1) How can I enter the PhD programme?
Access is by open selection based on qualifications only, examinations, or qualifications and examinations, depending on the PhD. The call for applications is published every year on the following webpage: http://www.unimore.it/didattica/dottorati.html.
Notice of the publication of the call is also given on the website of MIUR http://bandi.miur.it/.
and on the European website Euraxess http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index.
The call for applications indicates when and how to apply for admission to the competition, the number of places and scholarships provided for each PhD, as well as the entry requirements and the criteria for evaluating applications.
Two calls for admission were published for the XXXVIII cycle: the call for admission for thirteen PhD courses (a.y. 2022/2023) was published in June 2022; the call for admission to the Doctorate of National Interest in “Religious Studies” was published in July 2022.
2) What requirements do I have to meet to enter the PhD programme?
The requirement to participate in the selection is the possession of a Master’s Degree or other equivalent Italian university degree for the purposes of competition or similar academic degree obtained at foreign universities; those who obtain these qualifications by 31 October of the same year may participate in the selection. If the selection is successful, failure to obtain the qualification shall result in the forfeiture of admission. In the event that degrees in specific subjects are required for access to the programme, the suitability of the foreign qualification is ascertained by the Board in charge of the comparative evaluation of the applicants. Applicants are admitted to the selection process subject to verification of the above requirements.
3) I have a foreign degree: what documentation is required?
1) If the qualification is already declared equivalent to an Italian Degree by an Italian University, it is sufficient to attach the Rector’s Decree of equivalence to the application for admission to the selection.
2) Otherwise, the Rector’s Decree must be attached to the application for admission to the selection:
a) the degree certificate with the list of exams taken, accompanied by an Italian translation, legalisation and “declaration of value in loco” by the competent Italian diplomatic-consular Representation;
b) if not in possession of these documents, the application for admission to the selection must include the documents needed to allow verification of the qualification (degree certificate with exams or description of the degree with list of exams taken, possibly using the facsimile attached to the call for applications).
4) How to apply for admission to the competition?
You must submit the application for admission to the selection and any attachments, under penalty of exclusion, within the peremptory deadline established by the call for applications (which was 28 July 2022, 1:00 pm for the general call for admission to the 13 doctoral courses of the 2022/2023 academic year, while for the call for admission to the Doctorate of National Interest in “Religious Studies” it was 25 August, 1:00 p.m.) using the computerised procedure indicated in the call itself, published on the following page: http://www.unimore.it/didattica/dottorati.html.
All qualifications, documents and publications considered useful for the competition procedure must be attached in electronic format only. The application for admission is considered to have been correctly submitted only with the “explicit confirmation of the validity of the application” and the subsequent “Save data” during the above-mentioned IT procedure.
5) Do I have to pay a fee for admission to the competition?
Yes, each application refers to a single PhD and requires the payment of € 25.00 as a contribution to administrative services within the deadline and according to the procedures laid down in the call for applications (if you intend to participate in multiple selections you must submit several applications and make the relevant payments within the deadline laid down in the call for applications).
6) What can I do if I have problems with the application process?
For any technical and/or operational problems, please send an e-mail to: webhelp@unimore.it. The application form must be completed with due care as the data entered cannot be changed.
7) How is the selection process carried out?
The selection procedures and the timetable for the tests, where applicable, are indicated in the call for applications, in the sections relating to each PhD programme. The interview, if envisaged, includes the verification of the English knowledge and the knowledge of another optional foreign language declared by the applicant at the moment of the application.
8) How can I find out if I have been admitted to the PhD?
Applicants will be admitted to the Programmes based on the final ranking and up to the number of places available for each PhD programme. The final rankings, drawn up by the selection committees, will be made public based on the procedures set out in the call for applications. In the event of successful placement in more than one list, you may enrol in only one Programme.
9) How do I enrol in the PhD?
If you are successfully placed in a final merit list, you must enrol in the first year of the PhD programme, under penalty of forfeiture, within the deadline established in the call for applications, and in accordance with the procedures set out in the call for applications.
10) I am a foreigner and a winner of one of the PhD places: whom can I contact to obtain a residence permit and assistance in finding accommodation?
