PhD in Environmental Science and Technology

Why do this PhD?

If you are driven by improving the environment, discovering what has lead us to this situation and how we can reverse it; if you want to face the challenges we have on every level as well as obtaining your PhD in a unique environment and forming part of an internationally prestigious, inter- and transdisciplinary, dynamic and collaborative research team, then this PhD in Environmental Science and Technology could be what you are looking for. 

You will join research groups that include PhD students from different countries, working on disruptive projects with the availability of state-of-the-art installations and equipment for carrying out pioneering research. You will work with teaching staff in contact with research groups around the world and will have the opportunity to do periods of research abroad and obtain the international doctoral research component. This internationalisation along with the location of the programme on the UAB campus makes this programme unique. Also, the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the UAB has been recognised as a María de Maeztu centre of excellence. 

The objective of the PhD programme is that students can acquire and integrate knowledge and tools from different disciplines and development new knowledge to be able to find answers to the current environmental challenges through research in the field of environmental science and technology from and inter- and transdisciplinary perspective. It covers 10 lines of research framed in 4 thematic areas: Ecological economics and environmental management, Environmental technology, Climate and global change, and Industrial and urban ecology. This PhD will offer you a multifaceted and critical view which is necessary for tackling the complex challenges of today and contributing to achieving a more sustainable world.

Professional opportunities

This PhD programme provides the following principal career options:

• Management and development of national and international R&D&I projects in the field of environmental science and technology.
• Research groups in R&D+I laboratories and institutions in the environmental sector.
• Management of SMEs in the environmental sector.
• Management of the R&D+I department in companies of all sizes in the environmental sector.
• Department of environmental management in a large company.
• University teaching in different departments.
• Entrepreneurship in the field of environmental science and technology.
• Management of R&D+I departments in national or international public administration.
• International bodies specialising in environmental issues.
• Management of environment departments in public administration, at local, national or international level.
• Technical management in NGOs specialising in international environmental issues.

Testimonials

The PhD in Environmental Science and Technology has allowed me to develop key tools and skills for my professional career in the sustainability sector.

Martí Rufí-Salís

The PhD in Environmental Science and Technology has given me the opportunity to acquire new scientific knowledge in order to improve my personal and professional development.

Anna Carrasco

Coordinator

Adriana Artola Casacuberta

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

5 representatives of the 4 thematic areas of the programme (at least one per area). These 5 members will include the coordinator of the PhD programme.

Administration

ICTA - Z Building
Calle de las Columnas
08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès)
Contact: Cristina Durán Díez
Tel. 93 586 86 26
doctorat.icta@uab.cat

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

At the bottom of this page you will find additional information about other thesis supervisors in the programme.

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Thesis supervision

PhD thesis supervisor

At the time of making the admission proposal, the academic tribunal of the PhD programme assigns the PhD candidate a thesis supervisor, and this figure will be responsible for the coherence and appropriateness of the activities, impact and innovation in the subject field of the thesis and will guide the planning and adequacy of the research to other projects and activities.

The designation of a thesis supervisor may fall on any Spanish or Foreign PhD with accredited research experience independently of the university, centre or institution in which they work. At the same time, each PhD programme may establish additional criteria as necessary for the PhD thesis supervisor.

The supervisor's responsibilities are the following:

• Try to ensure that the project is original, innovative and viable, under the terms of the rules, and also that it is coherent with the group or line of the research to which it is linked.
• Agree to the plan for the supervision of research work and plan regular meetings. The supervisor informs what documents are required for each meeting (written reports, messages, minutes, handwritten papers etc) to be able to accredit the frequency of the meetings.
• Advise the PhD candidate on the research in general and the preparation of the thesis in particular.
• Indicate to the PhD candidate the most appropriate activities for their research when the PhD programme has been identified and sign the activities document.
• Facilitate the candidate's participation in the pecific and transferrable training activities for the PhD programme in accordance with that established in the commitment document.
• Sign the commitment and activities document for the PhD candidate.
• Assist the PhD candidate in the definition of the PhD research project and the research that will eventually culminate in the PhD thesis.
• Revise and sign the research plan for the thesis.
• Undertake to regularly supervise in accordance with the commitment document, the research plan for the PhD candidate, and help them to focus the project while it is being carried out.
• Try to ensure that the PhD student takes the initiative and achieves increasing autonomy throughout the project.
• Assist the PhD candidate to find solutions for different aspects related to their research and establish the specific details and the means required and, where necessary, the experimental design.
• Let the PhD candidate know about all the means available to them at the University that are important for their research and help them to access them.
• Write the forms required for the annual review.
• Read, correct and comment on the draft thesis before it is deposited, on the conditions that the candidate has provided a copy a reasonable time beforehand.
• Ensure that the candidate understands the administrative and academic requirements for the assessment and defence of the thesis as well as the corresponding deadlines throughout the process.
• Communicate health and safety rules to the PhD candidate where necessary.
• Communicate any rule or ethical aspect that may be related to their research.

