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. 2025-2026
Research Methods in Social and Political Sciences - Prof. Anne-Marie Jeannet (University of Milan) - 3/20 - Syllabus
Introduction to STATA - Dr. Antonina Zhelenkova - no cfu/10
Statistics for the Social Sciences - Prof. Nazareno Panichella (University of Milan) - 5/30 - Syllabus
Statistics for the Social Sciences. Practical Sessions - Dr. Francesca Tomatis - no cfu/20
Applied Multivariate Analysis for Social Scientists - Measurement - Prof. Cristiano Vezzoni (University of Milan) - 3/20 - Syllabus
Applied Multivariate Analysis for Social Scientists - Regression modelling strategies to test research hypotheses - Prof. Moris Triventi (University of Milan) - 3/20 - Syllabus
Qualitative Research Methods - Prof. Paola Mattei (University of Milan) - 3/20 - Syllabus
Literature Review Methods (scoping, systematic, meta-analysis) - 3 cfu/20 - Syllabus
Other common courses (Transferable skills)
English for Academic Purposes for Social and Political Sciences - Prof. Emma Quick - no cfu/20 - Syllabus
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 below the NASP Teaching Activities Table with the list of all common and Ph.D. specific courses activated.
To check the common and specific Ph.D. Courses Timetables, please visit the NASP calendar page.