Mathematics and Information Science

The Undergraduate Course in Mathematics and Computer Science at the Scuola Normale Superiore consists of a first three-year cycle corresponding to the Bachelorís degree and a second two-year cycle corresponding to the Masterís degree. It is integrated with the respective degree programmes in Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Pisa. The courses in the first three years, partly shared with the Physics programme, have a strong foundational focus. Some topics traditionally covered in university-level courses are studied more deeply and broadly, with the support of intensive problem-solving sessions. In the third year, students must complete both a Bachelor's thesis at the University of Pisa and a Colloquio, a research-based interview, for which they investigate an advanced topic under the guidance of a lecturer. The two-year Masterís courses offer more specialized and student-selected courses, and are also attended by postgraduate and PhD students. These courses often serve as introductions to research in various fields of mathematics developed at the Scuola, such as Algebra and Geometry, Mathematical Analysis and Probability, Numerical Analysis, Mathematical Physics, Dynamical Systems Theory, Artificial Intelligence and applications in finance and economics. In the first year of the Masterís cycle, students prepare a second Colloquio or research-based interview, exploring an advanced topic in greater depth under the supervision of a lecturer; this is followed in the second year by the Masterís thesis. Overall, the Undergraduate Course in Mathematics and Computer Science initially aims to reinforce studentsí university education through more advanced coursework and intensive exercises. It then encourages studentsóparticularly through the two Colloqui (research-based interviews) in the third and fourth yearsóto pursue more specialized studies in preparation for research or PhD programmes.