COMUNICAZIONE PUBBLICA E PROFESSIONI DELL'INFORMAZIONE

First-Level Communication Professional (3.3.3.6.1, 3.1.5.5.0, 3.3.3.6.2)
The degree programme aims to train graduates capable of recognising and leveraging opportunities in an evolving professional landscape, particularly in the management and governance of media systems. To this end, scientific and disciplinary knowledge provides the theoretical and methodological foundation for working in both public and private organisations, at the national and international levels. Graduates will be equipped to work as communication and public relations officers, multimedia specialists, distance education experts, and professionals in journalism and information. They may be employed in editorial offices, publishing houses, advertising and integrated communication agencies, businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Employment Sectors • Local authorities and public administrations (in compliance with Italian Law no. 150/2000); • Companies and consortia; • Non-profit and third-sector organisations; • Advertising and integrated communication agencies; • Web and multimedia communication agencies; • Media industry; • Training and educational institutions. The acquired competencies will also enable graduates to start their own entrepreneurial ventures and develop start-ups in the field of communication and digital technologies for administrations and businesses. Graduates may work in a variety of settings as freelancers, entrepreneurs, employees, independent contractors, or through other contractual arrangements permitted by current legislation.

In general terms, students are expected to have a good command of at least one foreign language in addition to English. In the specific field, they are expected to possess skills and tools for communication, information management and the exchange of information.

More specifically, they should acquire rhetorical and linguistic skills, including knowledge and application of rhetorical figures and of different linguistic styles, from spoken to written language, also in relation to social and cultural differences, as well as knowledge of syntax and semantics; audiovisual skills, including knowledge and application in the various fields of cinema, television, radio and photography, and the use of certain technical supports and equipment for the presentation, transmission and reproduction of images and texts; graphic and editorial skills, including basic knowledge and application of graphics, editing and text layout, also in the field of computer graphics; psychosocial skills, including the use of group dynamics and problem-solving techniques; and technological and IT skills, including the management and organisation of multimedia content and of digital and social communication.

The achievement of these learning outcomes is entrusted primarily to subject-specific courses, delivered through interactive teaching methods, just as the assessment of the levels of competence acquired takes place largely within those courses.

However, an important role is also assigned to other educational activities, such as workshops, seminars, internships, study periods abroad and the final examination.

Graduates develop autonomous, critical and selective learning skills that enable them to undertake further studies in the field of Communication Sciences with a high degree of independence and to maintain their professional and academic knowledge through continuous updating of the theoretical and practical developments within the disciplines characterising the programme.

These learning outcomes are achieved through the study methods adopted in the subject-specific courses, delivered through interactive teaching approaches, and through participation in workshops, seminars, internships, study-abroad experiences and the final dissertation.

The assessment of the competences acquired takes place across the various learning environments and educational activities that constitute the programme.

A good ability to relate professional intervention and the provision of a specific communication service or product to the broader cultural, economic and social context of communities and the local area, in a manner free from prejudice and from constraints linked to the organisational and ascriptive characteristics of the actors involved.

The expected learning outcomes are pursued primarily through the contribution of courses delivered using appropriately interactive teaching methods. Assessment of the levels of competence acquired is carried out not only through the ordinary assessment procedures provided for in the individual courses, but also through students’ individual performance in workshops, working groups, case studies and design-based activities, as well as through presentations of readings completed on texts assigned by the lecturer.

ITALIAN

First-Level Communication Professional (3.3.3.6.1, 3.1.5.5.0, 3.3.3.6.2)
Key Competency Areas a. Planning, managing, and evaluating communication activities; b. Writing for functional and informational purposes; c. Producing content for print media, radio, television, Internet, and social media; d. Designing and managing multimedia content, public speaking, and public presentations. General Competencies 1. Identifying and defining communication objectives based on the client's expected outcomes and analysing the target audience; 2. Initiating or enhancing communicative relationships; 3. Planning communication activities based on content, tools, strategies, and cost-effectiveness; 4. Implementing the communication plan; 5. Evaluating and reporting results.

