The PhD programme in Human-centered Precision Medicine is aimed at individuals with a master's degree in Medicine and Surgery (or equivalent qualification) who are interested in generating new knowledge through scientific research in one of the areas included in the PhD programme and represented by the members of the Doctoral Programme Committee.
More specifically, the following constitute mandatory admission requirements:
a. a Master’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery (class LM-41) obtained pursuant to Ministerial Decree no. 270/2004, or a Specialist Degree (class 46/S) obtained pursuant to Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999, as well as a degree in Medicine and Surgery awarded under the previous university system; or
b. an equivalent academic qualification in Medicine and Surgery (Master’s degree) obtained abroad from an officially recognized academic institution, granting access to PhD programmes within the relevant national higher education system/country of award (unless substantial differences apply), and comparable to the required Italian qualification in terms of duration, level, nature (academic/research components), and disciplinary field, and deemed suitable by the Selection Committee solely for the purpose of admission to the PhD Programme.
Admission is by competitive examination.
The call for applications is published once a year (usually in spring, with a deadline in the summer). In addition to the documents certifying identity and qualifications, the following must be submitted in order to participate:
- a CV (clearly highlighting skills and experience relevant to the research);
- a motivation letter (motivations for undertaking the PhD Programme, the candidate’s objectives and research interests, and any experience gained during the preparation of the Master’s thesis, work activities, or research)
- a research project proposal (in a specific format indicated in the call for applications) highlighting the candidate's skills and interests;
- abstract of the Master’s degree thesis in English (context and objectives of the work; methodology adopted; main results and conclusions; max length 500 characters including spaces). Alternatively, candidates who have not yet completed their thesis should indicate the title (provisional or final) and the name of their supervisor;
- English level certification with minimum level B2 according to CEFR Common European Framework of Reference, if the applicant is not a native English speaker. Applicants who are native speakers of English must attach a declaration to this effect.
Preferential criteria for admission include: proven clinical research experience, a Medicine degree thesis relevant to the research topics, a medical postgraduate specialisation, alignment of candidates' interests and skills with the PhD programme's research areas, good knowledge of English, good knowledge of Italian, necessary for carrying out clinical activities in the healthcare facilities.
Admission to the PhD programme is based on the overall merit ranking drawn up by the relevant Selection Committee on the basis of the results obtained by candidates in the assessment procedure.
To assess whether your research interests are in line with the main areas of interest of the PhD programme, please consult the page on the Doctoral Programme Committee and their research topics.
If you have any questions or are interested in gaining preliminary research experience at CISMed (web page only in Italian) under the scientific supervision of a member of the Doctoral Programme Committee, for example as part of an internship, please contact the Coordinator or members of the Doctoral Programme Committee.
Given that the call for applications may undergo changes from year to year, and that there may also be scholarships dedicated to specific topics, it is essential to consult the call for applications before starting to write the project or prepare the documentation.
Note: The official language of the programme is English. The admission tests are conducted in English and the doctoral thesis must be written in English. Students must have at least an intermediate level (B2) of English at the time of enrolment and acquire an intermediate level (B2) of Italian by the end of the second year of the programme.
Open calls
Call 42nd cycle (2026- 2027)
The call for applications for admission to the Doctoral Program in Human-Centered Precision Medicine, 42nd cycle (2026-2027) is available at the selection webpage.