doing a phd in barcelona

PhD Programs

Phd programs in the bse research community.

Both of these PhD programs are organized jointly with the Barcelona School of Economics.

Many students in both PhD programs are alumni of the BSE Master's programs. The BSE PhD Track Master's Program is the first year of the UPF PhD Program.

Job market candidates and placement results

Both the UAB and UPF PhD programs have a well-established track record of placements in Economics departments, central banks, and research institutions around the world.

PhD Job Market Candidates 2023-24

Read about the candidates on BSE Focus

Examples of placements from recent years include:

• Bologna University
• CaixaBank Research
• Central Reserve Bank of Peru
• European Commission
• Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH)
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Morgan Stanley
• Norges Bank
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Princeton University
• United States Federal Reserve Board
• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)
• University College London (UCL)
• Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (China)

Full details of all PhD job market results from all cohorts are available on the websites of both PhD programs:

IDEA-UAB PhD placements by year UPF PhD placements by year

BSE research activities for students in both PhD programs

Phd jamboree.

The BSE PhD Jamboree is an opportunity for students in both PhD programs in the BSE community to show off their research, exchange ideas, and receive feedback on work in progress. The Jamboree is organized and led by the PhD students themselves.

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Faculties & institutes

• Faculty of Communication Sciences
• Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Education Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Faculty of Dentistry
• School of Architecture
• Bioengineering Institute of Technology
• Institute for Advanced Family Studies
• Research Institute for Evaluation and Public Policies
• University Institute for Patient Care
• Institute for Multilingualism

Doctoral School

• Interdisciplinary Centre for Thought
• Cuides UIC Barcelona
• University Clinic of Dentistry
• SUPPORT Clinic - University Psychology and Psychiatry Clinic

Teaching team

Find out more, faculties, institutes and directory.

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The Doctorate Degree at UPC grants an official university formation, whose purpose is the acquisition of the competences and abilities related to high-level scientific research. The studies lead to the award of the Doctoral Degree, which is official and valid throughout the Spanish national territory.

Legislation

Doctoral studies at UPC are regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011 , which aims to organize doctoral studies (third cycle of official university education). They are part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) .

  Quality assurance

The adhesion of the Spanish university system to the EHEA entails, among other commitments, the implementation of a system that guarantees the quality of the training offered in higher education. The quality of our degrees is guaranteed by the verification and accreditation procedures they must pass. These procedures include evaluations both internal and external to the University, which ensures continuous improvement.

You can consult here the Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIQ) of the Doctoral School of the UPC .

Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (RUCT)

The Royal Decree 1509/2008, created the R egistry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (abreviated like RUCT in Spanish), in which Universities and university degrees of an official and valid throughout the Spanish national territory must be registered.

In this list there are the programs that we manage in our ETSAB Doctoral Secretary's Office (Architecture, Urban Planning and Building area) and their registration data in the RUCT:

Academic and organizational information

You can consult the academic and organizational details, accessing the following links of the UPC Doctoral School: 

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Study PhD in Spain

Being a PhD student in Spain is a wonderful experience with countless opportunities to grow, learn, and advance professionally. There is a wide range of exceptional PhD programs in Spain in any area of research. Studying PhD in Spain will place you in a multicultural environment where the climate is warm, the academic quality is exceptional, and the opportunities to succeed in your professional life are endless.

Here’s everything you need to know about Doctoral/PhD degrees in Spain:

StudiesIn is the #1 digital student consultancy for studies in Spain and provides end-to-end services and counselling for students and parents.

StudiesIn offers guidance to students from the moment they decide to study abroad to local relocation support in Spain to finding a job after graduation, arranging all necessary legal permits along the journey.

PhD Programs in Spain

PhD programs in Spain are plentiful, comprehensive, and efficient when it comes to development and training. Since Spain is a popular destination to pursue studies, many international students choose Spain as their PhD destination. 

