CFU Guidelines – PhD students XXXVII Cycle and following

CFU distribution over the 3-year program; minimum total required upon graduation: 180 CFU

	1 year	2 year	3 year
Learning Activities UNIMORE PhD Courses Min. 15 CFU * Basic Training Max. 12 CFU	30-50
Scientific-Research Activities	40-80
THESIS	20	40	50
Total	60	60	60

Each year, PhD students must earn 60 CFUs, distributed across Learning Activities, Scientific Activities, and Thesis Activities.

 

LEARNING Activities (CFU = University Educational Credit):

• Doctorate School Learning Activities: 1 CFU per 4-hour module.
• Bachelor's and Master's Courses: These courses at UNIMORE or other universities count as Basic Training; CFUs align with the official course credits.
• Internal Seminars: 1 CFU per seminar attended.
• Courses, Schools, or Seminars at External Universities: CFUs per external course or seminar are either assigned by the hosting institution or awarded as 1 CFU per seminar or 1 CFU per day.
• Teaching Assistantship (Didattica Integrativa): 1 CFU per 10 hours, with a cap of 40 hours per year. Appointed by the PhD school on request from professors, these roles involve graduate students assisting academic staff. Alternatively, students can apply for a funded TA role through the “Tutorato Fondo Sostegno Giovani” program (more info here); however, credits are not awarded for this and must be approved by the PhD school board.

Note: Learning Activities must be completed within the first two years of the program.

Minimum Credits at UNIMORE: At least 15 CFUs must be earned through UNIMORE courses, either through the M3ES School or other PhD programs.

For PhD students with joint supervision, where UNIMORE is the primary institution, at least 8 CFUs must be from UNIMORE.

For joint supervision students based abroad, there is no requirement to complete UNIMORE courses.

Basic Training Credit Limit: A maximum of 12 out of 180 total CFUs may be earned from Basic Training.

SCIENTIFIC Activities:

Congress Participation:

• Without presenting: 1 CFU for national; 2 CFUs for international.
• Poster presentation: 2 CFUs for national; 3 CFUs for international.
• Oral presentation: 3 CFUs for national; 4 CFUs for international.
• Student-Led Seminar: 2 CFUs per seminar.

 

Publications:

• ISI journal publication: 8 CFUs.
• Peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings: 4 CFUs.
• Book chapters: 4 CFUs.
• Patent Filings: National: 4 CFUs for pending; 8 CFUs for granted. International: 8 CFUs for pending; 12 CFUs for granted.

 

Research Periods:

• Abroad (minimum 10 days per trip): 3 CFUs per month, up to a maximum of 27 CFUs.
• In a company or national research center: 1 CFU per month for periods over 10 days.

 

Additional Requirements and Procedures:

• Overseas Research: PhD students are required to complete a minimum of 4 months or 120 days of research at a university or research institution outside Italy. Periods must be at least 10 days to be eligible for CFU credits (3 CFU/month). Activities longer than 2 days, including fieldwork and conference attendance, are also counted as “days outside UNIMORE.”

 

Additional credits:

Activities such as leading seminars at schools or other public events can be reviewed for CFU credits by the Commission for Education.

 

Credit Assignment:

Activity Report Submission: All CFU assignments require an activity report signed by the student’s tutor and approved by the Commission for Education. Documentation, such as certificates of attendance, may be required. The activity report will be assigned as an “attività/activity” in the M3ES PHD STUDENTS team in TEAMS.