PhD in Animal Medicine and Health

Why do this PhD?

The PhD programme in Animal Medicine and Health has the main objective of preparing researcher in the field of veterinary medicine, offering the scientific and methodological bases that will allow them to carry out their research. The purpose of this is to equip PhD students to be able to start, follow through and complete complex, original and innovative research in the field of veterinary medicine or animal health. The intention is therefore to produce PhDs who can carry out high quality research. It also aims to consolidate the diversity of viewpoints and approaches as well as the balance between basic and applied research.

Professional opportunities

The principal career option provided by this PhD programme is that of joining R&D departments in companies working in agrofood, pharmaceuticals and animal health, or public or private research centres.

Coordinator

Martí Cortey Marquès

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

The academic committee of this PhD programme is made up of:

• The coordinator of the PhD programme in Animal Medicine and Health
• A member of the Department of Animal Health and Anatomy
• A member of the Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery
• A member of the Center for Research in Animal Health
• A member of the Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari

Administration

Department of Animal Health and Anatomy and of Animal Medicine and Surgery
Begoña Hernando Martínez
Office V0/263
Phone: 93 581 4943
pg.medicina.sanitat.animals@uab.cat

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

Research groups

Professors and researchers from the PhD programme in Medicine and Animal Health, is part of the following consolidated research groups or recognized by the AQU (SGR-DGR, 2017):

Research lines

The contents of each of the lines of research are detailed below:

1. Research line in Animal Health, Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Epidemiology
   This research line includes all the epidemiological, clinicopathological, immunological, diagnostic, treatment and prevention aspects of diseases caused by pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites and mycotoxins) that affect companion animals, production animals and wild animals. This research line also includes the study of zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, mycotoxins and toxins that can affect the health of animals, man and the environment.
    
2. Research line in Animal Pathology, Medicine and Surgery
   This research line includes aspects related to pathogenesis, immunology, clinical pathology, diagnosis, treatment (including surgical methods) and prevention of non-infectious diseases that affect productive livestock, companion (exotic and non-exotic) and wild animals.
    
3. Línea de investigación en Animal Reproduction
   This research line includes aspects related to reproductive physiology, sperm quality assessment techniques, preservation of reproductive cells, reproduction and embryology of productive livestock and companion animals.
    
4. Research line in Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology. Research in Animal Models and Comparative Medicine
   This research line includes aspects related to the study of metabolic and pathological processes (vascular complications of diabetes, cellular aging processes, etc.) in transgenic animal models and cell models.
    

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

This PhD programme has, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following pre-registration periods:

• From February, 10 to March, 21
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: April, 30
• From April, 4 to May, 30
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: June, 27
• From June, 10 to July, 31
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 3
• From September, 1 to October, 15
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: November, 5
• From October, 17 to November, 28
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: December, 19

Documentation necessary for admission

In addition to the documentation that each programme indicates, two documents (Other documents1 and Other documents2) that serve as a wildcard are attached for each programme so that the interested person can attach other documents that he or she considers appropriate or that the PhD programme indicates.

Admissions before the established period and pre-admissions

The Doctoral School, following the indications of the coordination of the PhD programme, can issue before the start of the term of admission of an academic course, or before the end of the term of resolution, letters of admission so that you can request a scholarship or to do the visa procedures in your country. It is only necessary that you enter your application in the computer application and that you indicate it in the Observations field, where you must indicate that you need a letter of admission and the scholarship to which you are opting. If the computer application is closed, you can contact the coordination of the programme.

If you need a preadmission, the coordination of the programme can issue it if it considers it appropriate. You must contact the coordination of the programme to inform you of the procedure.

On the International Support Service website you can see more information about future foreign students related to residencies in Catalonia, legal procedures and the UAB campus.

Monitoring your application

You can monitor your application using the same page as you made it. Below are the explanations of the different stages:

• Application made by student: your pre-registration has been saved.
• Incomplete application: there are documents missing from the application.
• Validated by the administrative office: the application and attached documents have been checked.
• Admitted: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and proposed an offer or admission.
• Offer of admission: the Doctoral School has considered the proposals for admission made by the coordinator and has made a definitive offer. The PhD student will also receive an e-mail informing them of this decision. The PhD student must wait to register.
• Waiting list: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and has agreed on admission but there are no places on the PhD course.
• Application rejected: the coordinator or the Doctoral School have considered the application but do not agree to admission as not all the requirements have been fulfilled.

If you need it, here you will find a complementary information document on PhD studies.