Spanish universities feature extensive PhD programs, and they are esteemed for their teaching, innovation, and research. Spanish universities’ doctoral colleges or research institutes offer PhD programs for interested PhD candidates. Whether you are interested in the sciences, arts and humanities, health sciences, social sciences and law, or technological sciences, you will find anything of your preference in Spain. 

Universities in Spain for PhD

Here are the top universities in Spain offering PhD programs include: 

• Autonomous University of Barcelona (65 PhD degree programs)
• Pompeu Fabra University (9 PhD degree programs)
• University of Barcelona (50 PhD degree programs)
• Complutense University of Madrid (55 PhD degree programs)
• University of Navarra (23 PhD degree programs)
• Autonomous University of Madrid (42 PhD degree programs)
• University of Valencia (61 PhD degree programs)
• University of Deusto (8 PhD degree programs)
• University of Salamanca (40 PhD degree programs)
• University Carlos III of Madrid (21 PhD degree programs)
• University of Granada (28 PhD degree programs)
• University of Zaragoza (47 PhD degree programs)

Can I Get an Online PhD Degree in Spain?

Although PhD candidates are usually more in favor of undertaking their doctoral studies on campus, some universities offer online PhD in Spain. Usually, online PhD degrees in Spain are offered by private or international higher education institutions. Public universities in Spain generally only offer in-person doctoral degrees. It will be easier for you to find an in-person accredited PhD program in Spain than an online PhD program. 

How Much Does a PhD Program Cost in Spain?

Tuition fees in Spain are set on a pay-per-credit basis, which means the number of ECTS credits a program has is multiplied by the cost of one credit. The cost per credit for PhD programs can go up to €55 (or lower). 

PhD programs in Spain are divided into two stages, and it is only during the first phase (first year) that students have to undertake credit courses (60 ECTS). The second phase (the subsequent years of the PhD program) focuses on research and writing the thesis. 

This means the cost of PhD in Spain, for the first year only, can go up to €3,300 (or lower). The other academic years students spend researching and writing their thesis are way cheaper because you only have to pay for supervision, continual assessment, and additional administrative costs. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, for example, only charges around €550 per year for supervision, assessment, administrative fees, and other specific services.

Generally, the cost of PhD in Spain depends on factors like university, research discipline, and the student’s country of residence. Usually, non-EU/EEA students pay higher fees compared to national or EU/EEA students. 

PhD Scholarships in Spain for International Students

It is possible to undertake a funded PhD in Spain. Many prospective PhD candidates apply for PhD scholarships in Spain, and there are even options for international students. PhD scholarships in Spain are offered by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Professional Training. Individual Spanish universities also offer grants and financial aid for doctoral programs. Universities usually list the funding options on their websites. 

Can I Get a PhD in Spain in English?

Obtaining an English PhD in Spain is possible but not as common as Spanish-taught PhD programs. Although there are universities that offer English-taught PhD programs in Spain, the majority of them are in Spanish, which means finding the perfect English PhD program in Spain will not be easy, but not impossible either. 

Some universities offer programs that are bilingual or even multilingual. For example, the PhD programs in Communication, Law, and History (to name a few) at Pompeu Fabra University use Catalan, Spanish, and English as the medium of instruction during training activities. On the other hand, the PhD program in Information and Communication Technologies at the same university is taught entirely in English. 

How Long is a PhD Program in Spain?

The duration of a PhD program in Spain is approximately three years of full-time study. Some may extend their PhD studies in Spain for two more years if initially approved by the Academic Commission of the university. Part-time PhD programs usually take around five years to complete. 

PhD Structure in Spain

A PhD program in Spain is divided into the first cycle, which comprises training courses, and the second cycle, which focuses on research and writing towards a dissertation. During a PhD program, candidates must attend training sessions, seminars, and a wide range of other academic activities. 

Supervision 

PhD candidates have two mentors that help them throughout the doctoral program: 

• Mentor: A PhD holder responsible for monitoring the interaction between the candidate and the Academic Commission. 
• Thesis Director: A PhD holder (may or may not be the same person as the mentor) who must have accredited research experience. The thesis director is responsible for planning training activities for the candidate and overseeing thesis matters.
• Thesis Co-Director (When Applicable) : When the thesis has a multidisciplinary nature. 

