Theoretical Particle Physics PhD Program
The International School for Advanced Studies is one of the leading scientific institutions in Italy for postgraduate training and high-level research.
Theoretical Particle Physics is traditionally one of the principal teaching and research field at SISSA. Since its birth, a PhD Program is entirely dedicated to the training on this field.
Students are selected yearly by means of an entrance examination held in Trieste; non-EU students can also be admitted through a preselection based on academic qualifications only (see for further details the section Admission).
During the first year students are offered a number of courses covering a wide spectrum of topics (see section Basic Courses). Each student has to select a subset of them and pass the relevant exams within the first year. By the beginning of the second year he/she has to undertake a research program under the supervision of one or more docents (see section Training). The main research lines are: Physics at the LHC, Physics Beyond the Standard Model, Neutrino Physics, String Theory, the AdS/CFT correspondence and alternative Quantum Theories of Gravity. Students benefit from the rich environment of scientific institutions of the Trieste area, such as the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the Physics Department of the University of Trieste and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN).
At the end of the course of study and research, students are admitted to the final examination to obtain the Ph.D. degree, equivalent to the Italian "Dottore di ricerca". During the course of these studies, students are also encouraged to participate to international schools and workshops, and to visit research institutions abroad, so that they can benefit from contacts with scientists from all over the world.
A salary is granted to all the students enrolled in the Ph.D. program. Moreover, a contribution towards living expenses is awarded to those who will submit a regular rental contract.
More information about admission can be found here: