Description and educational objectives

The main objective of the Doctoral Course in Earth Sciences is to provide highly qualified teaching and research paths in the context of numerous Scientific Disciplinary Sectors of Geosciences. This objective will be achieved through: (i) the development of advanced research on topics that, in many cases, also have an application value, (ii) the development of in-depth seminars, also held by teachers external to the Teaching Board, both Italian and foreign. This research has the additional advantage of allowing future PhD students to excel in the professional and industrial world, expanding the professional opportunities of the PhD course. The depth of the teaching and experimental activities is such as to provide PhD students with professional skills in line with the highest international standards, both in the research field and in the industrial field. Given the heterogeneity of the topics inherent to Earth sciences, common mandatory teaching activities (specific courses) are planned for 20 hours per year; credits will be acquired in a highly flexible path and jointly with the tutor and the College.
Both disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching activities are acquired by attending university courses on-site or off-site, schools, workshops and/or seminars. Interdisciplinary activities will mainly focus on issues related to the sustainable procurement and exploitation of fluid and solid georesources and geological and environmental risks; in this perspective, they will involve geological-stratigraphic, geological-structural, paleontological, geomorphological, hydrogeological, geochemical, geophysical and mineralogical-petrographic aspects. Computer improvement activities are planned, through the application of advanced level software, designed to address and solve geoenvironmental and geostatistical problems. The direct involvement of doctoral students is also planned (a) in the various phases of design and presentation of research projects in the various existing funding areas, as well as (b) in the drafting of reports and scientific publications

The total number of credits to be obtained in the three-year period is at least 180 CFU, with the possibility of exceeding. Each year the
PhD student can obtain a maximum of 55 CFU per year for research activities. During the three-year period, at least 20 CFU must be obtained in training activities, in addition to research activities.
Training credits will be assigned as follows:
research activities - 5 CFU/month, max 55/year
university courses - credits foreseen in the course
schools, workshops, etc. - 1 CFU/5 hours
seminar, individual lesson - 0.2 CFU/hour

Within the doctoral courses, there is the opportunity to stipulate specific agreements with extra-university research structures (public research institutions, private structures) that provide training and/or research activities for doctoral students. There is also the possibility of collaboration with public or private entities, Italian or foreign, for the carrying out by doctoral students of experiences in a context of work activity or with structures that produce goods and services and that provide training and/or research activities for doctoral students.