Luiss University (Italian:Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli,lit. 'Guido Carli Free International University of Social Studies') is aprivate university located inRome, Italy, founded in 1974 byUmberto Agnelli.
It providesundergraduate andpostgraduate education, in addition to a range ofDouble Degree programs, in the fields offinance,business,management,economics,law, andpolitical science. It is located near the historical center of the city, between theParioli andTriestequarters. The university is supported byConfindustria, the Italian Confederation of Industries.[1] Luiss has four different campuses: one inViale Pola, one inVia Parenzo, one inVilla Blanc, and the last one inViale Romania. It also has a library inVia di Santa Costanza.
In 1974,Umberto Agnelli (the brother ofGianni Agnelli, who at the time was president of Confindustria), launched a project investing economic and intellectual resources in the establishment of a university. This university would be designed to offer undergraduate and postgraduate education that is geared toward the needs of themarket.[2]
Luiss came out of a pre-existing university (Pro Deo University, founded in 1966), which was redesigned and renamedLuiss (an acronym forLibera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali, which means "Free International University of Social Studies") in 1977. Eventually, other public and private industrial groups, as well as some banks, joined the founders.[2]
The group of businessmen and bankers who had promoted and financed the birth of the project, as well as the transformation of the organization of the old Pro Deo University, into the more modern ones of Luiss University, as it is today, was established in 1985 in the current "Friends of Luiss". From its inceptionSenatorUmberto Agnelli acted as its president. He was succeeded byFrancesco Gaetano Caltagirone (still in office), who is central to the funding of scholarships for competent but disadvantaged students at doctoral levels.[3]
Guido Carli, former Governor of theBanca d'Italia, President of Confindustria, and later Senator, was President of Luiss from 1978 until he died in 1993. His work was so highly esteemed that in 1994 the university changed its name toLuiss Guido Carli.[2]
Originally, the university had only the faculties ofEconomics andPolitical Science, to which were added the faculty ofLaw in 1982. In 2011, an academic reorganization took place, which resulted in today's four Departments:Law,Business and Management,Economics and Financial Markets, andPolitical Science. Today the university offers many courses entirely taught in English, such as 'Economics and Business' or 'Politics: Philosophy and Economics'.[2]
To attend adegree program at one of the fivedepartments at Luiss, candidates must pass an admission test. Each year a maximum number of places available is set and the admission test is done in two different sessions (one in February and one in May), after which a ranking by session is drafted, where each student has a score made up of their final grade in high school and their test score. Admission is based on the available slots and where selected students choose not to attend, other students are selected from the waiting list.
The admission test lasts 90 minutes and is made up of 100multiple-choice questions measuring general culture (15%) andaptitude (85%). The subjects on the test are logic and reading comprehension; logical and mathematical aptitude and financial mathematics; numerical and spatial logic; abstract reasoning and critical/verbal skills; knowledge of general math and general culture (current events, history, literature, philosophy); and English.
On average, candidates admitted to Luiss are high achievers: 68.1% of students have a final high school average of over 90/100, compared to the national average of 24.6%.[4]
To be admitted to a master's degree, Luiss' graduates with degree grades of 100 or above can be admitted to degree programs without having to take an admission test, until all the available slots are taken. Graduates from other universities (for a maximum of 250) must take a written test to apply for admission.
