka Negre, Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia since 2022
* Sergio Noja Noseda, professor of Islamic law, Arabic Language and Literature. Author of multiple books on Islamic culture
* Alessandro Profumo, banker
* Marco Tronchetti Provera, manager
* Massimo Renon, CEO of the Benetton Group since 2020
* Luigi Roth, CEO of Breda Railway Construction (1993–2001)
* Leopoldo Sabbatini, first dean of Bocconi University, vice president of the Milan Chamber of Commerce
* Nina Senicar, Serbian model
* Guido Tabellini, former rector of Bocconi University (2008–12) and columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore
* Sara Tommasi, pornographic actress
* Benedetto Della Vedova, politician
* Roberto Vedovotto, CEO of Kering Eyewear since 2014

### Other

* Andrea Agnelli, businessman and chairman of Juventus FC
* Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Apulia
* Pierre Casiraghi, seventh in line to the throne of Monaco, son of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and nephew of Albert II, Prince of Monaco
* Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, former chairman of Juventus F.C.
* Chiara Ferragni, fashion blogger, has not obtained the degree.
* Steven Goldstein, race car driver
* Beatrice Borromeo, noblewoman of the House of Borromeo, journalist and ex-model
* Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este
* Vittorio Gallinari, basketball player
* Clarence Seedorf, Dutch football player
* Carla Sozzani, gallerist known for creating the 10 Corso Como complex

## Alumnus of the Year

The award for Alumnus of the Year was given for the first time in 2011 to Fabrizio Saccomanni, former general director of Bank of Italy, replacing the awards for Bocconian of the Year (given since 1988) and Master of Masters (given since 2007). The award is given to a Bocconi alumnus from any of the five schools (Undergraduate School, School of Law, Graduate School, PhD School and SDA Bocconi School of Management) who has distinguished himself following the Bocconian values of professionality, entrepreneurship, integrity, responsibility and openness. The award is given by the Bocconi Alumni Association (BAA) and recipients have included: Jörg Asmussen, Emma Bonino, Urbano Cairo, Giovanni Castellucci, Vittorio Colao, Claudio Costamagna, Andrea Enria, Corrado Passera, Alessandro Profumo, Nouriel Roubini, Paolo Scaroni, Carlo Scognamiglio, Renato Soru, Lucio Stanca, Luca de Meo, Francesca Bellettini, Roberto Mazzotta, Stefano Sassi, Giuseppe Sala, Federico Marchetti, Giovanni Ciserani, Diego Piacentini, Laura Cioli, Alberto Cribiore, Gaetano Micciché, Paolo Cuccia, Enrico Cucchiani, Vittorio Grilli, Marco Drago, Emma Marcegaglia, Isabella Ventura, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Giovanni Giudici, Jody Vender, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Giordano Zucchi.