The University of Pavia provides graduate students with a unique experience.
The PhD programs offered by the University of Pavia are supervised by SAFD (Scuola di Alta Formazione Dottorale), the PhD Higher Education School. Our programs cover a wide range of topics and are organized into three disciplinary groups (macro-area): Science and Technology, Life Science, Human and Social Science.
The University of Pavia is very much involved in developing new pathways that allow doctoral students non only to develop their skills useful for future careers in academia, but also the abilities necessary to be active outside the University. The Board of our PhD Higher Education School is constantly engaged in improving the quality of the PhD programs and consequently the preparation of doctoral students. In particular, the School is promoting interactions between University and Industry, as well as international programs allowing our PhD students to obtain a joint degree with other European institutions. Our mission is to make sure that highly motivated students from all over the world are admitted to our PhD programs and will successfully interact with our best faculty members.
Being one of the oldest academic institutions in the world, the University of Pavia combines a prestigious history with a clever mix of cutting-edge innovation. Students have access to a vast library system and may be included in the research teams of internationally recognized laboratories.
Besides studying and carrying on research, doctoral students can experience living in Pavia, a city-campus with intense cultural life, offering an experience which is unique in Italy and rare in Europe.
Prof. Giuseppe De Nicolao
PhD Higher Education Director
1) Macro-area of Science and Technology:
Higher Education School Members
Prof. Piersandro Pallavicini
Prof. Andrea Penna
PhD courses in:
- Bioengineering, Bioinformatics and Health Technologies
- Computational Mathematics, Learning, and Data Science
- Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Related Industrial Innovation
- Design, Modeling and Simulation in Engineering
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Electronics, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
- Mathematics
- Micro-and-Nano Electronics (National PhD program)
- Physics
2) Macro-area of Life Science:
Higher Education School Members
Prof. Livia Visai
Prof. Martina Gandola
PhD courses in:
- Biomedical Sciences
- Experimental Medicine
- Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- One Health Approaches to Infectious Diseases and Life Science Research (National PhD program)
- Psychology
- Public Health and Lifestyle
- Translational and Precision Medicine
3) Macro-area of Humanistic and Social Science:
Higher Education School Members
Prof. Paolo Renon
Prof. Arianna Arisi Rota
PhD courses in:
- Communication Sciences and Practices
- History
- Linguistics
- Private Law, Roman Law and European Legal Culture
- Public Law, Criminal and International Justice
- Philosophy – FINO
- Sciences of the Literary and Musical Text
Courses administered by other universities in cooperation with the University of Pavia:
- Economics – Administered by the University of Milano – more info at https://phdeconomics.unimi.it/
- Economic sociology, organisation and labour by the University of Milano – more info at
- Political Studies – Administered by the University of Milano
- Earthquake engineering – Administered by University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) of Pavia – more info at http://www.iusspavia.it/ume/
- Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology – Administered by University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) of Pavia – more info at http://www.iusspavia.it/biomolecular-sciences-and-biotechnology
- Cognitive Brain Sciences – Administered by University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) of Pavia
- Sustainable Development and Climate Change – Administered by IUSS Pavia – web site: www.iusspavia.it/phd-sdc (National PhD program)