The designation of the thesis supervisor may be modified at any time during the PhD programme: whenever there are justified reasons the supervisor may reject supervision of the thesis (in which case the academic tribunal for the programme will suggest a replacement); on petition of the PhD candidate where there are justifications for doing so the academic tribunal of the PhD programme may change the designation of the PhD supervisor.

Thesis supervisors outside the PhD programme

Thesis supervisors who are not lecturers at the UAB or who have not been appointed as a thesis director must accredit their own PhD qualification and research experience, i.e. specific details of publications, research projects they have worked on and any other information relevant to the lines of research proposed on the PhD programme. Once the above supervisor has been approved, the academic tribunal for the PhD programme may authorise their incorporation into the programme as a possible thesis supervisor (or assign them to a single doctoral thesis).

Each PhD programme must establish which other lecturers, whatever their category as long as they are not included in the programme, are able to supervise the thesis.

Joint supervision of the PhD thesis

The PhD thesis may be supervised by other PhD holders where there are academic arguments for doing so (such as interdiscplinarity of the subject or national or international programmes) with the prior authorisation of the academic tribunal of the PhD programme. This authorisation may be withdrawn at a later date if, in the opinion of the academic tribunal, the joint supervision is not beneficial to the progress of the thesis.

A PhD thesis may be jointly supervised by up to three PhD holders.

Maximum number of theses per supervisor

Each supervisor may supervise a maximum of five PhD theses simultaneously. The supervision of the PhD thesis concludes at the time the thesis is presented and defended or if the PhD candidate withdraws. In terms of recognition of the teaching and research dedication in situations of joint supervision these should be divided equally.

Recognition of thesis supervision

One essential way to encourage thesis supervision is by ensuring that this task is recognised and valued: something that the UAB regulations achieve. The approval of the Academic Workload Model for UAB Teaching Staff by the Governing Council on 13 December 2017, significantly improved the system used to calculate and take account of supervision tasks. Article 10.3 stipulates that the supervisor of a doctoral thesis is to have 100 hours recognised per thesis supervised. If supervision is carried out by more than one person, this recognition is shared equally between them. 

Thesis tutoring

At the time of application the academic tribunal of the programme will assign the candidate an academic tutor. The academic tutor must be a doctor with accredited research experience, linked to the programme in which has been admitted the doctoral student..

The academic tutor has the following responsibilities:

• Ensure coherence in the tasks of the PhD candidate and supervisor and the research group.
• Provide communication between the PhD student and the academic tribunal of the PhD programme.
• Ensure the appropriateness of the PhD training and research activity to the programme and the norms of the School for Doctoral Studies.
• Sign the commitment and activities document for the PhD candidate.
• Check and sign the PhD research plan.
• Write the reports required for the annual review.

The academic tribunal of the programme can establish, where possible, that the academic tutor can also be the thesis supervisor.

The designation of the academic tutor may be changed at any time during the PhD course: on the part of the PhD candidate, where there are justified reasons; on the part of the thesis supervisor, where there are justified reasons. In these cases the academic tribunal of the PhD programme has to propose a new tutor.

Specific information about the co-direction of the PhD thesis

The Academic Tribunal of the PhD Programme recommends the co-direction of theses whenever possible.

Admission application

Admission

The UAB PhD programs are onsite.

If you wish to access a doctoral programme you must apply for admission to the academic committee of the programme through the online application for this purpose and follow the procedure established by the coordination or administrative management responsible for the programme with regard to the proposal for tutoring and supervision of the thesis. You must also declare whether you want to do the thesis full-time or part-time. You will find more information on the Annual PhD reviews page.

Admission to the doctoral programme is decided by the rector.

You will find the information on the academic tutors and the supervision of the thesis in the Research lines and supervision section of the file of each doctoral programme. In accordance with the instructions in the file of the chosen programme, you must attach the Endorsement/acceptance of supervision and tutoring document. This document must be signed by the person who has accepted the tutoring and/or supervision of the thesis. The notification of admission to the programme includes the tutor and the supervisor of the thesis, the line of research, the maximum length of admission to the programme (full-time or part-time study) and also, where applicable, any bridging courses that you have to take in the first year.

Before starting the online application, check that you meet the requirements for access, in the Requirements and admission criteria section and consult the Obligatory documentation section  to find out what paperwork you need.

