Frequently Asked Questions
How to apply for the PhD Programme
When is the deadline for applications?
Applications are normally submitted in April-May, however the deadline could change from year to year. You are strongly encouraged to check regularly the ‘applications’ page of this website.
How do I apply?
You must apply through the web at this address:
http://dottorati.unisi.it/domande
The form can be completed either in Italian or in English.
You can also get to this webpage from:
http://dottorati.unisi.it/ following the link ‘Domanda online/Online applications’. The official call for applications (Bando di concorso – in Italian) may be found following the link Bando di concorso/General information about PhD.
For detailed information on the application procedure, please refer to the ‘application’ page of this website.
If I apply online, how do I provide the relevant documentation (research project, two letters of recommendation, Curriculum Vitae)?
Documentation must be mailed to:
Ufficio Formazione e Post Laurea – Sezione dottorati di ricerca
Università degli Studi di Siena
Via Valdimontone, 1 – 53100 SIENA
I am still enrolled in an MA Programme / undergraduate Programme. Can I apply anyway?
Yes, as long as you acquire the degree by the deadline of the “bando” at the latest.
What is the best format for the research proposal?
It has to be approximately five pages long, showing your ability to deal with a relevant topic of research and to design a feasible research. It should include a brief literature review, a description of the main research questions, a discussion of the research design chosen and an indication of the main results expected and their relevance.
Are there preferred research topics?
You are free to propose the subject you prefer, but keep in mind the area of expertise we have in Siena. The further away you move from the area of expertise, the more difficult it would be to provide quality supervision. You can get an idea of the main research areas of our faculty by checking their CVs and list of publications from the ‘faculty’ page of this website.
Will it be possible to change my research topic during the 1st year of the PhD Programme?
Yes, it will.
How many places are available in the PhD Programme?
There is no fixed number, as it depends on the quality of the applications, etc. Indicatively, there will be 8-10 places.
How many grants are available for the PhD Programme?
There are normally 4 to 6 grants, provided by the University of Siena. These grants can not be combined with any other source of income. The grants of the University of Siena are open to citizens from every country. A special fellowship on Transatlantic relations has been awarded by the Compagnia di San Paolo.
What is the amount granted by the University of Siena?
The yearly amount is currently set at € 13.638,47. This amount is meant to cover all of your research and living expenses in Siena. If you were to spend a period abroad for research, it would be increased by 50%. The University normally starts paying these grants in December.
How do I apply for the grant offered by the University of Siena?
You have to indicate your application in the cover letter.
Can I apply for other fellowships?
We strongly encourage you to apply for other fellowships to receive financial support for your studies and your stay in Siena. Having a fellowship from an institution which is not the University of Siena does not constitute a condition for preferential treatment in the selection for the PhD Programme.
What sort of financial assistance is available for students without any scholarship?
There is no financial assistance available for students without any scholarship.
How does the admission procedure work?
If you have passed the first stage of the selection, you will receive a letter inviting you to an interview, which should normally take place in April or May. Generally, 20-25 students are invited to the interview. During the interview, you will be asked to describe your educational background, research interests, and research proposal. The interview will be partially or enterely held in English.
Will the costs of travelling to Siena for the interview be covered by the University of Siena?
No, you will have to cover your own travel expenses.
About the Phd Programme
In what language is the PhD Programme taught?
The Programme is taught entirely in English and we expect you to have a working knowledge of English. There are no specific English classes.
Do I need to stay in Siena while enrolled in the PhD Programme?
Though residence in Siena is not strictly mandatory, it is however strongly encouraged. This is especially true during the 1st year and the 1st semester of the 2nd year, when you are expected to regualrly attend classes at least three days per week. During the 2nd or 3rd year, the Programme requires you to spend a research period abroad in another University, Research Centre or international institution.
Is it possible to work in order to support my studies while enrolled in the PhD Programme?
The Programme is full time and therefore it is impossible to work during the semesters. Small paid research projects might become available, but they will not be sufficient to fund your stay.
Are PhD students involved in research projects which are undertaken at CIRCaP? Can a PhD student be hired as a research assistant?
Depending on the need of professors affiliated to the Centre, it might occur that PhD students are involved in ongoing research projects or hired as research assistants for specific tasks (data gathering, literature reviews, etc.). There are also limited teaching opportunities. These opportunities are never offered to 1st year students. 2nd and 3rd year might be recruited for a period equivalent to 2-4 months per year.
