Informations

School organization and practical information
The research doctorate lasts three years. THE CHOICE OF THE "DOCTOR EUROPEUS" COURSE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED so as to spend a period ABROAD and then discuss the THESIS IN ENGLISH and with an international commission. Every year on November 1st a new three-year cycle begins.

Teaching staff and Coordinator:
The PhD is managed by a Faculty Board, which has programmatic duties and supervises the didactic and research activities of the Course. The Coordinator is elected by the Academic Board and has the didactic and scientific responsibility for the Course, supervises its operation and coordinates its activities. All the members of the college are very active in research and meet all the parameters required by Anvur (National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research) for accreditation.

Supervisor
The Board of Professors appoints a Supervisor to each graduate student. The supervisor is responsible for the scientific project and also for designing, together with the student, an appropriate didactic programme.  The supervisor also provides adequate scientific facilities and financial support for the research activities of the student and dissemination of the results of the research.

Research and formation of graduate students

The graduate students of the School are requested to investigate on frontier topics in sciences of reproduction and development by attending a number of specific courses and seminars given by members of the School and by academic or professional external experts in order to collect the required number of credits.

The students are expected to plan and personally perform research projects with high scientific impact, that will be discussed with – and constantly monitored by – their supervisor.  Often the research projects are part of international collaborations. Accordingly, students are encouraged to spend some time at a foreign research institution (up to a maximum of 6 months), even for the purposes of achieving the title of Doctor Europeus. Students are also encouraged to attend national or international congresses presenting their research work.

Annual assessments

At the end of each year, each graduate student submits to the Board of Professors a written report (either in Italian or in English) on his/her research project. In addition, the students show the results of their projects and future developments in an oral presentation within a dedicated one or two-day mini-symposium organized by the Board of Professors, attended also by faculty members of the University, invited experts and students.

The Board of Professors performs a yearly assessment of the scientific achievements of each student, based on the above-mentioned report and presentation, as well as on publications, participation to Schools, Workshops and to national or international Symposia, research stages in other Italian or foreign scientific Institutions. Similarly, the college will give an opinion on the formation of the graduate student teaching (courses taken, seminars, etc.).

A positive evaluation of both scientific and didactic aspects is needed for being promoted to the subsequent year.

Doctoral thesis

At the end of the doctorate, each student is required to write a thesis on the scientific results obtained during the project. The thesis is then defended in front of an external commission made up of national or foreign experts. Students who want to have the ‘Doctor Europeus’ certification must spend at least three consecutive months abroad and write their thesis in English. In this case, the presence of a foreign professor in the defence commission is required and the discussion will be done in English.

More information can be found in the following website.