Italian second cycle master's degree (Laurea Magistrale, under D.M. 270/04 or Laurea Specialistica, under D.M. 509/99) or Italian degree obtained prior to D.M. 509/99 (the previous Italian regulations) or Second cycle Master's degree obtained abroad and recognized as suitable for the admission to doctoral program.
More information available in the Call.

PhD graduates in Reggio Childhood Studies will be qualified to take on leading roles in the design, organization, and pedagogical coordination of early childhood services. They will also be able to contribute to research in the humanities, work within institutions that promote and organize cultural activities, and serve as educational consultants in both public and private sectors. Furthermore, they may act as advisors and trainers for leadership, guidance, support, and oversight bodies established by public administrations or private organizations.

As scholars, trainers, and evaluators, they may engage with centers and projects focused on pedagogical and psycho-pedagogical research, taking on responsibilities in the design of collaborative policies at both national and international levels (such as cultural foundations, international relations, human resources, etc.).

Career opportunities will be available within public and private institutions, both national and international, that promote the Reggio Emilia educational approach in various ways—across early childhood services and other educational levels.

A final professional pathway lies in academic research, at both national and international levels, in the many institutions where the Reggio Emilia Approach is the subject of study and research, and where it is adopted as a methodological and epistemological framework.

The Reggio Childhood Studies program is an industrial PhD with an international vocation, recognized as highly innovative within the framework of doctoral programs in the SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) sector. It stands out by establishing a residential community and proposing a participatory model of conducting research. In this model, doctoral candidates share workspaces, schedules, and pedagogical opportunities within the defined industrial context. The residential community fosters methodological and thematic exchange, as well as a continuous practice of mutual respect and recognition. This environment is a key stimulus for discussion and for redefining the paths, domains, and research subjects of the Reggio Emilia Approach—already recognized as one of the most significant pedagogical approaches at both national and international levels.

The Department of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Fondazione Reggio Children – Loris Malaguzzi International Center jointly contribute to shaping the educational opportunities offered within the Reggio Childhood Studies program. Their aim is to train young scholars whose profiles are equipped to meet the challenges and demands for innovation in education and knowledge development in its various forms.

The faculty board is markedly multidisciplinary and includes internationally renowned scholars such as: James Bradburne, museologist and cultural manager (CIRCI), Gila Kurtz, Faculty of Instructional Technologies (Holon Institute of Technology), Antonia Liguori, expert in Participatory Storytelling and Public Policy (Teesside University), Mitchel Resnick, learning researcher (MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Lester-Irabinna Rigney, expert in Aboriginal education (University of South Australia).
It also benefits from the collaboration of members of the prestigious Project Zero at Harvard University and from the support of the scientific committee of Fondazione Reggio Children, which includes internationally prominent figures such as: Howard Gardner (Harvard University), James Heckman (University of Chicago and Nobel Laureate), Peter Moss (University College London).

The PhD program aims to train individuals capable of operating at a high level and on an international scale—not only in the field of early childhood education, but more broadly in various educational contexts grounded in respect and mutual recognition, which are essential in today’s global world.