The PhD program is structured in a complex manner, integrating classroom activities with the participation of doctoral candidates in conferences, also in the capacity of speakers.
All course activities, including research and thesis writing by doctoral candidates, are associated with the awarding of academic credits.
The overall workload amounts to 180 credits, evenly distributed over the three years of the program (60 ECTS per year).
The training activities include the acquisition of 20 ECTS per year through attendance of lecture and seminar cycles offered by the University of Messina, as well as specific lecture cycles dedicated to doctoral candidates. One ECTS corresponds to 6 hours of classroom teaching.
- Curricular lecture and seminar cycles in the scientific-disciplinary areas of the individual curriculum (13 ECTS, 78 hours).
- Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary lectures and seminars (7 ECTS, 42 hours).
- Additional training activities, 6 ECTS allocated as follows:
- Language enhancement activities: 3 ECTS
- IT skills enhancement activities: 1 ECTS
- Activities for the dissemination and valorization of research results, intellectual property, and open access to research data and outputs: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities related to research management and knowledge of European and international research systems: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities focusing on fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality, and integrity: 1 ECTS
- Individual training and research activity, presented in a written report and discussed before the Academic Board for admission to subsequent years (15 ECTS).
- Research activity for thesis preparation, presented to the Academic Board (12 ECTS).
- Elective training activities connected with research (7 ECTS) (*).
- Curricular lecture and seminar cycles in the scientific-disciplinary areas of the individual curriculum (13 ECTS, 78 hours).
- Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary lectures and seminars (7 ECTS, 42 hours).
- Additional training activities, 6 ECTS allocated as follows:
- Language enhancement activities: 3 ECTS
- IT skills enhancement activities: 1 ECTS
- Activities for the dissemination and valorization of research results, intellectual property, and open access to research data and outputs: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities related to research management and knowledge of European and international research systems: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities focusing on fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality, and integrity: 1 ECTS
- Individual training and research activity, presented in a written report and discussed before the Academic Board for admission to subsequent years (15 ECTS).
- Research activity for thesis preparation, presented to the Academic Board (12 ECTS).
- Elective training activities connected with research (7 ECTS) (*).
- Curricular lecture and seminar cycles in the scientific-disciplinary areas of the individual curriculum (13 ECTS, 78 hours).
- Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary lectures and seminars (7 ECTS, 42 hours).
- Additional training activities, 6 ECTS allocated as follows:
- Language enhancement activities: 3 ECTS
- IT skills enhancement activities: 1 ECTS
- Activities for the dissemination and valorization of research results, intellectual property, and open access to research data and outputs: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities related to research management and knowledge of European and international research systems: 0.5 ECTS
- Activities focusing on fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality, and integrity: 1 ECTS
- Individual training and research activity, presented in a written report and discussed before the Academic Board for admission to the final examination (10 ECTS).
- Doctoral thesis writing (17 ECTS).
- Elective training activities connected with research (7 ECTS) (*).
(*) Criteria adopted by the Academic Board for the allocation of ECTS to elective training activities connected with research
It should be noted that elective training activities may not exceed 7 ECTS per academic year. Any surplus credits will not be counted towards the annual threshold of 60 ECTS.
- Participation in conferences, congresses, or seminars (1 ECTS for every 20 hours of attendance)
- Participation in conferences, congresses, or seminars as a speaker (up to 3 ECTS)
- Research stay abroad, such as Erasmus or other programs (3 ECTS)
- Attendance of specialization courses, summer or winter schools, or other certifiable training activities connected with the doctoral candidate’s educational and research activities, subject to evaluation by the Academic Board for credit allocation (up to 3 ECTS)
- Publication of scientific articles in journals, essays in volumes, book chapters, or monographs, for which the date of acceptance of the contribution or the publication of the volume shall be considered valid, subject to evaluation by the Academic Board for credit allocation (up to 4 ECTS)
- Tutoring activities offered by the University of Messina, subject to evaluation by the Academic Board for credit allocation (up to 2 ECTS)
- Teaching activities, including supplementary teaching and remedial courses, subject to evaluation by the Academic Board for credit allocation (up to 3 ECTS)
- Third mission activities, subject to evaluation by the Academic Board for credit allocation and quantification (up to 2 ECTS)