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 programmemes offered: https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/todos-los-programmeas-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 maximum number of places available for the PhD programmeme is not exceeded.

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 programmeme’s verification report, in accordance with the established criteria and the Evaluation Index (IV) obtained by each applicant.

The recommended admission profile refers to applicants who have completed a research-oriented university master’s degree providing knowledge applicable to coastal or underwater environments. Specifically, the PhD programmeme covers the following areas:

1. Electronics, computer science, and information and communications technologies applied to the advancement of science and technology in the marine and coastal environment.
2. Measurement methods, mathematical methods, simulation and modelling of marine and coastal systems.
3. Oceanography, fisheries science and habitat modelling.
4. Acoustic engineering applied to the marine and coastal environment.

This profile includes, first, general master’s degrees whose curricula cover a range of science and technology subjects applicable to marine and/or coastal environments. It also includes applicants who have completed a research-oriented master’s degree focused on topics related to the research lines offered by the PhD programmeme, as detailed below:

• Electronic devices, telematic networks, and artificial intelligence techniques for monitoring marine and coastal environments
• Multimedia networks for monitoring rural coastal and marine environments.
• Application of artificial intelligence techniques to behavioural prediction and resource forecasting in rural coastal and marine environments.
• Wireless networks for monitoring rural coastal and underwater environments.
• Electronic devices for environmental monitoring.
• Methods for observing and modelling marine ecosystems.
• Estimation and monitoring of marine biomass using active acoustic and optical techniques.
• Statistical, biometric, and growth models for aquaculture species.
• Remote sensing and passive acoustics for estimating the populations and spatial distribution of marine vertebrates, and the effects of underwater noise.
• Oceanography, fisheries management and river habitat modelling.
• Social anthropology of fisheries.
• Fisheries management.
• Environmental assessment and monitoring of marine and coastal ecosystems.
• River habitat modelling, ecohydraulics and ecohydrology for estimating ecological flows and adapting to climate change.
• New materials for acoustic field control and acoustic simulation, with applications to the marine and coastal environment.
• Physical oceanography.
• Multifunctional, eco-innovative technical materials for coastal and marine environments.
• Metamaterials for acoustic field control in marine and coastal areas.
• Numerical simulation methods in environmental acoustics.

The recommended admission profile requires applicants to have completed more than 80% of the credits in their master’s degree in one or more areas of the PhD programmeme, including the master’s dissertation. Although the following list is not exhaustive, given the wide range of master’s degrees that may meet this requirement, the following UPV master’s degrees are considered to match the recommended admission profile:

• Master’s Degree in Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
• Master’s Degree in Acoustic Engineering
• Master’s Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering
• Master’s Degree in Communications Technologies, Systems, and Networks.
• Master’s Degree in Hydraulic Engineering and the Environment

Applicants who have completed any of these master’s degrees may be admitted directly to the PhD programmeme without being required to complete additional training requirements. The Master’s Degree in Acoustic Engineering is particularly relevant to the recommended admission profile. Just as the development of theories and technologies involving electromagnetic (EM) waves represented a technological revolution in the 20th century—enabling remote communication and detection in the atmosphere and space—acoustic waves play that same role in the marine environment. EM waves (such as light) travel only a few dozen meters at best, and marine species have evolved to perceive and emit sound as part of their ecosystem interactions. There is growing concern about the impact of increasing underwater noise pollution—caused primarily by shipping and other human activities—on the health of the marine environment. This concern is reflected in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which has designated energy released into the marine environment—with a special emphasis on acoustic energy, or underwater noise—as one of the descriptors of good environmental status. Furthermore, humans have emulated the techniques used by marine mammals and other species by developing acoustic techniques for detection, positioning, and measurement. Echo sounders and sonar systems enable navigation or the detection of fish schools or submarines. All underwater navigation and positioning systems for autonomous vehicles are acoustic systems. This also applies to communication systems (acoustic modems or remote-control systems) for scientific or industrial devices on offshore platforms, gas pipelines, or undersea cables. Likewise, many oceanographic scientific instruments use acoustic techniques, such as Doppler current profilers or underwater acoustic tomography for studies of the influence of climate change on the salinity and temperature of large bodies of water. This is why the subject of underwater acoustics is always included in marine science curricula. Thus, the Master’s in Acoustic Engineering at the UPV includes the course “Underwater Acoustics,” complemented by courses on “Ultrasound” and “Electroacoustic Systems,” which emphasize the frequency range of acoustic signals most commonly used in underwater technology, as well as the use and design of piezoelectric transducers in this field.

