Your master’s is in Bologna or Barcelona, taught in English, and the final step is a thesis. What should you expect? Italy and Spain both end the master’s with a written thesis and a public defence, but the systems behind them differ: Italy grades the whole degree out of 110 and adds thesis points, while Spain grades the thesis itself from 0 to 10 within a degree of 60, 90 or 120 credits. This guide compares the two, using national rules and current university documents, so you can plan length, timing and the defence.
This article is part of our guide How to Write a Master’s Thesis by the Mastermind PhD team and relates to our Master’s Thesis support service. Sources last checked: November 2026.
What are the tesi and the TFM? In Italy, the master’s thesis is the tesi di laurea magistrale, discussed in a final examination (prova finale) that completes the two-year laurea magistrale. In Spain, it is the Trabajo de Fin de Máster (TFM), a supervised project worth between 6 and 30 ECTS that must be defended in a public session before a tribunal.
How do Italy and Spain compare at a glance?
| Feature | Italy (laurea magistrale) | Spain (máster universitario) |
|---|---|---|
| Degree length | Two years, 120 credits | 60, 90 or 120 ECTS |
| Thesis name | Tesi di laurea magistrale | Trabajo de Fin de Máster (TFM) |
| Thesis credits | Set by each programme | 6 to 30 ECTS (national rule) |
| Length unit | Often characters or pages | Usually words or pages |
| Grading | Degree grade out of 110, thesis adds points, lode possible | Thesis graded 0 to 10, Matrícula de Honor possible |
| Defence | Discussion before a commission | Public defence before a tribunal |
| Supervisor | Relatore (sometimes a correlatore) | Tutor or director |
The biggest practical difference between Italy and Spain is timing. Spanish one-year masters compress the TFM into a few months, while Italian programmes expect the thesis to take most of the second year.
How does the master’s thesis work in Italy?
The laurea magistrale is a two-year, 120-credit degree. Exams are marked out of 30 (18 is the pass mark, 30 e lode the top), and the thesis is discussed in a final examination before a commission, during set graduation sessions.
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice’s guidelines for its master’s in Comparative International Relations show what programme rules look like:
- The thesis must be about 220,000 characters long, excluding spaces, the title page, index, acknowledgements and bibliography, plus a summary of 10,000 characters.
- It can be written in English or Italian; if it is in English, the summary must be in Italian, and vice versa.
- The ideal time to complete it is about a year, and certainly no less than eight months.
- The supervisor guides the research design, reads and comments on at least one chapter, and is in no way a co-author; the supervisor does not correct grammar mistakes.
- The supervisor decides whether the thesis is admitted to the discussion.
Character counts are common in Italian humanities and social sciences; 220,000 characters without spaces corresponds very roughly to 35,000 to 40,000 English words, so check the unit carefully.
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How is the final grade calculated in Italy?
The degree grade is out of 110 and combines your exam record with points for the thesis. The University of Florence’s Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications describes a typical method:
| Step | Rule (Florence DSTS) |
|---|---|
| 1. Weighted average | Exam marks weighted by credits, on the 30-point scale |
| 2. Conversion | Average multiplied by 110 and divided by 30 |
| 3. Lode bonus | Each exam passed cum laude adds 0.33 |
| 4. Rounding | Rounded to the nearest whole number (the starting grade) |
| 5. Thesis points | The commission adds 1 to 7 points for the thesis and its discussion |
| 6. Honours | 110 cum laude only possible with a starting grade of at least 105 |
Other universities use different point ranges and honours rules, so find your programme’s own regulation (often called regolamento prova finale). The key planning point is that in Italy your exam average matters as much as the thesis.
How does the TFM work in Spain?
Spain’s Royal Decree 822/2021 sets the national rules. Official master’s degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS; the TFM must have between 6 and 30 ECTS and must be defended in a public session, following the rules of the centre or university.
Programme rules then add the detail. At the University of Valencia’s master’s in Organic Chemistry, for example:
- The TFM is carried out under the supervision of a tutor, who sends a report to the tribunal’s president before the defence.
- Each tribunal has three members, normally holding doctorates, and the tutor cannot sit on the tribunal that assesses their own student.
- The TFM is scored from 0.0 to 10.0 with one decimal; at 9.0 or above, the tribunal states whether it proposes Matrícula de Honor.
How is the TFM graded in Spain?
Royal Decree 1125/2003 sets the national scale for all official university subjects, including the TFM:
| Mark | Qualitative grade |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4.9 | Suspenso (fail) |
| 5.0 to 6.9 | Aprobado (pass) |
| 7.0 to 8.9 | Notable (good) |
| 9.0 to 10 | Sobresaliente (excellent) |
| 9.0 or above, plus distinction | Matrícula de Honor, limited to 5% of students enrolled (one if fewer than 20) |
Because Matrícula de Honor is capped, a high mark does not by itself bring the distinction; the tribunal or programme committee chooses among eligible students.
What should international students plan for in Italy and Spain?
- Language. Confirm in writing whether the thesis may be in English and whether a summary in Italian or Spanish is required.
- Length unit. Characters, words and pages are not interchangeable; convert before you plan chapters.
- Deadlines. Both systems use fixed graduation or defence sessions with registration deadlines weeks earlier. Missing one can delay graduation by months.