Admission Requirements

In order to gain admission in PhD programs in Spain, prospective students must have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree relevant to the PhD field of research (300 ECTS credits in total). Universities also accept students with equivalent degrees for as long as they correspond to a total of 300 ECTS credits. Individual universities have the right to add additional selection/admission criteria for specific doctoral programs in Spain. 

How to Apply 

The application for PhD in Spain should be made directly to the university, doctoral college, or university institute of your choice. Prospective PhD candidates in Spain must usually submit a research proposal, CV, reference, etc. As part of the admission process, students must also attend an interview.

You may have to submit the following documents. 

• Certified copy of your valid passport. 
• Passport-sized recent photographs.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Attested photocopies of academic degree certificates.
• Attested photocopies of academic records, such as subjects and qualifications.
• Proof of language proficiency (depending on the medium of instruction).

Since starting dates and application deadlines vary depending on the university, all information regarding application deadlines and university-specific application documents can be found on the respective university’s website. 

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IRB Barcelona International PhD Fellowship 2024

For the 2024-2025 academic year, IRB Barcelona is offering up to 9 PhD fellowships for young scientists from the national and international community who wish to undertake a doctoral degree in biomedicine. We encourage applications from highly motivated graduates with outstanding qualifications in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, pharmacology, computational biology or related fields. Successful candidates will join research groups headed by top-level scientists and will carry out their research in cutting-edge fields of biomedicine in a stimulating environment.

The following will be offered in this call:

• Up to 9 FPI positions associated with the “Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2023” Call (funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación AEI- MICINN).

Check out IRB Barcelona groups participating:

• Dr. Cristina Mayor-Ruiz - Targeted protein degradation and drug discovery
• Dr. Patrick Aloy - Structural Bioinformatics and Network Biology  
• Dr. Lluís Ribas - Gene Translation Laboratory  
• Dr. Alejo E. Rodriguez-Fraticelli -  Quantitative Stem Cell Dynamics
• Dr. Raúl Méndez -  Translational Control of Cell Cycle and Differentiation
• Dr. Alexandra Avgustinova - Pediatric Cancer Epigenetics
• Dr. Eduard Batlle - Colorectal Cancer Laboratory 
• Dr. Antoni Riera - Research Unit on Asymmetric Synthesis
• Dr. Ana Victoria Lechuga-Vieco - Mitochondrial Biology and Tissue Regeneration

ONLINE APPLICATION

Eligibility

• studies that lead to an official Spanish (or from another country of the European Higher Education Area) university degree in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine, Chemistry or related fields and that have 300 credits (ECTS), of which at least 60 must correspond to master level.
• a degree in a non-Spanish university not adapted to the European Higher Education Area and that gives access to doctoral studies in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine, Chemistry or related fields in Spain.
• Candidates are selected exclusively on merit, on the basis of their curricula. The academic grades and curriculum vitae of each applicant are evaluated, as well as recommendation letters and a motivation letter. No selection criteria for positive or negative discrimination are applied.

How to apply

Applicants should complete and submit the online form . More information regarding the application can be found in the “Useful Information” tab.

Those applying also for the IRB-TARGET programme need only submit a single application, which will be considered by the different calls.

Applicants will be asked to upload the following documents in English: *Please note that all the documents provided should be in PDF format .

• Curriculum vitae specifying education and experience, including career breaks, and supported by pertinent documents.
• A motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting your research experience and academic achievements and explaining why you are interested in IRB Barcelona and in a particular research group.
• A scanned copy of the student’s certified Academic Record. These documents must show the grades attained in exam periods. If the certified academic records are not in Spanish or English applicants should also attach a translation in one of the above mentioned languages.
• Any additional files considered relevant to the application
• Two recommendation letters from university lecturers or scientists with who the applicant has studied or worked. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that referees submit these letters. Applications not supported by these letters will not be eligible. If the applicant has previously worked with a researcher at IRB Barcelona, any letter of reference from said person cannot be included as one of the two reference letters requested. However, it can be sent to provide additional support for the application.