Other Admission Profiles

Other master’s degrees may include content applicable to the marine and coastal environment. They may therefore be considered relevant when the applicant’s proposed research incorporates knowledge acquired through the previous master’s degree and is clearly aligned with the research lines of the PhD programmeme. Two other admission profiles are recognised: Level 1 and Level 2.

Level 1 admission profile: Students in this track must complete 9 ECTS credits in additional training requirements in order to acquire the basic methodological and practical skills needed to conduct their research in marine and coastal environments. These additional training requirements are detailed in the “Additional Training Requirements” section. Some examples of master’s programmemes offered at the UPV that produce students with this profile are: Master’s in Aquaculture, Master’s in Animal Production, and Master’s in Environmental Engineering. These master’s programmemes are the same examples used to obtain the value M = 0.75 in the evaluation index (IV).

Level 2 admission profile: Given the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of research, and especially considering that some of the programmeme’s research areas may be addressed by specialists from various fields, it cannot be ruled out that PhD candidates—even those who, while meeting the legal requirements for admission, have a background unrelated to marine and coastal environments—might be interested in the programme and may be eligible for admission, even if their academic background does not correspond to profiles related to the marine and coastal environment, provided they meet the legal admission requirements. In such cases, they may be admitted provided they complete 15 ECTS credits in additional training requirements to acquire the basic methodological and practical skills necessary to conduct their research in marine and coastal environments. Some examples of master’s programmemes offered at the UPV that produce students with this profile are: Master’s Degree in Sensors for Industrial Applications, Master’s Degree in Mathematical Research, and Master’s Degree in Data Analysis, Process Improvement, and Decision Making. These master’s programmemes are the same examples used to obtain the value M = 0.50 in the evaluation index (IV).

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements are those set forth in Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011, dated January 28, which regulates official PhD programmemes, as amended by Royal Decree 576/2023, dated July 4:

1. In general, admission to an official PhD programmeme requires holding official Spanish undergraduate degrees, or their equivalents, and master’s degrees, or their equivalents, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been earned across these two programmemes combined.
2. In addition, admission is open to those who meet any of the following criteria: a) Hold official Spanish university degrees or equivalent Spanish degrees, provided that they have earned at least 300 ECTS credits across these programmemes and demonstrate Level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education. b) Hold a degree obtained under foreign educational systems belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for equivalency recognition, that attests to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided that such a degree qualifies the holder for admission to PhD studies in the country where it was issued. Under no circumstances shall this admission imply the equivalence of the applicant’s prior degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies. c) Hold a degree obtained under foreign educational systems outside the EHEA, without the need for equivalency recognition, provided the university verifies that it attests to a level of education equivalent to that of the official Spanish university Master’s degree and that it qualifies the holder for admission to PhD studies in the country where the degree was issued. Under no circumstances shall this admission imply the equivalence of the applicant’s prior degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies. d) Hold another PhD degree. e) University graduates may also be admitted if, after securing a training position through the corresponding entrance examination for specialised health training positions, they have successfully completed at least two years of training in a programme leading to the official degree in one of the specialties in Health Sciences.

Given the international nature of PhD research and the need to consult specialised scientific literature, applicants are recommended to have sufficient academic comprehension and communication skills in English, equivalent to at least B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Applicants whose first language is not Spanish should have an adequate command of Spanish and/or be able to communicate effectively with their thesis supervisor in a common language. All communications, information, and cross-disciplinary training offered by the Doctoral School are available in Spanish, English, and Valencian.

Admission Criteria

Applicants must provide a letter of support from the proposed thesis supervisor. Candidates will have access to information about the various research teams and their research areas through the programmeme’s website. For each team, the faculty members who comprise it, their research CVs, and their contact information are also listed. The programmeme’s Academic Committee (CAPD) will be responsible for evaluating student admissions by applying an evaluation index (IV) on a scale of 0 to 100 points. Candidates who achieve an IV of 60 points or higher will be admitted to the PhD programmeme. The IV will be calculated according to the following weighting of the aforementioned criteria:

Academic record: 20%.

Bachelor’s degree: 50%.

Master’s degree: 30%.

