PhD in Law
Pisa, Italy
PhD
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
The Ph.D. in Law hosts graduate students interested in achieving the highest level of academic education and pursuing advanced studies in law, with a strong interdisciplinary perspective, in a lively inter-national setting in our leading Italian University. The course aims at training scholars capable of critical thinking and innovative research in their respective fields of interest, at the forefront of the international debate.
The Ph.D. program encompasses a broad set of areas of law, ranging from private and private comparative law, public comparative and European law, constitutional and administrative law, general theory of law, applied legal theory, criminal–national and international – law, law, and technology.
Over the 3-year program, Ph.D. students attend courses, both in their field of interest and in the others covered by the faculty: interdisciplinary perspective and a sound methodological preparation are essential for competitive scholars in the academic and professional market.
Scholarships are for the duration of the relevant Ph.D. Programmes and confirmed annually upon admission to the following year by approval from the Advisory Board of the individual Programme. Ph.D. scholarships are awarded following the ranking order, except for scholarships linked to specific topics or research projects, which may be awarded to the first eligible candidate(s) identified by the Selection Committee.
The annual budget for each student comprises a scholarship of € 16,243.00 (€ 18,800.00 for the PhD Programmes in robotics and Emerging Digital Technologies), including social security charges payable by the recipient and paid in monthly instalments in arrears, and housing grant of € 2,200/year.
Scholarships cannot be combined with other scholarships for any reason whatsoever, except for those granted by national or foreign institutions, aimed at supplementing the student's research activities with visits abroad. Doctoral students who have previously received a Ph.D. scholarship in Italy, even partially, are not eligible for another Ph.D. scholarship.
During the first year, PhD students are required to attend 120 hours of in-class training on methodological, curricular, and interdisciplinary courses. They are also involved in seminars, workshops, conferences, and research activities. During the second year, the requirement for in-class training reduces to 80 hours, since students are expected to be working primarily on the dissertation, in close collaboration with their supervisor. The third year is devoted to refining the thesis, to be discussed within two months from the end of the program. The vast majority of the courses offered are taught in English.
During alternatively the second or third year, students are required - as noted above - to undergo a 3 to 6-month research period abroad, as a visiting scholar at one prominent foreign University or center deemed relevant for their PhD project.
Publication requirements amount to at least two contributions over the second year, to an Italian or an international scientific journal.
Researchers who got their Ph.D. in Law at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies have achieved remarkable and high-level positions in different fields, from the academy to public administration, political appointments, the law profession, the judiciary branch, the diplomatic career, managing and directive roles in multinational companies. Placement in international organizations and non-governmental ones brings our Ph.D. in Law to the forefront of most impelling contemporary issues, from environmental protection and sustainability to artificial intelligence's legal and moral basis unfolding.