Program access information

Objectives

The PhD program in Animal Production Science and Technology and Management aims to train PhDs who can lead research work, both basic and applied, in research centers and companies in any of the areas of livestock and aquaculture production development:

• Feeding, requirements, valuation of raw materials and by-products and feeding strategies
• Genetics of prolificacy, growth and meat quality, line development and evaluation.
• Reproduction, physiology and reproductive technology
• Production Systems and Technology
• Food quality and safety
• Environmental assessment and management

To this end, the program has a large group of PhDs covering almost all the different areas that make up the sector. Most of these professionals belong to the Department of Animal Science (DCA), integrated in the Institute of Animal Science and Technology (ICTA), the Center for Aquaculture and Environment (ACUMA) and the Institute of Integrated Management of Coastal Areas. It also has the active participation of doctors belonging to the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA-CITA) through an agreement signed with the ICTA.

Entry Profile

Students entering the doctoral program must comply with the conditions established by R.D. 99/2011 of January 28th. Regarding the requirements of the program itself, Spanish or foreign graduates with a background in agronomic engineering/science, agri-food, biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy, chemistry, marine sciences, environmental sciences and veterinary science may enter the program. In the case of Bachelor’s Degrees, having completed the Master’s Degrees in Animal Production, Aquaculture and Animal Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology offered by the Department of Animal Science will be positively valued. However, the Academic Committee values other profiles whose admission would be subject to the completion of a variable number of training complements.

Profile of graduates

As for the profile of the graduates, it is a doctor or professional specialized in one or more areas defined in the objectives and who has also acquired the skills related to the interpretation and analysis of results and their dissemination through the writing and presentation of different works (communications to congresses, articles in specialized journals, books or book chapters, patents…). .

The PhD program is organized, designed, coordinated and supervised by the Academic Commission responsible for its definition, updating and quality, as well as training and research activities. This commission is composed of 6 to 7 members in addition to the program coordinator, all of them PhD professors of the UPV (from the Institute of Animal Science and Technology and the Department of Animal Science). All members of the committee have at least one six-year research period and have supervised theses in the last five years.

The Academic Committee will ensure compliance with the program admission criteria and will be responsible for its evaluation, taking into account the following aspects:

1. Academic qualifications: The program is open to Spanish or foreign graduates with degrees in agricultural engineering/science, food science, marine sciences, forestry engineering, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy, veterinary science, medicine or mathematics.
2. Postgraduate training: must have passed at least 60 credits of postgraduate training (master’s degree) in the field of Animal Production and/or Health.
3. Academic record: The academic record of both undergraduate and graduate studies must be submitted to be evaluated by the Academic Committee.
4. Training complements: The admission of the student may include the requirement of complementary training when the Academic Committee deems it necessary, depending on the student’s previous training.

The Academic Committee of the program will be responsible for evaluating the admission of students by applying an evaluation index (IV) on a scale of 0 to 100 points. Those who exceed an IV of 70 points will be admitted to the doctoral program. The IV will be calculated as indicated in the following cases:

a. In the case of having previously taken at least 60 credits at the university Master’s level, the following equation will be applied:

IV = 30 * ƒ E + 20 * ƒ T + 50 * ƒ M

Where ƒE is the weighting factor of the academic record of the total studies (undergraduate and graduate) considering the overall average grade on a standardized scale from 0 to 1, ƒT is the weighting factor of the undergraduate degree and ƒM is the weighting factor of the graduate education. The values taken by the factors ƒT and ƒM are given as shown in the following table: 

Accredited undergraduate education in agricultural engineering/science. Engineering/food science. Veterinarian. Biology. Marine Sciences. Biotechnology.	ƒT=1.0
Forestry engineering. Pharmacy. Chemistry.	ƒT=0.9
Medicine. Mathematics.	ƒT=0.8
Other degrees whose contents have a 60% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the academic committee).	ƒT=0.75
Accredited postgraduate training in Master’s Degree in Animal Production, Interuniversity Master’s Degree in Aquaculture and University Master’s Degree in Animal Breeding and Reproduction Biotechnology, taught by the UPV. Other master’s degrees whose contents present 100% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the Academic Committee).	ƒ M=1.0
Other master’s degrees whose contents have an 80% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the Academic Committee).	ƒM=0.90
Other master’s degrees whose contents have a 60% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (prior assessment by the Academic Committee).	ƒM=0.75

Only those who meet an assessment of ƒ M=1 (Master’s Degree from the Department of Animal Science or another of 100% affinity) would be exempt from taking complementary training, being able to access directly to the PhD program. Otherwise, depending on the undergraduate and graduate training provided, the Academic Committee (in agreement with the student’s future tutor) will determine the training complements that the student should take in order to be admitted to the doctoral program. These training complements may be acquired through the training offer of the Official Masters of the UPV offered by the Department of Animal Science, with related contents that complement the training required to ensure the success of the doctoral training.

