Towards the conclusion of the third year, PhD candidates have the option to request an extension of up to 12 months or seek admission to the Thesis Review and Final Examination.

The Thesis Review

To enter the thesis review procedure, students must:

• Submit a final version of the doctoral thesis by the end of the third year;
• Receive a positive evaluation of the thesis from both the supervisors and the Academic Board.

Following the thesis assessment, the Academic Board appoints three referees – one committee member and two external experts (academic and non-academic). Upon receiving the thesis, referees provide written assessments 

The Final Examination

The final examination must occur within six months of the admission to the review process. This term may be extended if the referees require revisions, taking up to six additional months.

Doctor Europaeus Label

PhD candidates spending at least three months in another EU country during their PhD career, writing the thesis in a language other than Italian, and receiving positive evaluations from two referees from two different non-Italian EU countries are eligible to request the Academic Board to add the Doctor Europaeus label at their PhD title.