Programme Organization

Organization

The S3W PhD program officially begins on November 1st.

The months of November and December are dedicated to:

• the arrival and accommodation of all PhD candidates (including extra-EU students)
• mutual acquaintance between PhD candidate and supervisor
• the definition of the research project in agreement with the supervisor
• individual study to level the knowledge among PhD candidates from different backgrounds
• welcome events and seminars

Courses are concentrated from mid-January to mid-June approximately, according to the following schedule:

• Tuesday: core courses in Florence, with the possibility of attending the departmental seminar
• Wednesday: core courses in Lucca, with the possibility of attending the departmental seminar
• Thursday: topic courses or other events (in Florence or Lucca)
• Monday and Friday: individual study

Overall, PhD candidates must complete core courses for 24 ECTS credits, in addition to at least 6 ECTS credits in soft skills, which can be obtained by attending topic courses.

At the end of the first year, PhD candidates must briefly present what they have done in the first year and, most importantly, the detailed plan of activities for the second and third years. At the end of the second year, there will be an evaluation of the activities carried out by the PhD candidate for admission to the third year of the PhD program.

It is reminded that a period abroad is mandatory, and for some scholarships, an internship period in a company or research center is required. These periods should be scheduled between the second and third years.