- Supervisor contact. Supervisors in Italy and Spain often supervise many students; agree a schedule of meetings and chapter deadlines early.
- Originality checks. Universities in both countries use plagiarism software, and theses are often archived in institutional repositories.
- The defence. Prepare a short, clear presentation; the commission in Italy and the tribunal in Spain will ask about methods and limitations.
How should you choose a supervisor in Italy and Spain?
In Italy, you usually approach a professor whose course you have taken, and the Ca’ Foscari guidelines recommend exactly this, so that you know the supervisor’s themes and methods. Read any personal thesis guidelines on the professor’s web page before writing, and come with a short outline. A second reader (correlatore) may be assigned or chosen later.
In Spain, many masters publish a list of TFM topics and tutors at the start of the year, and students apply for topics in order of preference. External tutors from companies or research centres are often allowed, but the programme usually appoints an academic tutor as well. In both Italy and Spain, ask how often the supervisor meets students and how many chapters they will read before submission.
What does a typical timeline look like?
The scenarios below are illustrative, not rules. They assume an English-taught programme and one graduation session.
| Month | Italy (two-year laurea magistrale) | Spain (one-year máster, TFM of 6 to 15 ECTS) |
|---|---|---|
| Start of programme | Courses; explore topics | Courses; topic and tutor allocation |
| Months 3 to 6 | Courses and exams | Proposal approved; literature review |
| Months 7 to 9 | Topic agreed with relatore (about a year before the target session) | Data collection and analysis |
| Months 10 to 12 | Exams; literature review | Writing, submission, public defence |
| Year two | Research, writing, chapter feedback, registration for the session | Not applicable |
| Final session | Submission, then discussion before the commission | Not applicable |
Spanish TFMs of 20 to 30 ECTS in 90- or 120-credit programmes follow a longer timeline closer to the Italian one.
What happens if the thesis is not ready in time?
In Italy, the supervisor decides whether the thesis is admitted to the discussion, as the Ca’ Foscari guidelines state, so an unfinished thesis is normally moved to a later graduation session rather than failed. Check whether moving sessions affects your enrolment fees, scholarship or residence permit.
In Spain, programmes usually offer more than one defence period (convocatoria) in the academic year. If you miss the first, you may be able to defend in a later one, but you may need to re-register the TFM, and in some programmes pay its credits again. Ask the programme office before the deadline, not after it, because options narrow quickly once the registration period closes. In both Italy and Spain, a delay of one session can affect visa renewals for non-EU students.
Common mistakes in Italy and Spain
- Writing a Spanish TFM as if it were a full Italian tesi, or the reverse; the expected scope differs with the credits.
- Ignoring the summary in the other language required by some Italian programmes.
- Assuming that a 10/10 in Spain or 110 in Italy automatically brings honours.
- Leaving the choice of supervisor until the final semester.
- Translating sources without citing the original.
Where does editing support fit?
Most universities in Italy and Spain allow language proofreading but expect the analysis and argument to be the student’s own. The Mastermind PhD team offers academic proofreading, formatting and statistical analysis support for theses in English, with a Turnitin report with every file. You remain responsible for the content and for defending it before the commission or tribunal.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I write my thesis in English in Italy and Spain?
In English-taught programmes, usually yes. Some Italian programmes, such as Ca’ Foscari’s Comparative International Relations master’s, require a summary in Italian when the thesis is in English.
How many credits is a TFM in Spain?
Between 6 and 30 ECTS under Royal Decree 822/2021. The exact figure is set in your programme’s study plan.
What does “110 e lode” mean?
It is the highest Italian degree grade: 110 out of 110 with honours. Commissions award it only under conditions set by each university, such as a minimum starting grade.
Is the TFM defence really public?
Yes. Spanish rules require the TFM to be defended in a public session, although confidential data can be protected under university rules.
How long should I plan for the thesis?
In Italy, programmes often expect most of the second year; Ca’ Foscari suggests about a year and no less than eight months. In Spain, a one-year master’s leaves a few months for the TFM.
Sources
- Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Thesis guidelines (Master’s in Comparative International Relations). https://unive.it/web/fileadmin/user_upload/cdlm/lm60/doc/Thesis_guidelines_RIC.pdf (accessed November 2026)
- University of Florence, Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications (DSTS). Final graduation score. https://www.dsts.unifi.it/upload/sub/3-DSTS%20Life/theses/final%20graduation%20score.pdf (accessed November 2026)
- Gobierno de España. Real Decreto 822/2021, de 28 de septiembre, por el que se establece la organización de las enseñanzas universitarias y del procedimiento de aseguramiento de su calidad (Article 17). BOE. https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2021-15781 (accessed November 2026)
- Gobierno de España. Real Decreto 1125/2003, de 5 de septiembre (Article 5). BOE. https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2003-17643 (accessed November 2026)
- Universitat de València. Máster Universitario en Química Orgánica: Reglamento TFM. https://www.uv.es/uvweb/master-quimica-organica/es/programa-del-master/tfm/reglamento-1286003029414.html (accessed November 2026)
Sources last checked: November 2026. This article is general educational guidance and does not replace your university regulations or your supervisor’s instructions. How we prepare our content.