ECTS credits acquisition

Ph.D. students are asked to undertake an original research project, promoted by their Supervisor, and attested by publication on peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, they are asked to attend academic/educational as well as research activities for achieving the title.

The Course takes three years. It requires accomplishment of an original research work, as well as the fulfilment of a complementary capacity building program. Considering that in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study or work, Ph.D. students are required to obtain 180 ECTS in total.

Ph.D. students are asked to attend academic/educational as well as research activities for a total of 24 ECTS in three years.

Following the Doctoral Board’s resolution, it has been established that 1 ECTS credit (briefly, ECTS) can be achieved attending 6 hours lecture or 1-day National/International Schools/Workshops. For research activity, 1 ECTS corresponds to 25 hours work (approximately 6 ECTS per month of full-time work). For seminars 1 ECTS corresponds to at least 5 seminars of 2 hours.

Courses are taught in English, and designed for increasing the disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary skills at post-graduate and young professional level. In addition, conferences, workshops, and Ph.D. Schools attendance is strongly promoted. The educational activity must be planned by each candidate with her/his supervisor, and approved by the Doctoral Board before the annual evaluation, and the admission to the next year of the Programme or to the final exam. Under specific agreements between University of Parma and a partner University, it is possible to follow a joint Ph.D. Program.

At the end of each academic year, the Ph.D. student must submit a report of the research and academic activities to the Chair of the Doctoral Board, following the format provided by the university office. The report must be duly signed by the supervisor. The Chair will present the report to the Doctoral Board for approval and admission of the candidate to the next year or to the final examination.

The training and learning activities attended by doctoral candidates during the three-year course can be classified as disciplinary, interdisciplinary and research related.

Ph.D. students must obtain a total of 24 ECTS in three years, according to the following scheme:

Ø Institutional activities

Courses and seminars specifically activated for the PhD course, attended by the candidate during the current year
ECTS during the 3-years course: ≥ 6

Ø Interdisciplinary activities

Soft skills, (i.e. public speaking, intellectual properties, ethics in science)
ECTS during the 3-years course: ≥ 4

Ø Research-related activities

Workshop, summer or winter schools, PhD schools, study abroad period, etc… attended by the candidate during the current year
ECTS during the 3-years course: ≤ 10

Ø Other activities

Complementary didactic activities carried out by the candidate within courses of the University of Parma (teaching hours: max 40), i.e. class exercises, laboratories assistance, other…
ECTS during the 3-years course: ≤ 2

Significant deviations from this plan, agreed in advance by the PhD student and her/his Supervisor, have to be approved by the PhD Course Board.

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