Dipartimento di Ingegneria civile ed ambientale
Università degli Studi di Perugia

The Doctorate, entirely in English, presents an articulation of training and research activities structured in a precise manner, as described in the course regulations and as summarized below for the XXXVIII Cycle.

In addition to the research activity, students are required to achieve at least 30 ECTS (1 ECTS/CFU = 6 hours of frontal teaching) in the three years from courses offered by the International Faculty Board. The courses held by international experts are usually delivered in hybrid mode, thus promoting their dissemination among other doctorates of the University and other Italian universities, increasing the visibility and reputation of the course. In order to complete their training, the doctoral student is also encouraged to participate in other training activities (e.g. seminars) and to present the results of their research at international scientific conferences and publish them in high-impact international scientific journals. These activities contribute to the formulation of the admission judgment to the final exam by the International Faculty Board. Students enrolled in the PhD program must also obtain, by the end of the PhD course, a certification of knowledge of the English language at least equivalent to level B2. To this end, students can take advantage of courses and tests offered by the University Language Center.

At the start of the PhD cycle, PhD students will be offered a program of educational training activities formally assigned to the teachers of the International Faculty Board or to external experts.

Each year, the student submits an individual scientific-didactic plan (Career Development Plan) to the International Faculty Board relating to the training and research activities planned for that year, taking into account the following subdivision:

• I year: dedicated to scientific orientation and the acquisition of the necessary specialist skills to develop, in consultation with the tutor, an adequate research project which will then be the subject of the PhD thesis.
• II and III years: mainly dedicated to research work related to the thesis and to participation in national and international scientific events in one's sector.

The Career Development Plan template for the XXXVIII Cycle is available [here].

Within the first three months of the start of the Doctoral Cycle, doctoral students briefly present their individual training plan and the chosen research topic to the International Faculty Board in consultation with the tutor (flash kickoff presentations). The format for the presentation is available [here].

At the end of each academic year, the doctoral student delivers to the Coordinator a scientific-didactic report concerning all the training and research activities carried out and publicly displays the progress of his / her research in front of the Academic Board. On the basis of the report and the presentation, the Academic Board decides on the transition to the following year.

At the end of the third year, doctoral students must submit a final report on the activities carried out during the three years of the Doctorate, followed by the formulation of a judgment on the merits by the International Faculty Board, taking into account the set of activities carried out and the research outputs. The title of PhD is awarded following the positive evaluation of a research thesis that contributes to the advancement of knowledge or to the improvement of methodologies in the chosen field of investigation. The thesis is assessed by at least two highly qualified professors, of which at least one belongs to foreign institutions, external to the University of Perugia and to any universities or affiliated or consortium organizations. The evaluators express in a written document their analytical opinion on the thesis, proposing to the Academic Board its admission to the public discussion or postponement, if they consider significant additions or corrections necessary.

In case of judgment of the evaluators that does not foresee the postponement, the thesis is admitted to public discussion. It takes place in English in front of a commission composed of three Italian or foreign members, chosen from university professors specifically qualified in the topics addressed in the thesis. At least two members must belong to Italian or foreign universities not formally involved in the PhD Program and must not be members of the Teaching Body. The commission can be integrated by no more than two experts belonging to public and private research structures, including foreign ones, with particular expertise documented on the topic of the thesis.

Below is the preliminary program of the courses that will be provided for the XXXVIII Cycle