Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
PhD in Mountain Environment and Agriculture
Bolzano, Italy
PhD
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 200 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 11th June 2025 (12:00 - noon)
** 200 € for the first academic year
Key Summary
The three-year programme is highly interdisciplinary; competences span from ecology to hydrology, from crop production to animal science, from forestry to agricultural engineering, from plant protection to marketing. The PhD projects tackle, among others, the efficient use of natural resources, the sustainable production methods in agriculture and forestry, the effect of climate change on natural and managed mountain ecosystems.
The Scientific Committee includes internationally renowned scientists from Italian and foreign Universities as well as from Research Centres, like Eurac Research and Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry.
The international research training and the skills developed during the doctoral programme will help you meeting your career aspirations, both inside and outside research institutions.
During the first year, you attend courses, prepare and submit your research plan under the guidance of the main supervisor, and also present a seminar on the state-of-the-art in your area of interest. You are encouraged to develop an excellent command of methodological techniques and to start preliminary research activity.
In the second year, you are expected to carry out research activities according to the research plan and schedule and to spend a training period in a foreign university or research center. In the third year, you are mainly required to concentrate on data elaboration and on writing your thesis.
During the three-year period, you are also required to acquire credit points by attending seminars, and summer/winter schools, by presenting contributions to international conferences, and by writing scientific papers for high-ranked international journals. The dissertation is expected to be a collection of scientific papers with a comprehensive introduction, discussion, and conclusion.
Semester 1
Advanced Scientific English
Semester 1
Statistical methods for agricultural and environmental sciences
Semester 1
Theory of Scientific Method
Semester 1-2
Information Literacy
Semester 1-2
Optional Activity
Semester 1-2
Research Activity - 2nd year
Semester 1-2
Optional Activity - 3rd year
Semester 1-2
Research Plan
Semester 1-2
Research Activity
Semester 1-2
State of the Art
Semester 1-2
Optional Activity - 2nd year
Semester 1-2
Research Activity - 3rd year
Fieldwork abroad
During the three years of the Ph.D. program, you will be required to commit full-time to your research project. The faculty recommends that you carry out part of your research, at least 6-12 months, in another research center in Italy or abroad. This is an opportunity to diversify your study experience, doing research in highly stimulating and competitive contexts, while exchanging ideas with other scholars and, therefore, establishing an early network of colleagues in academia.