Pisa is a beautiful, peaceful, safe and clean city near the river. This makes it ideal to live and study. The universities in Pisa such as the University of Pisa are known for their good quality education and have reasonable tuition fees.

Courses in the social sciences prepare students to engage within human society. Through courses such as economics, political science, anthropology, sociology, history, and psychology, students may gain a better understanding of how the world around them works.

Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.

Requirements for the PhD program often involve the student having already obtained a Master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis or dissertation primarily consisting of original academic research must be submitted. In some countries, this work may even need to be defended in front of a panel.