Program access information

The doctoral program is organized, designed, coordinated and supervised by the CAPD, which is responsible for its definition, updating and quality, as well as training and research activities.

The CAPD will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the criteria for admission to the program and will be responsible for its evaluation, taking into account the following aspects:

1. Academic qualification: Spanish or foreign graduates with a degree in agronomic engineering/science, forestry, chemistry, biology, biotechnology or pharmacy may access the doctoral program.
2. Postgraduate training: at least 60 credits of postgraduate training (Master’s degree) in the field of Plant Production must be accredited.
3. Academic transcript: both undergraduate and graduate academic records must be provided for evaluation by the CAPD.
4. Complementary training: the student’s admission may include the requirement of complementary training when the CAPD considers it necessary, depending on the student’s previous training.
5. The CAPD will be responsible for evaluating the admission of students by applying a valuation index (IV) on a scale of 0 to 100 points. Those who have an IV > 70 will be admitted to the doctorate.

The following equation will be applied for the calculation of the IV, being a requirement to have previously completed at least 60 credits at the Master’s degree level:

IV=20* f E + 30* f T + 50 f M

Being f E the weighting factor of the academic record of the total of the studies (undergraduate and graduate), considering the overall average grade on a normalized scale from 0 to 1, f T the weighting factor of the degree title and f M is the weighting factor for postgraduate education. The following are the values that the factors can take f T and f M :

• Accredited undergraduate training in:
  • Agricultural engineering (agri-food) or forestry engineering: f T = 1
  • Biology, Biotechnology, Pharmacy or Chemistry: f T = 0.75

• Accredited postgraduate training in:
  • Master Degree in Plant Health and Production: f M = 1
  • Master in Citriculture: f M = 1

• Other master’s degrees whose contents present a 75% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the CAPD): f M = 0.75

• Other master’s degrees whose contents present between 50 and 75% of affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the CAPD): f M = 0.5

Only those who comply with a valuation f M = 1 would be exempt from taking complementary training, and could directly access the Doctoral Program. Otherwise, depending on the Postgraduate training provided, the CAPD will determine the complementary training. The maximum number of credits (NMC) to be taken as training complements will be obtained by applying the following equation:

NMC= (100-PA)-60

PA being the percentage of affinity (PA) of the Master’s degree provided for admission, with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (previous assessment by the CAPD).

The training complements have been detailed according to the entrance profiles, including information related to the contents, learning outcomes, training activities and evaluation systems, of the subject “Advanced Aspects of Plant Production and Health”, which constitutes the training offer, from which the training complements to be taken, if applicable, by the doctoral student will be defined.

The training complements will be recommended taking into account the formative weaknesses of the student and the line of research in which the doctoral student shows interest in participating. Specifically, the subject “Advanced Aspects of Plant Production and Health” is offered, which consists (a priori) of 11 subjects. Detailed information is presented in the Teaching Guides, which can be found in the website of the Master Degree in Plant Health and Production.

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The Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program in Agricultural Resources and Technologies meeting on January 23 and February 5, 2018, agreed to approve the new admission regulations for students coming from undergraduate and graduate studies (respectively), remaining as follows:

Students coming from undergraduate studies (meeting February 5, 2018).

Applicants accessing this Doctoral Program with a “Degree in Agri-Food and Rural Engineering” or “Degree in Forestry Engineering” must take 60 credits, to complete the 300 credits required to access the Doctoral Programs, of subjects from the official Master’s Programs in “Plant Health and Production”, “Agronomic Engineering”, “Forestry Engineering”, “Landscape and Bioenvironmental Engineering”, “Oenology” or “Plant Health” (or their equivalents in force at any given time).

If in addition to the degree of “Degree in Agri-Food and Rural Engineering” or “Degree in Forestry Engineering”, an applicant provides studies with equivalent content to the studies of the above mentioned Masters, the corresponding credits will be recognized for access to the Doctorate Program.

The CAPD will study the records of applicants who access with other degrees and will propose, if necessary, the credits that the student must take as complements, from among the Masters Programs mentioned above.

Students coming from Cycle studies (meeting January 23, 2018).

It is agreed to maintain the criterion established by the CAPD in the session held on May 30, 2014: “To require a maximum of 18 credits considering a weighting factor depending on the degree provided. The Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program will indicate the subjects of the official Master’s Programs of “Plant Health and Production”, “Agronomic Engineering”, “Forestry Engineering”, “Landscape and Bioenvironmental Engineering”, “Oenology” or “Plant Healt”, or their equivalents in force at any given time, that the student must take, after analyzing the proposal made by the corresponding tutor.”

Specifically, in the event that there is a match between the degree presented by the applicant and the Research Plan to be carried out by the student, the following values of the weighting factor (F) are agreed upon:

• Agronomist Engineer of the orientation/specialty of Plant Production or Phytotechnics: F=0 (18 x 0 = 0), therefore, he/she will not have to take any additional training.

• Agronomist Engineer of other specialties or orientations F=0.5 (18 x 0.5 = 9), will have to take 9 credits of complementary training.

• Graduates in Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy or Chemistry, F=1 (18 x 1 = 18), will have to take 18 credits of complementary training.

• The following values are agreed upon for Forestry Engineering graduates:
  • Forestry Engineer of the specialties of Natural Environment Management and Natural Environment Engineer: F= 0 (18 x 0 = 0); therefore, he/she will not have to take any additional training.
  • Forestry Engineer of another specialty: F=0.5 (18 x 0.5 = 9), will have to take 9 credits of complementary training.

• Graduates in Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy or Chemistry: F=1 (18 x 1 = 18); they will have to take 18 credits of complementary training.

The CAPD will study the records of applicants who access with other cycle degrees and will propose, if necessary, the credits that the student must take as complements, from among the Masters Programs mentioned above.

As described in the section on admission criteria, the CAPD, after studying the candidate’s curriculum and training, will define the list of complementary courses to be taken.

These training complements will be acquired through the postgraduate academic offer of the University, in particular and mainly through the Master Degree in Plant Health and Production, considering the specific training required by the doctoral student for the adequate development of his research work.

Only those who comply with a valuation fM=1 would be exempt from taking complementary training courses, and would be able to access directly to the Doctorate Program.

Basics

• Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to that field.

• Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.

• Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.

• Ability to critically analyze, evaluate and synthesize new and complex ideas.

• Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.

• Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.

Personal skills and abilities

• To develop in contexts where there is little specific information.

• Find the key questions to be answered to solve a complex problem.

• Design, create, develop and undertake novel and innovative projects in their field of knowledge.

• Work both in a team and autonomously in an international or multidisciplinary context.

• Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgments with limited information.

• Intellectual criticism and defense of solutions.

Other competencies

• Ability to support training and learning activities in the field of Plant Production and Protection.