Overview

The Experimental Research through Design, Art and Technologies course from Free University of Bozen-Bolzano brings together professors from different faculties of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Design and Art, Engineering, Education and Economics and Management) and nationally and internationally renowned professors to propose a research model based on dialogue and collaboration across disciplines.

The programme provides a space for speculative, critical and pragmatic reflection on problems, potential solutions and new conceptual perspectives inspired by design culture and artistic production. It integrates complex design, scientific and social knowledge and requires the establishment of collaborative relationships with human, non-human and more than human actors through intercultural methods, learning from others, embracing cultural relativism and experimenting with new research tools and practices.

The stages of the PhD

In the first year, in addition to acquiring knowledge of human-centred, design- and art-driven research methods, students will be involved in seminar activities to understand academic research, including ethical, gender and privacy issues, as well as bibliometric and non-bibliometric evaluation systems. An essential aspect of the training activity will be the acquisition of technical-operational skills through laboratory and field research, in a practical and hands-on learning approach, in addition to basic theoretical knowledge.

From the second year, students will spend a period abroad (minimum 3 months up to a maximum of 12 months) at another university and/or research laboratory, company, cultural institution, and will participate/co-organise transdisciplinary research workshops.

The third year is dedicated to finalising the research project, design and artistic activities, prototypes in the case of practical and technological projects, or the theoretical-critical framework in the case of more speculative projects, as well as writing the thesis and completing dissemination activities.

At the end of each year, the students must present their activities, projects and results to the Scientific Committee, which examines and evaluates the individual work, makes recommendations and approves progression to the following year.

Programme Structure

PhD candidates are required to:

Develop and implement an individual research plan over the three-year period under the supervision of a supervisor and co-supervisor.

Present the results of their research at one or more international conferences as an oral or poster presentation. These results must be published as conference proceedings, an article or an essay.

Carry out research activities abroad for at least three months.

Attend compulsory courses, seminars and/or summer/winter/spring schools and practice-based transdisciplinary workshops that broaden their knowledge and improve their skills on topics related to the doctoral thesis.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-11-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-11 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

72

Schedule TOEFL®

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Bolzano - Bozen, Italy

Disciplines

Design Visual Arts General Engineering & Technology View 7 other PhDs in Design in Italy

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

72

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants holding a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999, a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/2004, a degree of the former Italian university system, or an equivalent degree obtained abroad (university level education of at least five years);

Applicants achieving one of the above mentioned titles within the enrolment deadline. In this case applicants will be admitted conditionally to the selection procedure and they must produce the degree certificate within the enrolment’s deadline. If not, their application is considered null and void.
The prerequisites for admission to PhD programmes are related to having achieved an appropriate educational, and/or cultural background, and/or have worked in the PhD course areas of research.

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

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Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and/or in Italy, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

189 EUR / year

≈ 189 EUR / year
EU/EEA Applies to you

Applies to you

EU/EEA Nationals

189 EUR / year

≈ 189 EUR / year

Living costs

Bolzano - Bozen

Italy

750 - 1100 EUR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.