How to apply for admission to a doctoral programme

The first thing to do when applying for a PhD programme is to read the call for application carefully.

The announcement contains:

• access requirements
• application procedures and deadlines 
• information for disabled candidates and LD
• selection criteria and procedures, and establishment of final rankings
• enrolment procedures
• scholarships availability.

To submit your application for admission to the public competition online by the deadlines indicated in the call for applications:

1. Have the following at hand:

• a valid identity document
• the name of the university where you completed the degree requested in the call for applications
• the date on which you completed the requested degree

2. Access the admission service by using:

• your credentials @studenti.unimi.it (if you graduated from or are currently enrolled at the University of Milan), or
• your SPID identity, or
• your external user credentials (if you do not have them, please register on the University portal)

3. Complete the admission application online
4. Check and confirm the data in your application: a copy will be sent to your university email address or the email address that you indicated during the registration process
5. Save and store a copy of the admission application

Documents required during the online doctoral programme admission process

The online admission procedure requires you to upload the documents (both compulsory and/or optional) specified in the call for applications, which are normally:

• Diploma Supplement or Bachelor's/Master's certificate/self-certification (or equivalent qualification obtained in Italy or abroad), with transcript of records. Upcoming graduates are required to submit a certificate/self-certification of enrolment in lieu of the diploma. Certificates are accepted in Italian and in English, French, German or Spanish.
  This document is not required of graduates and final year students of the University of Milan as the University obtains it as a matter of course
• curriculum vitae, with a description of any professional experience and other qualifications
• research project (using Form 1 attached to the call for applications)
• passport, page/s showing personal details (foreign candidates only)
• any publications
• Annex A (attached to the call for applications).

These documents will be accepted in the following formats: pdf .rtf .jpg.

Each file should be no larger than 10 MB: larger documents may be converted into black and white .pdf files with a lower resolution, or split into two or more files.

Letters of reference

If required by the Academic Board and indicated in the programme table attached to the call for applications, the candidate must send by email, as a pdf, one or more letters of reference using the template in Form 2 attached to the call for applications.

The letters of reference must be sent directly from the professors or experts who write them, to the email address of the course coordinator by the deadline of the call for applications.

Candidates can in any case ask for letters of reference to be sent to the course coordinator, even if this is not specifically required in the call for applications.  

The letters of reference are evaluated as part of the candidates’ CVs and are not scored.

For information, contact the Doctoral Programmes Office through the

The outcomes of qualification assessments are published in the Doctoral Programme information sheet and the grades of the interviews are notified by the Examination boards at the end of the interviews.

The final ranking list for the competition is published on the University website and serves as notice to the candidates who do not receive any written communication thereof.  

Applicants admitted to the programmes lose their entitlement if they fail to enrol by the enrolment deadline, and their place is then given to the next applicant in the ranking list. This also applies if an admitted applicant withdraws within three months of the beginning of the programme.

Takeover applicants will be contacted personally by email by the Doctoral Students Administration Office (Ufficio Segreteria Dottorati) with instructions and deadlines for enrolment.

1. Access the PhD students enrolment service using the same credentials used for the admission application.
2. Enter all the details required and upload the photocard and identity document  in one of the following formats: .jpg, .png, .bmp (maximum 2 MB).
3. For Phd students a 171,50 Euro fee is due, including regional tax, accident insurance premium and stamp duty. Payment of the regional tax fee and accident insurance premium is exempted for disabled students if their disability is equal to or greater than 66% or they have a documented disability (under article 3, comma 1, Law No. 104/1992) following exemption request. These students are only required to pay the € 16.00 revenue stamp. Payment method is indicated during the enrolment.

Scholarships are awarded to doctoral students based on merit rankings.

In order to initiate the procedure for payment of the doctoral scholarship students must complete during the online enrolment procedure the questionnaire regarding the working position; for the communication of the IBAN code a specific e-mail will be sent to the university account @unimi.it in the following weeks .

Beneficiaries of doctoral scholarships are required to register with INPS, self-employment section, as doctoral students.