The PhD educational program is defined by the requirements which must be fulfilled by graduate students to achieve the Research Doctorate degree.

The detailed educational program is approved by the Faculty committee governing the PhD program.

The current PhD educational program (40th cycle, and previous cycles still active) can be downloaded at this link.

The main lines of the program are stable enough and are as follows:

• The normal duration of the PhD program is of three years. If the doctoral dissertation requires further work it is possible postponing the deadline of the thesis presentation by no more than 6 months (not extending the fellowship).
   
• The official language of the program is English. All courses specifically offered for the PhD program are given in English. The final dissertation or thesis must be written in English. The intermediate reports and seminars must be in English.
   
• By the end of each year, every graduate student shall write a report on his/her study and research activities and normally also present his/her research activity in a seminar. At the end of every academic year (in October), the program Faculty Committee will decide on the admission to the subsequent year and, in the third year, to the final examination.
   
• During the three years, but preferentially in the beginning of the program, all the PhD students will have to attend some coursework and pass the corresponding exams.
   
• Normally by the end of the first year, each PhD student will have to define his/her research plan for the final dissertation and choose an advisor (called "tutor") from within the PhD program faculty (this is an upper limit; ordinarily the research should start as soon as possible).

• All graduate students during the three years of the program must have at least one experience of contact with the international scientific community, such as a research visit at some research group abroad or attending an international conference or scientific school.
   
• The results of the researches performed during the PhD program must be written down in a doctoral dissertation (or thesis). This dissertation will be the main subject of evaluation in the final examination (or dissertation "defense") for the awarding of the research doctor's degree. Some months before the conclusion of the third year the Faculty Committee will select two external referees (scientists not belonging to the Federico II university) who will evaluate the thesis work of the PhD candidate. Their reports will specify if the thesis is admitted to its defense in the ordinary session (2-3 months after the deadline of the PhD program), or - in case some further revision is required - in the extraordinary session (6 months later).

Here is the list of courses offered for the 40th cycle - and previous still alive cycles - from the PhD School in Physics.

This list also includes some further courses (--> SUPRA) organized in collaboration among the PhD Schools in Physics of the University of Bari "A. Moro", the University of Salento, Lecce, the Campania University "L. Vanvitelli", Caserta, and the University of Naples "Federico II" .

However, the choice is not limited to these courses, as also courses offered for the Master of Science or for other PhD programs can be chosen.

Courses will be activated only if selected by at least two graduate students. Courses selected by a single student can be often converted into "supervised reading".