Structure of studies
Each NASP PhD programme focuses primarily on advanced training in the respective discipline to enable students to master the dominant paradigms, research methods and essential literature.
In addition, NASP provides an opportunity for cross-disciplinary training in approaches and methods. The objective is to teach graduate students to combine the rigorous use of their disciplinary tool kit with knowledge of the tool kits of adjacent disciplines.
First-year students of the three doctorates share the same working environment predominantly at the NASP Graduate School at the University of Milan, and follow some common courses provided at the NASP GS or in the Departments of the network.
Second and third (and fourth) year students will work in close contact with their supervisor in the NASP research Departments.
All training activities are taught in English.
Courses
List of all common methodological courses activated for A.Y. 2026-2027
Research Methods in Social and Political Sciences - Prof. Anne-Marie Jeannet (University of Milan)
Introduction to STATA - Dr. Hanne Gaukel (University of Milan)
Statistics for the Social Sciences - Prof. Nazareno Panichella (University of Milan)
Statistics for the Social Sciences. Practical Sessions - Dr. Hanne Gaukel (University of Milan)
Measurement in the Social Sciences - Prof. Cristiano Vezzoni (University of Milan)
Applied Multivariate Analysis for Social Scientists - Regression modelling strategies to test research hypotheses - Prof. Moris Triventi (University of Milan)
Qualitative Research Methods - Prof. Paola Mattei (University of Milan)
Literature Review Methods (scoping, systematic, meta-analysis) - Dr. Elena De Giannis (University of Milan)
Other common courses (Transferable skills)
English for Academic Purposes for Social and Political Sciences - Prof. Emma Quick
Online Crash Courses from EDIT platform
NASP students and faculties can access a series of online crash courses present in the self-paced e-learning platform EDIT - Excellence Department SPS Innovative Teaching.
These courses are specifically designed to introduce NASP students to the knowledge of some of the most commonly used software and analytical techniques in contemporary social and political sciences.
EDIT can be accessed here, using the Unimi e-mail credentials.
Courses specific to each PhD programme
The list of each PhD programme's specific courses and their syllabi are available on the page "courses" of the three PhD programs' websites:
Download the NASP Teaching Activities Table below, with the list of all common and Ph.D. specific courses activated.
To check the common and Ph.D. specific courses' timetables, please visit the NASP calendar page.
