Both universities and institutes of the Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica - AFAM) organise third-cycle programmes, lasting a minimum of 3 years. Courses aim at providing the competencies required to carry out highly qualified research activities.
University third-cycle programmes lead to a PhD (dottorato), while AFAM programmes lead to a research academic diploma (Diploma accademico di formazione alla ricerca).
Alongside the above-mentioned programmes, universities and AFAM institutions also offer further courses, leading to qualifications falling outside the bachelor and master structure.
All the qualifications released in the Italian education and training system, both State and Regional, are referenced to the NQF (pp. 85-89) that corresponds to the EQF. Qualifications issued by universities and AFAM institutions are also described in the Italian qualification framework of Higher education (QTI).
Organisation of Doctoral Studies
Doctoral studies are offered at both universities and AFAM institutions in all areas and sectors of study and research and of arts, music and dance, respectively.
PhD courses and the venues where they are held must be accredited by the Ministry of university and research (Ministero dell'università e della ricerca - MUR), based on the opinion of the National agency for the evaluation of the university and research system (Agenzia nazionale di valutazione del sistema universitario e della ricerca - Anvur).
Accredited institutions establish, in their own regulations, the access requirements to courses, the methods to obtain the final qualification, the learning objectives and programmes, the length of courses, the fees, the number of fellowships available, the methods for awarding grants and their amount.
Courses can also be organised through consortia and agreements with other public and/or private, Italian or foreign universities and research institutes (international doctorate) and with enterprises involved in research and development (industrial doctorate). However, qualifications are always issued by university institutions.
Both university and AFAM third-cycle courses have a minimum length of 3 years.
Admission Requirements
Access to third-cycle programmes at both universities and AFAM institutions requires a master's qualification, or other equivalent qualification obtained abroad, and passing a public competition.
Access to the competition is open also to those who, at the date of the competition, do not have the qualification required. However, in case of positive outcome, they should get the qualification within the 31st October subsequent to the competition.
The call should be in both Italian and English and be published on the website of the institution offering the doctoral course, on the Ministry's website and on Euraxess. Moreover, the call should indicate the number of available posts, access requirements, assessment criteria, tests (written and/or oral), grants available and their amounts, and charges to be borne by future doctoral students . Selection procedures should end by the 30th September of each year.
Status of Doctoral Students/Candidates
Doctoral students have the status of university full time students with and exclusive engagement with the institution. During doctoral studies, students can carry out tutoring and, within the limit of 40 hours/year, teaching activities.
In case a student is also a public employee, he/she has the right to unpaid leave for the official duration of the course (e.g. if the course has an official duration of three years and the student needs one more year to finish his/her studies, the fourth year is not covered by the leave). Mothers have the right to maternity leave. Students receive yearly grants renewable upon fulfilment of all activities foreseen in the study plan of the previous year. Grants have a minimum amount established nationwide through Ministerial Decree. The amount can be increased to cover additional costs for research activities to be carried out abroad. Grants cover also social security costs.
Supervision Arrangements
Universities and AFAM institutions establish their own assessment and supervision criteria.
Each doctoral course has its own teachers' board, with its own coordinator. The board plans and organises the course, defines the study plans and the assessment procedures, etc. The board is made up of professors, researchers coming from both Italian and foreign universities and research institutes and highly qualified experts. Single regulations regulate the participation in the assembly.
Tutoring is available according to criteria and methods established by each institution.
Employability
As for the third-cycle studies, questions concerning guidance and transition to active life are foreseen within the teaching activities of each study course; therefore, they fall within the responsibility of the teaching structure which manages the respective study courses. Please also refer to 'Employability' in the first and second-cycle programmes.
Assessment
Assessment of university and AFAM doctoral students takes place every year at the time of their admission to the subsequent year. Single institutions establish the assessment methods in their own regulations.
At the end of the whole course, students should pass a final assessment.
University doctoral students submit a final research work, written both in Italian and in English, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and methodologies in the subject area chosen by the student. Students should also submit a report on the activities carried out during the doctoral course and on publications made. At least two external highly qualified professors evaluate the student’s work and write an analytical assessment. If the evaluation is positive the student is admitted discussing his/her work publicly. In case of non-positive assessment, the public dissertation is postponed up to six months to allow the student to amend and integrate his/her work.
The student debates the final work in front of a commission, which composition is defined in universities regulations. The commission approves or reject the work with motivation and can assign the laude to particularly significant works.
Also AFAM doctoral students debate their work publicly. The final research work should be original and previously approved by the relevant bodies of the course. The commission is made up of highly qualified experts.
Certification
At completion of a third-cycle programme, universities issue the qualification Dottorato di ricerca and award the title of Dottore di ricerca (Dott. Ric.) or PhD. AFAM institutions issue the Academic research diploma (Diploma accademico di formazione alla ricerca) and the relevant title of Academic research Doctor (Dottore accademico di ricerca).
This subject is regulated by single institutions through their own regulations.
Organisational Variation
For some university courses, distance learning is provided. The universities can provide this type of didactic organisation, also in the form of a consortium with several universities or with the support of other public and private bodies.
Teaching regulations of each university and of the study courses lay down the organisation of possible training activities for students who do not attend full-time and the typology of courses, including distance learning provisions, examinations and other monitoring forms of the students' performances.