The PhD program represents the third cycle of education in the Italian academic system and provides the skills necessary to carry out highly qualified research activities at universities, public bodies, or private entities, also with a view to accessing careers in public administration and integrating highly innovative professional paths (Ministerial Decree 226/2021).
Doctoral training:
- pursues the advancement of knowledge through education in basic and applied research
- promotes opportunities for interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary training
- contributes to strengthening transnational and international relations in the field of research
- envisages the acquisition of transversal skills, in order to facilitate their transfer and development in both scientific and professional contexts
Master’s degree or other academic qualification obtained abroad, recognized as suitable.
For some doctoral programs, additional admission requirements may be necessary, as indicated in the admission announcement.
Admission to doctoral research programs is granted through the successful completion of a specific selection test.
Anyone holding a master’s or specialist degree, a degree obtained under the system preceding the entry into force of Ministerial Decree 509/1999, or a suitable foreign qualification may access doctoral research programs, with no restrictions regarding age or citizenship.
The admission call is issued each year by decree of the Rector and published on this site, on the European EURAXESS portal, and on the Ministry’s website.
Selection is based on academic qualifications and examinations. The examinations consist of a written test and an interview. Candidates must also demonstrate proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Each doctoral program allocates a certain number of positions with scholarships and others without scholarships.
The educational program concludes with the preparation of a doctoral thesis carried out using the scientific method. Upon passing the final exam, which consists of the thesis defense, the title of Doctor of Philosophy (“Dott. Ric.” or “Ph.D.”) is awarded. The educational program concludes with the preparation of a doctoral thesis carried out using the scientific method. Upon passing the final exam, which consists of the thesis defense, the title of Doctor of Philosophy (“Dott. Ric.” or “Ph.D.”) is awarded.
Minimum 36 months.
PhD in Linguistic, Philological, and Literary-Artistic Studies
The PhD program offers training in the areas of historical, theoretical, descriptive, and applied linguistics, glottodidactics, and Italian linguistics, including in relation to the use of digital technologies. Other significant fields include the study of the Italian linguistic, textual, and literary tradition from its origins to the present day, as well as philology, which is explored through investigations of forms including paraliterary, documentary, and editorial expressions. These pathways are part of the wider project to enhance the value of the Italian language heritage worldwide, which combines with the study of its artistic and audiovisual expressions from the Middle Ages to the present.
Coordinator: Prof. Francesca Malagnini
PhD in "Frontier Sciences in Sustainability, Diplomacy and International Cooperation
The PhD program offers an educational and research path with a transdisciplinary approach on strategic issues for today’s society: its areas of study cover research directions that range across the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social, environmental), in line with the Goals of the 2030 Agenda, with particular attention to diplomacy and international cooperation, as well as conditions of vulnerability.
Coordinator: Prof. Francesco Asdrubali
PhD Thesis Defense Dr. Olga Lopopolo, 36th cycle, March 31, 2026, 3:00 PM