PhD in MANAGEMENT

In general, the first year of the programme is primarily devoted to a review of the available literature related to the PhD research project, preliminary studies on its experimental feasibility, and the acquisition of fundamental technical and scientific knowledge of standard methodologies.

The PhD education programme requires the acquisition of 9 credit points per year during the first two years. This is achieved by attending courses selected in agreement with the assigned tutor, in order to tailor the training programme to both the student’s expectations and the need to acquire a specific background.

The courses can be chosen from the following modules (in Italian or English):

• Preparatory courses for students in their first year. One of these is mandatory, namely: “From data to divulgation: the scientific path”;

• General academic courses, normally offered by our university or by other Italian and foreign universities;

• Specialist PhD courses “on demand”, to be selected from those taught by members of the PhD panel and experts involved in doctoral activities;

• Summer Schools, Workshops, and Company Training Courses.

Personalized training plans are designed for PhD students by their tutors, in order to provide them with the best and most appropriate learning and development opportunities. Training also includes lectures, seminars, schools, and guided research activities.

PhD students are strongly encouraged to attend courses aimed at improving their English language skills.

By the end of the academic year, all PhD students are required to attend an interview session. Each student must deliver a 20-minute oral presentation to the members of the PhD panel, followed by a 5–10 minute discussion. The presentation should outline the achievements of their research program over the past year, highlight their individual contributions to the results obtained, and present a plan for future work and developments.

If the PhD panel provides a positive evaluation, the student will be allowed to proceed with enrollment for the next academic year. If the evaluation is not satisfactory, the committee will issue a warning to the student and their tutor. In this case, enrollment for the next academic year is still possible, but the student will be required to deliver a new oral presentation in the spring, including additional results and discussions, to further assess the validity of their research and training program.

In the second year, students are required to design and carry out specific experiments under the supervision of their tutor, with the aim of producing a comprehensive and self-consistent set of experimental datasets.

The PhD education programme requires the acquisition of 9 credit points per year during the first two years. This is achieved by attending courses selected in agreement with the assigned tutor, in order to tailor the training programme both to the student’s expectations and to the need for acquiring a specific background.

Courses can be chosen from the following modules (in Italian or English):

• Preparatory courses for students during their first year. One of these is mandatory, namely: “From data to divulgation: the scientific path”;

• General academic courses, typically offered by our university or other Italian and foreign universities;

• Specialist PhD courses “on demand”, selected among those provided by members of the PhD panel and experts involved in doctoral activities;

• Summer Schools, Workshops, and Company Training Courses.

Personalized training plans will be developed for PhD students by their tutors to ensure the best and most appropriate learning and training opportunities. The training also includes lectures, seminars, schools, and guided research activities. PhD students are strongly encouraged to attend courses aimed at improving their English language proficiency.

No specific activities are required in the second year regarding thesis preparation and writing. This is intended to allow students to focus their efforts on their research work and on submitting the experimental results obtained to peer-reviewed scientific journals.

This step is crucial, as one of the main criteria for admission to the final PhD examination is the number of papers published during the entire PhD programme. Publishing fewer than two papers over the three academic years will result in a six-month delay of the final exam. If the required criterion is still not met after this six-month period, students may be excluded from the programme, with no possibility of obtaining the PhD degree.

By the end of the academic year, an interview session is scheduled for all PhD students. Each student is required to give a 20-minute oral presentation to the members of the PhD panel, followed by a 5–10 minute discussion. The presentation must report on the achievements obtained during the past year, highlighting the student’s individual contributions to the presented results and outlining a plan for future work and developments.

If the PhD panel provides a positive evaluation, the student is allowed to proceed with enrollment for the next academic year. If the evaluation is not satisfactory, the committee will issue a warning to the student and their tutor. Enrollment in the next academic year remains possible, but the PhD student will be required to give a new oral presentation in the spring, including additional results and discussions, to better assess the validity of their research and training programme.

By the end of the third academic year, the usual interview session is scheduled for PhD students to evaluate their eligibility for the final examination procedure. Each student is required to deliver a 25-minute oral presentation to the members of the PhD panel, followed by a 5-minute discussion. The presentation must summarize the achievements of their research program during the past year, highlight their individual contributions to the results presented, and outline potential future work and developments.

Additionally, students are required to submit their thesis to the PhD program coordinator, who will forward it to two independent reviewers for evaluation. There is also a mandatory requirement of having published at least two papers (three for the “Excellent cum laude” final evaluation) in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

If the student meets all of these criteria and receives a positive evaluation, they are allowed to apply for admission to the final exam. If not, the committee will issue a warning to the student and their tutor. The final exam will then be postponed by six months to give the student time to fulfill the required criteria.

The final exam consists of a presentation to the PhD panel on the research conducted by the student throughout the entire three-year programme. The student must emphasize their individual contribution to the results presented and outline possible future work and developments.

Students are required to deliver a 25-minute oral presentation to the panel members, followed by a 5-minute discussion. It is also important to highlight the dissemination of their work through scientific publications, oral or poster presentations at national and international conferences, participation in research projects, and other related activities.

If the evaluation by the committee is positive, the student will be awarded one of five possible final grades: Excellent cum laude, Excellent quality, Relevant quality, Good quality, or Sufficient quality. If the evaluation is not positive, a warning will be issued to the student and their tutor. The final exam will be postponed by six months to allow the student to fulfill all necessary evaluation criteria.