Faculty of Education
PhD programme in GENERAL PEDAGOGY, SOCIAL PEDAGOGY AND GENERAL EDUCATION
Website: http://www.unibz.it/it/education/progs/phd/default.html
Duration: 3 years
Academic year: 2015/2016
Start date: 01.11.2015
Official programme languages: Italian, German, English
Programme contents:
Over the three years, PhD students will actively attend the teaching and scientific activities. PhD
students will also complete a piece of original research, supervised by two supervisors and by the
PhD Course Committee. Apart from the main supervisor, every student will be assigned two more
supervisors (Thesis committee), one of whom may belong to a European academic institution.
Each students will have to dedicate themselves full time to the programme, which aims to develop
the scientific subjects and the main research areas of the programme.
In particular, each student is required to devote his/her time to his/her own specific research topic,
which is formulated and agreed with supervisors on the basis of a Research and Study Plan, which
defines the objectives of the research and the process involved in achieving them.
The Research and Study Plan is planned individually by the student together with the supervisors
and the Coordinator. The Research and Study Plan documents in detail the training provided for
each student, showing clearly in qualitative / quantitative terms the type and the outcome of any
intermediary assessment. Periodically, the student, along with his/her supervisor updates his/her
Research and Study Plan, considering the progress made and developments in the research area.
The Research and Study Plan contains a description of the work undertaken by the PhD student,
presents the study plan that describes how the necessary expertise will be acquired and also does
the following:
- describes the research field of the student and the relevance of the chosen topic within the
PhD research areas;
- determines and gives reasons of the research procedures;
- defines the group of supervisors (first supervisor up to a maximum of 2 other supervisors);
- includes a literature review of the scientific work related to the research area and
where current research has arrived (contents should reflect the positions of the scientific
community and updated references);
- defines the research findings and their relevance for the scientific community and for the
territory;
- justifies the choice of research methodology, the originality of the research design and the
critical analysis carried out;
- highlights the extent to which the expected results will be innovative and / or improved with
respect to the literature;
- describes the student’s objectives for his/her scientific development;
- indicates a plan for publications, presentations, papers, participation in conferences and
stays abroad.
There is a wide range of training options; some require compulsory attendance while others are
optional.
The teaching includes a cycle of introductory lectures, practical sessions and seminars that aim to
develop and illustrate the programme’s subjects and research areas and to focus on the most recent
findings in the education and social work sector.
The cycles of compulsory and optional classes, workshops and seminars are decided by the PhD
Course Committee at the beginning of the cycle.
Other activities that require compulsory attendance, apart from those listed in the study programme,
are optional internships done in research groups at other universities and/or public or private
Research Centres (which have the pre-requisites of having a high cultural, scientific and personnel
standing as well as acceptable facilities). Also optional participation at conferences and research at
libraries and archives require compulsory attendance. PhD students can attend lectures, practical
sessions, seminars and internships at other universities and universities with which the PhD
programme has established an agreement.
PhD students must also participate in educational and/or information events in Italy and abroad.
Over the three years, students are required to spend a period abroad that should be no less than 3
months. This period can be divided into three stays (minimum three consecutive weeks in length).
The supervision of the research project, the main focus of the PhD, is organised through monthly
meetings with the main supervisor. In these meetings the student is required to submit a paper on
the work undertaken. The meetings with the second supervisor should be held at least twice a year.
Seminars will also be bi-monthly to monitor and develop the skills of the students (Coaching).
Students will illustrate and discuss publicly the progress on their research. This practice represents
an opportunity to make presentations at meetings and conferences.
Research areas
The PhD programme is divided into three distinct programmes: General Pedagogy, General
Education, and Social Pedagogy and Social Work.
The three programmes share core training on the epistemology of research and on qualitative and
quantitative research methodologies.
The main research areas of the General Pedagogy programme are:
 Educational policies and school organization
 Lifelong, lifewide, lifedeep learning: training processes and trajectories and the development
of individuals and groups
 Integrated training system: analysis, models and methods
 Group theories and methodologies and collaborative approaches
 Environments and contexts of communication and training
The main research areas of the General Education programme are:
 Design, methods and evaluation of educational practices and education systems, including
technologies for teaching
 Cooperative learning methodologies
 Research and practices of the teaching profession
 Technologies for education: advanced research and teaching practices
 Education and special needs: the state of the art and advanced research
 Subject teaching
The main research areas of the Social Pedagogy and Social Work programme are:
 Social policies and professional practices
 Intervention methodologies in the educational and social filed – action research
 Evidence-oriented practice
 Social research and social change
 Innovation, evaluation and quality assurance in the social services
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Social inequalities, social policy and social services
Community development, solidarity economy and community education
Well-being regimes: international comparison
Innovative concepts for independent living for elderly people
Intercultural coexistence and social services
Research questions and research methodologies will be agreed with the tutors and in
cooperation with the coordination of the programme and the teaching board within the first half year