For information and assistance with residence permits and accommodation, foreign students can contact the International Welcome Desk at the following address: internationalwelcomedesk@unimore.it.
11) I am a foreigner and I have been awarded a scholarship, but I am not yet in Italy: how can I register with INPS and get my tax code?
You can register with the I.N.P.S. and ask for a tax code from the Revenue Agency once you are in Italy. However, you must send the self-certification form certifying your registration with the I.N.P.S. and your tax code, by the deadline and according to the procedures, to the University Offices indicated in the call for applications. For information and assistance regarding the tax code and I.N.P.S. registration, foreign students may contact the International Welcome Desk at the following address: internationalwelcomedesk@unimore.it.
12) Is enrolment in the PhD programme compatible with other study activities carried out simultaneously?
Enrolment in a PhD programme is incompatible with simultaneous enrolment in another PhD, PhD School, Degree and Diploma Programmes, non-medical Specialisation Schools, Active Training Internships (TFA), and 1st and 2nd Level Masters at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia or at other Universities.
Joint attendance to the PhD and the last year of a medical specialisation programme is permitted, subject to the following general criteria:
– the joint attendance to the last year of specialisation and PhD programmes can take place only if the place of attendance of the specialisation course coincides with the place of attendance of the PhD;
– postgraduate students enrolled in the last year may apply for enrolment in the aforementioned PhD, pursuant to art. 7, enclosing the authorisation issued by the Ordinary Committee of the School of Specialisation based on its compatibility with the activities and commitments envisaged by the School itself;
– Admission to the second year will be decided by the Teaching Board of the PhD following an evaluation of the research activities carried out during the period of joint attendance and certified by the Board of the Specialisation School;
– until the end of the period of joint attendance, students may not receive the PhD scholarship.
13) Is enrolment in the PhD compatible with other work activities carried out simultaneously?
The PhD involves an exclusive, full-time commitment. However, compatible work activities are permitted, subject to authorisation by the Teaching Board. For PhD students with a grant, the activities must be limited to those in any case related to the acquisition of skills in the field of the PhD programme; for PhD students without a grant, any incompatibility arising from the work activity must be assessed in concrete terms, without this leading to behaviour that is detrimental to constitutionally protected rights, such as the right to study for capable and deserving students, even if without means. The use of research grants by PhD students with no scholarship is permitted as long as the subject to which the grant refers is compatible, in the opinion of the Teaching Board, with the themes of the PhD programme.
14) I am a public employee: can I enrol in the PhD?
In accordance with the law, public employees who have been admitted to PhD programmes are placed on special leave for study purposes without pay for the duration of the programme and are granted the scholarship if the conditions are met. In the event of admission to a PhD without a scholarship, or if the scholarship is renounced, the person on leave of absence retains the economic, social security and pension benefits enjoyed by the public administration with which the employment relationship was established. If, after obtaining a PhD, the employment relationship with the public administration is terminated at the employee’s request within the following two years, the sums paid under the second period shall be recovered. A public employee who has already obtained the PhD qualification or has been enrolled in a PhD programme for at least one year, benefiting from the leave, is not entitled to extraordinary leave with or without allowance. The period of special leave is valid for the purposes of career progression, pension and social security. For further information, please refer to the Public Administration to which you belong.
15) I won the scholarship: what is the amount granted and how is it paid?
The scholarships have an annual duration. The gross annual amount of the scholarships, starting from the academic year 2022/23, unless subsequent regulatory changes, is €16,243.00, subject to I.N.P.S. social security contribution under separate management. The net annual amount is approximately €14,340.00, divided into monthly instalments in arrears (with value date on the 25th day of the month). Scholarships are renewed for the second and third year on condition that the PhD student has completed the programme of activities planned for the previous year, to be verified by the Teaching Board.
16) Is there any form of incompatibility with the use of the scholarship?