We recommend that you watch this video before starting the application:

(video in Spanish; click on the CC button to display the English subtitles):

Summary of Online Application Procedure:

1. To access the application you need a university identification number (NIU) and a password. To obtain them:
   • If you are not a UAB student, enter your identification details to register.
   • If you are or have been a UAB student and you remember your NIU (university identification number) and password, go straight to the application.
   • If you are or have been a UAB student but you do not remember your NIU (university identification number) and/or you do not remember your password, re-enter all your identification details to retrieve it.
2. Make the application by selecting the doctoral programme you are interested in. You must have  all the documentation required by the programme ready.
3. Enter your personal and academic details in the different sections of the application. Your name and surname must be those that appear on your DNI, TIE, NIE or passport. The application must be accompanied by the necessary personal and academic documents. The documents are attached in PDF, JPG or DOC format (up to a maximum of 4 MB). Failure to include requested documents in the application sections may result in the denial of admission to the program.
4. If you need early admission due to the application or award of a scholarship, you must indicate it in the corresponding field and put the name of the scholarship. Depending on the situation, the programme coordinator will decide on your early admission if necessary.
5. On the last screen of the process, save the application. If you wish, you can download the proof of the application for admission. You will receive the resolution of your application at the email you included in the application. 
6. You can check the status of your application by entering the application.

CONSULT SOME INDICATIONS THAT MAY BE USEFUL for you to pre-register online

      ACCESS THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION

Resolution of the application for admission to the doctoral programme:

Once the application has been registered, you will enter the selection process. You will receive the result of the resolution of the admissions in a personalized way at the email address you have put in the admission application. The decision will be made according to the calendar of each doctoral programme. Check your spam folder to make sure it didn't end up. Once you have received the notification of admission, if you need more information about doctoral studies, you can consult this additional information.

Once you have received notification of the resolution, you must carry out the following:

•  You must enrol through online enrolment. Check the Registration section and enrolment calendar.
• If the notification of admission indicates that it is conditional on obtaining the degree of the studies that you had not completed at the time of making the application, once you are in possession of proof of having applied for the degree, you must send it to the address ed.admissions@uab.cat. The School for Doctoral Studies will register that you have already obtained the degree and admission will become final. The School for Doctoral Studies will inform you that you can now register online. You have one month to register.
• If the admission notification indicates that you must take bridging courses, the School for Doctoral Studies will contact you to inform you of the registration for the subjects you have to take and the credits. You must also self-register within one month of notification.
• Once you have registered, check the After registration section  to find out the subsequent procedures you have to carry out, because they all have fixed deadlines.
• If you do not register, admission to the doctoral programme will be null and void.
• In subsequent years, regardless of the date on which you were admitted to the doctoral programme, you must register in October. To register for subsequent courses, consult the information in the  Registration: other courses section.
• Every year you must present to a progress review panel, in accordance with your programme. In the event that you do not present yourself for review (non-assessable grade), you will no longer have continuity in the doctoral programme and you will not be able to make any further registrations.

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

PRE-REGISTRATION PERIODS:

•    From 22 January to 28 February (PERIOD ONLY FOR CSC STUDENTS)
      · Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 14 March

•    From 4 April to 30 May
      · Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 27 June

•    From 10 June to 31 July
      · Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 3 October

•    From 1 August to 15 October
      · Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 25 October

•    From 17 October to 28 November
      · Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 25 October

Documentation necessary for admission

Applicants must be able to accredit before the coordinators or academic managers of the PhD programme that their previous studies are sufficient for access to a PhD programme in accordance with prevailing legislation and must provide this obligatory documents relatet to previous studies (degree and academic certificates). In the section ‘General access requirements’ you can also consult all the access routes to the doctoral program that the current regulations allow.

The required documents may be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English. Any documents issued in French, Italian or Portuguese can be presented as translations carried out by the UAB Language Service - Idiomes UAB Campus. Applicants must organise their own translations and pay for them. For documents issued in any other language, they must be presented as translation into Catalan, Spanish or English by a sworn translator, working for any diplomatic or consular service of Spain abroad or the Spanish consular or diplomatic representation of the applicant’s national country.

To legalise the documentation accrediting studies carried out abroad, follow the procedure set out in the 'Legalisation' section on this website. Non-legalised documents may be presented for admission to the PhD programme even though legalisation will be required for the registration stage.

If you attach the documentation in other formats than the electronic one (without CVS or QR), you will have to submit the documentation before you can self-enroll.

Mandatory documentation for this doctoral program:

• CV    
• Approval/acceptance from the thesis director(s)    
• Acceptance from the thesis tutor

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

See the general access requirements.

Specific access requirements

English language certificate, at a level equivalent to the First Certificate. In the case of students without a certificate, the PhD programme coordinators will determine the ways to ascertain that their level of English is high enough to join the programme.

Students can obtain their certificate by taking an exam at the Language Service of the UAB.

