SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati
University in Trieste, Italy
SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (International School for Advanced Studies) is a public higher education and research institution in Trieste, Italy, founded in 1978. It has about 70 professors, 130 researchers and 300 PhD students, and its campus on the Karst upland is surrounded by a 25-acre park overlooking the Gulf of Trieste.
SISSA is a graduate school: its activity focuses on physics, neuroscience and mathematics, plus an Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Advanced Studies working between science, the humanities and the public. It offers 12 PhD courses in these three areas. The PhD lasts four years and is equivalent to the Italian "Dottore di ricerca"; former students also include MPhil and master's graduates. According to the school, it has over 150 collaboration agreements with schools and research institutes worldwide and has secured 34 European Research Council (ERC) grants since 2007.
PhD students are selected every year through an entrance examination held in Trieste (online exams are possible); candidates from outside the EU can also be admitted through a preselection based only on academic qualifications. Calls for the 2026/27 academic year include SISSA and FSE+ fellowships. A Welcome Office helps international students and researchers with visas, accommodation, health and daily life in Trieste.
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Graduate programmes
SISSA offers 12 PhD courses in its three research areas:
- Physics (for example theory and numerical simulation of condensed matter)
- Mathematics (for example mathematical analysis, modelling and applications)
- Neuroscience
The PhD lasts four years and ends with a final examination; the degree is equivalent to the Italian "Dottore di ricerca". Some positions are funded by companies and research projects.
Admission
PhD students are selected once a year through an entrance examination held in Trieste, which can also be taken online. Candidates from outside the EU can alternatively be admitted through a preselection based only on their academic qualifications. Applications for the 2026/27 calls (SISSA and FSE+ fellowships) are submitted online through the PICA platform. Admission does not guarantee a visa, which is the responsibility of Italian embassies and consulates. Candidates can contact the principal investigators listed on each PhD website to discuss research topics.