3 Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano since 1863 – A world class university for Architecture, Design and Engineering

The Politecnico di Milano is one of the most outstanding technical Universities in Europe. Founded in 1863, in many disciplines, it is regarded as a leading research institution worldwide.
Nowadays, it covers the 17th position in the QS ranking for Engineering and Technical universities worldwide (6th in Europe). Politecnico di Milano has three main campuses located in Milan (Milano Leonardo and Milano Bovisa), economic capital of Italy, the heart of fashion and design industries, and five more premises around the Lombardy region. Many important scientists and architects studied and taught here, among them Achille Castiglioni, Gió Ponti, Renzo Piano and Aldo Rossi, both Pritzker Prize in 1990 and 1998 respectively, and Giulio Natta, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963.
Teaching is increasingly related to research, a key commitment that enables to achieve results of high international standards, while creating connections with the business world. Strategic research is carried out mainly in the fields of energy, transport, planning, management, design, mathematics and natural and applied sciences, ICT, built environment, cultural heritage, with more than 130 laboratories, among which a Wind Tunnel, a Crash Test center, PoliFAB (the University’s infrastructure for micro and nano production) and PoliFactory, a laboratory where new design processes are developed.
The PhD Programmes at Politecnico di Milano aim at training professionals with high research skills, capable of designing products and managing processes with high technological and innovative content in various industrial sectors. This general objective involves the development of the typical mentality of the experimental scientist through the extensive use and deep knowledge of experimental methods, and with the achievement of a high degree of qualification in specific methodologies.
Part of the basic research training aims to complete the candidates’ preparation, also considering their previous studies. Courses are also envisaged to familiarize the student with various experimental and theoretical methods of general use in the research activity.
The PhD School of Politecnico di Milano completes the offer by organizing a set of courses aiming to train the PhD candidates in soft and transferable skills. The skills and abilities provided by these courses are expected to help candidates across different areas of their careers in order to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of the global economy and society at large.

PhD School Key facts & figures:

• 3 years of duration
• 19 Doctoral Programmes
• all Doctoral Programmes have at least one English track
• approximately 1,200 PhD candidates (a.y.2018/2019)
• about 30% international students (a.y.2018/2019), candidates from 60+ countries