Study plan for the academic year 2022/2023


List of courses / activities for the first year

titolocrediti
Library study activities to define the status quaestionis of the research topic 15
Reconnaissance of monuments/works/texts at archives, institutions and specialised centres 15
First critical processing of collected data 12
Presentation and discussion of the research project and its follow-up in the course of the year (with writing and oral presentation) 4
Meetings of doctoral students with the tutor and lecturers of the College on specific problems and methodological issues of research 2
Lessons: Art of the Western Middle Ages and the Byzantine East 3
Lessons: Renaissance and Baroque in Italy and Europe 3
Lessons: History of Art Criticism 3
Lessons: the 19th century, the avant-garde and the contemporary 3

More information

60 CFU are envisaged for the first year of the PhD course in Art History.
42 CFU correspond to the doctoral student's research activity, which for the first year must focus mainly on the definition of the "status quaestionis" of the thesis topic as well as on the subsequent critical processing of the data collected and on direct reconnaissance of works and monuments or at archives, museums, libraries, institutions and specialised centres relating to the research topic.
18 CFU are reserved for training activities and are divided as follows:
- 12 CFU are acquired through participation in a course consisting of a series of lectures, which for the first year is characterised by a mainly methodological nature, aimed at making the new graduates reflect on the main tools of art-historical research. The lectures, which take place over the course of the entire academic year, naturally embrace all four of the Doctorate's characterising disciplinary sectors. In addition to attending each lecture, the doctoral students participate in a previous preparation on the topic, an extensive discussion with the lecturer-teacher and a subsequent critical exercise on the subject. The lectures are flanked by lectures/seminars, proposed by the PhD student on the basis of their relevance to his or her research, some visits to specific monuments and to the main temporary exhibitions, as well as participation in seminars and presentations of books related to the themes of the individual research projects.
- 6 CFU are assigned by the Collegio for the doctoral students' meetings with the tutor and lecturers and for the presentation and discussion of the research project and its verification during the year.


Method of choosing the subject of the thesis

The research topic is proposed by the doctoral candidate during the admission examination. Then, in January, the admitted doctoral student's project is officially presented to the College - by means of an oral report with the aid of a powerpoint - and discussed with the lecturers so that it can be better defined and initiated. During the first year of the course, finally, with the advice of the lecturer appointed as tutor, the thesis topic can be further focused on.

Admission to the second year

Admission to the second year requires the acquisition of 60 CFU, which will be awarded by the Board of Teachers on the basis of the quality and outcome of the work carried out by each doctoral student during the previous year. Verification takes place through: - Assessment of the results achieved by the doctoral student in relation to his/her research topic as required by the training plan for the first year. These results will be verified through the presentation of an oral and written report and the related discussion in front of the Board of teachers and the other doctoral students during the Passage of the Year, which takes place in October.
- Evaluation of participation in the conferences, courses and seminars offered by the Doctorate during the first year.
- Evaluation of the performance of related activities.



List of courses / activities for the second year

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Continuing research activities at libraries, archives and institutions 15
Continuing reconnaissance activities on the works and monuments under study 15
Critical reading and writing of acquired data 12
Presentation and discussion of the research project and its follow-up in the course of the year (with writing and oral presentation) 4
Meetings of doctoral students with the tutor and lecturers of the College on specific problems and methodological issues of research 2
Scientific organisation and presentation at the doctoral conference 'In corso d'opera' 2
Lessons: conservation and protection of works and monuments 3
Lessons: Organising International Exhibitions 2
Lessons: Managing a museum or art gallery 3
Lessons: managing archives, collections, foundations 2

More information

The acquisition of 60 cfu is envisaged for the second year of the PhD course in Art History.
42 CFU correspond to the PhD student's pursuit of research and reconnaissance activities on the subject of study and an initial reading and critical interpretation of the data acquired.
18 CFU are reserved for training activities and are divided as follows:
- 12 CFU are partly acquired through participation in a course consisting of a series of lectures given by scholars and specialists in the field, which, for the second year, will be devoted to the relationship between scientific research and the professions in the field of art history. In addition to participating in the individual lectures, the doctoral students are required to prepare themselves in advance for the topic in question, to engage in an extensive discussion with the lecturer-principal and to carry out a subsequent critical exercise on the subject. The acquisition of 2 of these cfu will pass specifically through the organisation and participation of the second-year doctoral students in the "In corso d'opera" conference, dedicated precisely to the presentation of their research with the aim of stimulating the ability to present their work and to compare it with a wider audience.
6 CFU are awarded by the College for the doctoral students' meetings with the tutor and lecturers.