First-Level Communication Professional (3.3.3.6.1, 3.1.5.5.0, 3.3.3.6.2)
From a functional standpoint, graduates fall under the category of First-Level Communication Professional, as defined by the UNI 11483/2013 standard in alignment with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). This professional is responsible for managing communication content and tools with the aim of achieving specific and clearly defined objectives on behalf of public, private, non-profit organisations, and individuals. Functional Areas in Professional Contexts a) External communication tasks: including business correspondence, institutional communication, internal newsletters, product user instructions, public presentation texts, sponsorship materials, advertising and sales promotion content, etc. b) Public relations functions: including relations with other companies, competitors, citizens, the media, public institutions, and more. c) Internal communication activities: such as union-related communication, technical documentation (both digital and print), service orders, and communications among employees, between employees and management, and within executive teams. d) Digital content creation for web and social media: including content for internet, intranet, websites, social networks, promotional CD-ROMs, and other digital media. e) Textual and audiovisual production: involving the design, coordination, and management of public-facing messages across traditional and new media—print, radio, television—as well as the associated multimedia systems, including web-based platforms.

The Study Programme aims to train first-level professional communicators, providing them with a broad and integrated set of knowledge, skills and core competencies necessary to manage communication content and tools. These foundational skills will enable graduates to pursue further professional specialisation at the second cycle level through formal, informal, or non-formal education pathways. In today’s society, given the evolving dynamics of the labour market, interdisciplinarity is essential. Education must therefore cover a broad thematic spectrum that includes various communication sectors: from journalism and information to the different areas of the cultural industry, as well as public, institutional and political communication, and corporate and organisational communication. Particular attention is also given to the development of new communication technologies, both from a theoretical perspective and in terms of their application in multimedia environments, especially those focused on enhancing human-machine interaction and new forms of communication enabled by digital environments. The two curricula – Political and Institutional Communication and Multimedia Communication and Journalism – are designed to emphasise, especially in the first year, the contribution of a wide range of disciplines such as linguistics and language theory, public law or media law, the sociology of cultural processes, social research methodology, and English language. The interdisciplinary conceptual framework is further developed in the second and third years through course units in economic and socio-political disciplines. From the second year onwards, the curriculum focuses on courses that are more closely aligned with the professional profiles envisaged by the degree class. These include technological subjects and the sociology of communication, delivered also through practical workshops, aimed at developing specific knowledge and skills related to the cultural industries and media production. The third year is dedicated to the development of personalised learning paths tailored to the interests, aspirations, and talents of each student, offering a variety of communication-related subjects, ranging from public communication to journalism, radio and television languages, and corporate communication. Alongside general critical thinking and the development of transversal skills, the programme also provides technical training opportunities through internships in both public and private organisations. These internships aim to support graduates in their transition to employment. Therefore, the programme strongly supports internships and placements in publishing companies, communication and advertising agencies, private enterprises, non-profit organisations, and public institutions, both in Italy and abroad. Teaching methods include lectures, practical exercises, workshops, case studies, and internships. The programme encourages active learning methods, which promote interaction and collaboration between students and faculty, fostering individual skills and teamwork. Students are encouraged to build and deepen their knowledge through discussion and exploration of emerging topics, including seminar-based learning and direct involvement in specific project activities, research tasks, and role-playing exercises. The programme also fully supports the Department’s strategic commitment to international student mobility for both study and internship purposes. It actively participates in European and non-European mobility programmes and considers studying or training abroad a key part of its educational offering. As such, it joins several inter-university cooperation agreements that facilitate international student exchange on a reciprocal basis. The academic calendar is divided into two semesters and ensures a balanced distribution of coursework based on students’ learning capacity and credit acquisition. Teaching methods aim to encourage interaction between students and lecturers and include seminars (sometimes with external professionals and visiting professors), exercises, laboratory work, project work, and self-assessment activities. Midterm assessments are also provided for some modules. Traditional assessment methods are complemented by the systematic use of the Department’s e-learning platform (Moodle), which offers a variety of evaluation tools and supports monitoring of students’ learning activities through dedicated reports. Working in synergy with the university’s student guidance services, a team of lecturers provides tutoring activities, particularly for first-year students. The goal is to monitor students’ progress, identify any difficulties encountered, and determine what actions can be taken to overcome them.