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Program Access Information

PhD in Agricultural Resources and Technologies

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Information for prospective PhD students is available on the UPV Doctoral School website:

https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/

All information is published in Spanish, Valencian and English.

The following resources may be particularly useful for prospective applicants:

The pre-registration process for PhD studies is managed through the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s (UPV) online pre-registration system, allowing applicants to complete their application remotely, regardless of their location.

The online application system includes admission quota management, ensuring that the number of candidates admitted for each PhD programme does not exceeded the maximum.

Each application undergoes a two-stage admission process. First, the UPV Doctoral School verifies that the applicant meets the minimum requirements established in Royal Decree 99/2011. Secondly, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme (CAPD) assesses the application to ensure that the applicant satisfies the admission criteria established in the programme’s verification report. This assessment is based on both the established selection criteria and the applicant’s Evaluation Index (IV) score and the established selection criteria.

Access Profiles

The recommended admission profiles refer to bachelor’s and master’s degrees directly related to agricultural and forestry engineering and sciences, as well as pre-Bologna degree programmes in these fields. Applicants with these profiles are not required to complete any additional training requirements.

Other admission profiles refer to bachelor’s and master’s degrees that are partially related to agricultural and forestry engineering and sciences, such as Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, and Pharmacy. Applicants with these profiles will be required to complete additional training requirements.

Admission Requirements and Criteria

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements are those established in Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, as amended by Royal Decree 576/2023 of 4 July.

In general, admission to an official PhD programme requires applicants to hold official Spanish bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or their equivalent degrees, provided that they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits across these two degrees.

In addition, applicants who meet any of the following requirements may also be admitted:

a) Hold official Spanish University degrees or equivalent Spanish qualifications, provided that they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits across these studies and have demonstrated Level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.

b) Hold a degree awarded under the education systems of countries belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for formal recognition, provided that it corresponds to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework and qualifies the holder for admission to PhD studies in the country where it was awarded.

c) Hold a degree awarded under education systems outside the EHEA, without the need for formal recognition, provided that the University verifies that it is equivalent to an official Spanish master’s degree and that it qualifies the holder for admission to PhD studies in the country where it was awarded.

d) Hold another PhD degree.

e) University graduates who, after obtaining a training place through the corresponding entrance examination for specialised health training, have successfully completed at least two years of an official training programme leading to a degree in one of the Health Sciences specialties.

Approval from the proposed PhD supervisor(s) is required. The corresponding document must follow the established template. In addition, applicants must submit a document signed by the student and approved by the proposed thesis supervisor(s) and tutor, stating the provisional title and objectives of the thesis.

Candidates can consult the programme’s website for information on the different research groups and their areas of research. For each research group, the website provides details of the academic staff who belong to it, together with their research profiles and contact information.

Admission Criteria

The CAPD will ensure compliance with the programme’s admission criteria and will be responsible for assessing applications, taking the following aspects into consideration:

  • Additional training requirements.
  • The recommended admission profiles.
  • Other admission profiles.
  • Academic records: Applicants must submit the academic transcripts corresponding to their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (or, where applicable, vocational training qualifications) for assessment by the CAPD.

Evaluation of the Candidacy

The CAPD will be responsible for assessing applications by applying an Evaluation Index (IV) on a scale from 0 to 100 points. The IV will be calculated using the following formula: IV = 30 * fEG * fG + 70 * fEM * fM.

Where fEG is the weighting factor for the undergraduate academic record, based on a standardised scale from 0 to 1; fEM is the weighting factor for the master’s academic record, based on a standardised scale from 0 to 1; fG is the weighting factor assigned to the undergraduate degree; and fM is the weighting factor assigned to the master’s degree.

Accredited undergraduate (or equivalent) degrees in:

  • Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Forestry Engineering, or Forestry Sciences: fG = 1
  • Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, or Pharmacy: fG = 0.75

Accredited master’s degrees in:

  • Plant Production, Plant Health, Agroforestry Ecosystems, and Agroforestry Engineering (currently equivalent to the Master’s Degree in Plant Health and Production, Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering, Master’s Degree in Bioenvironmental and Landscape Engineering, Master’s Degree in Forest Engineering, Master’s Degree in Oenology, and the Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in Plant Health in Sustainable Agriculture): fM = 1
  • Other master’s degrees whose curriculum overlaps by 75% or more with the master’s degrees listed above (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD): fM = 0.75
  • Other master’s degrees whose curriculum overlaps by 50% to 75% with the master’s degrees listed above (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD): fM = 0.5

Additional Training Requirements

There are two distinct admission profiles: the recommended admission profile, which does not require the completion of additional training requirements, and other admission profiles, which do require the completion of additional training requirements.

As stipulated in the current regulations, these additional training requirements must be completed during the initial phase of the thesis, within a maximum period of one academic year.

In the second case, the CAPD will determine, based on the applicant’s profile, the number of credits required, up to a maximum of 20 ECTS credits. Likewise, the CAPD will determine the specific additional training requirements that the applicant must complete, upon the recommendation of the corresponding PhD supervisor, taking into account the applicant’s academic background and the proposed research area. The additional training requirements will be selected from among the courses offered in the Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering (MUIA), Master’s Degree in Plant Health and Production (MSPV), Master’s Degree in Forest Engineering (MUIM), and Master’s Degree in Oenology (MUE).

  • The following courses from the MUIA degree programme will be considered: Plant Production Technology, Integrated Pest and Disease Management, Productivity and Management in Agricultural Systems, Rural Technology (Metal Structures, Machinery and Equipment for Agri-Food Production, Hydraulic Technology), Specialisation in Crop Production (Physiological Bases of Crop Production, Weed Science, Advanced Techniques in Fruit Production, Advanced Techniques in Horticultural Production), Specialisation in Rural Engineering (Concrete and Construction Management, Electrical Installations and Substations, Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems, Rural Planning and Environmental Impact), Specialisation in Natural Resources and the Environment (Territorial and Landscape Analysis in Engineering, Pollution in Agroforestry Environments, Principles and Tools of Landscape Ecology, Environmental and Landscape Restoration).
  • The following courses from the MSPV degree programme will be considered: Management of Mediterranean Agrosystems, Special Technologies for Field Crop Production, Arboriculture, Agricultural Acarology, Biology and Ecology of Insects, Ecology of Citrus Pests, Agricultural Pest Management, Pest Control Methods, Biology and Ecology of Plant Pathogens, Agricultural Disease Management, Diagnostic Methods in Plant Pathology, Plant Disease Control Methods, Advanced Weed Science, Advanced Plant Physiology, Advanced Soil Science.
  • The following courses from the MUIM degree programme will be considered: Wood Technology, Forestry Industrial Process Technology, Renewable Energy in Forestry, Forestry Projects, Environmental Management in Forestry, Natural Environment Management and Protection, Forest Planning, Forest Genetic Improvement, Forest and Natural Environment Policies, Physics and Meteorology of Forest Fires, Forest Fuel Management, Territorial and Landscape Analysis in Engineering, Environmental and Landscape Restoration, Wildlife Management and Conservation, Flora Management and Conservation, Optimisation of Mechanisation and Logistics for Forest Products, Mediterranean Forest Product Technology, Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Species and Their Response, Adaptive Silviculture, and Climate Change Mitigation.
  • The following courses from the MUE degree programme will be considered: Vine Cultivation, Viticultural Materials.