Dottorato in Ingegneria

Educational project

Educational offerings and articulation in CFU

The total commitment is 180 training credits, evenly distributed over the three years of the course (60 CFU for each individual year). The delivery of 1 CFU corresponds to 6h of delivered frontal teaching.

The educational activity provides for the acquisition of no. 21 total CFUs of which 13 (equivalent to 78 h) of frontal didactics delivered in lecture series specifically offered by Messina University. The fruition of the didactic frontal teaching can also take place in the telematic mode for doctoral students who carry out the research periods at foreign institutions provided for in their research project and previously authorized by the College. Course attendance will be attested by the lecturer. Only for doctoral students who, being in countries with different time zones, are unable to follow even in telematic mode the didactics provided, alternative educational activities may be provided, previously authorized by the College with an appropriate request, useful for the acquisition of mandatory training credits.

The CFUs must be achieved through the attendance of lectures and seminars of in-depth study in the disciplinary areas (SSDs) common to or of the individual curricula assisted by activities of further education in linguistic and computer science. Part of the teaching activities will be devoted to the in-depth study of the issues concerning the exploitation and dissemination of results, intellectual property and open access to data and research products, as well as the management of research and knowledge of European and international research systems.

The remaining number of educational credits (no. 159 CFUs) is allocated by the faculty to activities related to the specific research of individual doctoral students, including activities of participation in conferences, seminars, schools, stays abroad and thesis writing activities.

Specifically, the training credits are distributed as follows:

• frontal teaching activities: no. 13 CFUs

• Compulsory supplementary educational activities (linguistic, computer, management, etc.): no. 8 CFU

• Participation in research-related activities of the doctoral student's choice: participation in conferences, congresses; Erasmus or other stays abroad; publications; activities tutoring; supplementary teaching activities: n. 14 CFUs

• Individual research activity, to be explained and discussed in the annual report for the transition to the years following the first: n. 117 CFU

• thesis writing: n. 28 CFU

The following will be used for awarding educational credits to the activities freely chosen by the doctoral student following criteria:

• Attendance at a conference, congress, or seminar (n 0.5 CFU/day of attendance) in accordance with the S.A. Resolution of 12/23/2013

• Participation in conferences, congress, or seminar as a speaker (n 1 CFU/day of participation)

• Research stays abroad of Erasmus or other types (no. 1 CFU/month of stay abroad) in accordance with the S.A. Resolution of 12/21/2018.

• Attendance of specialization courses or certifiable educational activities related to the doctoral student's educational and research activities will be evaluated by the PhD Board of Teachers for the purpose of the attribution of educational credits and their quantification based on the indications provided by the organizer.

• The publication of scientific articles in journals, essays in volumes, book chapters or monographs, for which the date of acceptance of the contribution or the publication of the volume, will be evaluated by the faculty council for the purpose of awarding educational credits and its quantification (from 1 CFU for publication in a national or uncensored journal to 5 CFU per publication in ISI or Scopus journal of class Q1 or A).

• Tutoring of students in undergraduate and master's degree programs at the University of Messina, subject to the approval of the College of Teachers, may be evaluated for the purposes of the attribution of educational credits and its quantification (1 credit for every 8 hours; up to a maximum of 5 CFUs per academic year).

• Supplementary teaching activities, again within the maximum cumulative limit of 40 hours per year and subject to the approval of the Board of Lecturers, may be evaluated for the purpose of the attribution of educational credits and its quantification (1 CFU for every 5 hours of supplementary teaching up to a maximum of 4 CFU).

• Excess course credits will not count toward the achievement of the threshold annual.

The PhD Teacher Board approves the teaching activities associated with each year of the course (Plan of Activities).

There are no examinations/checks with eligibility by individual faculty members. The credits related to the institutional courses are specified in the annual Study Manifesto and have value in the year in which the course is taken.

The official language is Italian; however, courses may be taught in English if there are foreign students are present.

To comply with current regulations regarding mandatory training (pursuant to Art. 36 and 37 of Legislative Decree 81/08, as amended and supplemented), doctoral students who are not in possession of other certificates issued by the University of Messina, are obliged to attend the Course of General Training in Occupational Safety lasting 4 hours, with tests to verify of learning, in mode telematics, accessible at the following address:

https://moodle2.unime.it/course/view.php?id=48659 through the credentials institutional (codicefiscale@studenti.unime.it) on the Moodle platform.

The schedule of educational credits as described is shown, by course year, in the following table.

Arrangements for choosing a thesis subject

At the same time as the start of the courses, the Teachers' Board assigns each doctoral student a Supervisor, and one or more co-supervisors, at least one of whom is of academic origin, chosen by the College also from outside it, provided that at least one meets the requirements required for members of the College. The supervisor is responsible for following and guiding the doctoral student in the research activity and in the elaboration of the thesis and informing the College about any problems and needs related to the research.

