PHD program in Information Technologies and their Application in Management, Architecture and Geophysics

Requirements

According to Royal Decree 99/2011, of January 28, the general requirements for admission to a doctoral program are:

1. In general, to access an official doctoral program, it is necessary to hold an official Spanish Bachelor's degree or equivalent, and a university Master's degree or equivalent, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been completed in total between these two degrees.

2. Additionally, those who meet any of the following conditions may also be admitted:

• Hold official Spanish university degrees or equivalent Spanish qualifications, provided they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits in total and can prove they have reached Level 3 in the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.
• Hold a degree obtained in foreign education systems within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for homologation, which certifies Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided this degree qualifies for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. This admission does not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the applicant or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Hold a degree obtained in foreign education systems outside the EHEA, without the need for homologation, with prior verification by the university that it certifies a level of education equivalent to that of the official Spanish university master's degree, and that it qualifies for admission to doctoral studies in the country of issuance. This admission does not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the applicant or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Hold another doctoral degree.
• University graduates who, having previously obtained a training position in the corresponding entrance examination for specialized health training positions, have completed with positive evaluation at least two years of training in a program to obtain the official degree in one of the specialities in Health Sciences.

Applicant profile

The inherently multidisciplinary nature of the program, which encompasses a diverse range of knowledge areas, welcomes candidates with a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Therefore, the program does not aim to define the applicant's profile through a list of specific degrees, but rather through the skills, competencies, motivation, and commitment of candidates, which should align with the program's research lines. As a guideline, candidates tend to be graduates from scientific or technical disciplines such as engineering, computer science, geophysics, architecture, business administration, or animation and digital arts. However, the Doctoral Program Academic Committee (CAPD) can evaluate other potential profiles, provided they can align with the research lines of the program, incorporating necessary complementary training. In all cases, the interview with the program coordinator and a referent from the research line will be crucial in considering the suitability of the candidate.

Admission

To enroll in the Doctoral program, candidates who meet the previously mentioned requirements must be interviewed by the program coordinator, and if necessary, by the potential director and/or tutor of the proposed research work among the program's faculty.

Candidates must contact the Doctoral Program Academic Committee (CAPD) for their application to be evaluated. Admission criteria are based on this interview and the following documentation and information.

1. The candidate’s CV.

2. The motivated admission application document (request the document from doctorat_ti@salle.url.edu)

1. Motivation for thesis development and objectives/work plan.
2. Proposed supervision team, with the possibility of including endorsement from a researcher as a potential doctoral thesis director.

The application can be accompanied by other evidence of the candidate's potential as a future Doctoral Program student, including:

1. Academic record and qualifications.
2. Letter(s) of recommendation.
3. Experience in research methodology.
4. Competencies in La Salle and/or Observatori de l'Ebre knowledge areas.
5. Other merits the candidate deems appropriate to provide.

If the decision on admission is not unanimous, the CAPD will score each section with an integer value ranging from -1 to 1, with -1 being the minimum evaluation and 1 the maximum. The motivated application is valued at 10%, the CV and attached documentation at 40% and the interview phase evaluation at 50%. To be admitted, a candidate must achieve a positive weighted score.

In case of a tie, the candidates will be evaluated preferably following positive discrimination criteria according to the field of knowledge, always considering that at least 5% of the places will be reserved for students with a recognized degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%, or with permanent special educational needs associated with personal circumstances of disability, who in their previous sutdies have required resources and support for their full educational normalization.

The CAPD is ultimately responsible for deciding whether to admit the candidate according to the described selection criteria.

Once admitted to the Doctoral Program, each doctoral student will be assigned a thesis director by the CAPD. This assignment may fall on any Spanish or foreign doctor with accredited research experience. Likewise, they will be assigned a tutor, a doctor with accredited research experience from the program's faculty, who will be responsible for ensuring the doctoral student's interaction with the CAPD. The tutor may or may not be the same person as the doctoral thesis director.

Selected candidates will receive a letter from the Doctoral Program Coordination indicating their admission.

The CAPD may require additional training from the candidate to meet the selection criteria. Additional training courses can be classified mainly into three types:

1. Research methodology course equivalent to 5 ECTS credits.
2. Specific Master's-level courses related to the doctoral thesis knowledge areas. These courses usually correspond to 5 ECTS credits each.
3. Introductory seminar for the doctoral student to research activity, consisting of conducting a research project, with a workload equivalent to 10 ECTS credits.

These complementary training courses aim to cover the specific needs that the doctoral student may have. The master's courses currently taught at La Salle URL can be found at: Masters La Salle.

Students wishing to enroll in the Doctoral Program on a part-time basis must meet the same admission requirements as full-time students.

Enrollment

Once the letter of admission to the Doctoral Program has been received, the candidate must formalize their enrollment by contacting the Academic Secretary of La Salle Campus Barcelona to submit the necessary documentation and pay the corresponding fees to formalize the enrollment in doctoral studies.

It is the responsibility of foreign students to ensure they have all the necessary documentation for legal residency in Spain during their doctoral studies at La Salle-URL or the Observatori de l’Ebre. 

There are two enrollment windows during the academic year:

1. First: from early September to mid-October.
2. Second: from early September to mid-October.

For more details, see the Enrollment and Residency Regulations. 

Fees and Scholarships

Candidates for the Doctoral Program can apply for financial support through the public aid system, as well as through funding programs from private institutions. Other funding options can be discussed within the research line linked to the thesis project through possible collaborations in funded research projects.

For information on tuition fees, scholarships, and discounts, please contact the Academic Secretariat (secre@salleurl.edu).