1. PhD Final Examination

PhD Final Examination

By the end of their final (third) year, PhD candidates must:

  • Submit an application for admission to the final examination;
  • Submit their doctoral thesis to the Academic Board.

 1.  Application for Admission to the Final Examination

Who must apply?

All PhD candidates enrolled in their final (third) year.

How to submit the application

The procedure must be completed exclusively online through the Alice Portal. Candidates must access their personal area using their credentials (username and password) and select the option “Conseguimento titolo”. During the application, candidates must:

  • Verify and, if necessary, update their personal contact details (mobile phone and email);
  • Enter the thesis title, their supervisor’s name, the relevant Scientific Sector (SSD) (see note below), and any additional communications in the “notes” field.

Important: Until further notice, candidates must exclusively use the old SSD codes. Transition to the new sectors will occur with the reporting of educational offerings, presumably starting from the academic year 2025/2026.

When to submit the application

By the end of the final (third) year, normally by 31 October, except in cases of:

  • “Paid” extension as per Art. 8, para. 7, Ministerial Decree no. 226/2021;
  • Recovery of suspension periods;
  • Deferred start of doctoral studies (e.g., supernumerary positions as per Art. 11, para. 1, University Regulations).

After the deadline, but in any case before the date of the final examination, the application must be submitted in paper form with revenue stamps through the Virtual Helpdesk portal.

Important: It is mandatory to complete the AlmaLaurea questionnaire anyway (see below).

2. After Submitting the Online Application: Next Steps

a. Submission of the Thesis to the Academic Board

The thesis must be submitted by the end of the third year, according to the specific guidelines of each PhD Programme and in compliance with the deadline indicated above.

The Academic Board may decide to:

  • Forward the thesis to external assessors;
  • Grant a maximum extension of two months, as per Art. 19, para. 3, University Regulations.

b. AlmaLaurea Questionnaire

To sit the final examination, it is mandatory to complete the “Rilevazione sui dottori di ricerca” questionnaire.

Instructions for completion:

  • Complete the questionnaire during the online procedure on Alice;
  • In case of technical issues, contact support.laureati@almalaurea.it;
  • Upload the receipt to Alice: “Segreteria” → “Carriera” → “Allegati carriera” → caricare il file.

c. Contacts with the Coordinator/Supervisor

It is crucial to remain in contact to:

  • Receive the assessors’ feedback on the thesis;
  • Obtain information regarding the date of the defence;
  • Receive instructions on how to forward the thesis to the Examination Committee.

d. Electronic Cover Page and Final Thesis

At least three days before the defence:

  1. Generate the electronic cover page on ETD, and key in the expected date of the defence
  2.  Upload to ETD: 
  •  The complete, final thesis file in PDF/A format, written in Italian, English or another language approved by the Academic Board, accompanied by an abstract in Italian or English;
  •  A report detailing activities undertaken during the PhD programme, also in PDF/A format, written by the candidate. Important: Do not upload the report signed by the Coordinator, as this document can only be issued after the final examination, according to University Regulations (Art. 19, para. 10);
  •  Upload to Alice the PDF of the electronic cover page generated by ETD and digitally signed by the supervisor: “Segreteria” → “Carriera” → “Allegati carriera” → caricare il file.

Supervisor’s signature – two options:

  • Digital signature (recommended): send the PDF cover page via email to the supervisor, who digitally signs and returns it to the PhD candidate
  • Digitalised signature: send the PDF cover page via email to the supervisor, who prints, physically signs, scans (or photographs), and returns it by email to the PhD candidate together with a valid identity document.

For technical issues with ETD (access, file uploads, etc.), please contact ETD staff.

Important: Restrictions on thesis accessibility may be imposed by current regulations or chosen by the author in agreement with the supervisor. Subject to approval by the Academic Board, parts of the thesis may be made inaccessible if they contain industrially confidential data or in other situations provided for in the regulations on electronic theses.

Per problemi tecnici con ETD (accesso, caricamento file, ecc.), contatta lo Staff ETD.

University Fees

The application for the final examination can only be submitted if tuition fees for the final and any previous years are fully paid.

Exclusion from the PhD Programme

According to Art. 19, para. 11 of the University Regulations:
Failure to submit your thesis within the established deadlines without valid justification may result in exclusion from the programme.
With documented justification, a maximum extension of 18 months may be granted (Art. 8, para. 9 of Ministerial Decree).
Exclusion may also occur if you fail to attend the final examination without valid justification.