PhD in Mathematics and Computer Sciences

The Doctoral school in Mathematics and Computer Sciences is in convention è in convention among the Universities of Catania, Messina and Palermo. The convention was first stipulated beginning with Cycle XXIX.

The coordinator of the Doctoral school, for cycle XXXVIII is prof. Francesco OliveriDipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Messina, Via Stagno d'Alcontres, 98166, Messina, 

The coordinator of the preceding cycles XXXIV-XXXVII, is prof.ssa Maria Carmela LombardoDipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 34, 90134, Palermo, 

Cycle XXXVIII begins the Academic Year 2022-23, lasts 3 years, counts 16 positions, among which 12 with scholarships, the administrative headquarters are at the Università degli Studi di Messina

Description and objectives of the school

The primary objective of the school is to form researchers in Pure and Applied Mathematics and in Computer Sciences, to create professional figures that can find a collocation in scientific research, instiutional or private, and in industry.

PhD doctors should be able to:

  • be autonomous in research, and produce scientific results that have international validity or that can have a technological fallout;
  • develop together with other researchers projects on the arguments of the school;
  • coordinate small teams that perform research both in academia and in industry;
  • communicate at international level their results;
  • critically evaluate results and scientific literature.

At the conclusion of his route the student will produce a PhD thesis, with original research fulfilling high standars.

Curricula

  • Pure Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Computer Sciences 

Description of the school

The school project cover themes of Pure Mathematics, mainly in Mathematical Analysis, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, History, and Didactic of Mathematics, and also theoretical aspects of Applied Mathematics and of Computer Sciences, mainly Mathematical Physics, Numerical Analysis, Operational Research, Informatics.

 The School articulates on three levels: 

  1. classes, mainly during the first two years, on themes chosen by the Faculty;
  2. reserarch on projects and participation to schools, workshops, conferences;
  3. writing PhD thesis, mainly during the third year.

Students will participate to seminars, and will be financed to visit other institutions, in Italy or abroad, in Universities of Industries that are available to support stages or research projects. 

The school last 3 years, and the student will acquire 180 CFU, partly in class, partly with individual research, participation to workshops, seminars, shcools. They will be able to do tutoring, teaching, and dissemination of knowledge in society. For classes, every 6 hours of class will count for 1 CFU. Faculty provides ample selection of courses that cover all scientific arguments. More than half of PhD courses will have a final exam, typically done in form of seminar. The distribution of CFU among the many activities is the following: 

  • I and II year: 
    • PhD courses: 18 CFU; 
    • Seminars and participation to workshops and schools: 8 CFU; 
    • Tutoring, teaching, dissemination: 4 CFU; 
    • Individual research: 30 CFU. 
  • III anno di corso: 
    • Seminars and participation to workshops and schools: 8 CFU; 
    • Tutorating, teaching, dissemination: 4 CFU; 
    • Individual Research: 18 CFU; 
    • Writing of PhD thesis: 30 CFU. 

During the first and second year of the doctoral school the students will choose the classes among those offered, keeping in mind their curriculum and the argumets of their research. PhD students can also choose classes that are given ad national of international schools (for example CIME, CISM, Scuole estive). 

To each student the Faculty assigns a supervisor and/or one or more co-supervisiors.

The admission to the following years will be decided by the Faculty assessing a detailed relation, approved by the supervisione, on the activities that the student has done during the year. Eventually there could be a public seminar to illustrate the study of research activity of the student.

Seminars will be given during the whole cycle, and speakers will be members of the Faculty of external Researchers invited by the Faculty. They will be offered in Italian or in English.

Employment Opportunities

The main employment of PhD school is research. Students with PhD will be allowed to participate to calls for Research positions, in Italy and abroad, and will typically prosecute with theyr research activity. Some students will be employed as teachers. The advanced formation will allow students to propose for jobs in industries that invest in high technology, where their competences can be useful. One last opportunity is that of scientific communication. The analysis of occupational opportunities of PhD students indicates that most students that obtain the title will quickly find collocation in research.

For more information look at the web page of the administrative headquarters: https://mat521.unime.it/dottorato-matscicomp

Useful Documents