Doctoral grants may not be combined with other scholarships or forms of grants from the university budget and/or the State, except for those provided to supplement, with stays abroad, the research activities of the PhD student. PhD scholarships may not be combined with any other form of funding offered, or with scholarships granted by foreign countries or based on specific mobility programmes. PhD scholarships may not be combined with research grants or advanced training and research apprenticeship contracts or remuneration received from the company in case of “industrial PhDs”. PhD scholarships are not compatible with the salary received as a permanent public employee (see the previous point “I am a public employee: can I enrol in a PhD programme?). PhD scholarships may not be accepted by anyone who has already benefited, even partially, from another scholarship in a previous PhD programme.
17) Is there any provision for increasing the grant?
Yes, for any periods of residence abroad, to the extent of 50% and up to a maximum of 12 continuous or fractionated months, except as provided for in specific conventions or agreements for the internationalisation of PhD programmes. If you intend to travel abroad and take advantage of the increased scholarship, you must submit to the PhD Office (at least 15 days before departure), the documentation indicated on our website: http://www.unimore.it/didattica/dottorati.html.
On return, students must provide the PhD Office with a certificate or statement from the foreign institution where the research was carried out, indicating the period of the actual stay abroad.
18) Does the grant have to be included in the tax return?
The Doctoral grant is exempt from local income tax and from IRPEF (art. 4 law n. 476 of 13/8/1984 and art. 6 law n. 398 of 30 November 1989). If it is your only income, you are not required to file a declaration. However, it is always a good idea to check every year the instructions of the UNICO model, which can be found on the website of the Italian Revenue Agency (http://www.agenziaentrate.it/).
19) What is the tax and social security treatment of the PhD scholarship?
The grant is not subject to IRPEF taxation. Since 2013, however, the University has been obliged to provide the CUD (single certification of employee income) also for exempt income categories such as PhDs. PhD students may consult and print the following documents, exclusively online:
- summary coupons relating to the payment of monthly instalments of the study grant;
- the “Modello CU” (former CUD form) relative to the previous year’s income.
To access the service (within the University Intranet section) you need to connect to http://www.unimore.it/, select “Intranet di Ateneo” [if the message “A problem has occurred with the website protection certificate” is displayed, you need to select the option “Continue with the website (not recommended).”], log in using your access credentials (username and password), select “Servizi”, “Servizi informatici”, click on the link under “Cedolini e CUD Web Portal” and select “Login to the service”. A pension contribution of one third is charged to the scholarship holder, while the INPS withholding tax is reduced for those who pay contributions to other social security funds (e.g. those compulsory for those registered with a professional association). Contributions are automatically withheld from the monthly instalment and paid by the University directly to the INPS in charge.
20) How much does enrolment in the PhD cost?
All students enrolling (with or without a scholarship) in a PhD programme for the 2022/23 academic year (38th cycle) will be required to pay a single instalment for the first year:
- €180.48 for the first year, already paid at the time of enrolment, with reference to the PhD programme in “Clinical and experimental medicine (CEM)”, “Molecular and regenerative medicine” and “Neuroscience”;
- €159.67 for the first year, already paid at the time of enrolment, with reference to the other PhD programmes.
For the second and third years, the amount and deadline are established each year.
21) How do I pay my PhD fees?
The single instalment for the first year is paid at the time of enrolment.
For the second and third years, the payment must be made by the deadline established each year (presumably in September). The amount and deadline will be published each year in the news section of the website http://www.unimore.it/didattica/dottorati.html
(approximately at the end of July). The following means of payment are available:
- at any bank counter throughout Italy, with payment slips downloadable from the website as follows:
connect to http://www.esse3.unimore.it/,, select “Login”, enter your username and password, select the PhD programme (only if you have a previous career activated at this University), then the item “fees” and the fee of interest); - online by credit card (following the procedure indicated above).
- at UniCredit ATMs with UniCredit or other banks’ ATM cards, as well as at the ATMs of other banks that provide similar services;
- with “Internet banking”, for UniCredit customers participating in the service (http://www.unicredit.it/), as well as at other banks providing a similar service;
- with “Banca Telefonica”, for UniCredit customers participating in the service (toll-free number 800 57 57, or if from abroad +39 02 33408973), as well as other banks providing a similar service;
- through the PAGO PA circuit, which allows you to pay online (by choosing your own Payment Service Provider – PSP) or alternatively to print out the payment notice to be delivered personally to banks, ATMs, SISAL, Lottomatica and ITB points of sale.
