Study in Italy | University of Torino PhD Scholarships 2026

March 29, 2026 10:00 am

Study in Italy | University of Torino PhD Scholarships 2026

Politecnico di Torino has launched its 42nd-cycle doctoral admissions, offering a minimum of 110 funded positions across 16 PhD programs. Applications for the first session remain open till April 30, 2026. The call, issued by Rectoral Decree on March 20, 2026, signals one of Italy’s largest single-institution doctoral recruitment drives this year. Programs span aerospace engineering, mathematical sciences, architectural heritage, urban development, and beyond.

Why This Matters for Global Student Mobility

Italy’s polytechnic universities have spent the past decade aggressively internationalizing their doctoral pipelines. Politecnico di Torino—consistently ranked among the top 50 technical universities in Europe by QS and THE—sits at the centre of that effort. This 110-scholarship allocation arrives at a moment when rising tuition costs across Anglophone destinations are redirecting doctoral applicants toward continental European institutions that combine competitive stipends with no tuition burden.

The university’s partnerships with Tsinghua University, Kansai Medical University, and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics underscore its bid to position Turin as a crossroads for collaborative, cross-border research. For applicants from South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, this call represents a structured, merit-based gateway into a funded European doctoral career with tangible industry links through its apprenticeship-format positions.

The Financial Package: What You Receive

Each doctoral scholarship carries significant financial value:

Annual Gross Stipend: €18,854.52 for the 2026-27 academic year. Net monthly take-home after social security deductions approximates €1,386.
Tax Exemption: Italian law exempts the stipend from both local and national income tax.
Program Duration: The standard term runs 36 months, with total gross value exceeding €56,500.
Abroad Research Bonus: Any period of research spent abroad triggers a 50 percent increase in the stipend for the duration of your stay. This meaningfully enhances the package for students pursuing international collaborations.
Research Budget: The university allocates a research activity budget equal to 10 percent of the total fellowship cost. This covers conference travel, equipment, and fieldwork across the full three-year program.
Minimal Fees: Doctoral students pay only administrative fees covering accident insurance, stamp duty, and a regional EDISU Piemonte charge.

The package compares favorably with similarly structured doctoral fellowships at ETH Zurich-affiliated Italian institutions. The 50 percent abroad top-up is particularly generous compared to what many Italian universities offer.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply

The competition welcomes both Italian and international citizens who hold or expect to hold a second-cycle degree qualifying them for doctoral study:

Italian Degrees: You must have earned a minimum final grade of 95 out of 110.
Foreign Qualifications: You must meet country-specific GPA thresholds. Examples include 3.3 out of 4.0 for Pakistan and Bangladesh, 70 out of 100 for China and India, 14.5 out of 20 for Iran, and a C+ weighted average for European ECTS-system countries.
English Proficiency: You need a B2 level certification from an approved list. Options include IELTS minimum 5.5, TOEFL iBT minimum 72, PTE Academic minimum 59, or Cambridge English minimum 160. Graduates of English-taught programs at institutions in designated English-speaking countries are exempt.
Conditional Applications: Candidates who have not yet completed their degree may apply conditionally, provided they meet minimum in-progress GPA thresholds and obtain the degree before the session’s cutoff date.

The university also reserves dedicated positions for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection under its POLITO for REFUGEES project, as well as for holders of foreign government scholarships and current research fellows.

How the Apply

Submit your application exclusively through the University of Turin Scholarship online Apply portal. A non-refundable €30 fee applies per program. The first session closes at 2:00 PM CET on April 30, 2026. Two further sessions close on November 16, 2026, and February 15, 2027, respectively.

Click Here to Apply

Required documentation includes:

Copies of bachelor’s and master’s transcripts
Valid ID
B2 English certificate
Master’s thesis abstract of 3,000 to 6,000 characters in English
Motivational statement of up to 8,000 characters outlining research interests and proposed methodology
Finally, Two referees, ideally one from an external university and one from Politecnico

Optional but strongly recommended materials include a Declaration of Value or CIMEA comparability certificate for foreign degrees, GRE scores obtained within the last five years, letters of recommendation, and a list of publications.

Selection Process

The evaluation unfolds in three stages:

Credential Verification: Basic eligibility check
Written Evaluation: Scored up to 60 points based on qualifications and motivation
Interview: Worth up to 40 points

Candidates must score at least 40 out of 60 in the written evaluation to advance to the interview. A final minimum of 60 out of 100 is required for ranking inclusion.

Committees weight criteria differently by program. However, the master’s degree career, relevance of academic background, thesis abstract, GRE results, publications, and post-graduate experience factor into every evaluation. Interviews may occur remotely via videoconference, which benefits international candidates. Schedules publish only five days in advance, and no make-up sessions are permitted.

Important: The university explicitly prohibits using AI tools to generate any portion of the motivational statement or thesis abstract. It reserves the right to verify compliance.

Why This PhD Matters

A doctoral position at Politecnico di Torino places you inside one of Italy’s most industry-connected technical universities. Institutional partnerships stretch from Tsinghua to Japan’s Kansai Medical University and Italy’s National Institute of Nuclear Physics. For international candidates navigating an increasingly fragmented global research funding landscape, the combination of a tax-free stipend, dedicated research funds, and structured international mobility support makes this call worth the effort.

Visit the Politecnico di Torino admissions portal today. Review the 16 PhD programs, prepare your documents, and submit your application before the April 30, 2026 deadline. Your funded European research career starts in Turin.