Selection criteria

The criteria used to assess applicants' merits in the selection process are as follows.

• Academic record and affinity of previous studies with the field of environmental science and technology (30%).
• Research grants obtained (30%).
• Research or professional experience in environmental matters (15%).
• Research stays abroad (10%).
• Personal interview (15%).

Training supplements

If the academic committee of the PhD programme in Environmental Science and Technology detects a shortcoming in the candidate's training related to environmental science and technology, it may require the candidate to pass up to 30 credits of specific training complements. These credits serve to complement training deficits in the areas of: ecological economics, industrial ecology, global change, environmental technology and/or initiation to research.

The modules of the Interdisciplinary Master in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability that should be taken are the module ‘Interdisciplinary Concepts in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability Studies’ (15 ECTS) and/or additional module depending on the specialisation or training deficit, respectively: ‘Fundamentals of ecological economics’ (9 ECTS), “Global change” (9 ECTS), “Design and operation of industrial wastewater treatment facilities” (9 ECTS), “Industrial ecology” (9 ECTS), or “Final Master's thesis” (15 ECTS) if the deficit is in research activity.

Registration and fees

Registration

Each academic year the PhD candidate must register for the annual review as part of the administrative process to form a contract between the PhD student and the university.

First year Registration

Registration in the first year should be done once the decision is made and no longer than one month after the date of admission. Check the information about procedure, calendar, documents and prices on this page.

Prior to registration, please check the additional information and indications on the registration procedure.

Here is a video to show you how to self-register:

(Video in Spanish with English subtitles)

The regulations provide that 3 months after the enrollment date, the student has submitted the research plan, the commitment document and the activity plan to the Academic Tribunal of the PhD Programme (CAPD) and it has been approved.

In the PhD programme in Environmental Science and Technology, it is the CAPD that will establish the date for submission and approval, ensuring compliance with this requirement and notifying the Doctoral School of students who do not submit it so that the corresponding measures can be adopted, consisting of the cancellation of admission and registration, without return of the fees paid.

Calendar and Registration documents

Calendar and registration documents

Calendar

When the PhD applicant is accepted onto a PhD programme they must formalise the PhD review registration document in a period of not more than one month after being accepted. The following courses must be registered for within the established registration period:

Registration calendar

• First year registration
• Registration for subsequent years

Registration documents

PhD applicants should bring the following obligatory documentation when registering at the School for Doctoral Studies. Check the documentation on this link.

The documents may be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English. For documentation in French, Italian or Portuguese, you can send it to the Language Service at the UAB. The applicant is responsible for the getting the documents translated and paying for the service. For other languages you need to provide a translation in to Catalan by a sworn translator, any diplomatic or consular service of Spain abroad or the Spanish consular or diplomatic representation of the applicant’s national country.

To legalise the documentation that accredits the courses taken abroad, please check the 'Legalisation' section (in Spanish). Nevertheless, at the time of pre-admission or admission the doctoral student may submit the non-legalised documentation although it must be legalised by the time the students registers.

After the registration

When PhD students have registered they need to use the UAB Intranet self-enrolment system or follow the instructions of the programme coordinator or administrator to produce the statement of commitment, the activities document and the research plan. This section describes the nature of these documents and the way in which they should be prepared.

There is also other information that should be taken into account when carrying out doctoral research, such as the annual review, part or full time study and cases of withdrawal from the programme.

• Statement of commitment

  The statement of commitment is a written agreement that establishes the relationship between the PhD candidate, the supervisor, the academic tutor and the UAB, and the rights and responsibilities of each.

  Within a maximum period of three months from the date of admission to the PhD programme, and when the coordinator has assigned the PhD student a supervisor, the conditions are negotiated between the student, the supervisor and the academic tutor, agreeing the conditions of collaboration between the student and the thesis supervisor, their obligations, the corresponding dedication of the student, supervisor and tutor, and systems of resolving conflicts etc. , through a statement of commitment which must be signed by the PhD student, the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor and programme coordinator.

  As far as the signing and custody of the document is concerned the indications established by the programme coordinator or administrator should be followed but, in any case, when the document is signed, the PhD student must digitize it into Sigma, in the "Research Plan" tab. In the tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system you will find instructions on how to attach it.

  Where the statement of commitment cannot be completed as a result the circumstances of the PhD student, the registration will be cancelled and there is no right to a refund of the fee.

• Activities document

  During the preparation of the doctoral thesis the student must carry out a series of activities that will help their academic development, and which have been previously identified by the academic committee of the PhD programme. There are two kinds of activity: Compulsory and optional.

  The activities document is the individual register for controlling the PhD activities.

  Within three months from the date of admission to the PhD programme, the PhD students must agree with the programme coordinator the activities they will undertake during the preparation of the thesis. The compulsory activities are already included in the activities document; however, the optional activities must be registered for according to the procedure indicated by the programme coordinator or administrator.

