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 available in three languages (Spanish, Valencian and English).

Prospective applicants may find the following resources particularly useful:

• Information about 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/

In addition, the pre-registration process for PhD studies is managed through the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s (UPV) general online pre-registration system. This provides applicants with an online platform that can be accessed regardless of their location.

The online application system includes admission quota management, ensuring that the maximum number of places established for the programme is not exceeded.

Each application requires two stages of approval. 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 compliance with the requirements established in the programme verification report, in accordance with the admission criteria and the assessment index (IV) obtained by each applicant.

The recommended admission profile for the PhD programme in Mathematics is applicants holding an undergraduate degree in Science, Engineering, Mathematics or Physics, together with a master’s degree in Mathematics or related fields such as Statistics and Operations Research, Data Science, Computing, or any qualifying master’s degree in Engineering.

Among the master’s degrees offered by the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Universitat de València, the interuniversity Master’s Degree in Mathematical Research (INVESTMAT) fully matches this recommended admission profile, although it is not the only suitable qualification.

This recommended admission profile does not require any additional training requirements. No admission profiles other than the recommended one are considered.

Admission Requirements

In general, admission to an official PhD programme requires applicants to hold official Spanish undergraduate and master’s degrees, or their equivalents, provided that they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits across both qualifications.

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

• Hold official Spanish university degrees, or equivalent Spanish qualifications, comprising at least 300 ECTS credits and accredited at Level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.
• Hold a qualification awarded within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without requiring formal recognition, that corresponds to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework and grants access to PhD studies in the country where it was awarded.
• Hold a qualification awarded outside the EHEA, without requiring formal recognition, provided that the University verifies that it is equivalent to an official Spanish master’s degree and grants access to PhD studies in the country where it was awarded.
• Hold another PhD.
• University graduates who have obtained a place through the competitive examination for specialised health training and have successfully completed at least two years of training in a recognised Health Sciences speciality programme.

Admission Criteria

• Endorsement from the academic staff who will supervise the doctoral thesis.
• Applicants will have access, through the programme website, to information on the different research groups and their research lines. For each group, the academic staff, their research profiles and their contact details are provided.
• Given the international nature of doctoral research and the need to consult specialised scientific literature, applicants are recommended to have a sufficient level of academic comprehension and communication in English, equivalent to at least B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• For applicants whose first language is not Spanish, consideration will be given to their level of Spanish comprehension and/or whether effective communication with the thesis supervisor can be ensured through a common language.

Applicants will be selected on the basis of academic excellence and agreements between the sending and host universities. The weighted admission criteria are as follows:

• Academic record for the undergraduate and master’s degrees, or equivalent qualifications, completed prior to the PhD programme (70%). The undergraduate degree will be weighted with a coefficient of 1 for Mathematics, 0.8 for Engineering and 0.7 for Physics.
• Assessment of the applicant’s statement of purpose and motivation, together with its relevance to the programme’s research lines (20%).
• Other merits (10%). Participation in scientific conferences or meetings, scientific publications and other relevant achievements will be considered. Where appropriate, the Academic Committee may conduct personal interviews to assess the applicant’s motivation and suitability for the PhD programme in Mathematics.

Applicants who do not meet the recommended admission profile will not be admitted. Consequently, the recommended admission profile does not require any additional training requirements.