Program Access Information

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:

• Information on the pre-registration process and application deadlines:
  https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/presenta-tu-solicitud-2025/
• Information about the PhD programmes offered:
  https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/todos-los-programas-de-doctorado-ofertados-en-upv/
• Advice for new PhD students:
  https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/consejos-para-nuevos-estudiantes/

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.

The recommended admission profile refers to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree (or equivalent qualifications obtained through non-Spanish higher education systems or pre-Bologna degree programmes).

The bachelor’s degree should be in biotechnology, experimental, life or health sciences, or in an engineering discipline related to biology, biomedicine or agri-food sciences.

This includes, in particular, degrees in Biotechnology, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Food Science and Technology, and Oenology, as well as Agricultural Engineering, Forestry Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and other related engineering disciplines.

The master’s degree should have a research-oriented focus in areas directly related to biotechnology, such as Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology, Biomedical Biotechnology, Agri-Food Biotechnology, Plant Genetic Improvement, Microbiology, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Sciences, or other related master’s degrees that provide advanced training in experimental techniques, data analysis, and the scientific foundations of biotechnology.

Applicants are also expected to have a solid background in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, microbiology, and physiology, together with experience of laboratory-based experimental methods and the analysis and interpretation of scientific data.

Applicants with this admission profile will not be required to complete additional training requirements, as their previous academic background is considered sufficient preparation for the PhD programme.

Applicants whose academic background does not correspond to the recommended admission profile may also be considered for admission.

In such cases, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme will assess the applicant’s academic record, additional qualifications, and professional or research experience. Where appropriate, the Committee may require applicants to complete additional training (selected Master’s courses up to 20 ECTS; see the corresponding section below) to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills needed to successfully undertake the PhD programme.

Admission under these alternative profiles is therefore possible, provided that any additional training requirements established by the Academic Committee are successfully completed during the first academic year.

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 an official Spanish Bachelor’s degree (Grado), or an equivalent degree, together with an official university Master’s degree, or an equivalent degree, provided that they have completed a total of at least 300 ECTS.

Applicants who meet any of the following conditions are also eligible for admission:

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

b) Hold a degree awarded by an institution within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) corresponding to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) that grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission under this provision does not imply official recognition or equivalence of the qualification for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies.

c) Hold a degree awarded under an education system outside the EHEA, without the need for official recognition, provided that the University has verified that it is equivalent to an official Spanish Master’s degree and grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission under this provision does not imply official recognition or equivalence of the qualification for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies.

d) Hold another PhD degree.

e) Hold a university degree and, after obtaining a place through the national entrance examination for specialised health training, have successfully completed at least two years of training in a programme leading to an official qualification in one of the Health Sciences specialties.

Given the international nature of PhD research and the need to consult specialised scientific literature, applicants are expected to have a good command of academic English, equivalent to at least B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Applicants whose native language is not Spanish should demonstrate an adequate command of Spanish and/or be able to communicate effectively with their proposed PhD supervisor in a common language.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the PhD Programme in Biotechnology is based on a competitive assessment of applications carried out by the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme, in accordance with the established evaluation criteria described below. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the following documentation:

• A letter of support from the proposed PhD supervisor.
• A Preliminary Research Plan, prepared using the template available on the programme website. The proposal should outline the research background, objectives and methodology of the proposed research project, and must be signed by the proposed supervisor.
• A curriculum vitae, together with supporting documentation for all degrees and merits claimed, compiled into a single PDF file in accordance with the published application guidelines.

The final score will be calculated on a 10-point scale, according to the following criteria:

1. Academic record for the bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification (40%). The overall grade point average will be assessed using a standardised grading scale.
2. Graduate-level education or specialised health training (45%). Applicants will be assessed according to one of the following criteria:
   • a. Academic record for a master’s degree or equivalent qualification (45%), based on the overall grade point average using a standardised grading scale.
   • b. Specialised training in the Health Sciences (45%). Credit will be awarded for the two years of training completed within the official specialisation programme required for admission through this route.
3. Additional merits (15%), distributed as follows:
   • Professional experience: 1 point per year (maximum 5 points).
   • Scientific publications and conference presentations: 5 points per scientific publication and 2.5 points per conference presentation (maximum 5 points).
   • Certified English language proficiency above B2: C1 = 4 points; C2 = 5 points.

Justification of Merits

Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae together with supporting documentation for all qualifications and merits claimed. All documentation must be compiled into a single PDF file and submitted in accordance with the following requirements:

• Scientific publications: Copies of the first and last pages of each publication.
• Conference presentations: A certificate issued by the relevant authority confirming the presentation.
• Language certificates: A copy of the relevant certificate.
• Teaching experience: A certificate issued by the University’s General Secretariat, the relevant Vice-Rector’s Office, or the central body designated by the University’s Statutes or other internal regulations, indicating the number of teaching hours or, where applicable, the corresponding teaching credits.
• Professional, teaching or research experience:
  • Public employees: A certificate of service or an official statement of service.
  • Employees: A certificate of employment history together with copies of the relevant employment contract(s), or a certificate issued by the employer confirming the employment status, professional category, positions held, and duration of employment.

Additional training requirements may apply when the applicant’s accredited undergraduate degree, master’s degree, or equivalent qualification is not closely related to the PhD Programme in Biotechnology. In such cases, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme, in consultation with the proposed PhD supervisor, will determine the additional training required according to the relevance of the applicant’s previous studies. Applicants whose master’s degree includes at least 75% of relevant course content may be required to complete up to 12 ECTS credits of additional training, while those whose master’s degree includes at least 50% relevant course content may be required to complete up to 20 ECTS credits. These credits will be fulfilled by completing master’s degree courses offered by the UPV.

The additional training requirements must be proposed by the PhD supervisor and approved by the Academic Committee. They are determined on a case-by-case basis and form part of the admission process to ensure that applicants possess the knowledge and skills required to successfully complete the PhD programme. In accordance with current regulations, any additional training requirements must be completed during the initial stage of the PhD programme and, in all cases, within a maximum period of one academic year from the date of the initial registration.