The initial part of the courses scheduled in the three years duration of the doctorate, is a series of seminars activities, under compulsory attendance, structured and partially differentiated to take account of different backgrounds and needs of graduate students, usually significantly different from cycle to cycle. In this framework there is the possibility, strongly encouraged by the faculty for a period of study abroad.
The second part is devoted to the individual research support that will end with a discussion of doctoral thesis for the realization of which the student is supposed to be committed for a period of minimum one year and a half to two years. In particular, the student has to attend, in addition to basic courses, to two seminar series consolidated and institutionalized with, respectively, methodological and thematic content and likely to be developed in an organic cycle.
The seminars last normally for twenty hours and are usually followed by drafting of monographs and insights made by graduate students. There are also seminars of shorter duration on certain areas of study: methodological, historical, bio-health and economic-social. The subjects chosen match the specific interests of students. It is also encouraged the participation of doctoral candidates, although in different ways according to their interests, to seminars and conferences organized by national and international research institutions on population issues.