PhD Program

The PhD Course in Sciences and Technologies for the Environment and Health (STEH) is open to Italian and foreign graduates with a master's degree or equivalent qualification. The STEH PhD Course, established by the XXIX cycle (a.y. 2013-14), was designed to provide advanced training and research opportunities to young graduates in various scientific disciplines who are interested in continuing their studies to deepen their knowledge and become protagonists of research in the environmental and health fields and of mutual interactions. The acquisition of the title of PhD in "Science and Technologies for the Environment and Health" allows access to positions as university researcher or post-doc at national and international academic institutions, to research and organizational positions at institutions public, private institutions, research centers and companies operating in the sectors of technologies applied to the study of the territory, the environment, health, biomedicine and environmental protection.

The STEH course lasts three years. PhD students are followed by a tutor (possibly supported by one or more co-tutors, including from company sources) who advises and follows the PhD student in carrying out research activities and in defining a personalized training path.

The PhD course (generally starting from the second year of training) requires the PhD student to spend one or more research periods at foreign institutions or research centers. PhD students will be able to benefit from a 50% increase in the scholarship during mobility periods abroad. Depending on the type of scholarship, PhD students will also be able to carry out internships in public and private companies to facilitate entry into the world of work.

Verification tools

At the end of each year of the doctoral course and to be admitted to the following year, the PhD student is required to illustrate his or her research activity to the PhD Teaching Board. At the end of the third year, to be admitted to the final exam, the PhD student must write the doctoral thesis (in English) reporting, in a homogeneous and coherent way, the description of the research activities carried out and the results achieved during the course. The thesis will be evaluated by internationally renowned experts who may request additions or corrections. Once the thesis has been approved, the STEH Doctorate title will be assigned through an oral presentation of the results in front of a commission made up of professors of the PhD Teaching Board and professors belonging to national and/or international academic institutions.

Doctor Europaeus

The Doctor Europaeus certificate is an additional certification to the title of PhD which is issued at a national level. This is a qualification that can be acquired in all European countries, together with the national qualification, introduced in 1992 by the Confederation of the Rectors' Conferences of the European Union to guarantee the usability of the various national qualifications within Europe.

To obtain it, it is necessary to have carried out a period of work and research abroad lasting at least 3 months in a country of the European Union and to have received a positive opinion on the thesis work granted by at least two external reviewers appointed by the PhD Teaching Board, belonging to a foreign university institution from two EU countries. Furthermore, at least one member from a foreign university institution must be present in the final commission for obtaining the PhD title and the discussion of the thesis must be supported in a EC official language different from Italian.

Achievement of the title of PhD

The final title of PhD in Sciences and Technologies for the Environment and Health is awarded to PhD students who, in relation to knowledge and understanding, have demonstrated systematic understanding of a sector of study linked to environment and health and mutual interactions and mastery of the research method associated with it;

• In relation to the ability to apply knowledge and understanding, they are able to apply the knowledge acquired in professionally varied fields, from academic to corporate, and to readily understand work environments in their scientific and technological evolution.

• In relation to making judgments, they have carried out original research that expands the frontier of knowledge in the field of environment and health and mutual interactions, providing a contribution that merits publication at a national or international level; are capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas;

• In relation to communication skills, they know how to communicate with their peers, with the wider community of scholars and with society in general in the subjects of their competence;

• With regard to the ability to learn (learning skills), they are capable of promoting, in academic and professional contexts, technological and scientific advances by demonstrating ability and mastery of advanced and specialized techniques, including synthesis and evaluation skills, necessary to solve complex problems of research and/or innovation and to extend and redefine existing knowledge or professional practices in environmental and health research and their interactions.

The training offer

The STEH PhD course offers PhD students the opportunity to acquire high-level skills and scientific qualification, through research activities in the laboratory and in the field, theoretical and theoretical-practical courses specifically designed for doctoral students, seminars, conferences and participation in national and international congresses. The research and higher education activities are organized in a training project shown below:

• 1st year (60 CFU)
  • TEACHING ACTIVITY
    • Free choice course (3 CFU)
    • Free choice course (3 CFU)
    • ENGLISH language course (6 CFU)
    • INFORMATIC course (6 CFU)
  • RESEARCH ACTIVITY
    • Laboratory/field activity (40 CFU)
  • Preparation of the Report for the transition to the following year (2 CFU)
• 2nd year (60 CFU)
  • TEACHING ACTIVITY
    • Free choice course (3 CFU)
    • Free choice course (3 CFU)
  • Seminars/workshop/ summer school/external courses (6 CFU)
  • RESEARCH ACTIVITY
    • Laboratory/field activity (46 CFU)
  • Preparation of the Report for the transition to the following year (2 CFU)
• ​​​​​​​3rd year (60 CFU)
  • Seminars/workshop/ summer school/external courses (6 CFU)​​​​​​​
  • RESEARCH ACTIVITY
    • Laboratory/field activity (34 CFU)
  • Thesis preparation (20 CFU)
• total CFU 180

The training project includes in-depth teaching on topics relating to specific training and interdisciplinary teachings. A list of teachings and contents are available at the link. The courses are activated from year to year. The published list refers to the courses activated for the XXXIX cycle but which can also be chosen from previous cycles.