Method of preparation of the thesis

On the basis of the progression of the work at the time of the transition from the first to the second year and the indications received during the discussion with the lecturers in the College, the final structure and structure of the thesis are defined. An introduction to the thesis and a first chapter organised on the basis of the specific research topic are also prepared.

Admission to the third year

Admission to the third year requires the acquisition of 60 CFU, which will be awarded by the Board of teachers on the basis of the quality and outcome of the work carried out by each doctoral student during the previous year. Credits will be awarded through the following tests:
- The passing of the Intermediate Test, which consists of the delivery to the tutor and the College, in the month of May, of a written paper relating to the introductory part and the first chapter of the thesis.
- The assessment of the progress of the work and the related discussion on the results of the research carried out at the Transition of the Year in October. This report is presented with the aid of a power-point in front of the Board of teachers and the other doctoral students.
- Participation in the activities planned for the second year (seminar meetings and conference "In progress").



List of courses / activities for the third year

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Research Completion 12
Completion of thesis 15
Finalisation of the thesis with critical apparatus 15
Presentation of the research status and conduct of the mid-term test 4
Meetings of doctoral students with the tutor and lecturers of the College on specific problems and methodological issues of research 2
Study Trips: Scientific Organisation and Participation 4
Lessons: case studies in medieval art history 2
Lessons: case studies in modern art history 2
Lessons: case studies in contemporary art history 2
Lessons: case studies in the history of criticism and museology 2

More information

For the third year of the PhD course in Art History, 60 CFU are envisaged.
42 CFU are allocated for the completion of research and, mainly, for the final drafting of the thesis by the PhD student.
18 CFU are reserved for training activities and are divided as follows:
- 8 CFU are partly acquired through participation in a course consisting of in-depth lectures, which for third-year doctoral students are held by Italian and international scholars and consist of the presentation of "case studies" that are particularly significant on a critical level.
- 4 CFU correspond to participation in a study trip, financed by the Doctorate and carried out, together with some of the members of the Collegio, in a location or area of particular historical-artistic interest; doctoral students are required to prepare scientific presentations on the monuments and works that are the subject of the visit.
- 6 CFU are assigned by the Collegio for the doctoral students' meetings with the tutor and the lecturers and for the mid-term examination, which takes place mainly in April-May and consists of the drafting of a written text relating to several aspects of their research to be handed in to the tutor and the Collegio dei Docenti.


Method of admission to the final examination

Admission requires the acquisition of 60 CFU, which will be awarded by the Board of teachers on the basis of the performance of the activities indicated above (thesis writing, participation in conferences and the study trip, meetings with teachers). By 31 October, the candidate's thesis, previously assessed by the Board of teachers, is submitted to at least two external referees, chosen by the Board of teachers as experts in the research topic, to whom the three-year report on the doctoral student's activities is also sent. On the basis of these elements, the external referees, by filling in a form prepared by the College, propose admission to the final examination or postponement of the discussion for up to a maximum of six months, at the same time indicating any changes or corrections to the paper.

Final examination

By the month of January, candidates admitted to the final examination must discuss their theses before an external national panel of judges, appointed by the Rector, on the basis of the proposal put forward by the College and after approval by the Departmental Council. The commissioners receive the documentation (copy of the thesis, report of the doctoral student's three-year activity, opinion of the College and referees) approximately two months before the discussion. The final examination will take the form of a presentation, with the aid of a power-point, and public discussion of the thesis before the national commission, which will be able to ascertain the candidate's suitability.

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