  The type and number of activities may be modified later using the same procedure, but they must be approved by the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor and also have the approval of the PhD programme coordinator, and recorded in the activities document.

  To justify that the activities have been successfully completed the PhD student must hand over a certificate to the supervisor and, where necessary, follow the indication of the coordinator or administrative staff to include the certificates in the activities document.

  Since in order to deposit the PhD thesis, the academic tribunal requires the PhD candidate, among other things, to have done all the activities included in the activities document, it is a good idea for the PhD student to ensure that they are duly recorded and marked as having been completed in the activities document.

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to introduce activities in the activities document. It can be accessed through the UAB Intranet self-enrolment scheme.

   

  If you did not find in these pages the information you need, you can contact the Doctoral School at ed.matricula@uab.cat.

• Research plan and doctoral training plan

  The PhD academic coordinator establishes the content of the research plan for the PhD programme, including at least the methodology and objectives to be achieved by the PhD candidate and the means and timescale planning for the research.

  Once it has been written it must be attached to the PhD transcript through the UAB Intranet system for approval by the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor. In the tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system you will find instructions on how to attach it.

  Finally it must be presented jointly with the research plan approval and doctoral training plan request form (you will find the document model at the bottom of this page), filled in and signed, to the academic tribunal of the programme which will undertake to evaluate and, where appropriate, approve it.

  The research plan may be improved, have details added or be corrected during the PhD programme. Where this is the case the same procedure must be followed but using the research plan and doctoral training plan modification request form (you will find the document model at the bottom of this page).

• Annual monitoring

  Every academic year, the academic tribunal of the programme organises a review in which s panel of three PhD lecturers evaluates the progress of the PhD candidate in their research plan, the activities document and a report by the supervisor of the PhD thesis and the academic tutor.

  Information about the annual review for this PhD programme is available in the "Review" section of this programme website.

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to access the system and manage your PhD transcript.

• Other aspects to be taken into account: 

  Full or part time

  The PhD programme is a minimum of two years full time and a maximum of three years full time counted from the date of admission to the programme to the deposit of the thesis in the School for Doctoral Studies.

  However, the academic tribunal for the PhD programme may authorise the student to undertake the PhD on a part-time basis, which means a maximum duration of five years from the date of admission to the deposit of the PhD thesis.

  During the first two years of the PhD, counted from the date of admission, the PhD student may request a modification of the dedication to the programme from the academic tribunal, as long as this can be justified. If authorisation is granted, the academic committee will inform the School for Doctoral Studies of this change.

  However, in exceptional and documented cases the Doctoral Committee may approve a change outside that time period.

  Whether the PhD candidate participates in the programme on a full time or part time basis is approved and recorded when registering, in the statement of commitment and in the research plan, and any variation thereof must be made in accordance with the procedure established in the research plan.

  
  Code of good practice

  The UAB is committed to the objective of achieving excellence in teaching, research and knowledge transfer, and supports the development and use of learning methodologies adapted to each stage.

  The School for Doctoral Studies, as an integral part of the UAB, subscribes to that commitment and sets it out in the code of good practice, which is understood as a code of values and principles that inspire its activities and adhered to by all those taking part in them. It should therefore be understood that the School for Doctoral Studies has an internal set of rules including the rights and responsibilities of the supervisors, academic tutors and PhD candidates.

  Download here the signature form of the code of good practice.
   

  Non-continuation and withdrawals

  Regardless of whether the PhD programme is followed on a full or part-time basis, the calculation of research activity does not include sick leave, maternity leave or any other cause contemplated in the current rules for doctoral studies. Where PhD students find themselves in any of these situations they must communicate this to the academic tribunal of the PhD programme, which will inform the School for Doctoral Studies so that the total time spent on the programme may be calculated.

  Additionally, the PhD student may request temporary leave for a maximum period of one year, extendable to two years. The request must be justified and sent to the academic tribunal of the PhD programme which will decide whether or not to grant the leave. Each PhD programme has its own conditions regarding the reincorporation of the student to the programme.

  
  Tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to access the system and manage your PhD transcript

Training activities

Transversal training activities

The PhD programmes include research training that is both transversal and specific to the area of each programme and consists of both compulsory and optional activities.

All the activities that the PhD student must complete are recorded in an activities document, but in any case there are compulsory activities that must be completed in the first academic years. It may also include transferrable activities offered by the same university.

Other professional who are not PhD holders may participate in these activities as long as they hold a relevant qualification in the corresponding area.

To include these activities in your academic record, please check this video (click on the subtitle icon at the bottom right corner).

Mandatory and optional specific activities

For this PhD programme the following training activities are scheduled.

