Philosophy, Science, Cognition, and Semiotics (PSCS)

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Academic year 2025/2026
Dept. of Philosophy
Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
EQF level: 8
41° cicle
Field of study: humanities and literature politics, social sciences and communications
Place of teaching
bologna (BO), italy
Attendance methods
Full time
Teaching
Classroom-based
Languages in which the course is held
English, Italian
Cost
157,04
Duration of the course
Nov 2025 - Oct 2028
Scholarships
6 

Course contents

In order to train young scholars of the highest caliber in its three different curricula, the PhD Programme in Philosophy, Science, Cognition, and Semiotics (PSCS) organizes dozens of doctoral teaching initiatives, also in partnership with the Department of Philosophy and with the most important higher education institutions of the University of Bologna. The PSCS PhD program includes at least 120 hours of mandatory classes in the first year and at least 80 hours of mandatory classes in the second year, divided between activities common to all doctoral students - specifically interdisciplinary - and highly specialized activities, chosen by the PhD student in agreement with their supervisors. Additional doctoral teaching credits, both national and international, are made available to doctoral students upon the indication of their supervisors.
Regarding common training for all, PSCS doctoral students are required to participate in the SERIC ("Seminari Ricerche in Corso") seminars series, organized in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy, every second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. All PhD students are also invited to participate in the meetings of visiting professors hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies (ISA) on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and in the initiatives of the Umberto Eco International Center for Humanistic Studies (CUE) on Thursdays at 3 p.m.
The PhD board also offers three courses dedicated to PhD students, and, after participating in Unibo's experimentation with structured third-cycle doctoral teaching in 2023, will establish this experience as standard practice for 2024, reaffirming its educational offerings and structure, updating and improving them where necessary, based on the feedback received.
Furthermore, the PSCS PhD program organizes a series of teaching initiatives in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy:
Seminar series organized by the Almaesthetics research center (https://centri.unibo.it/almaesthetics/it/agenda), Sive Natura (https://site.unibo.it/sivenatura/it); International Centre for Enactivism and Cognitive Semiotics (https://site.unibo.it/enactivism-and-cognitivesemiotics/en), RaMo (https://filo.unibo.it/it/ricerca/gruppi-di-ricerca/ramo-radici-e-motivi-del-pragmatismo) and all the research centers/groups of the Department of Philosophy.
Seminars of the Knowledge and Cognition research center (https://dfc.unibo.it/it/ricerca/centri-di-ricerca/knowledge-and-cognition).
Regarding specialized doctoral teaching, the doctoral student can choose to participate in the activities of greatest interest to their research, in agreement with their supervisors, who will also ensure the attendance of the agreed initiatives, regularly informing the coordinator and the board during the annual review.
More specifically, colleagues of the PSCS board belonging to the various areas of the different curricula of the PhD program (philosophical area, science studies area, cognitive sciences area, and semiotic area) organize individual initiatives, seminar series, conferences, and workshops explicitly aimed at doctoral students in that area and designed to offer high-level specialized teaching.
Finally, an annual PhD Research Day is organized for each PhD cycle, where doctoral students present the progress of their research to the board, colleagues, and interested faculty, followed by questions and debate.
Page of the course on the University's website

Teaching

Place of teaching
bologna (BO), italy
Duration of the course
Nov 2025 - Oct 2028
Attendance methods
Full time
Compulsory attendance
Teaching
Classroom-based
Languages in which the course is held
English, Italian

Admission requirements

Type of degree required
2nd Level Degree
Field of study
humanities and literature, politics, social sciences and communications
Foreign language skills
English
During the oral examination, the applicant’s English proficiency shall be assessed.

Admission

Available places
6
Admission
Admission selection
Qualifications and research proposal evaluation Oral examination
Cost
157,04 €
Scholarships
6
5 scholarships funded by the University of Bologna general budget and /or by departmental budget
1 scholarship funded by external bodies or companies

Employment opportunities

The professional opportunities available for our doctoral students are of several types:
- Employment in advanced academic research in the disciplines related to the three curricula;
- Executive-level positions in university institutions, research and territorial institutions, and sectors requiring expertise related to the PhD program;
- Employment in various activities related to the communication of knowledge, research, philosophy, semiotics, science, and cognition;
- Publishing houses. Media houses;
- Design and consulting for public institutions, foundations, and the political sphere;
- Content design for media (TV, radio, web, etc.), copywriting, public and corporate communication;
- Communication analysis, text analysis, consulting at both corporate and public levels;
- Employment in companies, cooperatives, and organizations working in the fields of inclusion, new technologies, and social innovation, with particular attention to issues of climate change, digital citizenship, - and specific learning needs;
- Human resources management in public and private companies;
- The education sector, at various levels (administrators, teachers, etc.).
The employment data for our PSCS doctoral graduates is excellent, with near-full employment in the preferred sectors of the PhD program.

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Other editions of the same course
Academic year edition 2024/2025Academic year edition 2023/2024Academic year edition 2022/2023
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