Italy · PhD
Politecnico di Milano
PhD in Information Engineering
Politecnico di Milano
Course Overview
POLIMI's PhD in Information Engineering (DEIB) is one of continental Europe's strongest doctoral programmes in computer science, electronics, telecoms, and systems & control — covering AI, machine learning, computer vision, NLP, robotics, autonomous systems, signal processing, photonics, and cyber-physical systems. The Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) is QS top-30 globally and runs joint labs with STMicroelectronics, Huawei, Ferrari, and the European Space Agency.
Italy uses the salaried-PhD model: doctoral candidates receive a tax-favoured fellowship of roughly €18,000–€22,000 per year (€1,500–€1,800/month net), plus an additional 50% top-up for any research stay abroad. Tuition is fully waived. The standard cycle is three years, extendable to four. Sri Lankan applicants typically arrive with a strong MSc from Moratuwa, Colombo, SLIIT, or a European/American Master's; pre-aligned supervisor contact through DEIB faculty pages is the standard route in.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Master's degree (MSc / Laurea Magistrale) in Computer Science, Electronics, Telecommunications, Information Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or closely-related field with strong grades (Italian 105/110+ or equivalent first-class).
- check_circle Pre-aligned supervisor contact — POLIMI PhD positions are project-based; identify a DEIB faculty member and align research interest before submitting.
- check_circle Research statement, CV, Master's thesis (if available), and 2 academic references.
- check_circle Publication record (workshops, conferences) is a major positive but not strictly required.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.5 Overall (min 6.0 in each section).
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 88 Overall.
- check_circle Cambridge C1 Advanced or higher.
- check_circle Waived if your prior degree was taught entirely in English at a recognised institution (Sri Lankan English-medium MScs qualify).
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (Fully) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (waived — salaried PhD) | €0 (Waived) | Rs. 0 (Waived) |
| Monthly Fellowship (net) | €1,500–€1,800/mo | Rs. 517,500–620,000/mo |
| Research Stay Abroad Top-Up (50%) | +€750–€900/mo | +Rs. 258,750–310,500/mo |
| Visa, Insurance & Setup | €1,200 | Rs. 414,000 |
| Total 4-Year Gross Fellowship | €72,000–€88,000+ | Rs. 24,840,000–30,360,000+ |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
POLIMI PhD graduates are eligible for Italy's 12-month post-study residence permit on completion and the EU Blue Card path. PhD-level salaries in Italian and European tech are €55,000–€85,000+ — Google Milan, Microsoft Research, ETH spin-offs, ENI, Leonardo, ST Microelectronics, and the European Commission Joint Research Centre actively recruit DEIB PhDs. Sri Lankan returnees route into senior R&D leadership at WSO2, IFS R&D, Virtusa Labs, the University of Moratuwa (lectureship), or international postdoc cycles at MIT, Cambridge, ETH Zurich.
Related Programs
PhD in Artificial Intelligence
School of Computing, National University of Singapore
PhD in Computer Science
Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge
PhD in Computer Science
ETH Zurich
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ඔබට සුදුසු විශ්වවිද්යාලයක් තේරීම, අයදුම්පත් යොමු කිරීම, SOP සකස් කිරීම සහ වීසා ලබා ගැනීම ඇතුළු සෑම පියවරකදීම, ඔබ වෙනුවෙන් සියලුම වගකීම් විශ්වාසවන්තව අප භාර ගනිමු.