Please indicate the Research Node(s) to which you wish to apply (up to 3). Details of the available research projects are provided in Annex 1 of the 2024 call IRB Barcelona International PhD Fellowship Programme ( Useful information for applicants section).

Research Nodes:

•     Chemical and Structural Biology
•     Cell Pathophysiology
•     Computational Biology
•     Invertebrate Models of Disease
•     Preclinical Models of Cancer
•     Preclinical Models of Disease

More information on the research activities of each group can be found on the IRB Barcelona webpage .

For more information, please, contact [email protected] .

Selection procedure

An Evaluation Committee will appraise eligible applications both in the remote evaluation stage and in the interview stage. This committee will include external members and representatives of group leaders at IRB Barcelona. The evaluation will be independent, impartial, objective and free of conflicts of interest, and the selection will be open, efficient, transparent, fair, and merit-based. The PhD Advisory Committee will oversee the remote and interview stages of the selection process. Applicants will receive continuous support from the Academic Office through the helpdesk (email, phone), which will notify them of the outcome of the preselection. The candidates with the highest scores will be invited to IRB Barcelona for an interview. Those who do not pass the threshold established will be excluded from further consideration. Candidates who do not pass this evaluation will be informed why and will be provided with the instructions to follow to start a redress procedure. Short-listed candidates will receive an invitation to a three-day interview process held at IRB Barcelona. Teleconference interviews will be used only for candidates with prior commitments that cannot be rearranged and that thus prevent them from travelling to Barcelona. Offers of admission will be made to the successful candidates shortly after the interview period. Candidates positively evaluated but with an insufficient score to receive a fellowship will be put on a reserve list to cover possible renunciations and future positions.

Call opening :  2 November 2023

Deadline for candidacies : 5 January 2024, 15:00 CET

Deadline for referees : 8 January 2024, 15:00 CET

Remote evaluation :  29 January 2024

Group Leader Panel presentations : 26 February 2024

Interviews at IRB Barcelona : 4-5-6 March 2024

Notification to candidates :  8 March 2024

Start date of fellowships:  from September 2024

Useful information for applications

2024 call IRB Barcelona International PhD Fellowship Programme

2024 Poster

IRB Barcelona International PhD Fellowship FAQs

UMD Ph.D. Student Snehesh Shrestha's Software Uses AI to Teach You How to Play the Violin

On the ground floor of one of the new computer buildings at the University of Maryland, Anna Kelleher played her centuries-old violin while a program running on a laptop in front of her told her to do things such as raise her chin or widen her stance.

These were common mistakes that Kelleher knows not to do. After all, she’s a graduate student studying violin performance. But she also teaches violin to others, and the program she was demonstrating might someday help those she teaches to play even better.

Believers in artificial intelligence say the program will radically transform our lives in so many ways.

It’s designed by Snehesh Shrestha , a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Computer Science, and is the perfect example of how the University of Maryland is building bridges between AI and every other academic program on campus.

A simple webcam found on your laptop, or even your phone, captures enough movement and audio from your performance that the AI program can tell what you’re doing wrong. Whether your stance is too wide or narrow, to whether or not your chin is in the right spot, it can see and also hear everything you’re doing right and wrong.

The program was designed to try “to understand the whole space, not just blindly building a technology, but understanding how can we fill the gaps that are currently there in the entire music learning process,” Shrestha said. “And by identifying gaps where we can empower the teacher and the students, we could really build something a lot more powerful than just building a single technology. And that really was like the starting point of exploring into what the technology can provide towards the future direction of music education.”

On the monitor, the teacher can see the student in 3D — every angle imaginable — to see how they stand and how they move. Technology, including a piece that looks sort of like a smartwatch, can also send cues to the student through vibrations in the wrist.

Click  HERE  to read the full article

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections.  Send email to editor [-at-] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu .