From AI to US Law: Where New Double Degrees Are Taking Students

For the first time, a Bocconi Double Degree will take students to a STEM institution. The partnership is with École Polytechnique and covers two different programs in Finance and Artificial Intelligence. This development best illustrates the direction of several new agreements: choosing universities that can add a different method, specialization or body of knowledge to the education students receive in Milan. Other new partnerships will take students to Helsinki for marketing, France for luxury management and the United States for law.

Two Programs with École Polytechnique

In the Double Degree in Finance, students in Bocconi’s Finance track combine their studies with École Polytechnique’s Master in Economics, Data Analytics, and Corporate Finance. The program deepens their understanding of corporate finance through data analysis tools and a different approach to economic issues. The first cohort is scheduled to take part in the program in the 2026–2027 academic year.

“The interesting part is putting financial skills to the test on problems that also require strong quantitative analysis,” says Anna Battauz, Program Director of the Master of Science in Finance. “It is by bringing these tools together that students can develop a more comprehensive way of assessing companies.”

The second program combines Bocconi’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence with the French Master in Trustworthy and Responsible AI. Here, the focus shifts from simply being able to build intelligent systems to understanding the conditions under which those systems can be considered trustworthy. The joint curriculum includes two internship periods and a thesis to be defended at Bocconi. The first cohort is scheduled to take part in the program in the 2027–2028 academic year.

“Those who develop artificial intelligence need to understand its mechanisms in depth and assess the consequences of their design choices,” says Carlo Lucibello, Program Director of the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence. “The collaboration with École Polytechnique strengthens both of these dimensions of the students’ education.”

Between Helsinki and Milan, Creativity and Analysis

The new Double Degree with Aalto University focuses on Strategic and Creative Marketing. The first cohort will begin in fall 2027: students admitted through Bocconi will spend their first year in Milan and their second in Finland, while those admitted through Aalto will follow the program in the opposite order. The curriculum combines consumer behavior, branding and strategy with data-driven skills, and applied learning.

“Creativity in marketing becomes more powerful when it is combined with the ability to analyze markets rigorously and test one’s insights,” explains Paolo Guenzi, Program Director of the Master of Science in Marketing Management. “Studying in two environments with different perspectives gives students the opportunity to develop skills in both of these fundamental dimensions of marketing.”

Studying Luxury from Milan and France

With ESSEC, the Master of Science in International Management offers a track in Luxury and Fashion Management: the first year is spent in Milan and the second at the Paris-Cergy campus in France. The management foundations acquired at Bocconi are followed by specialized courses in luxury, ranging from retail and marketing to hospitality. The curriculum also includes an internship and a final thesis. The first cohort is scheduled to take part in the program in the 2027–2028 academic year.

“Luxury is a sector in which managerial decisions are inseparable from product identity, customer experience and international markets,” says Paola Dubini, Program Director of the Master of Science in International Management. “The program with ESSEC makes it possible to study these relationships from two complementary perspectives.”

A Year Studying US Law

The program with the University of Notre Dame Law School is designed for students in Bocconi’s Master of Arts in Law program. Students will spend their fifth year in the United States and earn a US LL.M. in addition to their Bocconi degree. Among other areas, they will be able to explore environmental and real estate law, business and tax law, or the foundations of US private law. The first cohort is scheduled to take part in the program in the 2027–2028 academic year.

The agreement also works in the opposite direction: a student in Notre Dame’s Juris Doctor program will be able to attend Bocconi’s LL.M. in European Business and Social Law. “Studying law in another country means engaging with different principles and rules, but above all learning the legal reasoning of a system other than our own,” says Paola Mariani, Program Director of the Master of Arts in Law. “It is an experience that can positively reshape the way students analyze and apply Italian law.”