Presentation
The first cycle degree Course in Economics of Co-operative Companies and Non-profit Organisations aims to meet the increasing demand for better trained managers and executives for Co-operative companies and Non-profit organisations.
This first cycle degree Course is the first stage of the study path on co-operation and non-profit organisations offered by the Faculty of Economics of Bologna University (Forlì Campus) that offers also the second cycle degree Course in Economics and Management of Non-profit Organisations and a first level Master’s Degree Course in Fund Raising. The course takes into account the diversified structure and the various subjects of this sector (co-operative companies, welfare co-operative organizations, voluntary organizations, sporting associations, foundations, NGOs, social promotion associations) as well as the importance of the different contexts in which these subjects operate (health, welfare, education, teaching, research, environment, sport, leisure, international cooperation, cultural, religious and trade union activities).
This Course aims to provide graduates with economics and business-oriented skills and knowledge that may be applied in all sectors (public, profit and non-profit) and that will also have the necessary specialized knowledge and skills to effectively manage the unique resources and initiatives of the non-profit and co-operative sector.
This first cycle degree Course is designed for students who have just obtained their high school diploma and are eager to become familiar with a sector which should provide them with many opportunities for professional and personal growth.
Evaluation of study course quality
With the reform of the Italian university system (Ministerial Decree 509/99) the concept of autonomy was introduced in our Universities, which were entrusted with the a number of tasks in terms of course planning and teaching quality control.
For these reasons ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA has been launching experimental projects aimed at evaluating and improving the quality of teaching within its Faculties.
Among them is the project named "Quality Accreditation in a European Framework" whose aim is to disseminate the notions of quality and evaluation and to lay the foundations for the accreditation of academic qualifications. The purpose of this project consists in preparing for the mutual recognition of higher and professional education at the national and European level, in obtaining international certifications (ECTS label) and ensuring high quality of the training processes in which a number of stakeholders are involved - e.g. students and families, local agencies and institutions, companies and organizations.
This project was started in Academic Year 2002/03 with 22 degree courses of Bologna University initially taking part. The project was later extended to all Faculty degree courses. Two different models for quality evaluation were applied over the years, enabling an understanding of their respective strengths and weaknesses. This procedure has facilitated the extension of quality evaluation to all degree courses while introducing the concept of quality assurance.
The team is currently made up of:
• An organisational coordinator for the project (Daniela Darchini)
• A consultant for the implementation of the evaluation model (Professor Muzio Gola).
• Self-evaluator Professors;
• Course Managers (MDs)
• Course tutors
• Students' representatives
In each degree course the Self-evaluator Professor and the Course Manager are responsible for retrieving all relevant information needed to fill in the evaluation model, in close cooperation with the Degree Course Council.
The Report on Course Quality Evaluation and the Review of the Evaluation Minutes are published in the "allegati" section (Annexes) on our website.
Learning outcomes
Acquire an adequate knowledge of specific problems related to strategic planning, development and management of co-operative companies and non-profit organizations in the context of a perfectly and imperfectly competitive market; this knowledge is backed up with a thorough knowledge of the economic, legal and institutional contexts of present day market economies.
Develop the most suitable theoretical and methodological means to analyse all aspects and levels of organization pertaining to NPOs’ institutional and market contexts and also to their internal structure.
Develop the skills required to efficiently analyze and interpret real case studies on the management and organizational problems typically encountered in dealing with a co-operative company or an NPO.
Requirements and/or admission tests
This first level course is open to all students with a secondary school five-year diploma or another qualification attained abroad and deemed equivalent.
Internship
The study plan includes a 200-hour internship period at an NPO, a company or a public institution in Italy or abroad. The organization where the internship period takes place may be chosen directly by the student or upon advice by the lecturers or by the Faculty’s Career Service. The internship is an excellent opportunity for dealing directly with the labour market. Students who already work or who have carried out community service may request to have their working activities recognized as an internship period.
Final examination
The final examination consists of a short written paper - known as a 'tesina' - on a topic chosen by the student and related to the subjects of the study programme and that may also refer to the internship experience.
