Thoughts on Undergraduate Studies in Engineering at Politecnico di Milano Italy?

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Hi All,

Does anyone know anyone that has gone to or is attending the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, and what know their experience has been, particularly in undergraduate (or even graduate) Engineering?

I understand the basics format…

Lectures: Traditional teaching sessions for core concepts.
Lab Sessions: Hands-on experimental work to apply theory.
Group Work & Projects: Collaborative activities, often with industrial input, for practical problem-solving.
Case Studies & Simulation: Using real-world examples and software for data-driven learning.
In-class Activities: Interactive sessions to reinforce learning.

I would like to double-confirm if it is like Europe (France, Germany) – where you have one big exam at the end of the semester and the result is your grade.

How difficult are these exams, and how do most students fare on these exams? An AI search results in…

“Students often find it challenging, but distributions show many pass with solid scores (around 25-27), though achieving high marks (28-30) requires significant effort, with success depending on understanding the rigorous workload”

Feedback and general thinking are welcome. Thank you

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Do you plan to work in the USA after graduating? Do you have EU citizenship? Why Italy?

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1-Year Academic Program Options besides a Boarding School PG Year seems to be a previous thread regarding the student.

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Which field?

If i was coming back to the US, I wouldn’t.

I don’t see any ABET accredited schools in Italy.

Why does it matter?

Because many engineering jobs say this:

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Chemical Engineering from an ABET accredited school

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Note that there are mutual recognition agreements between ABET and accreditors in some non-US countries. The relevant one for engineering is the Washington Accord. However, Italy is not one of the countries where engineering accreditation is covered under the Washington Accord: Is Your Program Recognized? - ABET

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Even if so, I wouldn’t assume an employer, checking their ABET list, would know that.

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Thank you, this is helpful. Masters degree will be pursued directly at the same school – so bypassing the ABET requirement for grad school. And like @tsbna44 indicated – employers may not care since it is coming from a top 20 global institution – with many companies being international. Nevertheless, still useful information so thank you very much and thank you @tsbna44 as well.

I’d like to hear peoples impressions on the curriculum and passing the exams, in case there is anyone out there.

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I did not say that. Quite the opposite - and when someone hasn’t yet enrolled, it’s presumptuous to assume a Masters, especially given that 50% of engineering majors don’t complete an undergrad in engineering.

Personally, if I was wanting to come here, I wouldn’t go to a foreign school. Both UCONN and URI have international engineering programs.

A top global school means nothing if no one has heard of it.

Obviously go where the student wants but I’d have concerns of seeking a career here.

Best of luck. And I hope you get the answers you seek.

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USA: She is interested in Europe (that may change as there are tradeoffs). EU: No EU citizenship. Italy: Its not Italy per se, it is that they have undergrad Engineering degrees in English (Germany does not, France has 1 but the degrees are general AND it is a military institute – Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Netherlands does not [schools like UCR and UCU lack the curriculum]).

Its a top 20 uni for Engineering (kiddo has the credentials and mindset, but may not be into a lecture-based environment though will adapt), a lot more affordable than the United States ~25k usd, with housing (or what they call accommodation). She will probably go Phd knowing her – and so starting at 25k makes that much more likely. She wants to live in Europe, as of now, so we want to support the goals.

If you know of any others that are rigorous, reputable, affordable, offer housing, in English, please share. I have looked at other countries. For example… UK is out due to exchange rate and base tuition, Technical University of Denmark has “General Engineering but not as highly rated and more expensive and concerned about geo-politics there.

Thank you

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Ok, inference redacted @tsbna44. US companies have evolved in the last 20 years – they recognize brand names, and should be one of those schools, and the demand is high for Engineers. Hopefully the US will want educated people again in the future but in the current state that is questionable.

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Informazioni Generali del Corso di Studi indicates that the engineering majors are in Italian (you can select various majors, but they all show Italian as the language used).

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There are colleges here for $25k if you have the right stats and kids who attend these schools get PhDs although I don’t think you can predict that at 17. You won’t like the names.

I’m not saying not to do it. I’m sure the experience would be amazing. I would do a lot of research. Find career outcomes.

Also note that most educated engineers don’t work as engineers anyway.

I’m not saying companies wouldn’t hire European educated students. I just noted they might be disqualified from many jobs b4 applying.

Also, rank and engineering in the U.S. - often irrelevant. It’s a field where rank is of marginal importance in most cases, at least in the workforce.

Just saying go in eyes wide open. Living overseas could be a wonderful opportunity. But could also be career limiting here.

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Web site shows undergrad offered in English for – Engineering Science, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, and many Engineering Masters in English. Link here – https://www.polimi.it/en/education/laurea-programmes

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Thank you, this is useful and what we need as feedback.

US States can require ABET – I looked this up after you shared. Definitely a potential problem.

Experiencing Europe, and trying to stay there permanently, is a goal (although I am concerned the companies there would not hire an American).

Cost is definitely a drivers – this school will cost less than 200k through a masters, while the top schools here are 450-600k through a masters. Whereas a starting salary of ~100k is the likely initial outcome (and AI could impact it) and needs to be considered of course. We are aware of Cooper Union and Binghamton but they are NY centric schools so could pose their own recognition challenges outside NY.

We are aware of the other concerns/considerations you mention…

Long duration to getting a phd – her interests could change, many start in Engineering and pivot (often because of higher salaries in finance and software engineering (which does not necessarily pay well anymore) but she finds it interesting (even fascinating) and is very driven and a has growth mindset.

