Graduate School of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – PhD in Economics and Finance

The Graduate School of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore invites applications to its PhD in Economics and Finance. The length of the PhD Program is four years, starting in late October 2024. The precise starting date of the Program will be announced in due course.

We offer four fellowships (for a period of four years) to the highest ranked applicants.

Our fellowships pay a grant of € 16.243 (gross income) per year. The monthly allowance can be increased by 50% for our PhD students visiting academic or scientific institutions abroad. The number of scholarships may increase if sponsorships on specific research projects become available. There will also be allowances (research funds) for short-period mobility (from the first year).

Information concerning the program can be found at http://scuoledidottorato.unicatt.it/defap.

The official Call for Applications (Bando di Concorso) is available on the University’s website, in Italian and in English, at the following link: https://progetti.unicatt.it/progetti-ateneo-bandi-e-concorsi-milano-piacenza-brescia#content.

The deadline for sending an application is June 17, 2024 (h. 12.00 p.m. – Italian time / CET).

The outcome of the selection procedure will be published by July, 1, 2024.

How to submit an application

Candidates can apply by logging in at https://iscrizioni.unicatt.it/iscrizioni/. All required documents, except for the recommendation letters (see below), must be uploaded at this link.

Applicants are required to pay a € 100 non-refundable fee. The payment is required at the end of the online procedure and can be settled by means of electronic payment only (e.g. VISA/MASTERCARD/Paypal). The application procedure is concluded only after having uploaded the PDF of the complete application form, which is automatically generated by the system once all documents have been uploaded. Candidates will receive a confirmation e-mail by the Doctoral Office.

The same procedure applies to Candidates who have participated in the pre-application stage and are interested in proceeding with an application. However, these Candidates do not need to upload again documents that were submitted along with the pre-application, unless they want to provide an updated version. Candidates also need to make sure that their identification document has been properly uploaded.

Application requirements

Applications will be accepted from applicants of all ages and nationalities who hold:

• an Italian degree (Diploma di laurea quadriennale, laurea specialistica, laurea magistrale) or an Italian degree obtained according to the regulations existing before the implementation of the Ministerial Decree of 3 November, 1999, n. 509 and its subsequent amendments and supplements;
• a foreign academic qualification already recognized as equivalent by academic authorities, or recognized in accordance with inter-university agreements of co-operation and mobility;
• a foreign academic qualification that has not been recognized yet as equivalent to an Italian degree, provided that the Candidate includes all the necessary documents to reach a decision regarding equivalence, for the only purpose of admission to the PhD program.

Applications may also be submitted by Candidates of all nationalities who have not yet graduated but who expect to receive their degree by October 31.

Qualifications and documents

The following documents must be submitted along with the complete application form to the PhD Program:

• a Curriculum Vitae;
• a copy of an identification document duly signed;
• a passport-size photo;
• a copy of the fiscal code (for Italian nationals only);
• a research statement (max. 15.000 characters, spaces included) in which the Candidate outlines her/his research interests, and provides any other useful information;
• for graduates, a certificate of an acceptable Italian or foreign degree, plus a transcript including the final overall grade obtained and the complete list of courses attended, and grades received;
• if qualification is pending, a certificate of enrollment to one of the acceptable Italian degree programs or to a foreign academic program, plus a transcript including courses attended and grades obtained;
• two confidential letters of recommendation, to be sent directly by the recommenders, from their professional or institutional e-mail address – by no later than the deadline for applications indicated in the Call (June 17, 2024) – to the following e-mail address: defap@unicatt.it. Note that Candidates are not allowed to directly send the recommendation letters, note also that it is not possible to upload them on the website.

  If the Recommender is not using a professional or institutional e-mail address, she/he should explain the reason (e.g. retirement) for using a personal e-mail.

The following material can strengthen a pre-application but is not mandatory:

• certifications of possible further qualifications with transcripts of courses attended and grades obtained;
• publications (of any type) that the Candidate wishes to submit, with a maximum of four;
• result obtained in the GMAT or GRE test;
• certifications of English proficiency such as: Anglia Examination England, Bulats, Business English Certificate, Certificate Advance in English, Certificate Proficiency in English, First Certificate in English, IELTS, ISE (I-II-III-IV), PTE Academic, PTE General, Preliminary English Test, TOEFL IBT, TOEIC Listening and Reading, TOEIC Speaking and Writing.

Students with a degree obtained or to be obtained in non-EU countries shall provide a translation, authentication and a certificate of equivalence of qualification of their foreign degree certificates, issued by the Italian Consulate/Embassy representative offices in the countries where they have obtained/will obtain the degree. EU students must provide a Diploma Supplement from the University where they completed their studies as an alternative to the certificate of equivalence of qualification.

Each applicant is required to clearly mention in her/his CV a Skype contact to allow the Selection Committee to contact her/him for a telephone interview, if deemed necessary.

The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore does not take any responsibility in the case of mailing delays or document losses due to incorrect or incomplete handling by Candidates. Information concerning: composition of the Selection Committee, selection procedure, scholarships, rights and duties of doctoral students, awarding of degrees, acts and documents written in a foreign language, and any other relevant issue are contained in the official Call for Applications.

For further information on the application procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us at: defap@unicatt.it.