Location: Italy
Program: Postgraduate Program (Master’s Degree)
Eligibility: International Students
Duration: 5 to 17 weeks abroad
Deadline: June 4, 2026
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The University of Bologna’s AFORM Sector for Teaching Services “Lettere-Lingue” offers thesis abroad scholarships for A.Y. 2026 to Master’s students enrolled in one of five humanities departments the Department of the Arts (DAR), the Department of History, Cultures and Civilisation (DISCI), the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies (FICLIT), the Department of Philosophy (FILO), and the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LILEC). These competitive grants support students who need to travel abroad to conduct research that is essential to the preparation of their Master’s thesis covering topics for which the source materials, archives, collections, or specialist expertise required can only be accessed at a foreign institution.
Founded in 1088, the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna is the oldest university in the Western world and one of Europe’s most distinguished institutions of higher learning, home to over 87,000 students across campuses in Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, and Rimini. Its humanities departments DAR, DISCI, FICLIT, FILO, and LILEC represent some of Italy’s most active and internationally engaged research communities in the arts, history, classical studies, philosophy, and modern languages, regularly collaborating with leading archives, museums, and academic institutions across Europe and beyond. The DISCI thesis abroad programme in particular is co-financed through the department’s Excellence Project 2023–2027 “Territories of Memory”, reflecting the University’s strategic commitment to producing internationally experienced graduates capable of conducting original, primary-source research at the highest level within a global academic context.
Benefits of the Scholarship
This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:
- Financial grant of between €1,000 and €3,100 per award (variable based on destination and duration)
- Differentiated grant amounts for European and non-European destinations
- Total departmental budget of €45,000 (DISCI alone) split equally between the two annual calls
- Support from the AFORM Teaching Services sector and the Studenti Online Help Desk throughout the application process
- Other benefits
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Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:
- Must be enrolled in the 2nd year (in corso or fuori corso) of a Master’s degree programme in A.Y. 2025/26 within one of the five participating departments: DAR, DISCI, FICLIT, FILO, or LILEC
- Must have already agreed the thesis title and research project with their supervisor (Relatrice/Relatore) prior to submitting the application
- Must plan to conduct an in-person research stay of a minimum of 5 weeks and a maximum of 17 weeks at a foreign institution
- The proposed research must be one for which source materials or in-depth study must necessarily be carried out abroad — projects without a compelling case for mandatory foreign research are not eligible
- Must remain in enrolled throughout the entire period abroad
- Must provide a signed supervisor’s declaration confirming approval of the thesis project, the usefulness of the proposed foreign stay, and the availability of the host institution to receive the student
- Must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency for the country or language of the research destination (language certificate or equivalent required, unless enrolled in an international curriculum at the destination language)
- Grant is incompatible with any other mobility funding covering the same period — double financing is strictly prohibited
- Must submit all required documents via the Studenti Online (SOL) portal by the applicable call deadline; incomplete applications are excluded
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements
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Selection Criteria
The thesis abroad scholarship selection across the five participating departments is conducted by a departmental commission appointed in accordance with each department’s individual call document. The primary evaluation criterion is the quality of the research project (Progetto di Ricerca), which is scored out of 35 points candidates who score below 21/35 on this criterion are automatically disqualified from receiving a grant, regardless of their performance on any other criterion. The research project must be structured according to the template provided in Allegato A and must clearly articulate the scientific objectives of the thesis, the specific materials or resources that can only be accessed at the proposed foreign institution, a detailed work plan that is coherent with the minimum and maximum duration of the funded stay, and a convincing explanation of why the foreign research is essential and irreplaceable for the completion of the thesis.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application.
