Applications are now being accepted for the 2017/18 PhD program at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca (www.imtlucca.it), one of the six Schools of Excellence in Italy and one of the highest rated graduate schools in Europe according to the most recent E-Multirank survey. Highly motivated candidates from all disciplines are invited to apply for one of the 36 fully-funded scholarships within a doctoral program that integrates scientific competences of economics, engineering, computer science, neuroscience and behavioral psychology, physics, applied mathematics, statistics, history and sciences of cultural heritage.

One of the four field-specific curricula is the Analysis and Management of Cultural Heritage curriculum. The curriculum proposes courses in Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Institutions, European and International Legislation on Cultural Heritage and Landscape, Art History, Museology, Technologies applied to the valorization of Cultural Heritage. Both research oriented and practice oriented courses constitute the program, which aims at educating qualified professionals operating in the concrete field of cultural management and academics. It promotes research offering the students a lively contact with different research approaches and methodologies, through case studies belonging to research fields such as Art History, Classical Archaeology and Museology. During their doctoral studies, students are encouraged to carry out their research with the School’s Research Units.

Courses are led by world-renowned researchers and provide students with all the theoretical skills and advanced tools required for rigorously tackling a multitude of analysis, design and management problems within the broad framework of systems analysis in economic, social, scientific, technological and cultural domains. Specialized faculty and staff create a network that provides key guidance and support throughout the PhD Program. Working closely with faculty, both in the classroom and in the development of research, students reach the highest levels of scholarly achievement. IMT School PhD graduates will be able to use the skills they acquired during their studies to recognize and resolve complex problems, to choose the most appropriate method or instrument to utilize when approaching these problems, even in disciplines outside of their primary field of research.  

The PhD program at the IMT School attracts students from around the world, providing a truly international environment. English is the official language of the School. Moreover, all students will have the opportunity to spend periods abroad at research institutes, laboratories or universities, both within the Erasmus+ framework and through ad hoc mobility agreements. 

Most IMT School PhD Graduates have reached prominent roles in academics, governmental institutions, public and private companies or professions across the globe.

All students are based in the recently restored San Francesco complex, a fully integrated Campus in the historical center of the beautiful Tuscan city of Lucca. The Campus includes renewed residential facilities, an on-site canteen, study and living rooms, a state-of-the-art library and outdoor recreational spaces, which foster a unique cultural, professional and social environment for our doctoral program. Eligible students, in addition to free room and board, will also receive a research scholarship which amounts to approximately €13,630/year. Additional funding for further research stages, including scholarships to cover an eventual forth year to complete the PhD thesis, can be assigned on a competitive basis.