Requirements and selection criteria

General access requirements

Specific access requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to doctoral studies, the PhD programme in Animal Medicine and Health applies further criteria for evaluating applications, which are detailed below along with their weighting

• Academic record and affinity of previous studies with Veterinary Medicine (60%)
• Research grants obtained (20%)
• Research experience (5%)
• Research stays abroad (5%)
• Personal interview (5%)

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

For this PhD programme the following training activities are scheduled.

Mandatory activities:

• Attendance to seminars or conferences given by experts in the subject area. Attendance to a minimum of 6 seminars per academic year with a minimum extent of 6 hours for every year of PhD study.
  Both PhD students specialising in Animal Health and Animal Medicine and Surgery must attend a minimum of 6 seminars and/or ‘Journal clubs’ held by the Department of Animal Health and Anatomy/IRTA-CReSA and the Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery/Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari.

• Training activities to improve understanding of the subject area. Attendance to minimum of 2 training activities per academic year with a total of at least 10 hours, for every year of doctoral study.
  Doctoral students must attend a minimum of two training courses organised by the PhD programme, the Doctoral School or the university. With the prior authorisation of the CAPDMSA, courses given by other institutions may be considered. Such authorisation must be requested in advance.

• Publication and / or acceptance of a research paper, book or chapter. At least one published paper must be presented during the third follow-up or before the thesis is submitted.
  The PhD student must publish a scientific article included in his/her doctoral thesis project in a journal with an impact factor prior to the submission of the thesis. The PhD student must be the first author of the article.

• Presentation of a communication (poster or oral) at a national or international conference. Throughout the PhD, the student must present the results of the doctoral thesis project at a national or international conference. The PhD student will be listed as first author, and the communication may be either in poster or oral format. This activity will be required from the second or third academic year onwards.

• Presenting a seminar on the research project
  Students must give a seminar on the thesis project, within the regular seminar schedule.

Optional activities

• Research stays in public or private centres, at home or abroad
  Students may undertake research stays of at least one month at public or private research centres at home or abroad. The research stay must be related to the thesis project and endorsed by the supervisor.

• Participation at doctoral conferences
  Doctoral Conferences are organised by the Catalan universities and the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat) to assist this group in joining the labour market.

Typologies and Research Ethics

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

International Doctoral Research Component

Evaluation and annual review

Thesis deposit

If you want to deposit the doctoral thesis in this PhD programme, remember that you must confirm the complete application (status DI) 20 days before the maximum thesis completion date that appears in your file.

Look out! If you want to deposit before the end of this academic year and thus not have to pay the fees for the next course, you must confirm your deposit request before 15 September.

At the time of making your online deposit, you must attach these documents to your application, in the section "Attach documentation":
 

All PhD students

• 01 - Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)
• External assesor 1: Suitability document
• External assesor 2: Suitability document
• Turnitin similarity report
• Affidavit of turnitin's thesis report

International Doctoral Research Component: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 09 - International Doctoral Research Component: 1 report of the external member
• 10 - International Doctoral Research Component: 2 report of the external member

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 08 - Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

Writing a thesis in a language other than Catalan, Spanish and English: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 11 - Resolution if the thesis is written in other language than Catalan, Spanish or English

Exemption from the two-month deposit requirement prior to the maximum thesis completion date

• Authorization from the Doctoral School regarding the exemption from the two-month requirement before the maximum thesis completion date

Information related to the thesis

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Verification

Verification

Evaluation process previous to the implementation of the degree: presentation of a proposal for a new PhD programme for AQU-Catalunya (Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia) to issue the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities (Ministry of Universities), which is the responsible agent for verification.

• Report on the PhD programme
• Resolution on verification by the Spanish Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

Monitoring

Periodic monitoring process of the development and results of the PhD programme: self-evaluation carried out, every 3 years, by themselves.

• Monitoring report on the programme

Accreditation

Renewal process for the implementation of the degree: presentation, every 6 years since the implementation of the program, of a self-report for AQU-Catalunya to issue the binding assessment for the University Council, which is the responsible agent of accreditation.

• Self-evaluation report
• Accreditation report
• Resolution on accreditation by the Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

AQU VSMA Framework

Internal Quality Assurance System of the faculty

Set of processes to manage and monitor the different aspects of degrees, with the strategic objective of ensuring continuous improvement

• Internal Quality Assurance System
• Tutoring Action Plan (PAT)
• Standing Committee

Opina UAB

A channel for suggestions, complaints and praise regarding the functioning of the UAB

PhD data

• Satisfaction surveys of doctors
• Satisfaction surveys of thesis supervisors
• Check here the results of the doctor's job placement survey
• The PhD figures

Recognition and awards

In this link you will find the doctors who have obtained the Special Prize Award in this PhD programme.