Mandatory activities:

• Attendance at seminars or lectures given by experts in the subject area
  These can be organised by the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) or by any other body. This includes attendance at specific conferences.

• Giving a seminar on the research project (to non-specialist audience)
  This consists of giving a talk on the planning or the findings of the project to a mainly non-specialist audience. The target audience will be master's and/or bachelor's degree students.

• Giving a seminar on the research project (to specialist audience)
  Presenting the most significant research findings to the group or to any other specialist audience.

• Research paper sent to a high-impact scientific journal
  One of the most common ways of disseminating research findings is by publishing them in specialist international journals.  PhD students are therefore encouraged to to write papers  to publish their own research findings.

Optional activities:

• Research stays in public or private centres, at home or abroad.
  Many students stay for at least three months at institutions in other countries. As a result, 21% of theses presented during 2020-2021 academic year and those of the 2021-2022 academic year obtained the European Doctoral Research Component. Students who undertake a research stay abroad in line with current rules governing PhD programmes will be eligible to obtain the International Doctoral Research Component.

• Involvement in research project preparation
  This consists of taking part in the discussions prior to drawing up a research project, or in writing the introduction, the methodology section, etc., especially if the research is related to the student's own thesis.

• Oral presentations or posters at national or international conferences
  Conferences provide an excellent opportunity to interact with other PhD students and scientists working in the same field. One of the commonest ways of presenting research findings is by giving a short talk or using a poster display.

• Teaching assistance
  Students can give practical classes (in lecture rooms or laboratories) on subjects within the scope of their department, provided their grant is compatible with this.

• Course on laboratory safety and hygiene
  This course covers safety and hygiene rules and good practice to be followed when conducting any laboratory experiment.

• Participation at doctoral conferences
  These sessions provide PhD students with information on employment opportunities once they have completed the programme.

Typologies and Research Ethics

The aim of this set of good research practices is to get an idea of the regulatory framework for activities linked to research and which follow the directives set out in the Statutes of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, based on principles of freedom, democracy, justice, equality and solidarity. This commitment therefore involves orientating the teaching, research and other university activities towards a culture of peace, respect for human rights, social progress, respect for the environment and sustainable development, and the explicit renouncement of research for military ends.

• Good Research Practices: this is a set of points for action, recommendation and commitments when carrying out research.

• Good PhD Practices: is a set of recommendations and commitments that should serve a guide for PhD candidates in their dual role of students and trainee researchers.

• Institutional Biosafety Committee: technical committee made up of experts in evaluating the safety of facilities and activities conducted with biological agents, in identifying any type of potential risk and in ensuring that all regulations relevant to biosafety are met.

• Ethics Committee on Animal and Human Experimentation (CEEAH), establishes mechanisms and procedures to ensure experimentation is complies with prevailing legislation.

• Good Open Acces Practices, good practices of Catalan universities to meet the Open Acces's mandates about publications, as specified on the 'Ley de la ciencia española' and the European Union's Horizon Europe.

•  is a European initiative providing access to a complete range of information and support services to researchers wishing to pursue their research careers in Europe or remain connected to research activities in Europe. 

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD students can progress further in their area of research through stays abroad, which may, when appropriate, come within the framework of bilateral joint-supervision agreements with a foreign university (thesis under joint international supervision) and within the International Doctoral Research Component. Stays abroad can also be made under Erasmus Internships.

Stays with Erasmus Internships

You can make stays abroad (mainly in Europe) with Erasmus Internships. In the following link you will find the call and the calendar to request it:

• Erasmus Internships

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

On the proposal of the academic tribunal for a PhD programme, the UAB may  make agreements with foreign universities or centres of higher education that are authorised to award PhD qualifications for the purpose of preparing the PhD thesis.

In that case the PhD student will carry out research under the control and responsibility of a thesis supervisor in each of the institutions in the agreement, and these in turn will each award the PhD qualification on the basis of a single thesis.

Joint supervision agreements may only be signed during the first year of the research work, counted from the day the student is accepted on the PhD programme.

The period for working on the thesis will be split between the two centres and the minimum stay at the UAB must ne a total of nine months, which may be divided into shorter periods.

See the detailed application procedure for joint international supervision (in Spanish).

International Doctoral Research Component

The PhD qualification may also include the International Doctoral Research Component, as long as the following conditions are fulfilled:

• During the training period necessary to obtain the qualification of PhD, the candidate must have been outside Spain for a minimum of three months in a or more higher education institutions or research centers of prestige, and have carried out research or study there. The period and the activities must be assessed by the supervisor and approved by the academic tribunal, and must be included in the students' PhD activities report. The period may be divided as long and the total is not less than three months (90 days) and one of the stays has a minimum of 1 month..

