The ''dottorato di ricerca'' (research doctorate) is the highest

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

academic degree, the equivalent of a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

The term ''dottore'' is frequently used in Italy to refer to any person with a university ''

Laurea In Italy, the ''laurea'' is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremony ...

'': thus, a person with a ''Laurea Magistrale'' uses the title "dottore magistrale" and a person with a ''Laurea'' uses the title of "dottore". Those unfamiliar with the Italian university system or the Italian use of titles should note that a "''dottore''" or "''dottoressa''" in an Italian context does not necessarily hold a Ph.D. Holders of the ''dottorato'' acquire the title of ''dottore di ricerca'' ("doctor of research"), also abbreviated to "Dott. Ric." or "Ph.D."

History and admission

The ''dottorato'' is a relatively recent addition to the Italian academic landscape, having been instituted in 1980. According to the Bologna Process,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

fits the framework since the adoption, in 1999, of the so-called ''3+2 system''. The first degree is the ''

'' that can be achieved after three years of studies. Selected students can then complete their studies in the following step: two additional years of ''specialization'' which leads to the ''Laurea Magistrale''. After 1999, the ''Laurea'' corresponds to a Bachelor's Degree while the "Laurea Magistrale" corresponds to a

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

. Only the ''Laurea Magistrale'' grants access to third cycle programmes (Post-MA degrees, Doctorates or Specializing schools), that last 2 to 5 years (usually completing a PhD takes 3 years). However, it is now established that there is just a unique five-year degree ''Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico'' (''Single cycle master's degree'') for programmes such as Law (Facoltà di Giurisprudenza), Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti), Music (Conservatorio di Musica) and a few others, and six-years degree for Medicine and Surgery (Medicina e Chirurgia) and Dentistry (Odontoiatria e Protesi Dentaria). The title for MA/MSc/MFA/MD/MJur/MEd graduate students is ''dottore'' (abbreviation in ''dott.''/''dott.ssa'' or ''dr.'', meaning

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

). This title is not to be confused with the PhD and Post-MA graduates, whose title is ''Dottore di Ricerca'' (''Research Doctor'' or ''Philosophy Doctor''). The Italian Master's Degree should not be confused with Italian "Masters" that are one-year specialistic courses which guarantee a more practical education but do not give access to further levels of studies (they can be considered similar to

Postgraduate diploma A postgraduate diploma (PgD, PgDip, PGDip, PG Dip., PGD, Dipl. PG, PDE) is a postgraduate qualification awarded after a university degree, which supplements the original degree and awards them with a graduate diploma. Countries that award pos ...

s).

Superior Graduate Schools in Italy

The first institution in

to create a doctoral program ( PhD) was

Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa The Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa (commonly known in Italy as "la Normale") is a public university in Pisa and Florence, Tuscany, Italy, currently attended by about 600 undergraduate and postgraduate (PhD) students. It was founded in 1810 w ...

in 1927 under the historic name ''"Diploma di Perfezionamento"''.STATUTO DELLA SCUOLA NORMALE SUPERIORE DI PISA (legge 18 giugno 1986, n. 308)
Further, the

research Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

doctorates A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

or PhD (

: ''Dottorato di ricerca'') in

were introduced with law and

Presidential Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

in 1980
Law of February 21, 1980, No. 28
and the

br>No. 382 of 11 July 1980
, referring to the reform of academic teaching, training and experimentation in organisation and teaching methods. Hence, the

Superior Graduate Schools in Italy A Superior Graduate School (Italian: ''Scuola Superiore Universitaria'') is a completely independent institution from a legal point of view, which offers advanced training and research through university-type courses or is dedicated to teaching at ...

( Grandes écoles)Ricerca Italiana - Scuole di Eccellenza
/ref> (

: ''Scuola Superiore Universitaria''),"Italy's big six form network for elite" in Times Higher Education (THE) by Paul Bompard, 18 February 2000
/ref> also called ''Schools of Excellence'' (

: ''Scuole di Eccellenza'') such as

and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies still keep their reputed historical ''"Diploma di Perfezionamento"'' PhD title by

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

and MIURbr>Decree
The

or ''Scuola superiore universitaria'' have “Diplomi di Perfezionamento “, which are equivalent to “Dottorati di Ricerca” (PhD).:http://www.istruzione.it/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/8efd760c-b779-4716-9566-2338ddff59e1/07_allegato_4_equipollenze_perfezionamenti_e_dottorati.pdf * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa - Legge n. 308/1986 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento “SANT’ANNA”, Pisa - Legge N. 41/1987 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Alta Scuola Europea di Scienze Religiose Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII, Bologna -D.M. Murst 19.10.1999 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Scuola Internazionale di Alti Studi della Cultura Fondazione collegio s. Carlo, Modena - D.M. Murst 4.5.1998 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Societa’ Internazionale per lo studio del Medioevo Latino, Fondazione Ezio Franceschini, Firenze - D.M. 3.4.2001 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento, Firenze - D.M. 9.10.2001 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA). Trieste - D.M. Murst 24.2.1993 * Diploma di Doctor Philosophiae (PhD):

European University Institute The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute and an independent body of the European Union with juridical personality, established by the member states to contribu ...

(Istituto Universitario Europeo), Fiesole/Firenze - Legge N. 352/1986 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Istituto di scienze farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano - D.M. MIUR 11.11.2008 * Dottorato in Studi Storici: Università degli Studi S. Marino - D.M. Murst 11.6.1990 and scambio Note 16.7.1999 in vigore dal 28.11.2000 * Dottorato in Ingegneria Gestionale: Università degli Studi S. Marino - D.M. Murst 11.6.1990 and scambio Note 16.7.1999 in vigore dal 28.11.2000 * Diplomi di Perfezionamento: Fondazione Internazionale per gli studi superiori di Architettura, Scuola Superiore Europea di Architettura Urbana - Napoli - D.M. MIUR 14 Luglio 2006

References

{{reflist

External links

Application procedure for recognizing international PhD as italian Dottorato di Ricerca

Associazione dottorandi e dottori di ricerca italiani

Ministero dell'università e della ricerca

List of PhD Webpages of main italian Universities from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca
Education in Italy Ricerca it:Dottorato di ricerca