PhD in Geology

Why do this PhD?

Would you like to take the lead in exploration, research, production, management or development tasks related to geology? This PhD training will allow you to become a professional and/or researcher in: crystallography, geochemistry, petrology and mineral deposits, stratigraphy, external geodynamics, structural-geotectonic geology and palaeontology.

The PhD in Geology at the UAB has existed since 1991 and currently has a positive report from ANECA in the Path towards Excellence (Ministry of Education) in 2011 and the renewal of accreditation by AQU-Catalunya and the Ministry of Universities in 2022.

The programme offers you the opportunity to join research groups at the UAB, a university recognised for its growing research and scientific production. This programme offers you proximity to the faculty, the opportunity to carry out research stays abroad and to collaborate with other doctoral students. You will also have the support of different scientific and technical services as well as research centres and institutes located on the Campus.

Professional opportunities

This doctoral program has as its main professional opportunities:

• Exploration and exploitation of mineral, water and energy resources.
• Geotechnics applied to construction and civil works.
• Geological and environmental risk prevention.
• Geological cartography.
• Environmental geological assessment.
• Applied palaeontology.
• Conservation of geological heritage.
• Management and conservation of museums.
• Research in the different fields of geology.

Coordinator

Joan Reche Estrada

Administration

Contact: uisad.geologia.matematiques.doctorat@uab.cat. Tel. 93 581 30 22

Coordinator: Joan Reche doctorat.geologia@uab.cat

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

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
  • PROPOSAL maximum by the Coordinator: April, 4
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: April, 30
• From April, 4 to May, 30
  • PROPOSAL maximum by the Coordinator: June, 10
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: June, 27
• From June, 10 to July, 31
  • PROPOSAL maximum by the Coordinator: September, 10
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 3
• From September, 1 to October, 15
  • PROPOSAL maximum by the Coordinator: October, 25
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: November, 5
• From October, 17 to November, 28
  • PROPOSAL maximum by the Coordinator: December, 3
  • 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

For this PhD programme the general requirements are to have successfully completed the previous studies (master's degrees in Palaeontology, Geology and Geophysics of Reservoirs, Mineral Resources and Geological Hazards Nanotechnology and Materials Science) or to have another research-based official master's degree or equivalent.

However, in itself this is not sufficient to obtain admission.

The doctoral programme’s academic committee may require the applicant to undertake bridging courses.

Selection criteria

This PhD programme applies the following evaluation criteria.

• Previous studies (3 points).
  Priority is given to graduates in Geology, Biology (any specialisation within bioscience), Environmental Science, Geological Engineering, Mining Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Geography and History. The doctoral programme’s academic committee may also allocate maximum points for other studies. Graduates in Physics, Chemistry or other subject areas are also considered (maximum 1.5 points). Regarding postgraduate studies, consideration is given to master's degrees in the field of geology and palaeontology from any university in Spain or another country, such as the UAB official master's degrees: Palaeontology, Geology and Geophysics of Reservoirs, Mineral Resources and Geological Hazards, or Nanotechnology and Material Science (maximum 1.5 points).

• Grades (3 points).
  There is no cut-off score for access, but the following points are given.
  • A maximum of 1.5 points for the bachelor's degree.
  • A maximum of 1.5 points for postgraduate studies.

• Statement of interest (1 point)
  Applicants must explain their reasons for seeking admission and why their profile is suited to this programme.

• Knowledge of languages (1 point)
  Proven knowledge of English, German, French or other languages is taken into account.

• Grants (1 point)
  Grants already awarded to the applicant through a competitive process organised by a public or private institution.

• Curriculum Vitae (1 point)
  Other aspects that have not yet been taken into account (such as professional or institutional experience) are evaluated in this section.

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 at seminars or lectures given by experts in the subject area
  These are lectures given by visiting lecturers at the Department of Geology.

• Giving a seminar on the research project
  These are seminars organised by the Department of Geology, in which PhD students present their thesis project and their current activity.

Optional activities:

• Research paper sent to a high-impact scientific journal
  Students send at least one paper for publication in an ISI-indexed journal related to the thesis subject area.

Typologies and Research Ethics

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

International Doctoral Research Component

Evaluation and annual review

Thesis deposit

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 27 June 2025.

Above all, remember that, if you have already taken advantage of the extensions and the deadline to finish your thesis is close, you must deposit at least two months before the deadline indicated in your online academic record.

https://www.uab.cat/web/studies/phds/online-thesis-deposit/calendars-1345799090253.html

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

All PhD students

• Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)
• External expert 1: Suitability document (thesis deposit data tab)
• External expert 2: Suitability document (thesis deposit data tab)
• Turnitin report (attached documents deposit tab)
• Sworn Declaration of the Turnitin Report (attached documents deposit tab)

International Doctoral Research Component: Mandatory documentation if requested

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

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• Compendium: Acceptance resolution by the CAPD (thesis deposit data tab)

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

• Resolution if the thesis is written in a language other than Catalan, Spanish, or English (attached documents deposit tab)

Exemption from the two months prior deposit before the maximum thesis completion date

• Authorization from the Doctoral School regarding the exemption from the two months before the maximum thesis completion date

Information related to the thesis

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

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 (from the las accreditation of the programme)

Process of substantial modification of the PhD programme for its improvement.

• 2025-2026 - Modification proposal (pending approval by AQU) [document in Catalan]

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.

You can also consult this document.