The Scuola Normale Superiore is a public institute for higher education that in its two centuries of life has earned itself a special place, both in Italy and abroad, a place characterised by merit, talent and scientific rigour.
PhD Programmes
About
History
The Scuola Normale of Pisa was formally founded on the 18th of October, 1810, by a Napoleonic decree which dealt with “places of public instruction” in Tuscany, a province of the French empire since 1807.
Education
Two types of course are available: the undergraduate course and the PhD course.The teaching activity is distributed among three academic structures: the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, placed in Pisa, and the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, located in Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.
Research
Research is the key characteristic of the Scuola Normale teaching model. Hence the Scuola invests considerable resources in research activities, including the setting up of temporary structures to support them. The laboratories and specialised centres are set up on a five-yearly basis in order to guarantee constant updating of the scientific lines proposed.
University Ranking
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2023
183 14
2022
197 -16
2021
181
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2023
416 -113
2022
303 -82
2021
221
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2022
501 -100
2021
401
2020
401
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Services
Student services
In order to make possible and maintain the exchange of knowledge and experience, the Scuola provides each student with:
- free accommodation in a single room in one of the college dormitories owned by the Scuola (Collegio Faedo, Collegio Carducci, Collegio Timpano, Collegio Fermi) ;
- free meals in a refectory located in Palazzo D’Ancona and also used by the teachers and the administration workers of the Scuola;
- free admission to the Library of the Scuola (1 million volumes and 4 thousand periodicals) with free check-out of library resources;
- free access to the laboratories and the research structures of both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Sciences of the Scuola.
Housing services
Structures:
- Collegio Fermi. Located in via S. Apollonia, 29, it offers 46 single rooms with bathroom.
- Collegio Timpano. Located in Lungarno Pacinotti, 51, it offers 110 single rooms with bathroom.
- Collegio Carducci. Located in via Turati, 35, it offers 91 single rooms with bathroom.
- Collegio Faedo. Located in via del Giardino, 3, it offers 83 single rooms with bathroom.
Library services
As an essential part of the teaching and research activities of the Scuola Normale, the Library's collection has increased most especially in those subject areas where the Normale has traditionally carried out research and teaching, like Physics and Mathematics for the Faculty of Sciences and the Humanities for the Faculty of Arts.
Student Life
Campus life
At the Scuola Normale teachers, researchers and students live in the same environment, switching between teaching activities and research in the labs and attending the cultural events organised by and within the Scuola. An optimum teacher to student ratio (about 1 to 10), the seminar method of teaching, the prevalence of interaction and discussion within the academic environment, as opposed to more traditional lectures: these are the basic ingredients of the typical college life of the Scuola Normale.
Sports facilities
This “minister” has the task of purchasing the equipment for the college gyms and of stipulating suitable agreements with the gyms of Pisa so as to allow students to do physical activities.In addition, there are numerous sports initiatives involving the students, giving them the chance to compete in ways other than on the academic plane with other students from universities in Italy and abroad.
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