Objectives and Career Opportunities

Course Objectives

The doctoral programme pursues three interconnected primary objectives:

1. To cultivate individuals with a high-level preparation in the specific fields of study of the doctorate. The foremost aim of the programme is to equip doctoral candidates with the tools and skills necessary to conduct research that is both original and robust from theoretical and methodological standpoints. Particular emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary analysis, non-Eurocentric perspectives, and critical reflection on the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences.
2. To emphasise the development of research design capabilities for participation in competitive national and international funding opportunities. The goal is to train individuals who are proficient in the mechanisms of international research funding and who have simultaneously developed solid project management skills.
3. To provide doctoral candidates with essential skills in research communication and dissemination, which can be applied in their post-doctoral development in the following areas: a) academic writing and positioning their scientific output in prestigious editorial venues; b) integration into scientific and professional networks.

Career and Professional Opportunities

The research and training are organised to train people with solid thematic and/or area-based skills in the fields of study and according to the approaches that characterise the PhD course. At the same time, the course provides transversal skills and competences that can be spent in a variety of work contexts and facilitate the assumption of apical, coordinating, and managerial roles. Professional and occupational outlets may vary depending on each doctoral student's field of study. Overall, they include:

• Researcher in public or private institutions
• Lecturer in various levels of education
• Policy Analyst in public or private institutions
• Expert in the field of publishing, museums and heritage
• Expert in the field of development cooperation
• Expert in the field of migration and related policies and services
• Expert in the field of gender policies
• Expert in the field of sustainability and territorial policies
• Expert in the field of health and social services
• Research manager

According to the monitoring of the employment and professional outlets of PhD graduates who completed cycles 33, 34 and 35, 94 % of PhD graduates found employment within six months after graduating, mainly through research grants or scholarships in the thematic areas of the PhD course. On average, the PhD graduates rated the usefulness of their doctoral program positively in terms of the employment opportunities they achieved and the level of internationalisation of their careers.