Structure and contents

In this master programme a wide variety of techniques will be taught, including intelligent robotics, artificial deep neural networks, machine learning, meta-heuristics optimization techniques, data mining, data analytics, simulation and distributed algorithms. The main courses are integrated with laboratory works where students have the possibility to use real robots and to practice with state of the art tools and methodologies. After the first few lectures of the basic Machine Learning course, AI master students will already know how to train self-learning artificial neural networks to recognize the images and handwritings to the right better than any other known method.

Our Artificial Intelligence program boasts highly motivated teachers, who are dedicated and very active researchers both from the Faculty of Informatics and IDSIA.

They are all actively involved in EU, FNS, CTI and industry projects. Their research activities cover subjects such as deep learning in neural networks, intelligent and collective robotics, data mining, nature-inspired optimization, simulation, approximation algorithms and intelligent information retrieval. The coursework material, software tools and robots reflects the latest state of the art. Further opportunities will arise through the thesis which may open the path towards PhD studies.

Academic Director: Luca Maria Gambardella

Co-Director: Jürgen Schmidhuber

Admission to English-language graduate-level (Master) programmes at USI require a good command of the English idiom. Non-English native speakers applying for such programmes, or whose previous degree was obtained in another language, are required to provide an internationally acknowledged language certificate equal to the B2 level, as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR), or equivalent (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.).

The B2 level on the CEFR corresponds to the following scores in internationally acknowledged exams:

Students admitted under the above mentioned condition (with the exception for the Master in Cognitive Psychology in Health Communication) must achieve a C1 competence in English within the maximum time required to obtain the Master's degree.
The level can be certified either by attending a language course offered at USI during the Fall and Spring semester, and by taking the final exam, or by providing an internationally acknowledged language certificate*.

*  The C1 level on the CEFR corresponds to the following scores in internationally acknowledged exams:

Italian

As Lugano is located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, students might be interested in acquiring the basics in Italian.
The Università della Svizzera italiana offers a free of charge Italian language course: further information can be found here.