Study plan for the academic year 2022/2023


List of courses / activities for the first year

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Methodologies of literary research 7
Methodologies of philological research 7
Methodologies of linguistic research 7
Interdisciplinary workshop 7
Independently chosen activities 7
Activities aimed at defining the thesis' subject 5
Slavic or Germanic language courses 7
Bibliographical search and computer skills 7
Introduction to academic writing and scientific projects' writing 4
Update meetings 2

More information

Lectures and workshops, for 40-50 hours of face-to-face teaching, are common to the two curricula; however, if the Board deems it necessary, in-depth classes devoted to either curriculum separately may be introduced. Lectures are given by members of the Board; by professors from Sapienza outside the Board; by professors belonging to foreign institutions, within the framework of the agreement with Charles University in Prague or exchange programs (e.g. Erasmus) or other agreements and funded research projects. Before or during lectures and seminars, PhD students are provided with an annotated bibliography. The assessment of acquired skills is carried out by the Board members who teach lectures and seminars.
The interdisciplinary workshop focuses on research topics shared within the framework of the Board. PhD students actively participate in the workshop, delving independently into individual aspects of the proposed topics.
PhD students enrolled in the second year, in particular, present research activities related to the preparation of their theses.
On an approximately monthly basis, update and assessment meetings are scheduled by the coordinators of the partner universities.
The preparatory activities and research aimed at the definition of the thesis are proposed within the curriculum and are intended to deepen specific topics of the disciplinary field (Germanic studies or Slavic studies). They are guided by supervisors, as a rule members of the Board or, in specific cases, external consultants, preferably belonging to universities that have scientific and teaching relations with Sapienza. The educational and research activities independently chosen by the PhD student (e.g., attendance of courses, conferences and seminars in Italy and abroad, scientific collaborations) and approved by the supervisors, are assessed by the Board.
Each PhD student must study a foreign language chosen from those in the curriculum to which he or she does not belong, with the minimum objective of comprehension of the written text; learn computer skills necessary for research in the field of the humanities. An introductory seminar on academic writing and scientific projects writing completes the first-year training.


Method of choosing the subject of the thesis

Each PhD student is assigned a supervisor and a co-supervisor with specific expertise related to the chosen research subject. The topic of the thesis, which must be defined within the first year of course, will in the first instance be consulted with the supervisors, then submitted for approval by the Board.

Admission to the second year

A report by the PhD student on the work done (both with regard to the in-depth studies necessary for the choice of the thesis and for the other planned activities) must first be approved by the supervisors, constantly monitoring the activity carried out by the PhD student and quantifying in educational credits the achieved results; then, after an interview with the PhD student, assessed by the Board (by October 31).


List of courses / activities for the second year

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Stylistic/Linguistic analysis 6
Interdisciplinary workshop 6
Literary Criticism/Linguistics/Intercultural Studies 6
Courses and seminar at Charles University 18
Research aimed to the thesis writing 20
Independently chosen activities 4

More information

Lectures and seminars, totaling 40-45 hours of face-to-face teaching, are partly common to both curricula, partly independent with regard to teaching delivered at Sapienza in the first semester; they are articulated by curriculum with regard to teaching delivered in the Summer semester at the partner university.
Lectures on stylistic analysis or linguistics are mainly devoted to the literatures and languages in which PhD students have chosen to specialize. Lectures on the history of literary criticism, the history of linguistics and intercultural studies represent in-depth studies from which those most appropriate to the profile of the research faced by PhD students are selected by supervisors. Lectures are given by members of the Board; by professors from Sapienza outside the Board; by professors belonging to foreign institutions, within the framework of the agreement with Charles University or exchange programs (e.g., Erasmus) or other agreements and funded research projects.
Second-year PhD students actively participate in the interdisciplinary workshop, which is held in the first semester, presenting to their colleagues an aspect of the research work aimed at the preparation of the dissertation; a discussant from outside the Board, an expert in the subject, also participates in these workshops, which are also attended by supervisors.
Before or during lessons and seminars, PhD students are provided with an annotated bibliography.
Assessment of the skills acquired, which is necessary for the awarding of educational credits, is carried out by the Board members who teach courses and seminars.
In the Summer semester, institutional courses and seminars must be attended at Charles University; at the end of the semester, each PhD student takes a State examination of methodological and theoretical content at Charles University, preparatory to admission to the final exam.
Other mobility, aimed at perfecting the student's individual research and overall preparation, will be taken advantage of at universities or other foreign research institutions, within the framework of other mobility agreements (e.g. Erasmus+).
The educational and research activities independently chosen by the doctoral student (e.g. attendance of conferences and seminars in Italy and abroad, scientific collaborations), are approved by the supervisors and the Board.


Method of preparation of the thesis

During the second year, the PhD student conducts research aimed at writing the thesis. Supervisors check its congruence and effectiveness.

Admission to the third year

Each PhD student presents a report on the work he or she has done (both with regard to the in-depth studies necessary for the thesis and for the other planned activities, including the semester spent abroad), submitting it to the supervisors for evaluation; then, after an interview, for approval by the Board before October 31.


List of courses / activities for the third year

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Lectures and workshops 4
PhD Conference 10
Independently chosen activities 10
Writing of the thesis 36

More information

Conferences and seminars on ongoing research are proposed by the members of the Board with the purpose of deepening specific topics of Germanic or Slavic Studies. They are preferably held by external professors, to present to the PhD students themes and research perspectives different from those practiced within the Board.
At the end of the Summer semester of the third year of course, PhD students organize a conference open to the academic community during which they present the results of their research.
More than 50% of the total activity of the third year of the course is devoted to research: writing of the thesis and other research activities, such as participation in conferences, preparation of reports and scientific articles.
In addition to the compulsory semester spent at the partner institution during the second year of the course, in the third year PhD students complete their training at a foreign university or research institution, in order to perfect the documentation of their research and to acquire or consolidate useful relationships for further research activity.
The educational and research activities chosen autonomously by the PhD student (e.g. attendance of conferences and seminars in Italy and abroad, scientific collaborations) and submitted to the evaluation of supervisors, are assessed by the Board.
Subject to the approval of the Board and the supervisors, PhD students can carry out teaching activities (exercises, seminars and tutoring) within a maximum of 40 hours, according to Article 16, paragraph 5 of the current Regulations. This activity, guided by the supervisor, is aimed at forming the teaching skills of PhD students and conceived as a training internship.

Academic year 2021-2022 - see Delivered Studi Plan


Method of admission to the final examination

A report by the PhD student on the work carried out, already submitted to the evaluation of supervisors (who quantify in credits the achieved results), must be submitted to the Board for assessment. The Board compiles a presentation of the thesis which, together with a report by the PhD student on the activities carried out during the three years, is sent to review by two external referees, appointed by the Board. Once this procedure is completed, and the formalities provided for in the agreement establishing the joint PhD program with Charles University have been fulfilled, the PhD student will be admitted to the final examination.



Final examination

The public discussion of the thesis will take place in front of a commission composed of or seven members chosen from professors and researchers belonging to the SSDs present in the PhD program, according to Sapienza’s Regulations on PhD programs and the rules contained in the agreement establishing the joint PhD program with Charles University.


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