of the study programme.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Requirements: degrees that are recognised for admission to the PhD programme with final
mark/grade of minimum 103/110:
LM-1 Antropologia culturale ed etnologia
LM-19 Informazione e sistemi editoriali
LM-43 Metodologie informatiche per le discipline umanistiche
LM-45 Musicologia e beni musicali
LM-48 Pianificazione territoriale urbanistica e ambientale
LM-50 Programmazione e gestione dei servizi educativi
LM-51 Psicologia
LM-52 Relazioni internazionali
LM-55 Scienze cognitive
LM-57 Scienze dell'educazione degli adulti e della formazione continua
LM-59 Scienze della comunicazione pubblica, d'impresa e pubblicità
LM-64 Scienze delle religioni
LM-65 Scienze dello spettacolo e produzione multimediale
LM-78 Scienze filosofiche
LM-81 Scienze per la cooperazione allo sviluppo
LM-82 Scienze statistiche
LM-85 Scienze pedagogiche
LM-87 Servizio sociale e politiche sociali
LM-88 Sociologia e ricerca sociale
LM-90 Studi europei
LM-92 Teorie della comunicazione
LM-93 Teorie e metodologie dell'e-learning e della media education
LM/SNT4 Scienze delle professioni sanitarie della prevenzione
1/S (specialistiche in antropologia culturale ed etnologia)
13/S (specialistiche in editoria, comunicazione multimediale e giornalismo)
17/S (specialistiche in filosofia e storia della scienza)
18/S (specialistiche in filosofia teoretica, morale, politica ed estetica)
24/S (specialistiche in informatica per le discipline umanistiche)
48/S (specialistiche in metodi per l'analisi valutativa dei sistemi complessi)
49/S (specialistiche in metodi per la ricerca empirica nelle scienze sociali)
51/S (specialistiche in musicologia e beni musicali)
54/S (specialistiche in pianificazione territoriale urbanistica e ambientale)
56/S (specialistiche in programmazione e gestione dei servizi educativi e formativi)
57/S (specialistiche in programmazione e gestione delle politiche e dei servizi sociali)
58/S (specialistiche in psicologia)
59/S (specialistiche in pubblicità e comunicazione d'impresa)
60/S (specialistiche in relazioni internazionali)
63/S (specialistiche in scienze cognitive)
65/S (specialistiche in scienze dell'educazione degli adulti e della formazione continua)
67/S (specialistiche in scienze della comunicazione sociale e istituzionale)
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72/S (specialistiche in scienze delle religioni)
73/S (specialistiche in scienze dello spettacolo e della produzione multimediale)
87/S (specialistiche in scienze pedagogiche)
88/S (specialistiche in scienze per la cooperazione allo sviluppo)
89/S (specialistiche in sociologia)
90/S (specialistiche in statistica demografica e sociale)
96/S (specialistiche in storia della filosofia)
99/S (specialistiche in studi europei)
101/S (specialistiche in teoria della comunicazione)
SNT_SPEC/4 (specialistiche nelle scienze delle professioni sanitarie della prevenzione)
Foreign degrees: Applicants must be able to demonstrate they have obtained 300 CP (master 120 CP)
Language requirements: Italian, German, English
- first foreign language: good knowledge, language certificates level B2 of the first foreign
language
- second foreign language: basic knowledge
Within the second study year is required the certificate level B2 for the second foreign language.
In reasonable exceptional cases the certificate of the first foreign language can be submitted within
the first study year.
Admission and evaluation criteria for examinations/qualifications
The selection process evaluates the qualifications, any language certificates and language
proficiency. It consists of a written examination and an interview, based on specific knowledge, and
a language assessment.
Admission is based on a comparative assessment by examination, consisting of a written exam on
the PhD research topics so as to ascertain the applicant’s knowledge, his/her research approach and
experience and his/her language knowledge. In the interview there will be a discussion of the written
examination.
Applicants are invited to the interview if they successfully pass the written exam with a mark of not
less than 40/60. The written exam can be completed in Italian, German or English, as the applicant
chooses. The interview is deemed successful if the applicant receives a mark of at least 40/60 and
will be conducted in the three languages of the programme.
When the entrance examinations are over, the Evaluation Committee will draw up a rank list.
In case of tie in the ranking the decision is taken by drawing.
The Evaluation Committee will select applicants until all available places have been filled. If a
successful applicant withdraws, the next applicant on the rank list will be offered the place.
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Examination dates:
all candidates will have to personally attend the admission procedure
(written and oral examination) in Brixen Bressanone-Italy
Description:
Date and time:
Place:
written exam
7 September 2015, 08.30
Faculty of Education
Viale Ratisbona 16, 39042 Bressanone
Room 2.24
interview
8 September 2015, 08.30
Faculty of Education
Viale Ratisbona 16, 39042 Bressanone
Room 2.24
Following steps are required for admission:
1)
Registration in the enrolment portal on https://aws.unibz.it/exup/en
2)
Online pre-enrolment through this portal, loading a valid ID (passport or identity card) and the
following documentation in digital format:
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Colour photo (passport size, 5:4, min. 290x230, max. 100 KB, jpg recommended)
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Personal statement letter (as a PDF file, no longer than one side of typed A4)
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Degree certificate/exam transcript (in case of Italian university titles the certification
MUST be substituted by a self-declaration or by the Diploma Supplement) with final
mark/grade obtained
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Curriculum vitae containing:
a) research experience (list)
b) list of publications with the respective links if available
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Language certificates (in case of Italian public institutions, the certificates MUST be
replaced by a self-declaration) attesting proficiency in the three official languages of the
programme (Italian, German, English);
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Reference letters if available up to a maximum of 3 references provided by the
applicant’s work or research supervisors, which describe the type and quality of work
undertaken.
INTAKE AND GRANTS:
Total intake:
8 places
Intake with grants from the University:
6 places
Intake with no grant:
2 places
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