You can substitute your free choice credits with other learning activities undertaken outside the university.

The activities that can be recognized are the following:

An external activity is recognized on a pass-or-fail basis (i.e. it has no grade, it is simply recorded with a “pass” in your transcript). A learning activity can be recognized even if it exceeds the number of credits required for graduation (credit overload), but within the limit of 12 extra credits.

You can request the recognition of a learning activity at any time during your studies but the process must be completed before you register for the Final Examination. After this date, pending requests will not be taken into consideration.

Politecnico can recognize up to a maximum of 3 credits, only one time during your Bachelor’s studies.
If you have a certificate of a foreign language other than the compulsory languages of your degree programme, you can ask for its recognition at any time during your Bachelor's studies. Send your request following the procedure described below and upload a copy of your language certificate. If your request is approved, you must present your original certificate to the Language Centre (CLA). The table of foreign languages and certificates accepted by Politecnico is available on the CLA website. 

2. Competitive sports activities

Politecnico can recognize up to a maximum of 6 credits, only one time during the entire duration of your studies (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme). 
If you achieve outstanding results in sports competitions while you are studying at the university, you can ask for the recognition of this activity at any time during your university studies. 
The term “competitive sports activities” refers to: 

1. athletes called into the Italian national team of disciplines with a federation approved by CONI and recognized as Olympic sports;
2. absolute champions or champions of division in Italian championships, or medalists in European/World championships in one of the disciplines with a federation approved by CONI and recognized as Olympic sports;
3. athletes, couches or referees who have participated in top-level national and international championships;
4. athletes who have achieved sports results of the utmost excellence.
   

After completing the procedure described below and filling out all the required fields, your credits will be automatically recognized as soon as you accept the approval of the board.

3. Participation in Student Teams
Politecnico can recognize from 3, 6 or 12 credits, only one time during your Bachelor’s studies and only one time during your Master’s studies.
If you have been actively involved in a Student Team, you can ask for the recognition of this activity after completing your collaboration with the Team. Information on Student Teams is published on the University website.

After completing the procedure from your personal page of the Teaching Portal (as described below) and after filling out all the required fields, the leader of your Student Team must certify the nature of your collaboration and the amount of time that you have dedicated to it.

You can ask for the recognition of activities undertaken before or after your enrolment at Politecnico. For activities undertaken before you began your studies at Politecnico, you must request their recognition by the end of your first year.

Politecnico does not recognize any activity which lasted less than 50 hours (2 credits).

There is not a specific list of activities.

As a general rule, Politecnico can award you some credits if:  

• you have participated in lectures/conferences/ courses, provided that the teaching contents, duration and testing methods can be clearly identified;
• you have won or have been selected for a competition for ideas/design;
• you have attended a specific School (i.e. Summer School);
• you have professional skills which are in line with the learning objectives of your degree programme;
• you have attended workshops.

ProcedureIf you want to request the recognition of an external learning activity, regardless of the type of activity, you must:

• log in to your personal page of the Teaching Portal - Online servicesTAB - Approval of external activities PORTLET.
  

• Fill out all fields and upload the necessary supporting documents depending on the type of activity. For learning activities outside the university and Student Team activities: you must upload the programme of the activity including activity description, duration and certificate of attendance/participation.
• If you are requesting the recognition of an activity that you have already completed, please enter the start and end dates. If you are requesting the recognition of an activity that is still in progress, you will have to resend your request when the activity is over.

• in the field "Note to the professor" specify if you are requesting the recognition of the activity in substitution for your free choice credits (also indicate the course/s that should be replaced by the external activity, if approved).
  
• click Save and submit to send your request.
• you can check the status of your request for approval of external activities at any time.  

• The Academic Advisor of your degree programme will evaluate your request and - in case of approval - will indicate how many credits are recognized and which course (free choice credits) is replaced by the external activity.   
  

• The number of recognized credits cannot exceed the yearly credit limit imposed by your enrolment workload (part-time or full-time) nor the overall credit limit of your Personal Study Plan.

If your activity is approved, you must:

1. go back to the Approval of external activities portlet; 
2. click the "View" button (referred to the approved activity);

1. in the next screen click the "Accept" button.

The procedure ends when you accept and the activity is recorded in your transcript.

IMPORTANT:
If the following message is displayed: "insufficient space in your Annual Personal Study Plan, contact the Office of Student Services", it means that you have already reached the maximum number of credits allowed in your APSP. a) If your external activity replaces some free choice credits, this replacement will not be automatic. You will have to contact the Office of Student Services which will update your APSP.
b) If you have requested to register your external activity as credit overload, the registration cannot take place in the current academic year as there is not enough space in your APSP. Your external activity will be recorded in the following academic year.