Final Examinations

Final examinations are governed by Article 20 of the Regulations for PhD Studies of the University of Catania, as outlined below.

Chapter VI (Final Examination)

Art. 20 – Admission to the Final Examination and Postponement of the Final Defense

• The PhD thesis, accompanied by a summary in Italian or English, must be written in Italian or English, or in another language with prior authorization from the Academic Board.
• The thesis, along with a report by the PhD candidate on the activities carried out during the doctoral program and any publications, is evaluated by at least two highly qualified professors, including those from foreign institutions, who are external to the entities involved in awarding the PhD degree. These evaluators are appointed as specified in Article 22.
• By October 10 of each academic year, the evaluators must provide a written analytical assessment of the thesis and propose to the Academic Board either the candidate’s admission to the public defense or a postponement of no more than six months if significant revisions or additions are deemed necessary.After the six-month period, the thesis is in any case admitted to public defense, accompanied by a new written opinion from the same evaluators, based on the corrections or additions made. The postponement of up to six months does not entail any financial burden for the administration nor does it grant any extension of the scholarship, which ends with the conclusion of the doctoral cycle, or any other benefits provided by university regulations.
• All PhD candidates enrolled in the final year must submit a formal application for admission to the final examination to the Rector no later than October 20 of the final year, under penalty of exclusion from the examination. The application procedure must be completed exclusively online through the University’s digital system.
• Candidates admitted to the public defense in the first instance must upload their thesis in electronic format to the University’s online system no later than November 30. Candidates admitted after the six-month postponement must upload their thesis no later than May 31.