If you have any problems, please contact the PhD Office within the deadlines set for payments.
A surcharge will be applied to late payments: - €30.00 on late payments, if payment of the overdue instalment is made within 15 days of the due date;
- €70.00 on late payments, if payment of the overdue instalment is made from the 16th day after the due date.
A payment made on the due date, if credited to the university after the due date, results in a late payment surcharge.
22) Does ER.GO (Azienda Regionale per il Diritto agli Studi Superiori) provide benefits for PhD students?
PhD students who meet the requirements may apply for specific ER.GO. benefits. You do not need to be already enrolled in a PhD programme in order to apply; therefore, you may apply even without knowing the outcome of the selection process for admission to the Programme. For all information on ER.GO benefits, please refer exclusively to ER.GO (http://www.er-go.it/).
23) Are there any special rates for PhD students relating to urban transport and canteens?
In their capacity of students, PhD students enjoy agreements regarding urban transport of the cities of Modena and/ or Reggio Emilia and can take advantage of the catering service at the premises affiliated with Er.Go. (in Modena and Reggio Emilia) at special rates.
Further information on the facilities provided for urban public transport can be found on this page: https://www.unimore.it/servizistudenti/trasportourbano.html.
For further information on ER.GO benefits, please refer exclusively to ER.GO (http://www.er-go.it/).
24) How can I collect the student card?
The Student Card is the personal identification university card that is issued after final enrolment and allows access to university facilities. It must be collected by the student concerned in person, showing a valid ID that will be recorded at the PhD Office during the desk opening hours (Monday and Wednesday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and Tuesday from 10am to 1pm). An appointment must be booked for collection. No other person can be delegated to collect the student card.
For some PhD programmes, (“ICT”, “Industrial and environmental engineering”, “Labour, development and innovation”, “Reggio Childhood Studies”) the badge may be collected at the organisational office of the programme (contacts are directly accessible at the links).
25) Is it essential to apply for a certification?
According to Article 15 of Law 183/2011, as of 1 January 2012, public administrations and public service providers may no longer request or accept from private people any certificates issued by other public offices. In these cases, citizens must self-certify possession of the requirements. Public Administrations and Public Service Providers are obliged to accept self-certifications, under penalty of breach of duty.
The possibility of self-certification has also been extended to relations between private entities, with Law 120/2020 which amended the DPR of 28 December 2000, No. 445, in particular Article 2 and Article 71.
A facsimile of the self-certification of enrolment for those who are enrolled and of completion of their PhD for those who have obtained their degree can be printed online. To do this, the following steps are necessary:
- Connect to the Registrar’s Office online counter: (http://www.esse3.unimore.it/)
- Log in with username and password received during enrolment or with SPID credentials
- Once logged in, select “certificates” from the left side menu
- Choose the type of form available; forms currently available are:
• Self-certification of enrolment
• Self-certification of enrolment with fees per calendar year
• Self-certification of degree awarded
• Self-certification of degree awarded with academic years for redemption of the years of study
• Enrolment certificate with fees per calendar year
If you need to self-certify additional information, you can use a generic self-certification form at the following links:
https://www.unimore.it/esamidistato/doc/autocertificazione_dottorati.pdf or https://www.unimore.it/esamidistato/doc/autocertificazione_dottorati.doc
26) How can I obtain a certificate?
Please note again that under Article 15 of Law 183/2011, with effect from 1 January 2012, Public Administrations and Managers of public services may no longer request or accept from private individual’s certificates issued by other public offices. Therefore, each certificate issued is marked with the following text “This certificate cannot be submitted to Public Administration bodies or private managers of public services”.
Certificates may be requested by sending the request form via e-mail to the PhD Office. Certificates are usually issued on stamp duty (equal to € 16.00 for each certificate required plus an additional stamp study of € 16.00 for the request); they may be issued on plain paper if a person so requests for particular reasons that will be indicated on the certificate itself.
To that regard, please refer to the list of statutory exemptions from paying the stamp duty.
For details on how to send the request, please go to the dedicated page.
The above certificates may be requested in English. All certificates issued in English have a stamp duty, usually with digital signature (hand-written signature upon request).
