For general information see also the official regulation of the PhD Program (in .pdf – only in Italian)

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FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

REQUIREMENTS

  • What requirements must I satisfy to be eligible to apply?
    Applicants must hold an internationally recognized Master’s degree or an equivalent academic qualification awarded by a recognized university and granting access to PhD studies. For Italian applicants, this corresponds to a second-level degree awarded by an Italian University, i.e. laurea magistrale. Applicants are also required to submit  a research proposal and have two letters of recommendation sent by two teachers/scholars.
  • Do I need to pay in order to apply?
    Yes. An application fee must be paid before the deadline.
  • How is the admission procedure organized?
    On the basis of the applications received, an Admissions Committee composed of four professors – one from each of the four Universities and representing each curriculum – draws up a shortlist of candidates. Shortlisted candidates are then invited for an interview. For applicants residing abroad, the interview may not be in person.
  • How do I choose a curriculum?
    The different areas of research covered by the program are presented in this site, along with the teaching activities associated with each curriculum. Applicants are encouraged to consult the faculty members’s webpages in order to asses the relevance of their research interests to the proposed project.

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VENUES

  • Where are admissions interviews and final examinations held?
    Admissions interviews are held at the university responsible for the administrative coordination of FINO at the relevant time. Final examinations are usually held at the university responsible for the the administrative coordination at the time of admission.
  • Are there housing facilities and a working space for PhD students?
    Each university provides working spaces for PhD students, including common rooms, libraries, and, where available, office space shared with faculty members. Housing facilities for students are also available at each of the four universities, although applications must be submitted in advance in order to secure accommodation.
  • How do the four universities coordinate access to libraries and online research databases?
    Students admitted will be provided with an account at one of the four universities in order to access online libraries (journals and other documents) and have access to internet services, to libraries and lectures. As enrolled students, PhD candidates may also access the Eduroam network. The username and password are the same as those used to access the online services of the university website.

– see also the web page on venues and facilities (to be updated)

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FOR CURRENT STUDENTS

 

UNIVERSITIES

  • To which university do we belong?
    Each PhD student is affiliated with one of the four universities (for scholarship holders the relevant university is the one that provides the scholarship). In addition, all students are attached to the university responsible for the administrative coordination of the program at the time of their first enrolment.
  • Which rules should we follow for what?
    PhD students are required to follow the rules and procedures of the university with which they are affiliated. Because of the collaboration within FINO, many regulations are shared across the four universities, although some minor differences remain.

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TUTOR, SUPERVISOR, and CONFIRMATION

  • How is my tutor chosen?
    A tutor is assigned upon enrolment in order to provide a link with the university to which the student is affiliated. The tutor offers guidance during the initial stages of the program, helping students being their research, identify an appropriate supervisor, and comply with administrative requirements.
  • How is my supervisor chosen?
    The tutor may also serve as supervisor. However, depending on the student’s research interests, supervision may be undertaken by any member of the Board of Teachers willing to supervise the project. Although students may work informally with a prospective supervisor during the first year, the role of supervisor is formally assigned only upon progression from the first to the second year. This arrangement is intended to give students time to clarify their research project). Each PhD student is also required to choose at least one co-supervisor.
  • How is participation in the program confirmed each year? 
    Evaluation procedures for progression from the first to the second year and from the second to the third year are organized within each curriculum. Passing the evaluation –  typically based on the discussion of a paper or research project – is required in order to maintain PhD student status.

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CLASSES

  • How many mandatory classes must students attend? Students are required to attend some mandatory classes common to all curricula.  In addition, each curriculum includes mandatory classes and seminars specific to its area of specialization. Since there is some overlap among curricula, students are also allowed to attend classes and seminars offered by other curricula.
  • What if I wish to attend activities outside FINO?
    Students may discuss participation in alternative classes or activities with the head of their curriculum or with the Coordinator of the PhD program. Permission may be granted in cases such as periods spent abroad or other exceptional circumstances. The classes offered within the PhD program are intended not only to provide academic training, but also to foster discussion, intellectual exchange, and participation in academic life. They therefore constitute an integral part of the program.
  • How much am I expected to write? Students are expected to develop their writing skills as fully as possible. During the first year, students are required to write one essay for the shared class and another for the class specific to their curriculum. Deadlines for these essays are determined in agreement with the relevant instructors and are normally set within two months of the end of the class. In addition, tutors or supervisors may require students to write papers or essays on specific topics as their research develops.

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WRITING

  • Where should I publish ?

    Students are encouraged, where appropriate, to submit their work to academic journals. Supervisors will provide guidance on publication strategies and suitable venues.

    Papers written as part of the mandatory teaching activities are not normally intended for publication.

  • When should I finish writing the dissertation?

    Students are expected to complete the final version of the dissertation before the end of the third year.

    Some supervisors recommend organizing the dissertation into chapters that can also function as independent essays and may eventually be revised and submitted as journal articles.

