A four-year, fully-funded PhD in Economics, History, Law or Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institute in Florence — one of Europe's most prestigious doctoral schools in the social sciences, with up to 130 scholarships for September 2027 entry. You apply once through the EUI's online form and tick the funding programmes you believe you qualify for — the EUI automatically considers you for each.
Why it is notable: the unusual funding architecture — the EUI does not pay you directly; your tuition and monthly grant come from your country's national grant authority (contracting states, associate member states, or Italy's MAECI "Grants for Foreigners"), plus earmarked Special Doctoral Fellowships for candidates from other countries. Many strong candidates miss it because they don't realise they must check their national authority's rules (and for Greece and Slovenia, file a separate national application too).
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fees covered for all 4 years:
Monthly scholarship/stipend for living expenses (amount set by the national grant-awarding authority — varies by country):
4-year fully-funded structured doctoral programme with close supervision, methods/theory courses, workshops and academic/professional development:
Research environment: world-class social-sciences library, exclusive access to the Historical Archives of the EU, exchange opportunities and an international alumni network:
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for PhD programs.
Who can apply
all nationalities may apply for admission. FUNDING depends on the funding track you qualify for: (1) EUI contracting states — Austria, Belgium (Flanders / Wallonia-Brussels), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden; (2) Associate member states — Norway, Switzerland; (3) Italian MAECI "Grants for Foreigners" — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic of China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA; (4) EUI Special Doctoral Fellowships for candidates from other countries. Czechia, Hungary and Lithuania have not signed the EUI Convention — currently no national funding for their candidates (they may be admitted if they secure external sponsorship).
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
English is the working language; course/department-dependent requirements — check the department page
Other Certificates
Master's degree certificate and full transcripts; research proposal as required by the department
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
admission open to all nationalities; funding tracks are country-based as listed above. Czechia/Hungary/Lithuania: no national funding available (Convention not…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
a Master's-level degree (or equivalent) giving access to doctoral studies; relevant discipline for the chosen department.
02
Documents
certificates, full transcripts, department-specific research proposal, references; proof of English where required.
03
Funding selection
in the EUI form, select 1–3 funding options you have valid reason to believe you are eligible for; admission offers carry the funding decision of the EUI selection committee.
04
National rules
each national authority sets its own conditions (nationality, residence, degree, timing of award) — read the authority's page; Greece/Slovenia require an additional separate national application.
05
Deadline discipline
one deadline for all departments (15 Jan 2027, 14:00 CET); late applications are not accepted.
06
Fee
no application fee.
Document checklist
01Completed EUI online application form (with funding-option selections)
02Master's degree certificate(s) and full transcripts
04Academic references as required by the department
05Proof of English proficiency where required by the department
06(Greece/Slovenia only) separate national grant application filed with the national authority
Application fee
No fee — completely free.
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Italy national (type D) study visa ("studio") for stays over 90 days, applied for at the Italian embassy/consulate in your country of residence (concise — recheck current requirements on the Italian…
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Choose your department (Economics
History, Law, Political and Social Sciences) and check its entry requirements and research fit.
→
02
Identify which funding track(s) you can claim
(contracting state / associate member state / MAECI Grants for Foreigners / Special Doctoral Fellowships) and read that authority's specific conditions.
→
03
If applying for Greek or Slovenian national funding
file the mandatory separate national application by that authority's deadline.
↓
06
Submit by 15 January 2027
14:00 CET. Late applications are not accepted.
←
05
Upload degree certificates
transcripts, research proposal and references as required by the department.
←
04
Complete the EUI online application form
selecting at least one and up to three funding options you believe you qualify for (you are automatically considered for each — no separate funding applications otherwise).
↓
07
Completed EUI online application form (with funding-option
selections)
→
08
Master's degree certificate(s) and full transcripts
→
09
Research proposal (department-specific requirements)
↓
10
Academic references as required by the department
Application milestones
15 Jan 2027
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official European University Institute platform.
15 Jan 2027 — , 14:00 CET — single deadline for all four departments; late applications not accepted
Who can apply?
all nationalities may apply for admission. FUNDING depends on the funding track you qualify for: (1) EUI contracting states — Austria, Belgium (Flanders / Wallonia-Brussels), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden; (2) Associate member states — Norway, Switzerland; (3) Italian MAECI "Grants for Foreigners" — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, People's Republic of China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA; (4) EUI Special Doctoral Fellowships for candidates from other countries. Czechia, Hungary and Lithuania have not signed the EUI Convention — currently no national funding for their candidates (they may be admitted if they secure external sponsorship).
What does the scholarship cover?
Full tuition fees covered for all 4 years:; Monthly scholarship/stipend for living expenses (amount set by the national grant-awarding authority — varies by country):; 4-year fully-funded structured doctoral programme with close supervision, methods/theory courses, workshops and academic/professional development:; Research environment: world-class social-sciences library, exclusive access to the Historical Archives of the EU, exchange opportunities and an international alumni network:
Where do I apply?
Through the official application portal linked in the Official links section on this page.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Italy · European University Institute