Annual report

At the end of each year, each student is obliged to present a written report on the performed activities. The report should contain an overview of the research progress and should include information on followed courses, seminars, workshops, conferences and all other elements that are relevant for the evaluation. An evaluation committee, nominated by the Academic Board (Collegio dei Docenti) during the first year and following the student throughout the entire PhD course, will judge the progress of each PhD-candidate based on the report and an oral presentation followed by discussion.The evaluations by the committee and the supervisor will be used by the Academic Board to decide on admission of the student to the next year and will represent the basis for the research activity evaluation by the Academic Board at the end of the three years.

Scientific skills

• Each student is obliged to follow 4 theoretical courses (24 hours each) offered by CDSM (preferably 2 in the first year, 2 in the second). Please see note 1. At least 1 course (out of 4) should be part of the program of the opposite curriculum (Chemical Sciences for students of Pharmaceutical Sciences and vice versa). After examination the lecturer will inform the CDSM-administration of the outcome. Each student is obliged to provide a list of attended courses in the annual report.
• Each student is obliged to attend the CDSM-seminars (approx. 10/year). Absence needs to be justified by sending a motivation to the CDSM-administration prior to the seminar.
• Each student is expected to accumulate 20 hours of additional workshops/condensed lecture cycles/seminars (non-CDSM) during the three years. These may include also (inter)national workshops/conferences. The student informs the CDSM-administration and provides a list in the annual report.

Transferable skills

All students are obliged to follow the transferable skill courses organized by CDSM (except for Italian for foreigners). Cases in which participation is impossible (for example because of an extended secondment abroad) will be evaluated individually and alternative solutions will be identified.

Note 1

It is possible to substitute 1 out of 4 theoretical courses from the CDSM-program with an external school/workshop provided that the following criteria have been met:

• The school/workshop needs to be dedicated to students at the PhD-level (or higher)
• The event needs to consist of a minimum of 24 hours of class-room teaching. These hours may be (partially) substituted with practical sessions/exercises (counting at least 2 hours of practical session for 1 hour of teaching)
• The event needs to be concluded with a final examination of should contain a practical session. In the absence, the CDSM should be notified prior to attendance.
• A certificate of attendance needs to be provided by the organisation
• Approval by the PhD-supervisor is required
• Requests have to be communicated to CDSM before 1 May.

Alternatively (!) to substitution by an external school/workshop, it is possible to substitute 1 theoretical course with a course offered by another PhD-course provided that:

• The course has an equal duration (24 hours) or more
• The course is concluded with a final examination

Important ! It is the duty of the student to provide to the administration with all information required to verify if the above criteria are met. In case the information is incomplete, the request will not be considered.