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FUNDING

  • Is funding available for conferences, workshops, research visits, and other activities related to my dissertation?

    Yes. Starting from the second year, students are provided with a limited budget to support activities such as participation in conferences and workshops, visits to libraries and research centers, and other research-related travel, in accordance with the regulations of the university with which they are affiliated.

    Each year, all students — including those without a scholarship — are granted funding corresponding to 10% of an annual scholarship.

    Some universities also offer limited funding during the first year, for example when a student’s paper has been accepted for presentation at a conference or workshop.

    In some cases, a distinction is made between:

    • educational mobility, such as attending seminars or conferences; and
    • missions, such as presenting a paper at a conference.

    Students may also apply for an increase in their scholarship to support research visits abroad (see the section on visiting periods abroad and the detailed information concerning scholarship increases).

  • Whom should I ask for funding? 

    Requests for funding should be submitted to the university with which the student is affiliated, since each university follows its own administrative procedures.

    In all cases, students are required to complete the relevant forms and submit them to the appropriate local office. Some offices may also require approval from the Coordinator of the PhD program.

    Requests for short-term travel funding (for teaching activities, conference participation, and similar purposes) should be submitted to the department of the relevant university, using the appropriate forms. Requests for scholarship increases related to periods spent abroad should instead be addressed to the doctoral offices of the respective universities.

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VISITING

  • Whom should I contact regarding a visiting period abroad?

    Students may apply either:

    1. for a co-tutorship arrangement; or
    2. for a period of study or research abroad.

    Case (1) requires a more complex administrative procedure managed by the offices of the university responsible for the administrative coordination of the program.

    In case (2), the request must be submitted to the university with which the student is affiliated and which provides the scholarship during the first year of the PhD program, preferably during the first half of the academic year.

    If the student intends to apply for an increase in the scholarship for the period abroad, the request must also be signed by the Coordinator of the PhD program or accompanied by a supporting letter from the Coordinator.

  • How long can I stay abroad, and how much is the scholarship be increased?

    PhD students are strongly encouraged to spend a period abroad at an institution particularly advanced in their specific field of research.

    Scholarship holders are entitled to a 50% increase in their scholarship during the approved period abroad. The total duration of funded periods abroad may not exceed 540 days.

    The scholarship increase may also be granted for shorter periods abroad, such as participation in summer schools or conferences.

  • When should I apply, and when will the increase be paid?

    If the period abroad lasts less than two months, the scholarship increase is paid after the end of the stay.

    If the period abroad lasts more than two consecutive months, the increased amount is paid during the stay abroad. In such cases, students should submit their request at least one month before departure.

    Upon returning, students must provide the relevant university office with a signed document issued by the host institution confirming the dates of arrival and departure.

  • Which procedure should I follow?

    Students are required to provide:

    1. the exact dates of the period abroad;
    2. a letter of invitation from the host institution indicating the same dates;
    3. approval from the Coordinator of the PhD program; and
    4. an email confirming arrival at the host institution.

    At the end of the period abroad, students must obtain a signed letter confirming the date of departure. This document must be submitted to the relevant offices no later than 15 days after the end of the stay abroad.

    Since procedures may vary slightly across universities, students are advised to check the specific regulations of their university and consult the detailed information provided below.

see also Page on going to Conferences or Visiting Abroad

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FINAL EXAMINATIONS

  • Are there any additional fees to pay?
    No additional fees are required for the final examination.
  • When, where and to whom should I submit the final dissertation?

    The final version of the dissertation, in PDF format, must be submitted at the end of the third year to the evaluators, after approval by the supervisor and the Steering Committee.

    If the dissertation is considered insufficient for evaluation, the Steering Committee may grant a six-month extension before submission to the evaluators.

    The supervisor will discuss with the student the appointment of the evaluators and of the Examination Board.

  • When will the viva examination take place?

    Once the evaluators have approved the dissertation, the Examination Board is formally appointed and determines a suitable date for the viva examination.

    For further information, see also the section on final examinations.

 

 

WEB PAGES

      • Is there any web space for students?
        Students will have a web page for presenting their career and uploading their files
      • When will the web space cease?
        Actually, there is no apparent time limit for keeping you FINO web page. The Consortium is eager to keep in touch with its former students after their PhD and we have included in the web page a specific space for indicating post-doctoral activities. Students will normally build their own professional web pages in the future and we will be happy if they will put a link to their new web pages in that space.
      • How do I fill out the personal web page?
        Students can enter their web page and write their CV and other information.  To enter their web pages students have to use the address: https://www.finophd.eu/pete  and send their own email (the one present in FINO list of students). They will receive on their email address a redirection to their web page where to give basic information or also upload files and pictures. For more details see https://www.finophd.eu/?page_id=3281


DELEGATES IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE

Each year PhD students elect a delegate in the Steering Committee, so that there are at least three PhD students, one per cohort (or “Cycle”), to present common worries and/or proposals to the Committee.

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