Procedures for admission to the final examination

1. The title of PhD abbreviated as "Dott. Ric." or "PhD," is awarded upon following the passing of the final examination and the positive evaluation by a Board of Examiners of a research thesis that contributes to the advancement of knowledge or methodologies in the chosen field of inquiry.
2. The doctoral thesis shall be written in Italian or English, or in another language, subject to the authorization of the board of teachers and shall be accompanied by an abstract, written in English.
3. By the end of the third academic year of each cycle, the doctoral student must apply for admission to the final examination.
4. The procedure for admission to the final examination is as follows:
5. the thesis, together with the doctoral student's report on the activities carried out during the Doctoral Course and any publications, shall be examined by at least two evaluators, not belonging to the institution granting the doctoral degree and possessing a highly qualified experience, at least one of whom is a professor university faculty member identified by the Supervisor and the Board of Lecturers. The evaluators may belong to foreign or international institutions;
6. within thirty days from the thesis receipt, the evaluators shall render a judgment analytical written opinion, proposing admission to the public discussion or postponement of the discussion of the thesis for a period not exceeding six months. After that period, the thesis, accompanied by a new written opinion rendered by the evaluators, is in any case admitted for discussion.
7. The Board of Teachers, based on the proposal of the evaluators, shall decide on the admission of the thesis to public discussion or postponement of the discussion for the period proposed by the evaluators.

Extension

• For proven reasons that do not allow the submission of the doctoral thesis in the period provided by the duration of the Course, the board of teachers may grant, at the request of the doctoral student, an extension of a maximum duration of twelve months, without further financial burden.
• An extension of the duration of the doctoral course for a period not exceeding twelve months may also be, decided by the Board of Teachers for justified scientific needs, subject to a resolution of the Board of Directors and the-Academic Senate authorizing the corresponding extension of the duration of the scholarship with funds from the university budget.
• The periods of extension and suspension may not in total exceed the duration of eighteen months, without prejudice to specific cases provided for by law.

Evaluation Committee for the final examination

1. The Evaluation Committee is appointed by the Rector, upon the proposal of the Board of Teachers, and shall consist of three members respecting, where possible, the balance of gender. In any case, at least two-thirds of the Commission shall be composed of individuals not belonging to the administrative seat of the Course and for no more than one-third by members belonging to subjects participating in the doctoral program pursuant to Art. 3, paragraph of these Regulations. In any case, the committee shall be composed of at least two-thirds by components of academic origin chosen from the professors and university researchers pertaining to the disciplinary scientific fields to which the Course refers. There must also be two alternate members capable of guaranteeing, in case of necessity, replacements in full compliance with the prescribed composition.
2. The chairmanship of the Evaluation Committee shall be assumed by the most senior professor in tenure; in case of a tie by the most senior in age.
3. No member of the Evaluation Committee for the final examination for the attainment of the degree of Doctor of Research faculty members who are Supervisor and Co-supervisor or thesis evaluators of one or more PhD students admitted to the final examination, who have been part of the Evaluation Committee of the same Course of Doctorate for the previous cycle and who have been part of the Commission for the selection of access to the course for the same cycle.
4. The Rectoral Decree appointing the Evaluation Committee shall be published on the website of the University. Notice of this publication shall be given to the Coordinator, who will take care of its communication to the members of the Commissions and the doctoral students. The Commissions of selection are required to complete their work within 90 days from the date of the Rector's decree of appointment. Once this deadline has passed, the Commission that has not concluded its work lapses and the Rector shall appoint a new Commission, with the exclusion of the lapsed members.
5. In the case of Doctoral Courses established because of international agreements, the Commission shall be constituted in the manner provided for in the agreements themselves.
6. The reimbursement of mission expenses for external Commissioners will be borne by funds of the Doctoral Program or the Department specifically appropriated.

Final examination and awarding of the title

The final examination for the award of the title consists of a public discussion, having as its theme the doctoral thesis, previously examined, and evaluated as provided for in Article 25 of these Regulations.

At the end of the discussion, the committee shall render a written and reasoned judgment on the thesis, and awards an overall judgment choosing from the following ratings: 'sufficient', 'good', and 'excellent'. When it unanimously recognizes its particular importance scientific, it may award praise.

If the thesis is rejected, it will no longer be possible to discuss it. 

The Evaluation Committee shall draw up a report, including the detailed judgments on the theses submitted by the candidates and the outcome of the interviews, which must be forwarded in original to the competent office of the University.

Within thirty days after the discussion and approval, the final thesis deposited in the University's institutional open-access archive, will be made public and consultable in open-access mode in accordance with the following paragraph 6. Subject to the approval of the Board of Teachers, the following may be made unavailable parts of the thesis in relation to data protected by industrial secrecy under the relevant regulations in force. In accordance with the CRUI guidelines, there may be an embargo.

The issuance of the certification of the achievement of the degree in accordance with the regulations in force is subject to the filing, by the interested party, of the final thesis in the University's institutional open-access archive, which will guarantee its preservation and public accessibility; it will be the responsibility of the University to make the deposit in accordance with the law at the National Libraries of Rome and Florence as well as, within 30 days of the discussion and approval of the thesis, in an electronically in the National Registry of PhD and PhD students In a specific open access section.

The educational activities carried out by doctoral students in one or more locations are certified by a document attached to the final diploma (diploma supplement).