I am not an Italian citizen. Can I still apply?
Yes, you can. We do not have any restrictions concerning the nationality of the applicants.

I am not an EU citizen. Can I still apply?
Yes, you can. We do not have any restrictions concerning the nationality of the applicants.

I do not speak Italian. Can I still apply?
Yes, you can. The programme is conducted entirely in English. However, we do strongly encourage all admitted students to acquire a working knowledge of Italian. Italian courses are offered on an on-going basis by the University of Trento language center, CLA.

Is there a maximum age for applicants?
No, there is not. We do not have any restrictions concerning the age of the applicants.

I will not graduate before the application deadline. Can I still apply? All candidates must have earned the minimum requirement degrees specified in the selection annoucenment by the start of the programme, which is the beginning of November of the same year. If you plan to graduate after the application deadline but before 31 October you can still apply. See the selection announcement for exact dates and on additional documentation needed in this case. Admission in this case will be conditional upon successful completion of the programme you are currently enrolled in.

Admission requirements

1. Applications for admission to the selection process are accepted from candidates regardless of gender, age and nationality, who hold: a) an Italian “Laurea Magistrale” (Master’s Degree) according to Ministerial Decree no. 270 of 22 October 2004, or b) a second level degree awarded by an Italian “AFAM” Institute (Artistic and Musical Higher Education) or a university degree awarded under the previous regulations, or c) an equivalent degree qualification obtained abroad (Master’s Degree) at a recognized Institution, which: - allows access to an equivalent PhD course in the country/higher education system of origin (unless substantial differences are encountered); - is equivalent to the Italian Laurea magistrale (Master’s Degree), in terms of duration, level and subject area ; - is considered suitable by the Admission Committee for the sole purpose of the admission to the PhD Programme.

2. Applications are also accepted from candidates who expect to obtain their degree/equivalent qualification abroad, by 31 October 2024. In this case admission is "conditional" and applicants must submit the degree certificate (or a self-declaration, see Form A) to the PhD Office - Cognitive, Social Sciences and Humanities (email: phd.office-cssh [at] unitn.it; fax n. +39 0461 282191) no later than 4 November 2024. Failure to provide the certificate by this date will lead to forfeiture of grant and position.

3. Applicants with a foreign university degree that has already been officially recognized equivalent to an Italian degree by a relevant office of an Italian University, must submit the details of the decree of equivalence (the Italian Rector's Decree issued by the university) in their application.

4. Applicants with a foreign university degree that has not yet been officially recognized equivalent (see point no. 3) to an Italian degree must submit a request for equivalence in their application. It’s in the applicant’s best interest to provide all elements necessary for evaluation, especially in case the educational system of the country where the title was obtained is incomparable with the Italian one. The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to ask applicants to provide additional documentation, if deemed necessary, in order to be considered for the selection.

5. Candidates who have already obtained a PhD degree can apply for a second PhD Programme only if its the main research topics and scientific-disciplinary fields differ from those of the candidate’s first Doctorate programme for which the title was obtained are different. For applicants who have already benefited - even partially - from a doctoral scholarship, the admission to the new PhD Programme can’t be covered by a scholarship.

In case you have doubts or in order to know whether your foreign degree satisfies Italian PhD entry criteria, you can request verification at CIMEA. More details found here. Should your foreign degree be deemed suitable for admission to an Italian PhD the CIMEA verification will substitute your Diploma Supplement / Dichiarazione di Valore.