Italy introduced the Ph.D. in 1980. The latest cycle launched was the thirtieth. This article sets out to describe how the relevant legal framework evolved, highlighting one contentious issue in particular: the legal status of the people involved, i.e. of the Ph.D. students themselves. Ever since the Ph.D. was first established in Italy, Ph.D. students have had the same status as undergraduates (the reasoning being that a Ph.D. is an educational qualification), but the normative evolution since then has thrown increasing light on the complexity of the Ph.D., which includes activities that it is hard not to describe as the kind of work expected of an employee. Despite this, failing to transpose the indications listed in declarations signed at EU level, Italian legislation persists in refusing to acknowledge this dual nature, generating certain contradictions that are analysed in the last part of the article
Keywords: Ph.D. - Ph.D. student - University - Legal status - Training - Profession