Career opportunities
The course aims to train professionals capable of working in co-operative companies and NPOs but also in other organizations with the following duties:
- administration - management - executive
especially by providing support to the management of the various company departments;
- professional consultant, helping efficient management and administration of human and instrumental resources, especially in relation to resource raising (fund raising and people raising).
Access to further study
Graduates may continue studying by choosing one of these second cycle degree Courses:
"Economics and Management of Co-operative Companies and Non-profit Organisations"
"Economics and Business Administration";
"Economics and Commerce".
Collaboration with Research Centres
The degree course in Economics of Co-operative Companies and Non-profit Organisations has been collaborating with large networks for years now:
- AICCON (Italian Association for the Promotion of the Cultureof Cooperation and Non-Profit Organisations) is an association whose mission consists in promoting research and studies in the non-profit area, organising debates, seminars, workshops and conferences with training-educational objectives, editing books, studies and research pieces through its own publishing company, promoting and organising all initiatives which can complement graduates' preparation. AICCON also organises major events at a national level such as the Bertinoro Days for Civil Economy
- Study Centre Philanthropy is a research centre doing research on the topics of non-profit , fundraising and Corporate Social Responsibility. Philanthropy includes involvement in conducting feasibility studies and fundraising campaigns, performing sector and statistical analyses, preparing questionnaires for data collection and creating and running newsletters on non-profit-related issues.
- CRESEM (Research Centre at the Forlì School of Economics and Management) is a non-profit consortium whose mission is the study of the public and private sector and professional world carrying out operational research and organizing training courses.
Working papers
The first cycle degree Course, in partnership with Aiccon, edits and publishes a Working paper series featuring essays from major economists on a range of issues.
Research
The Association’s promotion to the publication of essays, studies and research has become extremely important since it is considered crucial for the Association to preserve its authority and reliability in the non-profit sector.
Here are some of the latest works from those published:
• Il regime tributario delle Onlus (The Tax Regime of Onlus Organizations): edited by Salvo Pettinato
• Il fundraising socio-sanitario (Fundraising for Health and Social Care Services): edited by Alberto Masacci and Pier Luigi Sacco
• Rappresentanza: modelli e prospettive per il Terzo Settore (Representation: Models and Perspectives for the Third Sector): edited by Andrea Bassi and Ruggero Villani
• Il Fund Raising per la Cultura (Fundraising for Culture): edited by Pier Luigi Sacco
• Communitas. Il Sociale Muto (Communitas. The Silent Social Care): The proceedings of the Fifth edition of the "Bertinoro Days for Civil Economy" published on the latest issue of Communitas
• Il Coinvolgimento degli stakeholder nelle organizzazioni socialmente responsabili (Involving Stakeholders in Socially Responsible Organizations): edited by Michele Viviani
Workshops and Conferences
Together with Aiccon, the Degree Course organizes seminars ("The Non-Profit Fridays") in which current issues and events are discussed with the combined approach of theoretical profiles prepared by the teachers and real-life experiences witnessed by those who work in the non-profit sector. These encounters represent excellent learning opportunities for students.
• 25 May, 2007: The Role and Function of Foundations in Complex Societies
• 24 May, 2007: Social Responsibility, Identity and Consumption Practices
• 19 May, 2007: Right to the Earth, Non-Governmental Organizations and Microcredit
• 17 May, 2007: Economic Theory of Justice: Rawls
• 10 May, 2007: Do you know what it takes to be a Critical Consumer? Changing the Rules of International Trade through Critical Consumption: the Clean Clothes campaign.
• 07.05.2007 : Non-Profit Managers
• 29 March, 2007: Corporate Governance and Multi-stakeholdership
• 16 March, 2007: Saying, Giving, Doing, Having: Are Cooperatives getting this Message?
• 01 December, 2006: National Conference - The new Frontiers of Non-Profit.
NonProfitLab
This name identifies the association of students and graduates from the Degree Course in Economics of Co-operative Companies and Non-profit Organisations. The association was founded in Forlì in 2000 through the efforts of some students. Its main aim is to develop initiatives to make the students’ academic and professional paths more effective and promote the concept of civil economy chiefly through networking activities, both inside and outside the context of the Degree Course.