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ICTP Postgraduate Diploma Programme

Postgraduate Diploma Programme

An intense, pre-PhD programme for talented students

Supporting its mission to promote advanced scientific research in developing countries, ICTP offers a Postgraduate Diploma Programme that prepares talented students for PhD studies.

The Postgraduate Diploma Programme started in 1991, and since then, many of its graduates have gone on to do PhDs at various prestigious universities, including in Europe and North America. Many of them, after a few postdoctoral stints abroad, have returned to their home countries, where they are actively involved in teaching and in developing advanced research groups there. Others have pursued scientific careers in leading scientific institutions worldwide. Many former students continue to maintain an active collaboration with ICTP throughout their careers.

The Programme is open to young qualified graduates in physics, mathematics or related fields. A limited number of scholarships (around 10 per field) are awarded to successful candidates from developing countries (with particular emphasis on students from the least developed regions of the world) to cover travel and living expenses during their stay at ICTP. The selection of the candidates is based on their university performance as well as on academic recommendations. The selection committee aims to select the best academically qualified candidates while striving for gender balance and geographical distribution. After the completion of the courses (including examinations), participants are required to work on a dissertation, to be submitted and defended.

Fields of research
High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

  • Coordinator: G. Villadoro

    Courses for the academic year 2024-2025

  • LINK TO THE 2024-25  HECAP DIPLOMA LECTURES
     

    I Term 16 September 2024  – January 2025

  • Quantum Mechanics (HEP-QM)    K.S. Narain   (18 lectures of 1.5 h each)     Starting on  9 September      EXAM: TBC

  • Classical Field Theory (HEP-CFT)   B. Acharya  (11 lectures of 2 h each)   Starting on 17 September      EXAM: TBC
  • General Relativity I (HEP-GR I)   M. Mirbabayi  (17 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on  11 November       EXAM: TBC
  • Quantum Field Theory I (HEP-QFT I)   A. Bissi  (21 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on 5 November       EXAM: TBC
  •  

  • Tutorials

  • Classical Field Theory tutorials (HEP-CFT tut.) 
  • Quantum Mechanics tutorials (HEP-QM tut.)
  • Quantum Field Theory I tutorials (HEP-QFT I tut.)
  • General Relativity I tutorials (HEP-GR I tut.)

  •  

    II Term  January – May 2025

  • Standard Model I (HEP-SM I)   G. Villadoro  (21 lectures of 1.5 h each)      Starting on January 2025
  • Quantum Field Theory II (HEP-QFT II)  S.Randjbar-Daemi  (21 lectures of 1.5 each)    Starting on January 2025
  • Standard Model II (HEP-SM II)  E. Miro’  (21 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on April 2025
  • General Relativity II (HEP-GR II)  P. Creminelli  (21 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on  April 2025
  •  
  • Tutorials
  • Standard Model I tutorials (HEP-SM tut.)
  • Standard Model II tutorials (HEP-SM II tut.)
  • General Relativity II tutorials (HEP-GR II tut.)
  • Quantum Field Theory II tutorials (HEP-QF II tut.)
  •  
Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics

Condensed Matter Physics

  • Coordinator: Mikhail Kiselev

    Courses for the academic year 2024-2025

  • LINK TO THE 2024-2025 CMP DIPLOMA LECTURES

  • https://diploma.ictp.it/new-weekly-schedule/cmp.aspx

     

    I Term: 9 September –  December 2024

  • Mathematical Techniques (CMP-MT)   M. Sellitto (10 lectures of 1.5 h each)       Starting on 9 September 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Linux Basics (CMP-LB)  M. Stella and C. Egan  (5 lectures of 1.5 h each)         Starting on  9 September 2024
  • Numerical Methods I (CMP/ESP-NUM I)  E. Coppola, G. Giuliani, other lecturers (18 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on September 2024   EXAM:  TBC
  • Statistical Mechanics (CMP-SM)    A.  Jelic (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on 25 September 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Electrons and Phonons in Solids (CMP-EPS)   N. Binggeli, N. Stojic (29 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on 23 September 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Advanced Quantum Mechanics (CMP-AQM) G. Santoro, R. Fazio (31 lectures of 1.5 h each)     Starting on September 2024   EXAM: TBC
  • Selected Topics in Condensed Matter Physics (CMP-ST)   N. Seriani + Z. Li   (10 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on 11 October 2024
  •  

  • Tutorials

  • Advanced Quantum Mechanics tutorials (CMP-AQM tut.)
  • Statistical Mechanics tutorials (CMP-SM tut.)
  • Electrons and Phonons in Solids (CMP-EPS tut.)  

