There are three sessions per year for taking the final examination for the PhD in Human Movement and Sports Sciences, organised as follows:

1. first session to be concluded by 15 February;
2. second session to be concluded by 30 May;
3. third session to be concluded by 30 September.

Each session requires the completion of the following preliminary and final formalities:

1. Submission of the application for thesis refereeing
   For the purpose of being awarded the degree of PhD, the PhD student must submit, by the end of the final year of the programme, an application for admission to the thesis refereeing procedure to the Board of Professors.
2. Optional request for the additional “Doctor Europaeus” certification
   Such a request, to be submitted in accordance with the preceding point, may only be made by PhD students who meet the requirements set out in Article 28, paragraph 3, of the University Regulations on PhD Programmes.
3. Assessment by the Board of Professors
   The Board acquires the opinion of the supervisor and any co-supervisor(s) regarding the PhD student’s admission to the thesis evaluation procedure and issues a reasoned decision on such admission. Where the PhD student has achieved results of adequate scientific merit, the Board appoints two or more external evaluators (also referred to as referees/reviewers).
4. Appointment of external evaluators
   The Board of Professors appoints two or more external evaluators selected from among highly qualified academics and researchers from Italian or foreign institutions, external to the University and to any other bodies involved in the PhD Programme.
5. Submission of the thesis and report to the external evaluators by the PhD student admitted to thesis refereeing
   The PhD student must send the following to the external evaluators:
   – one copy of the PhD thesis;
   – a report on the activities carried out during the PhD Programme and on any publications.
6. Assessment by the external evaluators
   The external evaluators are required, within thirty days of receipt of the thesis, to provide a written analytical assessment of the thesis and to propose either its admission to the public defence or its postponement for a period not exceeding six months, should substantial additions or corrections (“major revision”) be necessary. In the case of a “major revision”, the thesis defence must take place in the first available session.
7. Submission of the application via ESSE3
   In order to register for the final examination (PhD thesis defence), the PhD student must complete the application via the ESSE3 system, attach all required documents and pay the virtual stamp duty. The steps to be followed are described in the document entitled “Instructions for the online submission of the final examination application for the award of the degree of PhD in Human Movement and Sport Sciences”.
8. Appointment of the Final Examination Committee
   The Committee is appointed by the Rector upon proposal of the Board of Professors of the PhD Programme in which the PhD student is enrolled, while respecting, where possible, gender balance.
9. Thesis defence
   The thesis defence is public and takes place before a Final Examination Committee.

The deadlines by which the above-mentioned preliminary and final formalities must be completed for each session are set out below.