Courses and Study Plan

Each year, the PhD School organizes several intensive courses, taught by faculty members and prominent national and international experts. These courses are often advertised by members of the PhD board through National Group channels and are freely accessible to PhD students from other universities.

 

The courses offered by the School are categorized into two groups: foundational courses (Type A) and other courses (Type B):

 

  1. Type A Courses: foundational courses covering basic mathematical topics of broad interest to all students in the PhD program. They address gaps in areas that are typically not covered in undergraduate studies.

 

  1. Type B Courses: specialized or research-oriented courses focusing on topics relevant to specific curricula.

 

All courses span 16–20 hours and include a final assessment test for accreditation. This test is typically conducted after the course, allowing students sufficient time to consolidate the concepts they have learned.

 

At the start of each academic year, students are required to prepare a study plan and submit it to the PhD board for approval.

 

Starting with the XL cycle, the study plan must satisfy the following rules:

 

  • General Requirements: Students must complete 5 courses in the first year, 3 in the second year, and 2 in the third year

 

  • Foundational Courses (Type A): Students are required to take at least two foundational courses from a list of four offered by DIISM. These must be completed during either the first or second year. The foundational courses are offered on a two-year alternating schedule, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to take them during the first two years of their PhD program.

 

  • Other Courses (Type B): Students can select from courses offered annually by DIISM or external institutions, subject to the following conditions:

 

 

  1.  In the first year, at least four courses must be selected from the internal offerings.
  2.  In the second year, at least one course must be chosen from the internal offerings.
  3.  In the third year, students are free to select courses without any restrictions.

For students of previous cycles, the rules for defining their study plans remain unchanged and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.diism.unisi.it/it/didattica/post-laurea/phdies/info/internal-rules/rules-study-plan-xxxviii-and-xxxix-cycles