The application form is published at the following links:
https://www.unimore.it/didattica/doc/richiestacertificati_dottorato5.pdf or https://www.unimore.it/didattica/doc/richiestacertificati_dottorato5.rtf
27) I am a PhD fellow but would like to renounce: what should I do?
You must fill out the appropriate form to be requested by sending an e-mail to segr.dottorati@unimore.it and send it to the PhD Office along with the magnetic card, if collected at the time of enrolment. If you are a scholarship holder, payment of the scholarship is made up to the last day of the month prior to the interruption.
28) I am a PhD with a scholarship and I would like to renounce only the scholarship. Can I continue my PhD without the scholarship?
Yes, please fill in the appropriate form to be requested by sending an e-mail to segr.dottorati@unimore.it, and then send it to the PhD Office indicating the date from which you intend to renounce. Payment of the grant is made until the last day of the month preceding the interruption. From that date, subsequent programme fees must be paid.
29) Can I suspend my PhD?
With regard to the compulsory attendance of the PhD, suspension of up to a maximum of one year is allowed in the case of maternity, serious and documented illness, and particular family situations, while maintaining the right to any scholarship in use. In such cases, the Board of Lecturers in charge may set up a plan to make up for attendance when attendance resumes, in agreement with the student concerned.
30) What happens in case of pregnancy?
In case of maternity, suspension is compulsory for the period of compulsory maternity (2 months before the birth and 3 months after the birth, or 1 month before the birth and 4 months after the birth) and any early retirement. The period of suspension may be made up, if deemed necessary by the Board of Teachers, at the end of the three-year programme. If you are a scholarship holder:
- payment of the grant is suspended during the period of suspension of the programme and resumes when activities resume. Payment of the grant for the period of suspension is only made if a recovery period has been envisaged at the end of the three years of the programme and only for the period envisaged (always in deferred monthly instalments);
- payment of the grant is not suspended when there are reasons relating to the strict expiry of the funds on which the grant is paid. In this case, the grant will not be paid out beyond the duration of the PhD programme and, in the event of failure to recover the period of suspension, the person concerned will have to repay the amount received during the period of suspension not recovered.
31) How do I get my PhD degree?
At the end of the last year of the PhD programme, the teaching board must express an opinion on the overall activity of each PhD student and decide on admission to the final examination.
The PhD qualification is awarded on passing the final examination (an interview with the student on the subject of his/her thesis; the thesis must be on original research, carried out with methodological certainty and from which results of adequate scientific relevance emerge).
In the event of a negative assessment, the final examination may not be repeated.
The PhD thesis, accompanied by a summary in Italian and English, is written in Italian or English or in another language, subject to authorisation by the teaching board. The thesis, with attached a report by the PhD student on the activities carried out during the PhD and on any publications, is assessed by at least two highly qualified professors, who may also belong to foreign institutions, external to the subjects that contributed to the award of the PhD qualification, known as “assessors”. The assessors express a written analytical judgement on the thesis and propose its admission for public discussion or its postponement for a period of six months if they consider significant additions or corrections necessary. At the end of this period, the thesis is in any case admitted for public discussion, accompanied by a new written opinion from the same assessors, made in the light of any corrections or additions made.
32) What do I have to do to be admitted to the final examination?
Candidates’ obligations and the procedures and deadlines for submitting applications for admission to the examination are normally communicated each year on the website at http://www.unimore.it/didattica/dottorati.html (generally in the penultimate month of the last year of the course), and an e-mail is sent to candidates’ institutional e-mail addresses.
33) Is there a parchment certifying the award of the qualification?
The original Doctorate Diploma (Parchment) is issued, which can be collected according to the deadlines and procedures indicated on the website https://www.unimore.it/didattica/pergamenedottorati.html.. To this purpose, the Office in charge must be informed of any change of address or any changes must be made personally by connecting to the online Registrar’s Office (http://www.esse3.unimore.it/), by logging in and selecting the “anagrafica” (personal details) option.
34) Can I take part in the Erasmus + program during my doctoral program?
Yes, it is possible. Please see the following link for full details and the announcement: https://www.unimore.it/mobilita/erasmususcita.html.