 

  • II Term: January – 26 April 2025
  • Scientific Python (CMP-SP)     
  • Biophysics (CMP-BIO)     
  • Numerical Methods II (CMP-NUM II)
  • Selected Topics in Condensed Matter Physics (CMP-ST)  
  • Many-Body Theory (CMP-MBT)     
  • Electronic Structure (CMP-ES) 
  • Advanced Statistical Mechanics (CMP-ASM) 

 

Mathematics

Mathematics

Coordinator: Lothar Göttsche

Courses for the academic year 2024-2025

 

Link to the courses:

https://diploma.ictp.it/new-weekly-schedule/mth.aspx

 

I Term 12 September – 19 December 2024

  • Real Analysis (MTH-RA)  S. Bianchini  (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)      Starting on 12 September 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Complex Analysis (MTH-CA)    S. Sinha  (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)    Starting on 16  September 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Topology (MTH-TOP)  D. Zuddas  (15 lectures of 1.5 h each)        Starting on 1 October 2024 EXAM: 5 December 2024
  • Algebra (MTH-ALG)  L. Goettsche (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)        Starting on October 2024  EXAM:  TBC
  •  
  • Tutorials
  • Real Analysis tutorials (MTH-RA tut.)
  • Complex Analysis tutorials (MTH-CA tut.)
  • Topology tutorials (MTH-TOP tut.)
  • Algebra tutorials (MT-ALG tut.)
  •  
  • II Term  7 January –  April 2025
  • Functional Analysis (MTH-FA)    (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)                Starting on  January 2025
  • Partial Differential Equations (MTH-PDE)    (15 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on January 2025
  • Differential Geometry (MTH-DG)    (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)        Starting on January 2025
  • Algebraic Geometry (MTH-AG)   (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)           Starting on March 2025
  • Algebraic Topology (MTH-AT)   (15 lectures of 1.5 h each)          Starting on January 2025
  • ODE & Dynamical Systems (MTH-ODS)   (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on January 2025
  • Supervised Machine Learning (MTH-SML)   (11 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on 15 January 2025
  •  
  • Tutorials (approx. 7 tutorials per course)
  • Functional Analysis tutorials (MTH-FA tut.)
  • Partial Differential Equations tutorials (MTH-PDE tut.)
  • Differential Geometry tutorials (MTH-DG tut.)
  • Algebraic Geometry tutorials (MTH-AG tut.)
  • Algebraic Topology tutorials (MTH-AT tut)
  • ODE & Dynamical Systems tutorials (MTH-ODS tut)
  • Supervised Machine Learning tutorials (MTH-SML tut)
Earth System Physics

Earth System Physics

Coordinator: Riccardo Farneti

Courses for the academic year 2024-2025

LINK TO THE 2024-25  ESP DIPLOMA LECTURES

https://diploma.ictp.it/new-weekly-schedule/esp.aspx

 

I Term

  • Wave Physics (ESP-WP)  F. Romanelli  (12 lectures of 1.5 h each)     Starting on 9 September 2024   EXAM: TBC
  • Physics of the Earth for Geohazards (ESP-PEG)  A. Aoudia  (16 lectures of 1.5 h each) Starting on November 2024.   EXAM: TBC
  • Thermodynamics and Physics of the Atmosphere (ESP-TPA)  A. Tompkins (16 lectures of 1.5 h each)  Starting on November 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (ESP-GFD)  R. Farneti, S. Salon (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)  Starting on October 2024    EXAM: TBC
  • Linux Basics (ESP-LB)  G. Giuliani   (5 lectures of 1.5 h each)   Starting on 9 September 2024
  • Numerical Methods I (CMP/ESP-NUM I)  E. Coppola, G. Giuliani, other lecturers TBC (18 lectures of 1.5 h each)  Starting on September  2024    EXAM: TBC
  •  

 

II Term

 

