Admission

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The curricular training activity comprises 60 ECTS credits (CFU) distributed over the first two years, in addition to a series of practical workshops in language, computer science, and project design.

Both lectures and other training activities serve as starting points for defining and clarifying research paths and themes in an interdisciplinary manner, as well as providing PhD candidates with the necessary foundation to carry out in-depth scientific research.

During the first year, the PhD candidate will complete 30 ECTS credits of lectures, structured as follows: 30 ECTS credits designed to provide transversal skills related to cultural heritage, including its management, protection, and conservation. Candidates will attend lectures on research methodologies in the following disciplinary fields: archaeology, philology, classical and patristic literature, ancient philosophy, classical, medieval, modern, and contemporary history, archival and library science, history of music and art, performing arts, economics of culture, geography, archaeometric and diagnostic methods in geology, physics, and geophysics, and digital skills.

In addition to lectures, the programme will include the following workshop activities:

Admission to the PhD programme is normally based on the evaluation of qualifications and an interview.

For the evaluation of qualifications, the Board of Examiners defines the criteria during its first meeting, which are made public immediately thereafter. Generally, academic and research qualifications are evaluated, whereas professional work experience is not considered, as the PhD is a Third-Cycle higher education programme.

For the interview evaluation, the Board takes into account the candidate’s background in their specific field of study, their knowledge of the broader field of cultural heritage (evolution of the concept of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, key regulatory and reference framework, main institutions, etc.), and their ability to adopt an interdisciplinary approach.

For the evaluation of the research project, the PhD Committee evaluates alignment with the goals of the programme (as detailed on the introductory page), the scientific quality of the proposal relative to the state of the art, the clarity of the objectives, and its feasibility. For research projects requiring the consultation of documents or materials preserved in museums or archives, candidates are advised to attach documentation confirming guaranteed access to such materials.

Variations to these general guidelines may be introduced by the Board of Examiners.

Letters of recommendation are not required.

Guidelines for drafting the PhD research proposal

While there is no fixed template for submitting research proposals for the PhD programme in “Sciences for Cultural Heritage and Production”, every project should ideally include:

• a) Abstract: a concise summary of the entire project (state of the art, objectives, methodology), which should not be confused with the introduction;

• b) State of the Art: an overview highlighting recent findings and emerging research trends, as well as the most relevant literature on the subject. Most importantly, it should identify the specific aspects requiring further innovative and original investigation to advance scientific knowledge in one or more research fields;

• c) Project Description: a clear outline of the research objectives and the methodology to be adopted;

• d) Timeline / Work Plan: a breakdown demonstrating the feasibility of the project (which will be a key evaluation criterion). For example, a project aiming to catalog an entire archaeological repository or archive cannot be realistically completed within three years. Likewise, proposing the study of an archive that is closed for restoration or privately owned may not be feasible. In such cases, letters from the public or private institutions involved confirming access permission may be attached;

• e) Essential Bibliography: references cited in the state of the art section.

Proposals must not exceed 30,000 characters (including spaces and bibliography).

N.B. Research proposals must aim for scientific advancement in one or more fields and should not be purely application-oriented.