PhD

Pedagogical Sciences

Academic year 2025/2026

Dept. of Education Studies "Giovanni Maria Bertin"

Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna

EQF level: 8

41° cicle

Field of study: education

Place of teaching
bologna (BO), italy

Attendance methods
Full time

Teaching
Classroom-based

Languages in which the course is held
Italian

Cost
157,04

Duration of the course
Nov 2025 - Oct 2028

Scholarships
7

Course contents

The PhD programme in Pedagogical Sciences has two focuses: a pedagogical-historical focus and a didactic-experimental focus. For each of the two addresses the possibility of a study path is envisaged that deepens the interactions on a theoretical and methodological-operational level between the pedagogical sciences and the specific disciplinary articulations of psychological knowledge with reference to the rich framework of interdisciplinary encounters that psychology and pedagogy develop at an epistemological level and in the definition of complex interventions at the level of educational services.
Co-teaching agreements are envisaged with foreign universities, aimed at the award of a double degree.

The first year envisages four focuses, centred on the fundamentals of the various disciplinary groupings, which enable the various pedagogical knowledges to be linked in a wide-ranging cultural context, both nationally and internationally. In particular, the training offering focuses on research methodology, taking into account its multiple angles and interdisciplinary relationships, both in the pedagogical field and in the broader field of educational sciences. The research themes into which the first year of training is divided, through lectures, workshops and seminars on research methodologies, are as follows:
- General and social pedagogy, which includes: philosophy of education, family pedagogy, intercultural pedagogy, adult education
- History of Pedagogy, which includes: history of schools, history of education, history of theories of childhood, history of children's imagery and children's literature.
- Didactics and Special Pedagogy, including: teaching and learning methodologies, inclusive education, special educational needs, educational technologies and e-learning.
- Experimental Pedagogy, which includes: theories and strategies for the design and evaluation of educational interventions, docimology, empirical research methodology in education.

A number of in-depth seminars on topics of pedagogical relevance from other educational sciences (Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, etc.) are also offered, with particular emphasis on research methodology in the various fields. The research topics also include, in particular, links between the pedagogical and psychological areas.

At the end of the first year, the doctoral students are involved in the evaluation of training activities through a focus group seminar that provides tools and methods for conducting internal focus groups dedicated to the evaluation of the courses attended. The doctoral students conduct, transcribe and analyse the results of the focus group and return a report to the college containing their qualitative assessments of the teaching provided in the course.

In the second year of the course, seminars held by foreign lecturers (including members of the college from foreign universities) and seminars/workshops of a methodological nature are organised, dedicated to accompanying the realisation of the research design, the writing and the return of the results in the scientific field. The aim is to provide doctoral students with the most suitable tools with a view to an individualised pathway inherent to the conduct of their own research project, with a particular focus on the international aspects of research.
In the second part of the second year, presentation sessions of the research projects are organised with lecturers acting as discussants. On the basis of the methodological elements that emerge, the group is invited to analyse the different research paths, limitations and potential, with the aim of gradually refining each project.

The third year of the course is devoted almost exclusively to conducting personal research, under the supervision of the main tutor and co-tutor, for each doctoral student, with meetings with lecturers from other Italian and foreign universities.
During the third year, doctoral students participate in seminars and conferences to present the design and initial results of their research to the scientific community. In particular, the group of doctoral students is called upon, under the supervision of the teaching board, to
1. design, organise and carry out the seminar entitled "Research in progress" dedicated to the presentation of doctoral research to an audience of Italian and foreign academics, invited as discussants;
2. to organise Journal Clubs sessions, dedicated to the presentation and discussion of scientific articles of particular relevance and recent publication, either on the basis of proposals by the doctoral students themselves or by gathering indications from tutors and lecturers.

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

Italian

Admission requirements

Type of degree required

2nd Level Degree

Field of study

education

Foreign language skills

English
During the oral examination, the applicant’s English language proficiency shall be assessed.

Admission

Available places

Admission

Admission selection

Qualifications' and research proposal evaluation Oral examination

Cost

157,04 €

Scholarships

6 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 of the PhD in Pedagogical Sciences are linked to the knowledge and skills in pedagogical-didactic research acquired during the course.
In particular, doctoral graduates will be able to
- carry out research and development activities at institutions and organisations carrying out educational and training activities
- compete for research tenders from public or private institutions (university research centres, ASL, IRRE, Foundations, Study Centres);
- apply for senior management positions in the education sector;
- conducting projects and market research for companies offering services and products for education and training (vocational training and lifelong learning institutions, school and youth publishing, creation and production of educational software, video games for children and adolescents and the entire edutainment sector, prostheses and technologies for educational and social inclusion, etc.)
- directing and organising documentation centres, libraries, archives and museum centres in the educational and children's area in private (Foundations, Associations, Cooperatives, Publishing Houses) and public bodies;
- working for public administration sectors that require surveys and research on the educational/social/training needs of the population in order to be able to adequately design interventions;
- carrying out pedagogical counselling activities and designing distance learning courses (e-learning).

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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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