Assignment of OFAs
OFA (Additional Academic Requirements) are assigned to students who enroll in the Sustainable Agricultural Systems degree program at the University of Brescia but who, on the TOLC-AV aptitude test, scored less than 15/50 (excluding questions related to English language proficiency).
The OFAs will be assigned in the areas of Chemistry and Biology and/or Mathematics and Physics according to the following criteria:
If the total score achieved in the Biology section (8 questions) and the Chemistry section (8 questions) is less than 6 points (out of 16 available points), OFAs (Additional Educational Requirements) will be assigned - in Biology and Chemistry;
- if the total score achieved in the Mathematics section (8 questions) and the Physics section (8 questions) is less than 6 points (out of a possible 16 points), the OFA—Additional Educational Requirements—will be assigned in Mathematics and Physics;
- if the score is less than 6 points in both the Biology and Chemistry areas and the Mathematics and Physics areas, the OFAs will be assigned in both areas;
- if the score is greater than or equal to 6 points in both areas, even if the total score is less than 15/50, the OFAs will be assigned only in the Biology and Chemistry area.
OFA credits are also awarded to students who did not take the TOLC-AV test and must be earned in both the Biology and Chemistry areas and the Mathematics and Physics areas.
Requirements for Fulfilling OFA
To fulfill the OFA requirements, students must complete a course designed to reinforce their foundational knowledge in the areas of Biology and Chemistry and/or Mathematics and Physics, based on the criteria for assigning OFA, with a mandatory attendance rate of at least 75% of classes.
This course will be offered at the beginning of the first semester’s class period.
Students who do not achieve 75% attendance may fulfill their OFA requirements based on the following criteria:
- OFA assigned in the areas of Biology and Chemistry: the student must pass the General and Inorganic Chemistry exam or one of the two modules of the Biology and Plant and Animal Biodiversity course;
- OFA assigned in the areas of Mathematics and Physics: the student must pass the Mathematics or Physics exam;
- OFA assigned in both the Biology and Chemistry areas and the Mathematics and Physics areas: the student must pass the General and Inorganic Chemistry exam or one of the two modules of the Biology and Plant and Animal Biodiversity course, as well as the Mathematics or Physics exam.
If a student does not fulfill the OFA requirements by the end of the first year of the program, they may enroll in the second year but will not be able to take the second-year exams until they have fulfilled the OFA requirements by passing the exams specified for the relevant subject areas.
Preparatory Courses
First-year students in the Bachelor’s degree program in Sustainable Agricultural Systems may enroll in the PREPARATORY COURSES to strengthen their foundational knowledge in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
Attendance in these preparatory courses is open to all first-year students and is strongly recommended for those who feel they need additional support in these subjects to fully understand the content of the official courses right from the start.
Attending these preparatory courses will also fulfill the OFA (Additional Educational Requirements) for those who have been assigned them based on their TOLC-AV test results (as established by the Regulations for Admission to the Bachelor’s Degree Program in Sustainable Agricultural Systems)
Introductory Course in Physics
Introductory Course in Mathematics