Program access information

PhD in Architecture, Building, Heritage and City

Specific requirements and criteria for admission to the program

The general requirements for access to the doctorate are the following are established according to the the R.D 99/2011 January 28th .

Admission criteria:

The doctoral program is organized, designed, coordinated and supervised by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program (CAPD), which is responsible for its definition, updating and quality, as well as for training and research activities.

For admission to the doctoral program, three types of degrees (A, B and C) and two types of master’s degrees (D and E) are considered.

Grades AArchitecture, Technical Architecture, Building Engineering (or equivalent).
Grades B = Civil Engineering, Materials Engineering, Design, Art History, Archaeology (or equivalent).
Grades C = remainder.
Master’s Degrees DArchitecture (enabling), Architectural Heritage, Urban Planning, Spatial Planning, Landscape, Building, Building Materials, Interior Design (no specific titles of specific masters are named, but thematic fields).
Master’s Degrees EVisual Arts, Management of Cultural Heritage, Development Cooperation, Territory and Transport, Environment, Industrial Construction, Design, Geomatics, Project Management (not specific titles of specific masters, but thematic fields).

The reference qualification (recommended profile = no additional training) covers three cases:

1. Graduates in Architecture with pre-Bologna plans, which access without the need for a master’s degree. Level ME- CES 3

Degree in Fundamentals of Architecture or equivalent foreign degree (A) MECES Level 2 + any type of master’s degree (including the Enabling Master’s Degree).

3. Degree in Technical Architecture or Building Engineering or equivalent foreign degree (A) MECES Level 2 + master’s degree type D or E.

For the admission of other profiles:

Degree in Technical Architecture or Building Engineering with a master’s degree other than D or E = 3 to 10 ECTS of complementary courses
- Degree B + Master D = from 3 to 10 ECTS of complementary courses
- Bachelor’s Degree B + Master’s Degree E = 11 to 20 ECTS of training complements
- Grade C + Master D = from 11 to 20 ECTS of complementary courses

The rest of the cases will not be admitted, except in duly justified exceptions and positively evaluated by the Academic Committee with a specific report.

If deemed necessary, the program coordinator may request an interview to verify whether the applicant has the necessary skills to begin doctoral studies: intellectual restlessness that pushes them to develop the necessary skills to successfully complete their research work; manifest interest in deepening the area of knowledge in which they will conduct their doctoral thesis; ability to critically evaluate the relevant literature in this field; aptitude to apply critical, logical and creative thinking to their work. The student must have initiative and motivation to strive for quality and excellence in their research, respect for professional ethics and intellectual integrity.

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:

Academic qualification: The program is open to Spanish or foreign graduates with a degree in architecture, urban planning, civil engineering or building engineering.

Postgraduate training: The student must have passed at least 60 ECTS credits of postgraduate training (Mas- ter) in the field of Architecture, Urban Planning or Building Engineering (except in the cases provided for in article 6, section 2, of Royal Decree 99/2011, of January 28, which regulates official doctoral studies).

Academic record: The undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be provided to be evaluated by the CA.

Training complements: The admission of the student may include the requirement of complementary training when the CA considers it necessary, depending on the student’s previous training.

The CA of the program 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 pass a minimum of 70 points will be admitted to the doctoral program. The IV will be calculated as indicated in the following cases:

CASE 1.– In the case of have previously completed at least 60 ECTS credits at the Master’s degree level the following equation will be applied:

IV=25*f E + 25*f T + 40*f M + 10*fO

Where f E 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; f T is the weighting factor of the undergraduate degree; f M is the weighting factor of the graduate training and f O: weighting factor between 0 and 1 depending on other merits such as other degrees, languages, research and work experience, scholarships, awards, etc., to be assessed by the Academic Committee of the Program.

The values taken by the factors f T and f M are given as shown in the following table:

Accredited undergraduate training in:

Architecture, Technical Architecture, Building Engineering (A): f T = 1
Civil Engineering, History of Art, Geography and History, Fine Arts, Materials Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering or similar degrees (B): f T = 0.75
Other degrees to be assessed by the CA for their affinity with the content of the program (C): fT = 1-0.5

Accredited postgraduate training in:

University Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage Conservation, taught at the UPV, University Master’s Degree in Building, taught at the UPV, University Master’s Degree in Advanced Architecture, Landscape, Urban Planning and Design, taught at the UPV, University Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture taught at the UPV, Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage taught at the UPCT, Master’s Degree in Building Science and Technology in Architecture taught at the UPCT, Other Master’s Degrees whose contents present a 100% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (previous assessment by the CA) (D): f M =1
Other master’s degrees whose contents have a 75% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (previous evaluation by the CA) (E): f M =0.75
Other master’s degrees whose contents present a 50% affinity with the lines of research addressed by the doctoral program (previous evaluation by the CA) (E): f M = 0.50

Only those who meet a score of f M=1 would be exempt from taking additional training courses. The candidate will be able to access directly to the doctoral program. In exceptional situations, the CAPD may decide unanimously to accept a candidate with f M<1 without complementary training, in which case a reasoned report justifying the decision must be submitted.

