Program Access Information

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

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

All published information is available in three languages (Spanish, Valencian, and English).

Prospective applicants should take note of the following information:

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

In addition, the pre-enrolment process for PhD studies is managed through the general pre-enrolment system of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). This provides applicants with an online platform that can be accessed from anywhere.

The online application system includes admission quota management, which ensures that the number of admissions established for the programme is not exceeded.

The admission of each applicant requires two approvals: approval from the Doctoral School, which ensures compliance with the minimum requirements established in Royal Decree 99/2011, and approval from the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme (CAPD), which ensures compliance with the requirements set out in the programme verification report, in accordance with the established criteria and the Evaluation Index (IV) score obtained by each applicant.

The recommended admission profile combines a solid undergraduate education in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechatronics or Product Design with the advanced specialisation offered by the ETSIADI Master’s degrees. This comprehensive background enables PhD candidates to undertake complex research projects, considering every stage of the product life cycle and applying modern methodologies in design, integrated computer-aided manufacturing, mechatronics, electric mobility and sustainability. PhD candidates develop the ability both to solve specific problems within each field and to adopt multidisciplinary approaches that promote innovation and industrial competitiveness.

Furthermore, the programme develops the PhD candidate’s ability to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge, manage highly complex projects and devise innovative solutions to current technological and business challenges. Research may focus on optimising production processes, designing new products, improving energy efficiency and sustainability, and incorporating new digital and advanced manufacturing technologies. This approach enables a flexible, personalised training pathway aligned with the needs of the market and society, while strengthening the methodological and strategic competences required to lead research and development projects in industrial environments.

The following Bachelor’s degree fields are considered related to the PhD programme:

• Product Design and Development Engineering.
• Electrical Engineering.
• Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering.
• Mechanical Engineering.
• Aerospace Engineering.

The following Master’s degree fields are considered related to the PhD programme:

• Design Engineering.
• Computer-Aided Integrated Design and Manufacturing.
• Mechatronics Engineering.
• Aeronautical Engineering.
• Maintenance Engineering.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics.
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Related Technologies.
• Electric Mobility Engineering.
• Space Engineering.

Other Admission Profiles: applicants holding other Master’s degrees in science, technology or engineering who do not fully meet the recommended admission profile but can demonstrate knowledge and competences relevant to the programme’s research areas may be admitted, subject to possible additional training requirements.

Access Requirements

The access requirements are those established in Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, which regulates official PhD studies, as amended by Royal Decree 576/2023 of 4 July:

• As a general rule, access to an official PhD programme requires an official Spanish Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent degree, and an official Spanish Master’s degree, or an equivalent degree, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been completed across both degree programmes.
• Hold official Spanish University degrees, or equivalent Spanish degrees, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been completed through these degree programmes and that level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education has been attained.
• Hold a degree awarded under an education system within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for official recognition, which certifies level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided that the degree grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded.
• Hold a degree awarded under an education system outside the EHEA, without the need for official recognition, provided that the University verifies that the degree certifies a level of education equivalent to that of an official Spanish University Master’s degree and grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded.
• Hold another PhD degree.
• University graduates who, having obtained a specialised healthcare training position through the corresponding entrance examination, have successfully completed at least two years of a training programme leading to an official qualification in one of the Health Sciences specialisations may also be admitted.

Given the international nature of PhD research and the need to consult specialised scientific literature, applicants are recommended to have an adequate command of academic English, equivalent to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Admission Criteria

Applicants to the PhD programme must submit a Preliminary PhD Dissertation Proposal, endorsed by the proposed PhD supervisor, using the template available on the programme’s official website.

The Academic Committee of the PhD Programme (CAPD) shall assess the applicant’s academic record, additional training and experience, as set out in their CV, in order to determine their suitability for admission to and completion of the PhD programme within one of its research areas. Applicants shall be assessed as follows:

• The Bachelor’s degree average grade shall account for up to 30% of the total score.
• The Master’s degree average grade shall account for up to 40% of the total score.
• Other merits, including professional experience and publications, certified English-language proficiency above level B2, other languages and training courses, shall account for up to 30% of the total score.

A programme relevance coefficient ranging from 0 to 1 shall be applied to each of the three sections above.

In addition, up to 10% of the available places shall be reserved for applicants with special educational needs arising from a disability.

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

As established by the applicable regulations, these specific additional training requirements must be successfully completed during the initial stage of the PhD dissertation and within a maximum period of one academic year. The Academic Committee may assign up to 20 ECTS credits of additional training.

Applicants who have completed a Master’s degree in an unrelated field, or equivalent education, may be admitted to the PhD programme provided that they meet one of the following requirements:

• Applicants who have completed 60 ECTS credits in a Master’s degree in an unrelated field, or equivalent education, with at least 75% of the coursework related to the programme, may be admitted after completing 12 additional ECTS credits, subject to a recommendation from the proposed PhD supervisor and approval by the CAPD.
• Applicants who have completed 60 ECTS credits in a Master’s degree in an unrelated field, or equivalent education, with at least 50% of the coursework related to the programme, may be admitted after completing 20 additional ECTS credits, subject to a recommendation from the proposed PhD supervisor and approval by the CAPD.

Additional training courses shall be selected from those offered in Master’s degrees related to the PhD programme.