CLIMATE  

  • Scientific Python (ESP/CMP-SP) D. Davydenkova  (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)   to be scheduled
  • Numerical Methods and Data Analysis in GeoScience (ESP-NDA) G. Giuliani, M. Guarino (14 lectures of 1.5 h each)  to be scheduled
  • Atmospheric Dynamics (ESP-AD) F. Kucharski (15 lectures of 1.5 h each)  to be scheduled                  
  • Physics and Dynamics of the Ocean (ESP-PDO) R. Farneti, M. Gacic (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)  to be scheduled
  • BioGeochemical Cycles (ESP-BGC)  (12 lectures of 1.5 h each)  to be scheduled
  • Earth System Modelling (ESP-ESM)  (14 lectures of 1.5 h each) to be scheduled

SOLID EARTH 

  • Theoretical Seismology (ESP-SEIS)  (20 lectures of 1.5 h each)    to be scheduled
  • Space Geodesy and InSAR (ESP-SG) (12 lectures of 1.5 h each)  to be scheduled
  • Applied Seismology (ESP-APS) (12 lectures of 1.5 h each)   to be scheduled
  • Physics of Volcanoes (ESP-PV) (12 lectures of 1.5 h each)      to be scheduled
  • Mechanics of Earthquakes and Tectonophysics (ESP-MET)  (12 lectures of 1.5 h each) to be scheduled
  • Observations and Computer Methods (ESP-OCM)  (25 lectures of 1.5 h each) to be scheduled

 

Quantitative Life Sciences

Quantitative Life Sciences

  • Probability and Information Theory
  • Biophysics
  • Neuroscience
  • Ecology and Evolution
  • Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Who can apply

Postgraduate Diploma Programme

The Postgraduate Diploma Programme is open to young (generally below 28 years of age), qualified graduates from all countries that are members of the United Nations, UNESCO or IAEA. The minimum qualification for applicants is a degree equivalent to an MSc (or an exceptionally good BSc) in physics, mathematics or in a field related to the topics listed below.

The selection of candidates will be based on their university record and on academic recommendations. Since the Postgraduate Diploma Programme is in English, fluency in speaking and writing is an essential qualification.

The applicant is expected to have adequate knowledge of the following topics in the specific field for which he/she is applying:

  • For Condensed Matter Physics: solid state physics; quantum mechanics; statistical mechanics; classical mechanics; electrodynamics; mathematical physics.
  • For High Energy, Cosmology and Astropartical Physics: classical mechanics; electrodynamics; special theory of relativity; quantum mechanics; statistical mechanics.
  • For Earth System Physics: a theoretical background in physics, mathematics or engineering; mathematical methods applied in geophysics and geosciences.
  • For Mathematics: basic abstract algebra; elements of real and complex analysis; topology.
  • For Quantitative Life Sciences: classical mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, mathematical methods for physics, basic programming skills

 

Entitlements

Tuition-free; 10 yearly scholarships plus travel grant for applicants from developing countries.

In each Postgraduate Diploma Programme, scholarships and travel grants will be awarded to those 10 students selected from developing countries. There are no course fees. Students will receive a scholarship for the entire year of study. A limited number of qualified candidates who meet the same selection criteria as others may attend the courses at their own cost. They must supply written evidence from a funding agency or a banking institution that funds are available for their entire year's stay, and are equal to those offered by the Centre.

How to apply

Postgraduate Diploma Programme

In addition to completing an online application form, candidates should upload the following as part of their application:

  • Copies of transcripts of university academic records and university degrees in English (The selected candidates will be required to provide originals or certified copies of these documents as well as of their official English translation before he/she can be admitted to the Programme);
  • Any certificates or documents that give proof of the student's ability to follow advanced-level courses, study and write scientific literature in the English language;
  • Two letters of recommendation, from senior scientists familiar with the applicant's studies and work.
Contacts

If you have problems with the online application, please contact the Diploma Office at diploma@ictp.it

SECRETARIAT

Ms. Sandra Alimanovic 

Programme Assistant

+39 040 2240362

Ms. Manuela Schipizza

Programme Assistant

+39 0402240487

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Frequently Asked Questions.pdf
Organizers
Diploma Programme
BSc (but a MSc is preferred) in physics or mathematics under the age of 28, from UN member country
for Developing countries
Trieste
1 year, from 1 September to 31 August
Deadline
15 Mar 2025
ICTP
Apply Online