• International mobility programs are managed centrally by the International Mobility Unit (IMU) and promoted through specific calls with defined deadlines.
• Students must apply during the academic year preceding the intended mobility period.
• Selection is based on merit criteria outlined in the calls. Each study program may also define additional rules regarding eligible semesters.
• Students can choose from the list of available destinations for their program of study.
• Information about partner institutions and exchange programs is available here.
• Candidates deemed eligible will be placed in a ranking list, the progression rules of which are defined by the respective mobility calls and managed by the International Mobility Unit (IMU).
• Eligible candidates who accept the mobility offer resulting from the selection process will be officially nominated by the IMU to the host institutions for which they have been selected, according to the deadlines set by each institution for the mobility period.

Choice of Destinations

Students can explore partner institutions here:

Map of Partner Universities

Partner Universities list_Design

It is recommended to:

• Read reports from past exchange students: Exchange your Experience - School of Design
• Visit the websites of the host institutions
• Attend orientation events organized by the School and IMU

At selecting the Universities, consider aspects such as:

• Language of instruction and requirements
• Academic calendar in the host institution
• Teaching approach and course offerings
• Travel and living costs
• Cultural context

Tips and Advices:

• Don’t overlook lesser-known universities or less common destinations
  They often offer excellent support and cutting-edge facilities.
• Keep in mind that securing a spot at the most popular institutions can be more competitive
  Carefully evaluate your choices, taking your academic average into account—otherwise, you risk missing the opportunity to be selected.

After being selected by Politecnico di Milano and before the official nomination, students must:

• Check the host university’s website for required documents, deadlines, language requirements, and whether a visa is needed.
• Prepare a portfolio, if required by the host institution. Students may consult their Exchange Coordinator (RS) for feedback and refinement before submitting it.

Portfolio

For most partner universities, students will need to submit a portfolio showcasing their work.

What to include?

• The portfolio should demonstrate your skills and competencies and align with the program you are applying for.
• You may include both curricular and extracurricular projects.
• Organize your projects in a logical order—chronologically, by project type, etc.
• Consult your Exchange Coordinator to ensure the portfolio meets the requirements of the host university and is consistent with your study program.

Some resources for students preparing a portfolio for the first time:

• MOOC on portfolio creation: Course: Corso: Portfolio design | POK

What Can and Cannot Be Validated

Students selected for international mobility may validate curricular courses listed in their study plan, with the following exceptions:

Bachelor’s Degree:

• Courses from the 1st year of the Bachelor's program
• Final Synthesis Design Studio
• Final Exam or Thesis

Master’s Degree:

• Final Synthesis Design Studio for the following programs:
  • Integrated Product Design
  • Communication Design
  • Design for the Fashion System
  • Design & Engineering
  • Product Service System Design
• Master’s Thesis

Some courses and activities may be included in the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) but cannot be validated, such as:

• Language courses at the host university
• Activities related to thesis or final project development

Internship Validation for Master’s Students

Internships can be recognized as part of the international mobility experience either within the exchange (included in the OLA) or outside the exchange (not included in the OLA):

Within the exchange:
To validate the internship within the exchange, the student must have at least one curricular course in their study plan to be validated along with the internship.

The internship may be validated through:

• One or more project-based courses offered by the host university
• An internal internship at the host university (in research or teaching lab)
• An external internship offered and contractually managed by the host university

Outside the exchange:
The internship can be carried out before or after the mobility period and registered through the Design School Internship Office as a regular curricular internship.

Students undertaking a curricular internship outside the exchange must prioritize attending and passing the courses taken at the host university.

Thesis and Final Projects

Bachelor’s Degree:
The final project cannot be validated through the exchange. However, students may work on their thesis during the mobility period in coordination with their supervisor at Politecnico.

Master’s Degree:
If a student intends to prepare their thesis abroad, they must always have a faculty supervisor from Politecnico who will approve the thesis. The host institution’s supervisor may be listed as a co-supervisor.

