COURSE PRESENTATION 

The three-year Degree Course in Animal Breeding and Dog Education Techniques (TAAEC) is accessed with a Higher Secondary School Diploma. The training activities take place at the Department of Veterinary Sciences (DVS) at the site in Viale delle Piagge n.2 and at affiliated external facilities. 

The Teachers of the Degree Course are Full Professors, Associate Professors and Researchers generally belonging to the DVS. 

The Degree Course in TAAEC aims to train professionals able to deal with the technical, hygienic and economic management of animal breeding, selection and genetic improvement, nutrition, legislation, health and animal welfare, veterinary biomedical laboratory techniques and dog behavioral education to promote the development of correct socialization. There is no compulsory attendance, nor educational prerequisites to be respected, with the exception of “Basic knowledge”. The Degree Course is limited in number. For admission to the Degree Course, knowledge in chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics and general culture is required. Students must pass a  departmental admission test with a total of 50 multiple choice questions. The training activities in the course include theoretical lessons, seminars held by external experts , individual and/or small group exercises (in the classroom or in the laboratory) and off-site lessons. At the end of the course practical training sessions aimed at preparing the final exam (project work) are provided. This Professional Practical training must be done outside the Department of Veterinary Sciences, in companies or organizations with which the Department has an agreement. 

 TO SIGN UP 

To facilitate the choice of the Degree Course, orientation activities are organized by the Department and by the University. 

With regard to orientation initiatives for students of Higher Secondary Schools and for the schools themselves, STPA also adheres to the POT project (Orientation and Tutoring Projects), coordinated by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Agri-environmental Sciences (Prof. Lucia Guidi). The activities are described at: agr.unipi.it/piani-di-oriento-e-tutorato. 

To access the three-year Degree Course in TAAEC it is necessary to pass the admission competition. 

For students admitted to the course, the knowledge required at the entrance is verified and additional learning requirements (OFA) may be assigned to them, which must be fulfilled within the first academic year. 

(History of Teaching Regulations for enrolled cohorts) 

Starting from the Academic Year 2012-2013, the institution of forfeiture applies to students who have not acquired a defined number of credits within the first Academic Year of enrollment. 

Students who intend to move from another Degree Course of the University of Pisa or transfer from another University to the Degree Course in TAAEC without passing the entrance test can find the relevant information at the following link. 

ORGANISING THE STUDIES 

Teaching and Covid-19 

The training activities of the Degree Course are reported in the study plan. 

The student must acquire computer and linguistic CFUs (ECTS) and CFUs in training activities chosen by the student (ECTS of choice). 

The student must also carry out Professional Practical training activities (download the attendance summary form). 

There is also the possibility of acquiring CFUs abroad (studying abroad). 

The teaching activities are organized according to a timetable and the relative programs are available for all courses. 

The Teachers of the Degree Course receive students by appointment to be agreed by e-mail.

Registration for exams takes place through the University portal, where the sessions and the 2020-2021 exam calendar are indicated. 

Throughout the course of study, students can take advantage of the tutoring service, which guides and assists students. 

According to the University Teaching Regulations, the status of working student (Article 27) and parent student (Article 23, paragraph 9) can be recognized, for which concessions are provided in the educational path. The application for the recognition of the status of working student must be submitted to the Teaching Unit using the appropriate forms. 

TO GRADUATE 

To be admitted to the degree exam, the student of the Degree Course in TAAEC must have acquired the CFUs relating to all the training activities provided for in the Study Plan. In particular, the student must have passed the English language proficiency test and acquired the computer credits required by the Degree Course Regulations. 

They must also have acquired the CFUs relating to the Professional Practical training activity. 

All information about the application and the procedures for carrying out and evaluating the final exam are described in the Procedure for the final project assignment 

• Procedure for Final Project Assignment
• Application for Final Project Assignment
• First Page Final Project Assignment
• Final Project Assignment Formatting Guidelines

The application for the final project must be submitted by the student according to the forms and deadlines set out by the procedure following the calendar of graduation sessions. 

 

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES 

Graduates in the three-year Degree Course in TAAEC can enroll in a Master’s Degree Course, from those that provide access to the L38 degree class. 

