PhD Programme
The Doctoral programme lasts three years and English is the official language.
The first year is mainly devoted to the acquisition of scientific knowledge at both basic and high level. A tutor will follow the doctoral student's study activity during the first six months of his/her PhD. From the second semester of the first year onwards, the doctoral student is guided by an advisor, who supervises his/her research, supports preparation for his/her Qualifying exam, and ensures that good research quality is maintained. The advisor also helps the student to adjust to the university environment and follow university rules.
The advisor meets with the student to assess his/her progress in the programme and to provide advice on future work.
During the second year the doctoral student deepens his/her scientific knowledge and starts to establish his/her thesis work, identifying the objectives and research activities to be developed within the thesis. At the beginning of the second year of the Doctoral Programme, the student must submit a PhD proposal and make a presentation to a Committee selected by the Doctoral School Committee (Qualifying exam). The PhD proposal must contain a review of the state of the art in the area; a description of the research goals and plan; and the preliminary results. On the basis of the Commission’s assessment, the Doctoral School Committee decides whether the student can continue his/her PhD programme or whether s/he should be excluded.
During the third year, the student focuses on his/her personal contribution to the state-of-the-art on the chosen research problem and/or to the development of the proposed technological innovation. The activity ends with the submission of a Doctoral thesis. The thesis must be written in English, must have original content, and must demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out research and/or innovation activities at the international level. The thesis work generally stems from scientific collaborations and should clearly indicate the specific contributions of the student.
Students have to spend at least three months abroad at a partner institution by the end of their PhD programme.