The PhD

Coordinator: Andrea RAPISARDA

The Department of Physics and Astronomy selects Italian and foreign students who hold a Master's Degree for admission to the interdisciplinary doctoral program in Complex Systems for Physical, Socio-economical and Life Sciences.

Course Overview and Educational Aims

The objective of this PhD program is to train students in quantitative analysis techniques and mathematical modelling for Complex Systems that are critical to address contemporary real-world problems in physics,

biomedicine, health, and social sciences. The program will provide the student with a solid scientific background and will give them the possibility to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment and to be supervised by internationally recognized scientists in the field.

The program addresses in particular these specific areas :

  • Advanced statistical mechanics and modelling of complex systems
  • Theory of complex networks and applications
  • Bioinformatics and quantitative biomedical research
  • Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence applications
  • Economic and financial systems in the field of Econophysics
  • Smart cities and human mobility
  • Climate change, green transition and sustainability

The program includes advanced courses. Given the wide range of disciplines involved, courses with specific training profiles, but with a common mathematical and computational basis, are activated.

Job Opportunities

The traditional employment opportunities for those who access a doctorate are an academic career or research activity at national and foreign research institutions and laboratories. The applicative and interdisciplinary nature of this PhD in Complex Systems Sciences allows PhDs an easy and profitable placement also in consulting companies that deal with social media or financial analysis or big data, or even public bodies, hospitals and pharmaceutical industries, banks and insurance companies.

Other information

More information is available in the Ministry form for the 39th cycle (Scheda ministeriale del dottorato, in Italian).

PON/POC PhD Scholarships  Documents and minutes