PhD Candidates’ Duties and Activities

PhD Programme in Legal Sciences

Teaching Activities

According to the resolution of the Board of Professors on 14 November 2019, each PhD candidate is required to complete annually:

  • at least 32 hours of common teaching activities, within a total offer of no less than 40 hours;
  • at least 20 hours of specialized (field-specific) teaching activities.

Courses identified as mandatory by the Board of Professors are not included in the calculation of common teaching hours.

PhD candidates who are engaged in documented employment are required to attend 16 hours of common teaching activities. In this case, they must also submit a four-monthly report on their research activity according to the following deadlines:

  • 28 February
  • 30 June
  • 31 October

The February and June reports must be accompanied by a brief presentation prepared by the supervisor; the October report is subject to an oral presentation.

In the case of a study and research period abroad lasting at least three months at a partner university, the requirements relating to common teaching activities are considered fulfilled, subject to the submission of appropriate certification.

Certification of Teaching Activities

Participation in both common and specialized teaching activities must be certified by the supervisor when the annual report is submitted.

Annual Report

At the end of each academic year, the PhD candidate must submit to the Programme Office (dottorato.giurisprudenza@unimore.it) a written report on their research activity and other academic activities carried out.

The report will subsequently be presented orally to the Board of Professors, in the presence of the supervisor, on a date set annually.

Study Period Abroad

The Programme promotes and encourages periods of study and research abroad as a qualifying element of the PhD training path.

A stay abroad of at least three months allows the fulfilment of the common teaching requirements for the relevant academic year.

Requirements for Third-Year PhD Candidates

At the end of the third year, PhD candidates are required to present to the Board of Professors a summary of the content of their doctoral thesis.

On that occasion, the Board decides on admission to the final examination and appoints two evaluators for each PhD candidate. Within the established deadlines, the evaluators express an assessment which may:

  • be positive, with admission to the first session of the final examination;
  • require revisions or additions, resulting in postponement to the second session.

Failure to Fulfil Common Teaching Requirements

If the minimum annual requirement of 32 hours of common teaching is not met, the PhD candidate is admitted to the following year with reservations and must make up for the missing hours.

A study period abroad of at least three months exempts the candidate from teaching obligations for the current year, but does not exempt them from making up for any missing hours from previous years.

Expense Limits for Mission Reimbursements

The Board of Professors, in its meeting of 26 March 2026, established a maximum total limit of €1,600.00 per PhD candidate for the reimbursement of mission expenses, referring to the entire PhD cycle (three years).

Any requests for exceptions or adjustments may be submitted to the Board for evaluation, subject to adequate justification and in compliance with available financial resources.