School rank – there are 2 reasons for this. (1) You are correct in that there is leeway in where you went to school however companies do recognize top schools (but not sure they would recognize this school). (2) She is already at a college that has highly functioning/capable students and professors (highly selective and rigorous college, but expensive and 3-2 pre-engineering only) and wants to continue to engage with people who are at a similar level.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

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I am Italian on my mom’s side. My cousins and their kids are all still there. One of the cousins studied computer engineering (I don’t believe in Milan). I believe it took him 6 years to graduate. Because the costs are so very low for Italians and most live at home, it’s very very common for students to fail end of the year exams and have to retake their classes. No one seems to bat an eye there.

It also took him a very very long time to find a job post graduation. He is working now but salaries are nowhere close to what they are in the US and he’s still living at home (age 30) which is also very common because housing is so crazy expensive and they don’t do mortgages like we do here.

I will also caution that even if classes are taught in English, your child will need to be able to converse with professors in different majors, advisors, staff, and other students. Let alone in the community at large. For the kids generation, almost everyone learns English but that is not necessary true for those in the parents generation which may be some of the staff/faculty.

IMO, I think your child should consider affordable US programs (if they are competitive for top schools in Europe, they will be competitive for schools that offer high merit in the US) and focus on doing study abroad or a program like Purdue’s GEARE: GEARE : Our Programs - Office of Professional Practice - Purdue University

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A) what’s a top school?

B) what are her stats. Last year posts made it seem like she was a bit under water rigor wise. So is a perceived top school even possible?

Depending on stats, she can be out well under $200K. Again, in engineering - look at my son, turned down Purdue for Alabama. He’s far from the only. Certain schools buy kids in. I spent maybe $70K over four years - but it’s stat dependent. Who does he work with? Michigan, Case Western, Washington, UC Something but also W MIchigan, Akron, Buffalo. They all come in together. That’s how engineering is - ABET is often the baseline organizations use. They literally write it in job descriptions. One of his offers was in Mass. They seemed to have a lot of RPIs per people in the program (he only applied to Rotational programs and that company was a major defense contractor).

What is your state? That can bring discounts.

Per College Transitions, some of your low costs engineering top PHD feeders per capita -

Olin - it’s heavily scholarshiped

RPI - lots of merit

Rose Hulman - lots of merit - #1 ranked amongst schools not offering a PHD

New Mexico Tech - low cost (#10 on the per capita feeder list)

#11 is Clarkson - my friend’s kid goes for under $40K

#12 is Missouri Science and Tech - low cost + merit

Also low cost on the top PhD list - Michigan Tech, Florida Tech, etc.

I do think you’re presumptuous on a few things:

  1. The Italian degree appears to be 3 years. Does it have enough credits/rigor
  2. That she’ll finish in engineering - half don’t. It’s a tough major - my stud kid had to withdraw a math class his first semester. Yeah, he retook with an A - but it’s hard. Many go to other majors. His friends at other schools had similar experiences.
  3. That’s she’ll pursue a Masters. Some do - but not everyone - and some do it, for example, at my son’s school - because they were NMFs and had 5 years paid for in scholarship so not to waste it. Others, do a different Masters like business - but after they’ve worked a few years.
  4. You also mentioned a PhD - and I think she’s 17/18 - and I think it’s great if it happens - but you are planning a life that is unlikely to go int he linear pattern you think.

I’m not saying she shouldn’t pursue Italy. If that’s what she really wants. I do think you are planning a little too much long term.

And I do think if you are budget conscious, that’s not a problem here. I also think your over focus on rank, especially in engineering, is not necessary.

We don’t know anything about her stat wise - maybe you should do a match me - since you are budget constrained.

And then the question becomes - are you full pay or do you qualify for need - because if you qualify for need, there are schools that might bring your cost down anyway.

If you read any of the feeds, you will see a lot of schools today are buying kids. It’s a competitive world and they’d rather pay for kids to come in vs. having empty seats.

If it’s truly Italy or Europe she wants - I wish her well. Would a Canadian school - not sure the costs - but in Quebec but a reasonable sub ? I know McGill speaks English - I don’t know the costs and nuances of engineering but it’s popular on the CC. They say Montreal is European :slight_smile: I was there last summer - ehhhhh. Quebec City moreso. Or might another continent like Australia work - again, I don’t know the nuances of engineering. Or England or Ireland - all speaking English :slight_smile:

Good luck.

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There has been quite a bit of discussion here regarding ABET accreditation for requirements by employers, all of which is pretty much valid.

To me, the bigger hurdle for attending a non-ABET accredited program/university is professional licensing. Pretty much all states (I have a PE licenses in 26 of them) require that your degree is from an ABET accredited program/university. If not, you need to “demonstrate” that the curriculum is comparable to those that are ABET accredited. I am not sure how onerous this is or if all states will accept it even if you get approval through NCEES. You may want to do a little internet searching for NCESS acceptance for non-ABET accredited degrees.

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Thank you, this is helpful.

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But not everyone will get or need a PE. So it depends on what type of engineer they want to be. My son, as a manufacturing engineer (a MechE by education) will likely never need one whereas a Civil very well may.

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Indeed, good point, this makes it all the more complicated. It is too early to tell. She is curious about structural/architectural engineering but that could change and there will be jobs we cannot predict (AI, Fusion, Quantum, Robotics are hot now).