The highest level of university training
The Research Doctorate is a course that aims to provide doctoral students with an advanced scientific and technical background and equip them with the necessary methodological tools to enable them to acquire the independence and scientific rigor necessary for scientific research. Obtaining this Doctorate qualification will enable the graduates to practice their chosen profession in universities, public institutions, and private enterprises, participating in highly advanced research activities. The course takes at least three calendar years to complete, is the highest possible level of a university qualification, and admission is gained via post-Specialization or post-master's qualifications and tests. The Research Doctorate is equivalent, albeit unofficially, to the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) qualification in Anglo-Saxon countries. The Doctoral program consists in a series of courses and an original (unpublished) thesis. Upon successful completion of the Doctoral program, the student is entitled to use the title of Doctor of Research.
Admission requirements
Application for admission to the Research Doctorate program is open to anyone, irrespective of age or citizenship, who is in possession of a Specialist or Master’s Degree, or of an equivalent academic qualification obtained abroad and recognized by the academic authorities, including as part of existing inter-university cooperation and student transfer agreements.
Selection of Candidates for Admission
The Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome oversees the selection of candidates for admission and guarantees all candidates a fair comparative assessment and a short time for the completion and publication of the results.
Announcement of Applications for Admission
The opening of applications for admission is announced by the Rector and is published in the Italian Government Gazette. The Applications for Admission announcement indicates the following:
- the total number of graduates that will be admitted to the Research Doctoral program
- the number and monetary value of any available bursaries
- fees payable by doctorate students and the rules governing exemptions
- the method for conducting the selection of candidates.
The Rector will then, by personal decree, appoint the Commission that will be responsible for the comparative evaluation of candidates, which will consist of three members selected from amongst the permanently appointed university staff (professors and researchers) plus, if necessary, up to two additional experts, including foreigners, selected from public and private research facilities and bodies. In the case of doctorates awarded in terms of existing international inter-university agreements, the Commission and the admission procedures are set up in accordance with the provisions of these specific agreements.