The educational path consists of a common course-based programme, plus research-oriented training activities.
Courses are evaluated in terms of doctoral credits and divided into three categories:
- Preparatory courses. Offered mainly in the first year of the doctoral programme, they are aimed at providing some fundamental research enablers to every student, such as academic writing, use of databases of scientific literature, knowledge transfer and intellectual property. They are typically short-courses, granting 1 or 2 credits each.
- Specific courses pertaining to the PhD student's academic discipline. Depending on the specific needs of their research groups, students will attend seminars, courses from post-graduate degree programmes, workshops, summer schools, etc. Doctoral credits for such activities will be granted by the PhD board on a case-by-case basis. In case of activities granting ECTS from the providing institution, the doctoral credits will be assumed to be the same than ECTS.
- Specific courses for the DAST Doctorate. They are aimed at all students of the Doctorate, inherently interdisciplinary, but of predominantly aerospace interest. These courses typically amount to 3 doctoral credits each.
The updated list of courses will be found on the website agenda.
The research-oriented training activities include:
- Development of a research project within the selected topic.
- Capacity building of an independent attitude for scientific investigation, by carrying out theoretical and experimental activities under the guidance of researchers with proven experience in the field.
- Preparation and publication of technical and scientific papers of international relevance.
- Presentation of research results at international meetings.
- Training period of at least 3 months in an institution different from University of Bologna, preferably abroad, consistent with the selected research topic.
As a minimum goal for their learning programme, DAST students are requested to obtain at least:
- 18 doctoral credits within the end of the third year.
- Publication of 2 significant articles, preferably in international journals and/or conference proceedings.
- Presentation at 1 conference (excluding those of point b).
DAST doctoral students will produce a thesis in English as the final outcome of their PhD course, demonstrating the innovative results achieved during their doctoral studies. The thesis must be defedended in front of a committee during a public exam session.