First year students must take two courses A, two courses B and/or A/B, and one "free" course (free courses can be chosen among all courses, but also from PhD programs of other universities or national PhD schools).
Second year students must choose one course among all courses and two free courses.
Third year students must choose two free courses.
Starting with the XL cycle, the following rules apply.
Each student must complete 5 courses in the first year, 3 in the second year, and 2 in the third year. Among these, two courses must be selected from a list of 4 foundational courses (designated as "A" in the table below). These foundational courses must be completed during either the first or second year. The foundational courses (A) are offered on an alternating two-year schedule, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to take them within the first two years of their PhD program. For the other courses, students can choose from those offered annually by DIISM or external institutions, by making sure that in the three years of the PhD at least 5 courses are chosen among those offered by DIISM. Starting from 2026, only Type A courses will include a final exam; for all others, attendance will be sufficient to obtain the credits. The list of courses offered in 2026, along with an anticipation of the foundational courses offered in 2
Free courses. Reminder: free courses are admissible only if they consist of at least 16 hours
For students of previous cycles, the rules for defining their study plans remain unchanged.