In the case of admission with complementary training, the Academic Committee will determine the number of credits to be assigned according to the undergraduate and graduate training provided, following the criteria established in point 3.4. The student must take this training once enrolled in the doctoral program.

These training complements may be acquired through the training offer of the six masters attached to the program (Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage Conservation; Master’s Degree in Building; Master’s Degree in Advanced Architecture, Landscape, Urban Planning and Design; Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture; Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage; Master’s Degree in Building Science and Technology in Architecture), official degrees of the UPV and the UPCT 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 student’s training weaknesses and the line of research in which he/she shows interest in participating.

CASE 2. 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*f E + 60*f T + 10*f O

Where f E is the weighting factor of the academic record of the undergraduate studies considering the overall average grade in a normalized scale from 0 to 1; f T is the weighting factor of the undergraduate degree and whose value is given as shown in the table presented for the previous assumption and f O: weighting factor between 0 and 1 depending on other merits such as other degrees, languages, work experience, scholarships, etc., to be assessed by the Academic Committee of the Program.

Those who are assessed under this assumption must take mandatory complementary training courses.

As in the previous case, these training complements can be acquired through the six master’s degrees attached to the program (Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage Conservation; Master’s Degree in Building; Master’s Degree in Advanced Architecture, Landscape, Urban Planning and Design; University Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture; Master’s Degree in Architectural Heritage; University Master’s Degree in Building Science and Technology in Architecture), taught at the UPV and UPCT, depending on the line of research to which they wish to be attached, and in accordance with the considerations of their tutor/director and the Academic Committee.

In any case, the following cases, with the corresponding maximum number of credits, are presented as a guideline:

Degree of affinity	Maximum number of credits
Master’s degree of affinity 100 % s/CA – Coef fM= 1	0 credits
Master’s degree of affinity 75 % s/CA – Coef fM= 0.75	12 credits
Master’s degree of affinity 50 % s/ CA – Coef fM= 0.5	18 credits
Degree 300 cr. ECTS without a master’s degree	20 credits

Training complements

Students accepted into the doctoral program with Complementary Training must take these complements on a compulsory basis. These complements may be acquired through the six master’s degree programs affiliated to the program:

These masters are taught at the UPV and UPCT, and their content can be consulted through:

The UPV’s master’s degree offer: https://www.upv.es/estudios/posgrado/masteres-por-ramas-es.html
The offer of master’s degrees at UPCT: https://www.upct.es/estudios/master/

The training complements will consist of taking subjects to be chosen among those offered in the six selected masters, with a maximum of 20 ECTS and a minimum of 3 ECTS.

Depending on your undergraduate degree, the assigned subjects will be from the following areas:

Civil Engineering: Subjects in the area of Architectural Composition and/or Architectural Constructions.

Bachelor’s Degree in Art History: Subjects in the area of Architectural Constructions, Architectural and/or Urban Graphic Expression and Territorial Planning.

Degree in Geography and History: Subjects in the area of Architectural Constructions, Architectural Graphic Expression, Urban and Territorial Planning and/or Architectural Composition.

Bachelor of Fine Arts: Subjects in the area of Architectural Construction and Urban and Regional Planning and/or Architectural Projects.

Graduate in Materials Engineering: Subjects in the area of Architectural Composition, Architectural Projects and/or Urban and Regional Planning.

Graduate in Industrial Design Engineering: Subjects in the area of Architectural Constructions, Urban and Territorial Planning and Architectural Composition.

Other degrees: to be assessed by the CAPD for their affinity with the content of the program.

Basic and general competencies

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 write scientific publications and efficiently within the field of some research lines of the program.
Ability to understand, formulate and use the methodologies, research techniques and their applications within the field of one of the research lines of the program.
Ability to analyze, formulate and apply solutions to research on architectural projects and/or develop strategies for the regeneration of urban settlements and landscape.
To develop and articulate studies on cultural and architectural criticism, related to history, composition or aesthetics.
To develop studies and methodologies aimed at the recovery and management of heritage and landscape environments, including architectural surveys and/or mural stratigraphy and metrological and geometric analysis for the recognition of current or historical architectures.
Ability to know and develop new processes for the construction of architecture, as well as studies on structural pathologies and building materials.
To develop studies on architectural and urban sustainability, both in the design of project strategies and in the acoustic and energy management of buildings, as well as environmental studies applied to architecture, territory and landscape.