• Part of the PhD thesis, at least the abstract and conclusions, must be written in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in that field of knowledge, different from any of the official languages in Spain. This regulation does not apply when the periods abroad, the reports and the experts involve a Spanish-speaking country.

• That at least two PhD holding experts from a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre have submitted their reports on the PhD thesis.

• That at least one of the experts belongs to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre, holds a PhD, and is different from the person responsible for the period abroad, formed part of the PhD examination panel.

• The defence of the PhD thesis must take place at the Spanish university where the candidate is registered or, in the case of joint doctoral programmes, in any of the participating universities or under the terms stated in the collaboration agreements.

See the detailed application procedure for the International Doctoral Research Component (in Spanish).

Evaluation and annual review

Annual PhD review

Once the PhD student is accepted on the programme, they must register every academic year (including the year when the thesis is deposited) in order to confirm their status. The subject registered for is called review, and it is an evaluation of the training received during the year and progress on the writing of the PhD thesis.

Each academic year the academic committee arranges a review, in which three PhD holding lecturers assess the progress made by the candidate in their research plan and activities document and the report by the thesis supervisor and academic tutor. In the report, the director and the academic tutor state, at least, that the candidate has fulfilled the number of meetings arranged between themselves and the thesis supervisor and has carried out the activities planned for that academic year.

In exceptional cases (research stays or work camps), and with a previous report from the thesis supervisor and from the academic tutor, the Academic Committee of the PhD programme may authorise substitute the oral and face-to-face presentation of the annual review by another format.

In accordance with current PhD regulations, the positive evaluation during the review is an essential requirement for continuing on the programme and registering for the following year. Failure to present an annual review with no justification will lead to the PhD candidates definitive withdrawal from the programme. If the annual review is negative the candidate may re-register for the same review within the registration calendar, make a new research plan and present for a new review in a maximum period of six months. However, if the new review is negative the candidate must withdraw from the PhD programme.

In case of doubt or incident you should contact the programme management office. Students and teachers will be notified by email of any last-minute changes.

Thesis deposit

Online Deposit

In this section you will find the indications and the specific documentation of the programme, if applicable, that you must incorporate in your online deposit application. Check in advance what is the procedure to make the deposit online.

Once your application has been recorded and validated by the coordination of the PhD programme, you will be able to monitorise the deposited theses and the theses for which the examining board has been approved, as well as the agenda where the theses defenses are published.

Here you will find a summary of the documents that must be provided for the online thesis deposit and of the specifics of the PhD Program in Environmental Science and Technology (PDCTA). Please check the website of the Doctoral School for detailed information.

Attention! If you want to submit before the end of this academic year and avoid paying the fees for the next academic year, you must have sent all the necessary documentation for the approval of the deposit by the CAPD (see below) before June 20, 2025.

Before the deposit

• Before starting your deposit request, you must have completed all mandatory activities (indicated in Sigma with a blue icon). Remember that you must have entered the data and attached the supporting documentation in the application. These activities must also be validated by your thesis supervisor or tutor (if you have more than one supervisor, validation by one is sufficient). You will find an explanatory video on how to enter the activities on the Doctoral School's website ("Training activities validated by my supervisor/tutor"). If you haven't done so already, make sure that your supervisor(s) have access to Sigma (especially in the case of persons external to the UAB).
• Once you have confirmed that all activities are correctly entered and validated, you must send the following documents to doctorat.icta@uab.cat so they can be approved by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme (CAPD). Without CAPD approval, the coordination team will not validate the deposit. Note that the CAPD needs at least one calendar week to review and approve the documents. If modifications are required, you will need to resubmit the corrected documents.
  
  Required documentation: 
  • The thesis file.
  • Similarity report generated using the Turnitin tool.
  • Sworn declaration that the file reviewed by Turnitin is the same as the one attached as the thesis file.
  • Thesis supervisor(s) report.
  • Tribunal proposal form: a document listing the members of the examination board (no signatures required). All members must hold a doctoral degree.
  • Proposal of two external reviewers (they may also be part of the tribunal). They must be external to the UAB.
  • Suitability document for all tribunal members and external reviewers.(You will find all these documents on the Doctoral School’s website.)
• Additionally, for the PhD Programme in Environmental Science and Technology, all members of the examination board must have successfully supervised at least one doctoral thesis.
  Therefore, a list of theses supervised by each member must be provided.
  
