When the academic year begins in November, most students enroll in three regular University of Bologna courses with Italian students. Students also take two more of the special one-semester BCSP courses in contemporary Italian literature, grammar, art history, film studies, and the European Union. All instruction in BCSP courses is in Italian, and the courses are taught by University of Bologna faculty. In addition to the credits earned in the presession, students complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit during the academic year. Final course selection occurs in Bologna at the beginning of the academic year.
Most students take courses in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Courses in some disciplines last for the whole year, but other departments have adopted a semester system. Although IU credit normally transfers to other universities, students from non-BCSP institutions are urged to soncult the advisers on their campuses about the applicability of course work in the program to particular degree requirements. Most courses run the entire academic year. Grades are usually determined by a final oral examination covering readings and lectures alike, without the frequent quizzes and midterm examinations that encourage American students to keep up with their work. The Italian system therefore places a premium on self-discipline.