Such training will be recommended taking into account the formative weaknesses of the student and the line of research in which he/she shows interest in participating.

In the case of students who enter with a master’s degree with 80% of affinity, a maximum of 12 ECTS credits of the above mentioned offer will be proposed as training complements, while those students who enter with a master’s degree with 60% of affinity will be proposed up to a maximum of 24 ECTS credits of the above mentioned offer.

b. In the case of not having previously taken credits at the Master’s level and being in possession of an official Spanish Bachelor’s degree of at least 300 ECTS credits, the following equation will be applied:

IV = 30 * ƒ E + 70 * ƒ T

Where ƒ E is the weighting factor of the academic record of the undergraduate studies considering the overall average grade on a normalized scale from 0 to 1 and ƒ T is the weighting factor of the undergraduate degree and whose value is given as shown in the table presented for the previous assumption.

Those who are assessed under this assumption must take compulsory training complements. As in the previous case, these training complements may be acquired through the training offer of the Official Masters of the UPV offered by the Department of Animal Science.

As described in the section on admission criteria, the Academic Committee of the program, after studying the curriculum of the PhD student and his or her training, will define the list of complementary training that must be taken. These training complements will be acquired through the postgraduate academic offer of the university, in particular and mainly from the Official Masters of the UPV offered by the Department of Animal Science, considering the specific training required by the PhD student for the proper development of his research work.

Only those who fall under assumption (a) described in the admission criteria and who meet a score of ƒ M=1 would be exempt from taking complementary training, and would be able to directly access the doctoral program.

For this purpose, the Doctoral Program in Animal Production Science and Technology is supported by the specific training of the University’s Master’s Programs, especially those linked to the Department of Animal Science, whose training offer is detailed below:

• Master’s Degree in Aquaculture.
  • Pathology
  • Diagnosis and control of diseases
  • Fish immunology
  • Practice of sanitary aspects
  • Applied zoology
  • Aquaculture
  • Applied physiology
  • Marine Ecotoxicology
  • Water quality
  • Facility design and management
  • Systems engineering
  • Sustainable aquaculture
  • Legislation and administrative management
  • Reproduction
  • Nutrition and food
  • Genetic Improvement
  • Biotechnology in aquaculture
  • Latest advances in fish reproduction
  • Latest advances in aquaculture feeding and nutrition
  • Auxiliary crops
  • Mollusks
  • Inland fish
  • Marine fish
  • Product quality

• Master’s Degree in Animal Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology.
  • Molecular basis of animal genetics
  • Animal genomics
  • Molecular genetics laboratory
  • Bioinformatics Internship
  • Fundamentals of statistical genetics
  • Quantitative Genetics I
  • Quantitative Genetics II
  • Quantitative Genetics III
  • Management and conservation of genetic resources
  • Improvement programs
  • Fundamentals and techniques of reproduction
  • Reproductive techniques practices
  • Reproductive biotechnologies by species
  • Initiation to Scientific Research
  • Techniques and Data Analysis
  • Scientific Documentation

• Master’s Degree in Animal Production
  • Advanced analytical techniques in animal production
  • Data analysis in animal production
  • Ethics and animal welfare
  • Animal nutrition and health
  • Advances in meat quality
  • Milk quality and traceability
  • Environmental contamination and biosafety on farms
  • Environmental engineering in livestock farms
  • Internships
  • Feed manufacturing technology
  • Body condition, welfare and longevity of breeding cows
  • Automation and control of livestock farms
  • Food safety and animal production

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

• Locate relevant information and evaluate it appropriately.
• Develop hypotheses, set objectives and define protocols based on the scientific method.
• They will learn to work in a team, plan their time, follow basic quality and safety standards in the research environment in which they work (laboratory, experimental farms, field…).
• Test, implement and identify basic experimentation methodologies in the field of Animal Production research.
• To learn and use the main laboratory techniques used in different areas of Animal Production.
• Design experiments, manage and process data, as well as learn tools for a correct statistical analysis of these data.
• Interpret, summarize and discuss the results obtained, draw conclusions and define the implications of this work, allowing the implementation of these results and progress in the corresponding agricultural sector.
• Transfer this information to society in its different fields, scientific, technical and professional. Communicate effectively in Spanish and English.