Objectives and competences
The doctoral programme in Ecology, Environmental Sciences and Plant Physiology trains specialists in the ecological study of populations, communities and ecosystems, their interaction with humans, and the interactions of plants with their environment. The studies are advanced and comprehensive, providing an in-depth look at the theoretical framework and the necessary scientific, methodological and technical knowledge. The programme is offered jointly by the University of Barcelona and the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies, a Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) institution. Numerous lecturers from the doctoral programme are also involved with other research centres, such as the Institute of Marine Sciences (also part of the CSIC) or the Agrotechnology Research Centre (Agrotecnio), among others.
1. Because of the importance of ecology in today's world, where fields as varied as biology, economics, law, geography or political science require knowledge of ecology to tackle environmental issues such as the protection of natural systems, pollution, global warming or environmental conservation.
2. Because of the societal demand, which bears witness to the need to train specialists in the field of ecology. Examples include applications for diagnosing the status of natural systems, the implementation of European and national directives, and partnerships with public institutions on the control and management of natural systems.
3. Because of the internationalization: many students complete research visits, take doctoral courses and participate in meetings at international institutions.
4. Because of the participation of international researchers. The programme partners with institutions from the United Kingdom, Amsterdam (Netherlands), and Arizona (US), the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece), the Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (Germany), and the universities of Concepción (Chile), Mato Grosso (Brazil) and Edith Cowan (Australia), amongst others.
Basic information
| Type | Doctoral program |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Biology |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Number of places available | 20 |
| Coordination | Biel Obrador Sala |
| doctorat.ecologia@ub.edu | |
| Phone | 934021510 |
| EDUB details | Indicators |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
Competences
a) Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and research methods related to this field.
b) Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial research or creative process.
c) Ability to contribute to extending the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
d) Ability to carry out critical analysis and evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas.
e) Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and society in general about their areas of knowledge in the ways and languages commonly used in the international scientific community.
f) Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress in a knowledge-based society.
Admission pathways
Access
In general, to access an official doctorate program you must have an official Spanish bachelor's degree, or equivalent, and a university master's degree and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all university degree and master's studies.It can also be accessed by anyone who is in any of these cases:
a) Be in possession of official Spanish university degrees or equivalent Spanish degrees, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in the set of these courses, accrediting level 3 of the Spanish Qualification Framework for Higher Education.
b) Be in possession of a title obtained in accordance with foreign educational systems belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EEES), without the need for it to be approved, which accredits a level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided that this title is valid for to access doctoral studies in the country of dispatch. This admission does not imply, in any case, the approval of the previous title that the interested party is in possession of or the recognition for other purposes than that of accessing doctoral studies.
c) Be in possession of a degree obtained in accordance with foreign educational systems outside the EEES, without the need for it to be approved, after verification by the University of Barcelona that this degree accredits a level of training equivalent to the official Spanish master's degree university and which, in the country of dispatch, entitles you to access doctoral studies. This admission does not imply, in any case, the approval of the previous title that the interested party is in possession of or the recognition for other purposes than that of accessing doctoral studies.
d) Be in possession of another doctoral degree.
e) Equally, university graduates who, after obtaining a place in training through the corresponding test for access to specialized health training places, have passed with a positive evaluation at least two years of training in a program to obtain the title, can access official of one of the specialties in health sciences.
f) The graduates, architects or engineers who were in possession of the diploma of advanced studies obtained in accordance with what was established in Royal Decree 778/1998, of April 30, or who had reached the research sufficiency regulated in Royal Decree 185/ 1985, of January 23.
Admission requirements
The academic committee has set the following specific admission requirements for the standard admission pathways.
Recommended applicant profile:
1. Applicants should have completed a university master's degree in a scientific area related to ecology, environmental sciences or plant physiology.
2. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the area of study, applications will be accepted from candidates in possession of a university master's degree issued by a university in the EHEA framework in areas different to those listed in point 1. In such cases, the Academic Committee will assess whether the degree provides a comparable level of study and a sufficient degree of research training. In addition, the Committee will assess the compatibility of the candidate's curriculum vitae with the general content and specific research areas covered by the doctoral programme.
3. Candidates in possession of a master's degree issued outside the EHEA framework, the Academic Committee will assess whether the content is compatible with the content of the doctoral programme and provides suitable preparation.
4. English language proficiency (at B1 CEFR or equivalent), to develop the necessary competences.
The Academic Committee assesses candidates on the basis of the following system:
1. The compatibility between the candidate's qualifications (bachelor's degree and master's degree or equivalent) and the content of the doctoral programme. Maximum 3 points.
2. The academic record for previous qualifications (bachelor's degree and master's degree or equivalent), taking into account the grade point average. Correction factors will be applied to qualifications issued outside Spain, as provided for in the regulations of the ANECA programme. Maximum 2 points.
3. Possession of a research grant or contract. Maximum 3 points.
4. Other skills and abilities related to the proposed research project (for example, diving certification). Maximum 2 points.
Lines of research and teaching staff
Research lines
101189 - Population ecology and community ecology101188 - Ecology of continental aquatic systems
101186 - Marine ecology
101187 - Terrestrial ecology
101190 - Plant environmental physiology
101185 - Environmental management and restoration
Research plan and progress reports
You can find all the information at the following links:
Training activities
List of programme-specific training activities
The most common training activities are as follows:
1. Specific training for the doctoral thesis in the field, laboratory and office, usually provided by the host research group.
2. Cross-disciplinary training on skills related to presenting papers and courses on writing scientific papers or useful methods in experimental sciences (e.g. spatial data analysis with R, introduction to meta-analysis, advanced statistical analysis, etc.).
3. Attendance of and participation in national and international seminars, conferences, workshops, etc.
Additional cross-disciplinary training:
training pills organized by the UB Doctoral School.
Doctoral thesis
Criteria for theses by publication:
The thesis must include a minimum of two papers:
one published paper of which the doctoral student is the lead author, and one paper accepted for publication, of which the doctoral student may be a co-author.
These papers must have been published in renowned scientific journals in the field of the speciality and have a high impact factor.
Thesis languages:
The UB's official languages (Catalan, English, Spanish).
Theses subject to data protection:
In the case of theses subject to data protection or transfer processes, only the encrypted copy will be published in the institutional or TDX repository.
The doctoral student must duly notify the University of Barcelona when the protection or transfer process ends so that the encrypted copy can be replaced with the complete version (Regulations governing doctoral studies, Article 38, paragraph 8).
Career opportunities
What can you work on ?
Researchers in research institutes and academic institutions, in the fields of ecology, environmental biology and the environment, - or in research centres in the commercial sector (industry or phytosanitary or zoosanitary agencies, agri-food, forestry, energy).Professional experts in various environmental assessments, management of protected areas and biological resources in the administration, in environmental departments of large companies, consultancy or communication companies, environmental studies or in the phytosanitary or zoosanitary and agri-food sectors.