Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo) has officially opened its call for admission to the doctoral programs of the 42nd cycle for the academic year 2026/2027. A minimum of 110 funded positions are available across 16 PhD programs spanning engineering, applied sciences, architecture, and design. The call is open to both Italian and international applicants. The first application deadline is April 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM (CET), with two additional sessions running through early 2027. A non-refundable application fee of €30 per program applies.
Available PhD Programs and Number of Funded Positions
The 110 scholarships are distributed across the following doctoral programs:
- Civil and Environmental Engineering — 17 positions
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering — 17 positions
- Energetics — 11 positions
- Computer and Systems Engineering — 9 positions
- Mechanical Engineering — 8 positions
- Materials Science and Technology — 8 positions
- Management and Production Engineering — 6 positions
- Urban and Regional Development (joint with University of Turin) — 6 positions
- Aerospace Engineering — 5 positions
- Mathematical Sciences — 5 positions
- Bioengineering and Medical-Surgical Sciences (joint with University of Turin) — 4 positions
- Chemical Engineering — 4 positions
- Physics — 3 positions
- Architecture. History and Project (joint curriculum with Tsinghua University) — 3 positions
- Design and Technology. People, Environment, Systems — 2 positions
- Patrimonio Architettonico / Architectural Heritage — 2 positions
Additional positions and thematically restricted scholarships (linked to specific research topics) may be announced after the publication of this call. The final list of available positions for each session is published on the institutional website no later than six days before the start of interviews.
Scholarship Amount and Financial Benefits
The doctoral scholarship for the 2026/2027 academic year is set at €18,854.52 gross per year, corresponding to a net monthly amount of approximately €1,386. The scholarship is exempt from Italian income tax (IRPEF) and local taxes, and is subject only to INPS social security contributions, two-thirds of which are covered by Politecnico di Torino and one-third by the doctoral student. The scholarship is awarded annually and renewed for each of the three years, conditional on satisfactory academic progress. For any periods spent conducting research abroad, the scholarship amount is increased by 50% in accordance with Italian national regulations. In addition, each doctoral student is allocated a research budget equal to 10% of the total fellowship cost — approximately €5,656 over 36 months — to cover research-related expenses over the duration of the program. The doctoral program lasts 36 months.
Types of Positions Available
Beyond the standard funded positions with an open research topic (where the thesis subject is agreed upon after admission with the supervisor), the call also offers positions with thematically restricted scholarships tied to specific research questions, positions in apprenticeship format (requiring simultaneous employment with a partner company, restricted to candidates under 30), positions without a scholarship, and reserved positions for holders of foreign government scholarships. Two additional positions are reserved under the POLITO for REFUGEES project — one for any beneficiary of international protection and one specifically for Afghan nationals with that status. The English language certification requirement is waived for candidates applying under the Refugees project.
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent second-level qualification) granting access to doctoral studies. Italian degree holders must have a minimum final grade of 95/110; holders of foreign degrees must meet country-specific minimum grade point averages detailed in Appendix 2 of the official call (e.g., 70/100 for China and India, 65/100 for Egypt and Ghana, 3.3/4 for Bangladesh and Pakistan, C+ ECTS average for European countries). Applicants who have not yet graduated may apply conditionally, provided they complete their degree by August 31 or October 31, 2026 (first session). All candidates must hold a B2 English certification from one of the bodies listed in Appendix 4 of the call, including IELTS (minimum 5.5), TOEFL iBT, Pearson, Cambridge, or TOEIC. Candidates from English-medium institutions in countries listed in Appendix 3 — including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Egypt is not on the list — may be exempt from this requirement. Note that many Francophone African countries are not on the exemption list, so candidates from those countries must provide a recognized certificate. Applicants can apply to multiple PhD programs simultaneously, paying the €30 fee for each.
Selection Process
Selection proceeds in three stages. First, eligibility is verified by the university administration (for Italian degrees, this is done automatically; for foreign degrees, by a dedicated University Selection Committee). Eligible applications are then evaluated on qualifications and motivation by a program-specific committee, which assigns up to 40 points for academic credentials (based on degree performance, GRE score if submitted, relevance of studies, publications, and the Master’s thesis abstract) and up to 20 points for scientific interests and motivations as expressed in the motivational statement. Only candidates who reach a combined threshold of 40/60 on these two components are admitted to the interview. The interview itself carries up to 40 points, and a minimum total of 60/100 is required for inclusion in the final ranking. Interviews may be conducted in person or via videoconference and are public. The motivational statement must be written in English and must not exceed 8,000 characters; the use of AI tools to generate any part of the text is explicitly prohibited — PoliTo reserves the right to verify compliance.
Application Sessions and Deadlines
The call runs across three independent sessions. Candidates may apply to only one session per program:
- First session: Applications open March 20, 2026 — deadline April 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM CET. PhD start date: September 15 or November 1, 2026.
- Second session: Applications open October 15, 2026 — deadline November 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM CET. PhD start date: March 1, 2027.
- Third session: Applications open January 14, 2027 — deadline February 15, 2027 at 2:00 PM CET. PhD start date: June 1, 2027.
Each session is independent and generates its own ranking. Applications must be submitted exclusively through the online Apply portal on the PoliTo institutional website. Required documents include a valid ID, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree transcripts, B2 English certification, an abstract of the Master’s thesis in English (3,000–6,000 characters), a motivational statement in English, and the names and institutional email addresses of two academic referees. A GRE score, publications, and letters of recommendation are optional but strengthen the application.
→ Apply Here: 42nd Cycle PhD Call – Politecnico di Torino
About Politecnico di Torino
Founded in 1859, Politecnico di Torino is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious technical universities, consistently ranked among the top engineering and technology institutions in Europe. Located in Turin — a major industrial and innovation hub in northern Italy — PoliTo hosts approximately 37,000 students and maintains strong research partnerships with leading companies and institutions across the aerospace, automotive, energy, and ICT sectors. The university’s doctoral school is particularly well regarded for its international outlook, with an infrastructure that includes access to national computing clusters and active joint programs with institutions such as Tsinghua University (China) and Kansai Medical University (Japan). Non-EU citizens admitted to the program must comply with Italian visa and residence permit requirements prior to enrollment.
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