  In the case of theses applying for the Industrial Doctorate Mention, one member from the industrial sector may not have supervised a thesis.
• If applying for the International Doctorate Mention, the external reviewers must belong to universities or research institutions outside of Spain.
  You must also provide evidence of having completed a stay of at least 3 months in a centre located outside of Spain.
• If you wish to submit your thesis as a compilation of publications, you must provide the CAPD’s Acceptance Resolution (note that you must check the corresponding box during the online deposit).
• If applying for the Industrial Doctorate Mention, please check the additional documentation required here. You must also check the corresponding box during the online deposit.
• Once you receive the approval of the Academic Committee, you can proceed with the online deposit using the approved documentation. Your supervisor(s) and tutor must validate the deposit in that order and upload the supervisor’s report and, if applicable, the report explaining the delay in publication or justification for the replacement of articles.
  
  After this, the programme coordination will review the deposit and send the request for external reviewers’ reports. These reviewers will have one month to upload their reports.
  
  Once the reports are received, if they require changes to the thesis document, the deposit will be returned to the student to make the requested changes (you will have one month) and attach the revised thesis file and a separate document outlining the changes made. Supervisors and the tutor must validate again. The coordination team will then validate.
  If no changes are required, the coordination team will validate the deposit directly.
  
  Finally, the Doctoral School will validate the deposit, and the thesis will be considered officially deposited.

You can consult the full procedure and required documentation on the Doctoral School website:https://www.uab.cat/web/estudis/doctorat/diposit-online-de-la-tesi-1345787279574.html

PLEASE, CONTACT US FOR ANY QUESTIONS: doctorat.icta@uab.cat

Information related to the thesis

Information related to the thesis

In this section you can find indications and / or regulatory aspects of your PhD programme, if applicable.
There are PhD programmes that have regulated the presentation of the thesis as a compendium of publications, how the constitution of the examining board should be, etc.

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

The process-based management system used by the UAB faculties and schools stems from a commitment to offering degrees with their own policy on quality and measures in place to evaluate and improve performance continuously, according to the European quality standards. These elements together make up this university's Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIQ).

This system involves all the following:

• Establishing and monitoring the faculty's policy and objectives regarding teaching standards, in accordance with the university’s strategic lines
• Establishing and renewing the offer of PhD programmes.
• Processes directly linked to teaching activity: tutoring, assessment, mobility, etc.
• Processes to gauge the level of satisfaction of the different groups.
• Processes linked to the people and resources needed: lecturers, administrative and service staff (PAS), infrastructure and services, course scheduling, academic organisation, etc.
• Processes linked to the life cycles of degrees: verification (evaluation before implementation), regular monitoring, modification (continuous improvement) and accreditation (evaluation of performance and renewal of the authorisation to continue offering the programme), which seek to organise, renew and improve the offer of PhD programmes.

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

Modification (since last update of the degree)

Process of substantial modification of the degree for its improvement.

• 2022-2023 - Modification proposal [document in Catalan]
• 2025-2026 - Modification proposal  [document in Catalan]

Accreditation

Degree implementation renewal process: presentation, every 6 years from the implementation of the programme, of a self-report so that AQU-Catalunya issues the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities, which is the body responsible for accreditation.

• Accreditation self-report
• Accreditation report
• Resolution of accreditation of the Council of Universities
• Register of Universities, centers 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

Special Prize Awards

The Special Prize Awards are awarded for each PhD programme among all the theses defended in an academic year, at the rate of one prize for every five theses or fraction thereof, without the need for the doctor to request it. The winners are entitled to a refund of the fee they paid for the application for the degree certificate and to an accrediting certificate..

The procedure is as follows:

1. A pannel appointed by the Academic Commission of each PhD programme makes the proposal of candidates for the Special Prize Award, following the criteria previously established by the same commission. You can do it up to three courses after the defenses.
2. The PhD Commission awards the prizes according to the proposals made by the PhD programmes.
3. The Doctoral School contacts the winners to refund the fee.
4. The certificates of the Special Prizes awarded in the previous PhD Commission are delivered in the PhD special prize award ceremony.

Check the prizes that have already awarded by the PhD Comission, ordered by defense course.

Criteria for the granting of extraordinary doctoral awards

The criteria agreed by the Academic Tribunal of the PhD Programme in Environmental Science and Technology are the following:

• 55% - Publications (number, number in which the student is 1st author, quartile)
• 15% - Duration of the thesis (3-4 years, full score, decreasing as years are added)
• 15% - Mentions (International doctoral research component, industrial doctoral research component)
• 15% - Qualification (full marks for Excellent Cum Laude)

In relation to this PhD programme, the following contributions and awards or honors stand out:

• Victoria Reyes-García presented in the National Academy of Sciences.
• Ivan Savin among top five nominees worldwide for the USERN prize in Social Sciences.
• Laura Talens and Helen Cole receive a UAB Talent Scholarship.
• Cristina Madrid, elected Board member of the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE).
• Dalena Tran Winner Of the Student Prize of the ESEE Conference.
• The GROOF project receives an Energy Globe Award.
• PhD programme in Environmental Science and Technology receives Excellence Award.