The university offers courses in social sciences, with programs in economics, management, finance, law, political science, data and computer science, and an increasing focus on artificial intelligence.
Bocconi University was established in 1902 as Italy's first university to offer a degree in economics.
Its founder, Ferdinando Bocconi, created the university in memory of his son Luigi, who died in the 1896 Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The university was initially conceived to complement the Polytechnic University of Milan's engineering school with the aim of integrating technical expertise and economic knowledge, thereby training professionals equipped to meet emerging industrial and commercial needs, and adopted a teaching model based on methods used at the École Supérieure of Antwerp.
The university's first building opened in Largo Notari (today Via Statuto). In 1941, Bocconi moved to its current main campus in Via Sarfatti 25. Over the decades, the campus has expanded with new facilities, including student residences, research centers, and the business school SDA Bocconi School of Management (established in 1971).
Key milestones include the introduction of new degree programs in law, political science, data science and artificial intelligence, the launch of Italy's first MBA (1974), the creation of the CEMS alliance (1988), and the completion of the new urban campus designed by SANAA in 2019.
Campus
The university's first building opened in 1902 on Via Statuto, near the Pinacoteca di Brera. Today, the campus is located beside Parco Ravizza, between Via Sarfatti and Viale Bligny, and comprises multiple buildings near Porta Ticinese and the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio:
Sarfatti Building (1941), designed by Giuseppe Pagano, is the oldest building on campus. It houses classrooms, the aula magna, administrative offices, and a restaurant. Its entrance is flanked by two lion statues, which have become the subject of university myths.
Pensionato Building (1956), by Giovanni Muzio, contains dormitories (350 rooms), a canteen, large halls, and faculty offices. Its floors are shaped like a symmetrical "L", said to represent laude.
SDA Bocconi Building (2019) houses the new headquarters of the SDA Bocconi School of Management and is located on the site previously occupied by the Centrale del Latte. Designed by the Tokyo-based SANAA studio, the area also includes the Castiglioni Residence and the sports center.
Leonardo del Vecchio Building (Velodromo) (2001), designed by Ignazio Gardella, is ellipsoid in shape and contains classrooms for up to 150 students each. It features a geothermal heat pump system. A statue of Ferdinando Bocconi stands in the foyer.
Library Building (1962), also by Giovanni Muzio, stands in Piazza Sraffa alongside the campus chapel (San Ferdinando) and other smaller facilities.
Several other administrative and research offices are located near Parco Ravizza and Viale Isonzo.
Dormitories
Bocconi provides approximately 1,800 dormitory places for students. Residences include Bocconi, Javotte, Dubini, Spadolini, Isonzo, Bligny, and Castiglioni (opened in 2018).
Full view on the ellipsoid Velodromo building, as seen from EGEA
Entrance to the Velodromo and new building in background
The Dubini Residence (Residenza E. Dubini) of Bocconi University
Academics
Bocconi is organized into five schools:
Undergraduate School
Graduate School
School of Law
PhD School
SDA Bocconi School of Management.
The academic structure includes nine departments:
Accounting
Computing Sciences
Economics
Finance
Management and Technology
Marketing
Decision Sciences
Social and Political Sciences
Legal Studies.
Research activities are carried out within departments, research centers, and laboratories.
Undergraduate School
The Bocconi Undergraduate School offers eight Bachelor of Science programs in English and/or Italian:
The Bocconi Graduate School offers 14 Master of Science (MSc) programs taught in English, 1 specialized master in English, and 1 in Italian. Bocconi's MSc in Finance was among the first six programs worldwide to partner with the CFA Institute and the first in continental Europe. Its MSc in Management and International Management includes participation in the CEMS Master in International Management, of which Bocconi is a founding member.
MSc programs include Accounting and Financial Management; Artificial Intelligence; Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance; Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences; Data Science and Business Analytics; Economic and Social Sciences; Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media and Entertainment; Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations; Finance; Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship; International Management; Marketing Management; Politics and Policy Analysis; and Transformative Sustainability.
Specialized masters include Marketing e Comunicazione (MiMeC); and Quantitative Finance and Risk Management (MAFINRISK).
Established in 2006, the Bocconi School of Law consolidated the university's tradition in legal studies under the "A. Sraffa" Institute for Comparative Law. It offers law courses in Italian and English and a summer academy (with the University of Trento and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies).
Programs include:
Giurisprudenza
Bachelor in Global Law (BGL)
Master of Arts in Global Law for Organizations, Business Enterprises and Institutions (GLOBE)
Specialized master's include LLM in European Business and Social Law; LLM in Global Tax and Law Governance; and LLM in Law of Technology and Automated Systems.
The School of Law also offers a number of double degree programs and exchange programs with 290 partner institutions worldwide.
PhD School
The Bocconi PhD School offers doctoral programs in:
Founded in 1971, SDA Bocconi is the university's graduate business school, with locations also in Rome and Mumbai, and offers MBA, Executive MBA, specialized master's, and executive education. It holds triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) and publishes Economia & Management, an Italian management review. The school also offers specialized Master programs in areas such as corporate finance, real estate management, food and beverage, fashion, design, and sports management.[citation needed]
Research and endowment
In 2006, Bocconi's research funding came primarily from the university itself (€1.5 million), the European Union (€1.4 million), the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (€300,000), and external sources (€11 million). In 2011, the European Research Council awarded €5 million to five social sciences and humanities projects led by Bocconi professors. Bocconi has been a major recipient of European Research Council (ERC) funding since the program's inception, securing 71 grants across all ERC schemes, particularly in the social sciences and quantitative disciplines, with approximately 35 grants active in 2025.
Departments
Bocconi has departments in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Technology, Marketing, Decision Sciences, Legal Studies, Social and Political Sciences, and Computing Sciences.
Permanent research centers include the Paolo Baffi Centre (economics, finance and regulation), BIDSA (data science and analytics), CERGAS (health and social care management), Dondena Centre (social dynamics and public policy), GREEN (energy and environment), ICRIOS (innovation and strategy), IGIER (economic research, jointly with NBER and CEPR).
Carla Sozzani, gallerist known for creating the 10 Corso Como complex
Alumnus of the Year
Since 2011, Bocconi's Alumni Association has awarded Alumnus of the Year to graduates exemplifying the values of professionalism, entrepreneurship, integrity, responsibility, and openness. It replaced the Bocconian of the Year (since 1988) and Master of Masters (since 2007). Past recipients include Fabrizio Saccomanni, Emma Bonino, Vittorio Colao, Nouriel Roubini, Luca de Meo, Francesca Bellettini, and Giuseppe Sala.
