Dual enrolment
DURING YOUR PHD · CAREER MANAGEMENT
Simultaneous university enrolment
PhD candidates may, under the conditions established by national legislation and the applicable UNICAM Regulations, be enrolled simultaneously in another university programme. The applicable requirements depend on the type of second programme, attendance obligations, the doctoral cycle and any scholarship or funding conditions.
BEFORE THE SECOND ENROLMENT
Check compatibility first.
Obtain the required UNICAM clearance.
Obtain the required UNICAM clearance.
Discuss the proposed simultaneous enrolment with your Supervisor and Programme Coordinator before completing the second enrolment. Under the current UNICAM PhD Regulations, the Academic Board issues or denies the required clearance in accordance with national legislation, the Regulations applicable to your PhD cycle and the conditions of your admission Call or funded position.
2
university programmes
may coexist
may coexist
1
prior compatibility
assessment
assessment
FULL TIME
PhD obligations
remain unchanged
remain unchanged
CYCLE XLI AND SUBSEQUENT CYCLES
The current UNICAM rule
Under the UNICAM PhD Regulations applicable from Cycle XLI, simultaneous enrolment in another university programme is permitted where the second programme does not have compulsory attendance requirements, except for combinations declared incompatible by national legislation.
The Academic Board issues or denies the clearance required for simultaneous enrolment.
Specific rules apply to medical specialisation and to other cases expressly regulated by national legislation. Candidates from earlier PhD cycles must also check the Regulations applicable to their own cycle.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
What dual enrolment involves
01 · LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Simultaneous enrolment may be possible
Italian legislation permits simultaneous enrolment in higher-education programmes in the combinations and under the conditions established by current rules.
02 · NOT AUTOMATIC
The conditions still have to be checked
The legal possibility of combining two programmes does not remove attendance requirements, scholarship incompatibilities or other conditions established by legislation and university regulations.
03 · FULL-TIME PHD
The doctoral obligations remain
Simultaneous enrolment does not reduce research, training, mobility, annual evaluation or other requirements attached to your PhD.
04 · TWO INSTITUTIONS
Both institutions may be involved
When the second programme is offered by another institution, comply with the declaration, authorisation or compatibility procedures required by both institutions.
WHICH SECOND PROGRAMME?
Different combinations, different checks
The legal and academic assessment depends on the type of programme you want to combine with your PhD.
DEGREE PROGRAMME
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
National legislation allows simultaneous enrolment involving a PhD and a degree programme, subject to the applicable rules. Under the current UNICAM PhD Regulations, the second university programme must normally have no compulsory attendance requirement.
UNIVERSITY MASTER
PhD + University Master
Law No. 33/2022 does not directly regulate this specific combination. The competent collegial bodies must assess whether the organisation, attendance requirements and learning objectives of both programmes allow the two pathways to be followed simultaneously.
SPECIALISATION
PhD + Specialisation School
The competent bodies verify compatibility, with particular attention to compulsory attendance and achievement of the learning objectives of both pathways.
Medical specialisation has additional specific rules, including financial incompatibility between the specialisation scholarship and the PhD scholarship.
PHD ABROAD
UNICAM PhD + foreign PhD
MUR guidance does not identify a general legal obstacle to simultaneous enrolment in a PhD programme in Italy and a PhD programme abroad.
Prior verification of institutional rules and programme obligations is still required.
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
Dual enrolment ≠ co-tutelle
Simultaneous enrolment means maintaining two distinct university careers. A co-tutelle is a single doctoral pathway formally organised and jointly supervised by two institutions under a specific agreement.
According to MUR guidance, a PhD candidate using simultaneous enrolment cannot at the same time participate in a co-tutelle programme.
BEFORE ENROLLING
Four steps before the second enrolment
01
Consult your Supervisor
Discuss the second programme and its possible interaction with your research and training pathway.
02
Contact the Coordinator
Send complete information on the proposed simultaneous enrolment.
03
Academic Board clearance
The Academic Board examines the request and issues or denies the required clearance.
04
Complete both procedures
Complete the requirements established by UNICAM and by the institution offering the second programme.
WHAT SHOULD I SEND?
Provide enough information for a real compatibility assessment
Programme details
Name, level, qualification awarded and institution.
Duration and dates
Total duration, start and end dates and relevant academic year.
Educational workload
ECTS, timetable, delivery method, compulsory attendance, examinations and placements.
Financial conditions
Scholarship, grant, allowance, salary or other financial benefit.
Other institution
Attach its authorisation or compatibility assessment when already available.
PRACTICAL FAQ
Common situations
Do individual courses count as dual enrolment?
No. Enrolment in an individual course does not constitute enrolment in a separate university programme for the purposes of simultaneous-enrolment rules.
Can I combine dual enrolment and co-tutelle?
No. MUR guidance states that the two arrangements cannot operate simultaneously.
What happens if I request suspension?
For the suspension cases covered by Legislative Decree No. 68/2012, MUR guidance indicates that suspension should normally apply simultaneously to both study programmes.
My ordinary PhD period has ended but I have not yet defended my thesis. What should I do?
Do not assume that the simultaneous-enrolment procedure no longer applies. Contact the Advanced Studies Office and indicate your current doctoral status and the proposed second programme.
ACADEMIC ≠ FINANCIAL COMPATIBILITY
Two programmes may be academically compatible while their funding is not
Under the current general UNICAM framework, a PhD scholarship cannot be combined with research grants or other scholarships, including specialisation scholarships, except for funding specifically intended to supplement doctoral research through periods abroad.
Additional incompatibilities may arise from the funding source of the PhD position or from the rules governing the second programme.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Legal framework and ministerial guidance
NEED TO CHECK YOUR CASE?
Contact us before completing the second enrolment
Provide your PhD cycle, Programme, curriculum, current career status and complete information on the proposed second programme.
Write to dottorato@unicam.it → Advanced Studies Office contacts →