Student FAQ – Work with us

Thank you for your interest in working with our research group at Politecnico di Milano! Please refer to the dedicated Thesis page. If you are a student of another university this page will provide you with some basic information on the necessary steps and procedures involved. We receive a good number of requests, please ensure you have the right backround. Note that we will likely not be able to reply to all of them.

On a general note, far too many of the emails we receive have been clearly written for, and sent to, a multitude of different groups and universities. Those requests will likely be ignored.

Make sure your request is related to our group’s activities.

Broadly speaking, there are two main options for a student to work with us:

  • Become a PhD student at our lab;
  • A research internship (3/6 months);

For prospective PhD Students

The Ph.D. in Information Technology lasts 3 years, applicants are selected yearly via a public call available here. Students are expected to conduct highly competitive research and will be working together with several Ph.D. students and senior researchers.

Applicants must hold a Master degree (or equivalent) in computer engineering or computer science. A master degree in mathematics or physics is also acceptable if you wish to work on applied quantum computing, but experience in computer science and programming is required. Studens should have an excellent track record, maturity, self-motivation, as well as the ability to work both independently and in an interdisciplinary team. Experience in scientific projects, international cooperation and publication activities are considered an asset. Candidates should have very good command of the Italian or English languages.

  • Should I write you a detailed description of my idea? A detailed description is not necessary at this stage. You will have to submit your proposal as part of the application process.
  • How can I apply? There are two yearly calls, the main one is around May for Ph.D.s beginning in November and the second one is around November for Ph.D.s beginning in February. Please refer to the university and department doctoral studies portals. The calls are highly competitive, so make sure to put your effort in crafting an excellent application.
  • Can you champion my application? We usually only support applications of people we know and have worked with. If you get in touch in advance we will have more flexibility.
  • I could not win the scolarship, can you provide funding? We are usually not able to provide additional funding.

For research internships

An intership is a short-term research stay of usually 3-6 months. In an intership you may both bring your own projects and ideas as well as work on some of our own projects. The department has an internal selection process to evaluate incoming candidates.

  • How should I introduce myself? Focus your request highliting how your topics connect to the previous activities and publications of our research group and why you think we would be a good match. Please add a CV.
  • Should I write you a detailed description of my idea? There is no need to go into much detail at this stage, please provide us with an idea of your area of expertise with the relevant publications.
  • Can you fund my intership? We are usually not able to provide funding.