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The Ph.D. in Social and Political Science is a modern and rigorous 4-year full-time program designed to prepare highly motivated candidates for careers in academia or research within the fields of political economy, political science, demography, public management and administration, or sociology. This program is open to students who exhibit a strong aptitude and enthusiasm for research. It offers a variety of elective courses tailored for specialization within one of the mentioned fields

In the initial two years, students will acquire cutting-edge theoretical and methodological skills that will inform their specialization. They will also choose a topic area that aligns with their interests and the expertise of our faculty. In the second year, students are required to complete a research paper with the guidance of one of our faculty members. The third and fourth years are dedicated to conducting research that will serve as the foundation for their doctoral dissertations.

Throughout their time in the program, students will engage with the latest research presented by renowned scholars in the field. Additionally, they can explore exchanges and internships with leading policy institutes worldwide

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Applications can be submitted by candidates of any citizenship who:

• have completed or are completing their graduate studies and


• have at least a “proven” B2 (CEFR) level of competence in English

For the PhD in Social and Political Science, the PhD School offers:

-     a maximum of 5 places with a fellowship

-     1 place with a merit-based tuition waiver covering up to 100% of tuition fees

Tuition fees for students without a fellowship or tuition waiver amount to € 15,000 for year 1 and 2 and € 5,000 for year 3 and 4.

For more detailed information, please see the full official call published on the website https://www.unibocconi.it/en/programs/phd/admissions

For more detailed information about our program, please visit the website www.unibocconi.eu/phdsps  

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: to apply for our PhD program, only our online application procedure may be used.

Applications are due by 15 January 2025.

The Admission Board will first evaluate the suitability of the applicants’ qualifications and, after a first step of selection, the Board will interview some candidates in order to better assess their qualifications (second step of selection).

The first step assessment is based on a candidate’s:

1.  Personal curriculum (indispensable): full CV

2.  Academic records (indispensable): transcript of exams and certification of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded and final grade (if any); if the graduate program has not been completed, an enrollment document with the full study plan, the exams taken and the grades achieved

3.  International Graduate Admission Tests scores: Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

4.  Statement of purpose (indispensable): short description (max 1200 words) of candidate’s motivation for enrollment in a Bocconi PhD program, his/her research interests and professional goals

5.  Reference letters: up to three reference letters uploaded by referees appointed in the online application procedure 

The Admission Board will interview (online) candidates who have obtained at least 70 points out of 100 in the qualifications assessment.

The second step assessment is based on the online interview, whose maximum score is 30 points.

A candidate will be eligible for admission if he or she has obtained at least 70 points out of 100 in the qualifications assessment and at least 20 points out of 30 in the interview.

Please consult our website for complete details of our application procedure https://www.unibocconi.it/en/programs/phd/admissions 

For more information about the program, please feel free to contact our Program Assistant at infophd@unibocconi.it