DISTU PhDs

What is a Ph.D?

With Ministerial Decree No. 45 of February 8, 2013, “Regulation on the modalities for the accreditation of doctoral schools and courses and criteria for the establishment of doctoral courses by accredited institutions,” which came into force on May 21, 2013, the reform of doctoral programs was enacted. The legislative measure aims to raise the overall quality of higher university education, with the intention of encouraging new models of industrial research and aligning the subject areas of Italian doctoral programs with European ones, following the model of the European Reasearch Council. .

Under the new law, doctoral courses are subject to a new accreditation procedure by the Ministry, based on quantitative and qualitative criteria established by ANVUR.

The doctoral degree constitutes the third level of university education, in which education and research, the two founding elements of the European concept of a university, are closely merged. PhD courses, with a minimum duration of three years, can be accessed with a master’s/master’s degree or similar academic qualification obtained abroad, previously recognized by the academic authorities, including within the framework of inter-university cooperation and mobility agreements. Access is also allowed to holders of a degree obtained under the regulations prior to Ministerial Decrees No. 509/1999 and No. 270/2004.

The course of study involves the definition of a training plan and the carrying out of a research project under the guidance of a tutor, through advanced teaching programs, in-depth individual study and periods of study abroad, and concludes with the elaboration of a thesis conducted with scientific method and original content. The Ph.D. gives access to the world of scientific research, mainly in academia, but also in advanced research centers, in fields requiring the possession of high professional skills and in production facilities.

PhD courses: