87 Fully Funded PhD Scholarships at the University of Tuscia, Italy (2026-2027)

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The University of Tuscia (Università degli Studi della Tuscia – Unitus), in Italy, has opened applications for 87 PhD scholarships for the academic year 2026/2027. Open to candidates of any nationality and without age restrictions, this competition spans nine PhD programs across a broad range of research disciplines.

Successful applicants will receive a monthly doctoral stipend, a dedicated research budget, and a scholarship supplement for authorized research or training periods spent abroad.

The application deadline is August 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (CEST). This article covers the available programs, eligibility requirements, funding details, required documents, and how to apply for a PhD scholarship at the University of Tuscia in Italy.

About the University of Tuscia (Unitus)

The University of Tuscia (Università degli Studi della Tuscia – Unitus) is a public Italian university founded in 1979, with its main campus in Viterbo, in the Lazio region, approximately 80 km north of Rome.

Available PhD Programs

The nine doctoral programs open for recruitment in the 42nd cycle at Unitus are listed below. Each program has a dedicated information sheet specifying the number of available positions, funding arrangements, and selection criteria:

• Legal systems, rights protection and European integration
• Welfare, diversity and gender studies
• Economics, management and quantitative methods
• Engineering for energy and environment
• Ecology and sustainable management of environmental resources
• Science, technology and biotechnology for sustainability
• Plant and animal sciences
• History and cultural heritage
• Society in change: policies, rights and security

PhD programs at Unitus run for three years. The call includes both funded positions (with scholarship) and unfunded positions, depending on the program and research project. Some places may also benefit from funding tied to specific research projects or external partner institutions.

Eligible Countries

The competition is open to all applicants, with no restrictions on nationality or country of residence. African, North African, Middle Eastern, and international candidates from all regions of the world are fully eligible. The 42nd cycle call imposes no nationality requirement whatsoever.

Applicants holding a degree obtained outside Italy must ensure their qualification is recognized as equivalent to the Italian laurea magistrale. The call for applications details the procedure for validating foreign academic credentials.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits

The University of Tuscia doctoral scholarship amounts to €16,243 gross per year, paid on a monthly basis. The scholarship covers the full duration of the doctoral program. The amount can be increased by up to 50% for authorized research periods spent abroad, for a maximum of 12 cumulative months over the three-year program. This supplement does not apply to stays in the candidate’s country of residence.

All doctoral students, whether or not they hold a scholarship, are entitled to:

1. An annual research budget equivalent to 10% of the scholarship amount, available for research activities conducted in Italy and abroad.
2. Full exemption from university tuition fees and contributions.
3. Access to the benefits provided by DiSCo Lazio, the Regional Agency for the Right to Study (supplementary grants, accommodation, and catering services), under the same conditions as other enrolled students.

Eligibility Requirements

• Hold, by the application deadline, an Italian laurea specialistica (Ministerial Decree 509/1999), a laurea magistrale (Ministerial Decree 270/2004), a laurea del vecchio ordinamento (pre-reform degree), or a foreign academic qualification recognized as equivalent to a master’s degree by the selection board for the purposes of the chosen program
• Candidates expecting to graduate may still apply, provided their degree is awarded no later than October 31, 2026; failure to meet this deadline will result in forfeiture of the scholarship or position awarded
• No age limit and no nationality restriction
• Applicants who have already held a doctoral scholarship — even a partial one, in Italy or abroad — are not eligible for a new scholarship, though they may apply for unfunded positions
• Holders of a PhD may enroll in a second doctoral program without a scholarship, provided the research topics and scientific fields differ from those of their previous doctorate
• PhD students currently enrolled without a scholarship may take part in the selection, but can only enroll in the new program upon formally resigning from their current position
• Proficiency in a foreign language is required and will be assessed during the selection procedure

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted exclusively online through the Student Portal (Portale dello Studente). Applicants must first create an account on the platform to obtain the login credentials needed to access the application form.

At the end of the online procedure, applicants are required to pay an application fee of €25. This fee is compulsory for every application submitted and can be paid by credit card directly on the platform — the recommended option for applicants based abroad — or via a PagoPA notice at banks, post offices, or authorized retailers. Candidates applying to more than one program must submit a separate application and pay the fee for each one individually.

Required Documents

All applicants must provide the following:

• Completed application form submitted through the Student Portal
• Curriculum vitae
• Master’s degree diploma or equivalent, showing the final grade
• Academic transcript of the second-cycle program, including the grading scale for both individual courses and the final degree
• Proof of payment of the €25 application fee
• Program-specific documents listed in the relevant Annex A information sheet (research proposal, publications, letters of recommendation, etc., as applicable)

Applicants holding a foreign degree must additionally provide:

• The Diploma Supplement or the Dichiarazione di valore issued by the university or the Italian embassy/consulate in the country where the degree was awarded, or a certificate of eligibility issued by CIMEA
• If any documents are written in a language other than Italian, English, or French: a certified official translation conforming to the original, issued by the awarding university or by the competent Italian diplomatic and consular authorities

Selection Process

Applicants are evaluated on three components: an assessment of academic qualifications, a written examination (where applicable, depending on the program), and an oral examination. Foreign language proficiency is also assessed. The final score is the sum of marks obtained across all components.

Written and oral examinations are held in person on the university’s premises. Candidates based abroad may sit the oral examination via videoconference. In the event of a tie, the younger candidate takes precedence in the ranking. A candidate admitted to more than one program simultaneously may only enroll in one. If a scholarship winner withdraws, the award is reassigned to the next-ranked eligible candidate.

Key Dates

• August 18, 2026, 2:00 p.m. (CEST) — application deadline
• October 31, 2026 — latest date by which degree must be obtained for candidates awaiting graduation
• Examination schedule: published on the Unitus doctoral programs page after the closing of applications
• Publication of rankings: published on the Unitus website following approval by the Rector
• November 1, 2026 — start of doctoral programs
• November 30, 2026 — deadline for non-EU doctoral students requiring a visa to arrive in Italy

Contact

For any queries regarding the 42nd cycle PhD admission procedure at Unitus:

• Official email: [email protected]
• Official call page: www.unitus.it – Bandi ciclo XLII

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