What is the housing situation at University of Siena?
Santa Chiara College provides accommodation for a limited number of graduate students from November onwards. To apply for accommodation at the College, tick the box in the application form. Unfortunately, no other long-term University accommodation is available. The other students must find themselves private accomodation.
FAQs answered by current Phd students
Where do most students come from?
This is an international program and students of all nationalities have equal opportunity in terms of admission. Presently, the largest group of students comes from Italy. Other student nationalities are or have included: Argentinean, Azerbaijani, Belgian, British, Chinese, French, German, Moldovian, Polish, Portugese, Romenian, Spanish, Turkish. Thereafter, an assortment of individuals from all over the world.
How long does it take to get a PhD degree at Circap?
Under Italian education system the PhD program is limited to three years. However, those who have a scholarship from the University of Siena may ask for a six month extension without grant.
Do I need to know Italian? If yes, at what level?
All compulsory and most optional courses are in English. Additionally, everyone at the Circap speaks English. However, it is strongly suggested to acquire some basic knowledge of Italian which will facilitate your daily life, help you to solve bureaucratic problems and above all further your integration into Italian life outside the University.
What are the main research areas at Circap?
Circap offers a wide-ranging expertise and staff members are able to offer support in the areas of Political Science, International Studies and European Politics. While the doctoral programme intends to provide a broad training in political science, its main focus is on the relationship between the domestic, the supranational and international dimensions of politics in the European context, articulated around three broad themes: polity, politics and policy.
What are PhD courses about?
During their first year and the first half of the second year, students are obliged to follow a number of required and a choice of optional courses, for which they will need to prepare occasional assignments (papers, etc.) and presentations as precondition for programme continuation. A broad set of political topics (i.e. European institutions, International Relations, Comparative Political Institutions, Political Behaviour) is covered and combined with courses on basic methodology and statistics (with a particular emphasis on the use of STATA and SPSS, a widespread statistics software).
What is the state of the library?
University of Siena has a large collection of political science books in English and Italian. Graduate students can borrow 5 books at one time for one-month duration, and can take 5 more books to read in the library. With a permission letter from Circap students may also utilize other libraries in nearby cities (such as National Library and the very extensive EUI library in Florence).
Contacts?
Here
When is the deadline for applications?
Applications are normally submitted in April-May, however the deadline could change from year to year. You are strongly encouraged to check regularly the ‘applications’ page of this website.
How do I apply?
You must apply through the web at this address:
http://dottorati.unisi.it/domande
The form can be completed either in Italian or in English.
You can also get to this webpage from:
http://dottorati.unisi.it/ following the link ‘Domanda online/Online applications’. The official call for applications (Bando di concorso – in Italian) may be found following the link Bando di concorso/General information about PhD.
For detailed information on the application procedure, please refer to the ‘application’ page of this website.
If I apply online, how do I provide the relevant documentation (research project, two letters of recommendation, Curriculum Vitae)?
Documentation must be mailed to:
Ufficio Formazione e Post Laurea – Sezione dottorati di ricerca
Università degli Studi di Siena
Via Valdimontone, 1 – 53100 SIENA
I am still enrolled in an MA Programme / undergraduate Programme. Can I apply anyway?
Yes, as long as you acquire the degree by the deadline of the “bando” at the latest.
What is the best format for the research proposal?
It has to be approximately five pages long, showing your ability to deal with a relevant topic of research and to design a feasible research. It should include a brief literature review, a description of the main research questions, a discussion of the research design chosen and an indication of the main results expected and their relevance.
Are there preferred research topics?
You are free to propose the subject you prefer, but keep in mind the area of expertise we have in Siena. The further away you move from the area of expertise, the more difficult it would be to provide quality supervision. You can get an idea of the main research areas of our faculty by checking their CVs and list of publications from the ‘faculty’ page of this website.
Will it be possible to change my research topic during the 1st year of the PhD Programme?
Yes, it will.
How many places are available in the PhD Programme?
There is no fixed number, as it depends on the quality of the applications, etc. Indicatively, there will be 8-10 places.
How many grants are available for the PhD Programme?
There are normally 4 to 6 grants, provided by the University of Siena. These grants can not be combined with any other source of income. The grants of the University of Siena are open to citizens from every country. A special fellowship on Transatlantic relations has been awarded by the Compagnia di San Paolo.
What is the amount granted by the University of Siena?