The IV will be calculated as indicated in the following scenarios:

Case a): If the applicant has completed at least 60 ECTS credits at master’s level, the following equation will be used to calculate the IV: IV = 20E + 30T + 50M, where E is the weighting factor for the academic record of all studies (undergraduate and graduate), based on the overall average grade on a normalised scale from 0 to 1; T is the weighting factor for the undergraduate degree; and M is the weighting factor for postgraduate education. The following table shows the possible values for the factors T and M:

• Undergraduate degree: A degree will be assigned a value of T = 1 if it is directly related to one of the research areas included in the PhD programmeme; that is, at least 80% of the degree’s required credits must be related to the PhD programmeme (including the topic of the final dissertation). Some examples include: Undergraduate Degree in Environmental Sciences, Undergraduate Degree in Biotechnology, Undergraduate Degree in Marine Sciences, Undergraduate Degree in Biology, Undergraduate Degree in Agri-Food and Rural Engineering, and Undergraduate Degree in Forestry and Environmental Engineering, Undergraduate Degree in Telecommunications, Sound, and Image Systems Engineering, Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Technology Engineering, Undergraduate Degree in Interactive Technologies, Undergraduate Degree in Chemical Engineering, and Undergraduate Degree in Physics. The value of T for all other undergraduate degrees will depend on the relationship between the courses taken in the degree programme and the research track of the PhD programmeme to which the student is applying (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD). In this case, T may vary between 0 and 0.9.
• Master’s Degree Program: A Master’s programme will be assigned a value of M = 1 if it is directly related to one of the research areas included in the PhD programmeme (between 80% and 100% of the credits earned in the Master’s programme, including the topic of the master’s dissertation, must be related to the research area). Some examples include: Master’s in Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, Master’s in Acoustic Engineering, Master’s in Electronic Systems Engineering, Master’s in Communications Technologies, Systems, and Networks, and Master’s Degree in Hydraulic Engineering and the Environment. A master’s programme will be assigned a value of M = 0.75 if its content shows between 65% and less than 80% alignment with the research areas addressed by the PhD programmeme (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD). Some examples include: Master’s in Aquaculture, Master’s in Animal Production, and Master’s in Environmental Engineering. A master’s programme will be assigned a value of M = 0.5 if its content shows between 50% and less than 65% alignment with the research areas addressed by the PhD programmeme (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD). Some examples are: Master’s Degree in Sensors for Industrial Applications, Master’s Degree in Mathematical Research, and Master’s Degree in Data Analysis, Process Improvement, and Decision-Making Engineering.

Case b): If the applicant has not completed any credits at master’s level and holds an official Spanish undergraduate degree comprising at least 300 ECTS credits, the following equation applies: IV = 20E + 80T, where E is the weighting factor for the academic transcript of the undergraduate degree programme, based on the average grade on a normalised scale from 0 to 1, and T is the weighting factor for the undergraduate degree, the value of which is determined according to the list provided for the previous scenario, and is specified again below: A undergraduate degree will have a value of T = 1 if it is directly related to one of the research areas included in the PhD programmeme; that is, at least 80% of the degree’s required credits must be related to the PhD programmeme (including the topic of the final undergraduate dissertation). The value of T for all other undergraduate degrees will depend on the relationship between the courses taken in the bachelor’s programme and the research track of the PhD programmeme to which the applicant is applying (subject to prior evaluation by the CAPD). In this case, T may vary between 0 and 0.9.

As described in the section on admission criteria, the CAPD, after reviewing the PhD student’s curriculum and academic background, will determine the list of additional training requirements the student must take. These additional training requirements will be taken from the University’s master’s degree offerings, specifically the Master’s Degree in Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems or the Master’s Degree in Acoustic Engineering, taking into account the specific training required by the PhD student to successfully undertake their research.

• Students who have completed a master’s degree worth at least 60 ECTS credits and meet the recommended admission profile will be exempt from taking additional training requirements and may enter the PhD programmeme directly.
• Students who are admitted after having completed a master’s degree of at least 60 ECTS credits and who fall under the “related entry profile” category will undergo a training phase during which they must complete 9 ECTS credits in additional training requirements, in the case of a Level 1 related admission profile, or 15 ECTS credits in additional training requirements, in the case of a Level 2 related admission profile. The additional training requirements will be selected from the list of available options provided at the end of this section.
• Students who are admitted without having completed a master’s degree but with a undergraduate degree worth at least 300 ECTS credits, depending on their prior education, in accordance with “Case b)” described in the admission criteria, must complete up to a maximum of 15 ECTS credits in additional training requirements from the list of available additional training requirements provided at the end of this section.

The additional training will consist of courses from the Master’s Degree Program in Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, or from the Master’s Degree in Acoustic Engineering, taught by faculty members affiliated with the PhD Programme in Science and Technological Applications for the Marine and Coastal Environment.