The Department of Law provides a single five-year cycle for the combined bachelor's and master's degree program in Law (category: LGM-01) (in Italian)[5]; Global Law (category: L-14) (in English).[6]
The Department of Business and Management offers the following degree programs:
Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management (category L-18) (in Italian);[7] Business Administration (category L-18) (in English);[8] Management and Artificial Intelligence (category L-18) (in English);[9]
Master's degree in Strategic Management (category LM-77) (in English and Italian);[10] Management (category LM-77) (in English);[11] Administration, Finance and Control (category LM-77) (in English and Italian);[12] Marketing (category LM-77) (in English and Italian);[13] Data Science and Management (category LM-91) (in English);[14] Global Management and Politics (category LM-77) (in English)[15]
The Department of Economics and Finance offers the following degree programs:
Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business (category L-33) (in English);[16]
Master's degree in Economics, Institutions and Financial Markets (category LM-56) (in English and Italian);[17] Finance (category LM-77) (in English)[18]
The Department ofPolitical Science offers the following degree programs:
Bachelor's degree in Political Science (category L-36) (in Italian);[19] Politics: Philosophy and Economics (category L-36) (in English);[20]
Master's degree in International Relations (category LM-52) (in English);[21] Government and Public Affairs (category LM-62) (in English and Italian)[22]
The university has five autonomous postgraduate schools:
LUISS Business School is a school for professional management and a center of research and management consulting. It has itsMBA program, various types of master's degrees, andad hoc training courses for business customers;[23]
LUISS School of Government offers specific training, through the provision of four different master's degrees in the field of political processes and decision-making, both in the public and private sectors;[24]
LUISS School of European Political Economy is a research and specialization school as well as a center of research dedicated to issues of European scope.[25]
LUISS School of Law is a school for the theoretical study of specific legal problems along with practice activities such as mock trials;[26]
LUISS "Massimo Baldini" School of Journalism offers two-year Master's degrees programs and Executive Courses.[27]
Luiss provides corporate placement opportunities for its students and collaborated internationally for exploring students' dynamics for international experience. The first collaboration took place in December 2021 with TreeAndHumanKnot RisingIndiaThink-tank.
Front of the Palazzina at Viale Pola – Rector's office
Luiss Guido Carli currently has five campuses in Rome.[28]
The main campus is situated inViale Pola12 (in the 1930s this was the residence ofCount Galeazzo Ciano andEdda Mussolini). It's the university's rectorate, general management, administrative services, human resources, and academic support services. Master's degrees, the Massimo Baldini School of Journalism and the Luiss School of Government, as well as the Luiss Business School and LUISS University Press, are also located here.
Villa Hertz – Viale Romania campus
TheViale Romania campus opened in October 2007 inViale Romania 32, in the heart of theParioliquarter inRome. This campus has the largest number of buildings and students even though it has not been completed yet: only the first 9,420 m2 (11,270 sq yd) out of the 28,000 m2 (33,000 sq yd) planned are currently being used.[29] Thiscampus (converted from a former school entirely redesigned as a university campus) houses the Departments of Business and Management, Economics and Financial Markets, and Political Science, the Student Office, the Orientation Office, the Placement Office, Teaching and Research, International Relations and IT.
Via Parenzo campus
The Department of Law is located inVia Parenzo 11, which is near the main campus ofViale Pola. The building was originally a hospital for blind war veterans (commemorated by a marble plaque inside the building). In the 1990s, Confindustria decided to take over the structure,[30] restoring the original plan and shape of the building while completely renovating the interior. The building was designed by Pietro Aschieri in 1929–1931 and renovated by Studio Passarelli 1990–93. Substantial parts of the interior were renovated to their original design.[31]
The newest Luiss campus isVilla Blanc, home to theLUISS Business School, inVia Nomentana 216. The campus was inaugurated in June 2018.[32]
There is also the campus located inVia di Santa Costanza, which houses a library that specializes in the economic, legal, political, and social sciences.[33] The Library has over 100,000 books, 1,800 journals, and 80 databases.[29]
Carlo Scognamiglio (former President of the Senate, Minister of Defence, Honorary President of the Italian Aspen Institute and of the Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera publishing group)
QS World University Rankings 2024: Ranked #25 in the world for Politics and International Studies, and among the top 100 for Business & Management, Law, and Marketing.
EFMDEQUIS: An accreditation awarded to the top 1% of Business Schools and Departments worldwide.
AMBA (Association of MBAs): Accreditation granted in 2020. Only 2% of Business Schools worldwide receive this recognition for their MBA programs.
AACSB Accreditation: Granted in 2023. Luiss is one of the few institutions worldwide to hold the "Triple Crown" status—EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB—an honor held by less than 1% of business schools globally.
