PhD Degrees

Executive PhDs and Industrial PhDs

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Research Area - PhD Office
Executive PhDs Industrial PhDs

Executive PhDs

The University's PhD Regulation provides for the possibility of activating, through specific agreements (Executive PhDs), PhD programmes in partnership with enterprises, Italian or foreign, aimed at the employees of the same companies.

This type of collaboration allows companies’ employees to be trained, thus improving their skills, as part of a PhD programme.

Applying employees are required to pass a special admission selection procedure outside the ordinary call for applications. In addition, admission to the PhD programme is subject to the requirements, if any, set by the Teaching Committee and to its judgement of suitability to the individual training and research project.

The training and research programme is jointly established by the company and the Teaching Committee of the relevant PhD programme and provides for both the attendance of training activities and the performance of individual research activities. The PhD student is assisted by both an academic and a company supervisor
 

How to activate an Executive PhD

In order to access this opportunity:

  • the company shall submit to the Doctorate Coordinator of the related PhD programme and to the PhD Office an expression of interest, as well as the applications of interested employees;
  • the Department shall accept the expression of interest;
  • the Teaching Committee shall select candidates for admission, deciding on the suitability of the employee(s) for the training and research project;
  • a formal agreement shall be entered and an Agreement shall be signed by the PhD Office;
  • the employee(s) shall be enrolled in the PhD programme.

Expressions of interest by companies are to be submitted during the following three periods (enrolment to the 41st cycle - a.y. 2025/2026):

  • 1 to 28 February
  • 1 to 30 June
  • 1 to 31 October
     
file rtf Expression of interest 103 KB

Some partners Executive PhDs

AB Holding S.p.A.
Certottica S.c.r.l.
Cheers S.r.l.
Cimolai S.p.A.
De Longhi Group
Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.
Explora Biotech S.r.l.
Fidia Farmeceutici S.p.A.
Fondazione Human Technopole
Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)
Microtec S.r.l.
Novamedica Società Cooperativa Sociale
Officine Bio S.r.l.
Qantica S.r.l.
Schmack Biogas S.r.l.
Società Estense Servizi Ambientali (S.E.S.A. S.p.A.)
Tech Universal

Industrial PhDs

Industrial PhDs are a form of collaboration between the University and the business world envisaged by Ministerial Decree No. 226, Art. 10 of 14 December 2021. 
The University’s PhD Regulation provides that, during initial accreditation or later, recognition of the “Industrial PhD” qualification may be requested, to be also included as part of the programme name, for PhD programmes carried out in partnership with companies, including foreign companies, that carry out qualified research and development activities.

The term “industry” is used in the widest sense, “including all fields of future workplaces and public engagement, from industry to business, government, NGO’s, charities and cultural institutions” (European Commission 2011).

The research areas covered by Industrial PhDs give particular importance to the promotion of economic development and the production system, facilitating joint planning in relation to the research topics and activities of PhD students.