Credits related to the thesis developed abroad will not be validated through the mobility program but will be awarded only upon presentation during the graduation session in Italy.

For Double Degree programs, the rules of the specific double deree program apply.

The Nomination is managed by the International Mobility Unit (IMU), which communicates the list of selected students to the respective partner universities.

The Application is the responsibility of the student, who must wait for the nomination and submit the required documentation to the host university, within the deadlines set by the host institution.

During the application phase, the student must:

• Submit the required documents to the host institution according to the specified procedures and deadlines.
• Wait for acceptance from the host institution for the international mobility program.
• Complete the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) before departure, with approval from the Exchange Coordinator (RS) of their Study Program, ensuring consistency with the study plan for the academic year in which the mobility will take place.

The Exchange Coordinator (RS) is responsible for evaluating the proposed study program abroad, pre-approving the equivalence between the courses to be taken abroad and those included in the student’s Polimi Study Plan. Therefore, students must include in the OLA only the courses listed in the Study Plan they are enrolled in.

The Online Learning Agreement (OLA) must include the courses listed in the student’s Politecnico study plan that the student intend to validate during their international mobility, along with the corresponding courses at the host university.

The OLA application is available via Online Services > International Mobility for Study > “My Mobility” section. All students are granted access and can begin compiling the OLA starting from the day they are officially nominated to the host institution by the IMU.

To complete the OLA correctly, it is recommended to coordinate with your Exchange Coordinator (RS) and consult the dedicated dedicated page and tutorial available on the platform.

The OLA must be prepared before departure as a provisional document, and may be requested by the host university during the application phase.

The pre-departure OLA is a temporary document that can be modified after arrival at the host university. Any changes must be approved by the respective RS as part of the final OLA.

Exam validation will only be possible with an approved OLA and exclusively for the courses listed in the student’s official study plan.

The international mobility experience begins once the student is abroad. It is important to check the academic calendar of the host institution and ensure arrival on the required dates. Upon arrival, the host university will welcome students according to its own procedures and formats.

For more information regarding the mobility grant, please refer to the criteria for international mobility contributions on this page: Before Departure – Polimi.

Many partner institutions offer a time window to choose among available courses, allowing students to make more informed decisions. If the courses identified before departure need to be changed, the student must notify their Exchange Coordinator (RS) to obtain approval for the modification.

In most cases, students spend one semester abroad, completing 30 credits, which can be recognized.

Students must ensure credit equivalence between the courses taken abroad and those in their Politecnico study plan. Supplementary interviews or exams are not allowed.

Some host institutions have minimum credit requirements per semester that students must comply with.

If a student has fewer credits to validate at Politecnico than those earned abroad, the excess credits may be recorded as extracurricular activities completed abroad and will appear in the Diploma Supplement.

Upon return, exam validation is not automatic. The student will receive detailed instructions from the International Mobility Unit regarding the closure of the mobility period.

Only after completing all required steps for closing the mobility, the student can request exam validation via Online Services:

International Mobility for Study > My Mobility > Details > OLA, then click on “Request Validation” to indicate the exams passed abroad and those for which validation is requested. Students may also choose not to validate one or more courses listed in the Transcript of Records (ToR) that were matched with Polimi courses in the OLA.

Once these steps are completed, the student must contact the RS to schedule the final exchange interview.

During the interview, the student must submit a final exchange report highlighting the most relevant aspects of their mobility experience. This document will be published on the School’s website for consultation by other students.

Following the final interview, the RS will proceed with exam validation.

The RS is responsible for evaluating the consistency of the activities carried out and officially validating the exams. Students cannot request validation for Polimi courses not included in their study plan, nor for exams not listed in the OLA—these will not be considered during the grade conversion process.

For grade conversion, the grade distribution curve provided by the host institution along with the Transcript of Records will be used. If the Transcript does not include a grade distribution curve, the RS may refer to the Grade Conversion Table 2025 as a guideline.