How to Do a PhD in Italy: The National Call (Bando) System
Italy funds PhD places through calls (bandi) run by each university, listed in one free national database. Learn who can apply, how the system works, and where to search.
Italy does not run one national PhD competition. Each Italian university sets its own PhD programmes and publishes its own call, called a bando di dottorato. The Ministry of University and Research (MUR) collects links to these calls in one free national database. This guide explains how the system works and how to find and read a call as an international applicant.
What a dottorato di ricerca is
A dottorato di ricerca is the Italian PhD. It sits in the third cycle of Italian higher education, after the laurea (bachelor's) and laurea magistrale (master's). The goal is to train you in advanced research methods. A programme can include stays abroad and work in research laboratories.
The programme must last at least three years. You must write an original research thesis to finish. Each PhD course and its host university must be accredited by MUR before it can enrol students. The current accreditation rules come from Ministerial Decree 226 of 14 December 2021, which sets out how universities apply for accreditation and how they design a PhD course.
Who can apply
To apply for a dottorato di ricerca, you need a laurea magistrale (Italian master's degree) or an equivalent foreign degree. The university that runs the programme decides if your foreign degree is equivalent in level, duration and field of study. Check this with the university before you apply, because the rule is set by each university's own call, not by one national standard.
Admission is by a public competitive exam, called a concorso. The exact form of the exam changes by university and by subject area. It can include a written test, an oral interview, an evaluation of your CV and research proposal, or a mix of these. Read the specific bando for the programme you want, because it states the exam format, the documents you need, and the scoring rules.
The national call system: bandi.mur.gov.it
MUR runs a free portal at bandi.mur.gov.it. The portal does not run its own competition. It collects the calls that Italian universities, special-status higher schools and some public research bodies publish on their own sites. The portal groups calls into types, including:
- Bandi per dottorati (PhD calls)
- Bandi per assegni di ricerca (research grant calls)
- Bandi per ricercatori a tempo determinato (fixed-term researcher calls)
- Bandi per contratti di ricerca and bandi per incarichi post doc (research contract and postdoc calls)
Use the "Bandi per dottorati" section to browse open PhD calls across Italy. When you find a call that interests you, open the university's own bando text. The portal is a search and discovery tool. You submit your application through the university's own online platform, not through the MUR portal itself.
Tip: Most universities publish their PhD calls for the next academic year between spring and early autumn. Check the national portal every few weeks during that period, because new calls appear on a rolling basis and deadlines are often only a few weeks after publication.
Funding
A PhD place in Italy can be funded (con borsa) or unfunded (senza borsa). A funded place carries a monthly stipend (borsa di dottorato) paid by the university. The government has changed the minimum stipend amount by ministerial decree in past years, most recently through Ministerial Decree 247 of 23 February 2022, which increased the number and value of PhD scholarships. Amounts change from year to year and can also vary by region and by top-up funding from a department or external partner. Do not rely on a figure from a previous cycle. Check the current bando for the exact stipend for the position you want.
Some positions also add a scholarship increase for a period of research abroad, and some are linked to a company or research institute (so-called "dottorati industriali" or "dottorati PNRR"). These extra benefits are set by each call, so read the full text.
Documents you typically need
Every university sets its own list, but most calls for international applicants ask for:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Degree certificate and transcript | A foreign degree may need a "declaration of value" or equivalent certification; check the specific call |
| Passport or ID | Valid for the length of the application process |
| CV | Academic format |
| Research proposal | Required mainly for programmes without a fixed research topic |
| Reference letters | Number and format vary by university |
| Language certificate | English or Italian, depending on the programme language |
How to apply, step by step
- Search bandi.mur.gov.it for open calls in your field, or go directly to the PhD page of universities that interest you.
- Open the full bando text for each call you consider. Note the deadline, the exam format and the required documents.
- Confirm that your degree meets the university's equivalence rule. Contact the PhD office if you are not sure.
- Prepare your documents in the format and language the call asks for.
- Register on the university's own online application platform and submit before the deadline. The MUR portal does not accept applications.
- Sit the concorso (written test, interview or CV evaluation, depending on the call).
- Check the published ranking list (graduatoria) and follow the enrolment instructions and deadline.
Common mistakes
- Assuming one national deadline exists. Each university sets its own calendar.
- Reusing stipend or deadline figures from an earlier cycle. Figures change every year.
- Applying before checking the degree-equivalence rule for your specific country and degree.
- Missing the university's own registration portal, since the MUR database only lists calls, and does not collect applications.
Where to find open positions
Search PhD positions in Europe and funded PhD positions on PhD Atlas to find current openings, including in Italy. If you are new to PhD hunting, read How to Find a PhD Position in Europe for a general search method, and Funded vs Unfunded PhD: What It Pays and What to Ask before you accept an unfunded place.
Tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet of each bando's university, field, deadline and exam format. Italian calls open on a rolling basis across many universities, so a tracker helps you avoid missing a short window.
PhD Atlas matches open positions to your CV, so you spend less time searching portals and more time preparing a strong application.