The yearly amount is currently set at € 13.638,47. This amount is meant to cover all of your research and living expenses in Siena. If you were to spend a period abroad for research, it would be increased by 50%. The University normally starts paying these grants in December.
How do I apply for the grant offered by the University of Siena?
You have to indicate your application in the cover letter.
Can I apply for other fellowships?
We strongly encourage you to apply for other fellowships to receive financial support for your studies and your stay in Siena. Having a fellowship from an institution which is not the University of Siena does not constitute a condition for preferential treatment in the selection for the PhD Programme.
What sort of financial assistance is available for students without any scholarship?
There is no financial assistance available for students without any scholarship.
How does the admission procedure work?
If you have passed the first stage of the selection, you will receive a letter inviting you to an interview, which should normally take place in April or May. Generally, 20-25 students are invited to the interview. During the interview, you will be asked to describe your educational background, research interests, and research proposal. The interview will be partially or enterely held in English.
Will the costs of travelling to Siena for the interview be covered by the University of Siena?
No, you will have to cover your own travel expenses.
About the Phd Programme
In what language is the PhD Programme taught?
The Programme is taught entirely in English and we expect you to have a working knowledge of English. There are no specific English classes.
Do I need to stay in Siena while enrolled in the PhD Programme?
Though residence in Siena is not strictly mandatory, it is however strongly encouraged. This is especially true during the 1st year and the 1st semester of the 2nd year, when you are expected to regualrly attend classes at least three days per week. During the 2nd or 3rd year, the Programme requires you to spend a research period abroad in another University, Research Centre or international institution.
Is it possible to work in order to support my studies while enrolled in the PhD Programme?
The Programme is full time and therefore it is impossible to work during the semesters. Small paid research projects might become available, but they will not be sufficient to fund your stay.
Are PhD students involved in research projects which are undertaken at CIRCaP? Can a PhD student be hired as a research assistant?
Depending on the need of professors affiliated to the Centre, it might occur that PhD students are involved in ongoing research projects or hired as research assistants for specific tasks (data gathering, literature reviews, etc.). There are also limited teaching opportunities. These opportunities are never offered to 1st year students. 2nd and 3rd year might be recruited for a period equivalent to 2-4 months per year.
What is the housing situation at University of Siena?
Santa Chiara College provides accommodation for a limited number of graduate students from November onwards. To apply for accommodation at the College, tick the box in the application form. Unfortunately, no other long-term University accommodation is available. The other students must find themselves private accomodation.
FAQs answered by current Phd students
Where do most students come from?
This is an international program and students of all nationalities have equal opportunity in terms of admission. Presently, the largest group of students comes from Italy. Other student nationalities are or have included: Argentinean, Azerbaijani, Belgian, British, Chinese, French, German, Moldovian, Polish, Portugese, Romenian, Spanish, Turkish. Thereafter, an assortment of individuals from all over the world.
How long does it take to get a PhD degree at Circap?
Under Italian education system the PhD program is limited to three years. However, those who have a scholarship from the University of Siena may ask for a six month extension without grant.
Do I need to know Italian? If yes, at what level?
All compulsory and most optional courses are in English. Additionally, everyone at the Circap speaks English. However, it is strongly suggested to acquire some basic knowledge of Italian which will facilitate your daily life, help you to solve bureaucratic problems and above all further your integration into Italian life outside the University.
What are the main research areas at Circap?
Circap offers a wide-ranging expertise and staff members are able to offer support in the areas of Political Science, International Studies and European Politics. While the doctoral programme intends to provide a broad training in political science, its main focus is on the relationship between the domestic, the supranational and international dimensions of politics in the European context, articulated around three broad themes: polity, politics and policy.
What are PhD courses about?
During their first year and the first half of the second year, students are obliged to follow a number of required and a choice of optional courses, for which they will need to prepare occasional assignments (papers, etc.) and presentations as precondition for programme continuation. A broad set of political topics (i.e. European institutions, International Relations, Comparative Political Institutions, Political Behaviour) is covered and combined with courses on basic methodology and statistics (with a particular emphasis on the use of STATA and SPSS, a widespread statistics software).
What is the state of the library?
University of Siena has a large collection of political science books in English and Italian. Graduate students can borrow 5 books at one time for one-month duration, and can take 5 more books to read in the library. With a permission letter from Circap students may also utilize other libraries in nearby cities (such as National Library and the very extensive EUI library in Florence).
Contacts?
Here