Master’s Degree Courses of the Department of Veterinary Sciences 

Graduates in the three-year Degree Course in TAAEC can take the state exam for the professional qualification of graduate agro-technician (National College of Agro-technicians and graduates Agro-technicians). 

New graduates can carry out non-curricular Professional Practical training aimed at direct knowledge of the world of work and managed at the University level, which offers them additional support services. 

 

INSTITUTIONAL BODIES 

The activities of the degree course are organized by its Coordinator, elected by the Degree Course Council from among the Professors of the degree course, who remains in office for three years and oversees the activities of the degree course as per the Statute of the University of Pisa. 

The Degree Course Council, composed of the teachers responsible for the educational activities of the degree course and the student representatives, ensures the correct carrying out of the activities of the degree course, according to the Statute and regulations of the University of Pisa. 

The Joint Faculty-Students Committee, composed of an equal number of teachers and student representatives and chaired by the Head of the Degree Course, represents a permanent observatory of teaching activities, providing indications or proposals to the Degree Course Council. 

The Review Group, appointed by the Degree Course coordinator and composed of the Head and teachers of the degree course, a student representative, the Head of the Teaching Unit of the DVS and at least one representative of the world of work, has the task of carrying out a periodic and planned process of revision of the degree course. 

The Year Coordinators are appointed by the Head of the Degree Course from among the professors of the Degree Course and have the task of collaborating in the organization of the teaching activity of each year of the course. 

The Professional Practical Training Committee, composed of professors from the degree course, has the task of managing the activities connected with the Professional Practical training. 

The Job Placement Commission, made up of teachers from the degree course, has the task of organizing professionalizing seminars aimed at increasing students’ knowledge in the various professional fields. 

 

APPROACHING PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES 

The curricular Professional Practical training consists in the participation in theoretical-practical teaching activities to be carried out at internal structures of the University or external Italian or foreign affiliated structures, in order to complete the theoretical-practical and professional training of the student. 

To carry out the curricular Professional Practical training students must follow the instructions in the Professional Practical training procedure, which governs the performance of these activities. 

For the Professional Practical training abroad, students must follow what is indicated in the Professional Practical training procedure or in the ERASMUS mobility program. 

The internship application must be completed using the forms and respecting the deadlines set by the procedure. 

Affiliated companies 

Professional orientation and job placement 

For the purpose of work orientation, the Degree Course organizes specific professional seminars. 

In the Department of Veterinary Sciences, orientation for graduates is facilitated by the Job Placement Working Group. 

At the University level there is also orientation for graduates and support for entering the world of work (Career Service). 

 

Quality Assurance System 

The degree course, in line with the actions that the University carries out to ensure the quality of teaching and facilities, is committed to continuous improvement through discussions with students and representatives of the world of work. 

The relationships with the world of work, maintained thanks to the Professional Practical training activities, the practical activities foreseen in the degree course and the professionalizing seminars, in which professional figures belonging to several productive fields participate, produce suggestions for revisions of the regulations. 

The degree course has set up a Three-year Review Group, which, in addition to managing the procedure for AVA ministerial accreditation (compiling the Scheda Unica Annuale-Degree Course (SUA-DC form), processing review reports and annual monitoring form, etc.), has started a discussion in order to arrive at a better definition of professional profiles and employment opportunities in the future. The results of the review activity and any other activity relating to the degree course are discussed within the Joint Commission and the Council of the degree course, thus ensuring the involvement of those involved. 

The SUA-DC form is the functional document for the design, implementation, management, self-assessment and redesign of the Degree Course. It collects the information useful to identify graduate profiles, the training objectives, the training path, the learning results, the roles and responsibilities that pertain to the management of the QA system of the degree course, the conditions for the periodic review of its system and any corrections identified and possible improvements. This information is published on the Universitaly Miur Portal, in the SUA-DC form. 

The SUA-CdS sheet is flanked by the annual Monitoring sheet and the Cyclical Review Report, which have the purpose of periodically verifying the appropriateness of the learning objectives that the degree course has proposed, the correspondence between the objectives and the results and the effectiveness of the way the course is managed. 

A summary report of the results relating to the evaluation of courses by students of the previous academic year of the degree courses is visible on the University website at http://www.unipi.it/index.php/lauree.