Milestones
The first year is mainly devoted to the acquisition of scientific knowledge at both basic and high level. Students are required to complete a series of courses and other educational activities.
Study Plan
Each doctoral student must submit to the approval of the Doctoral Programme Committee an individual Study Plan (usually by the end of January), drawn up in agreement with the supervisor and co-supervisor/s.
This must be compatible with periods of research spent abroad, corporate work placements and any other endeavor pursued outside of the University.
The Committee is responsible for discussing and approving each Study Plan, suggesting appropriate changes, establishing the Credits amount of any activity not included in the Manifesto.
Students are free to modify their Study Plan in the course of the Programme upon consultation with their supervisor. Any change must be promptly communicated and motivated to the Administrative Manager of the Programme so that to formalize it.
Only if necessary and pertinent to the Thesis, students can ask to include courses from undergraduate programmes (the Doctoral Programme Executive Committee will evaluate the workload and assign the credits respectively; usually these courses give the half of the credits obtained during the first or second cycle courses. Example: if usually a course gives 6 credits to first/second cycle students, you will be assigned 3 credits for the PhD).
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. Students are expected to have reached all required credits type A by the end of the second year (see Credits recognition section).
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.
Progression and monitoring
Admission to the following year (1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd)
At the end of the first and the second year Students are asked to prepare and submit to the Doctoral Programe Committee a written Annual report (Doctoral Record) on the research activity done so far. The deadline for delivering the report is communicated to Students by the Doctoral Programme Administrators.
Usually one month before each Academic Year start date Students are requested to illustrate their research in a public presentation, in front of a Committee composed by at least 2 members appointed by the Doctoral Programme Committee. The presentations last 10-15 minutes (plus 10-15 minutes of queries sessions); during this presentation students have to underline the aims and objectives of the research, the status quo, the scientific relevance and the expected impact of the results (slides are requested).
Failing examinations might results in the exclusion from the Programme.