PhD in Neurosciences

Why do this PhD?

Reasons why it is worth choosing our program:

• We have been awarded with the Seal of Accreditation of Excellence by the Catalan Quality Agency (AQU) (March 2022).
• We are members of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a European program that makes it possible to achieve the EIT seal, which is a European certificate of quality and excellence.
• We are proud to have highly motivated students in a scientific environment with a strong commitment to understanding the function of the nervous system
• We offer training to students from diverse backgrounds in different scientific areas, from cellular and molecular neuroscience to behavioral neuroscience.
• Our teaching team is made up of researchers of international prestige both for their participation in research projects and for their scientific contributions.
• We facilitate access to the research platforms of the Institute of Neurosciences of the UAB and we have agreements and institutional relations with hospitals and research centers of national and international reference, such as the Parc Bofarull Hospital, the Vall d'Hebron Hospital or the Albert Einstein College in New York.
• The scientific training that we can provide you and our employability rate is much higher than that of other programs in the same field.

Professional opportunities

This PhD programme provides the following principal career options:

• Biomedical research in research centres healthcare bodies.
• Pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.
• University teaching.

Testimonials

Personally, one of the most valuable things I have taken away from my PhD is the expansion of the limits of my curiosity.

Kevin Aguilar

programme student

If you have a passion for neuroscience, don't hesitate to join this programme! It allows you to train at the highest scientific level and specialize in many different fields.

Joan Compte Barron

alumni

This PhD is a challenging and rewarding course. During this time I have been able to learn a lot about how to do science and also about myself.

Melania González Torres

programme student

The most important thing that this PhD has given me is the possibility of belonging to a group of wonderful people who do very interesting science.

Diego López Santos

programme student

This PhD has not only provided me with useful knowledge and experience in the field of neurosciences, but also applicable to many other areas.

Patricia Molina

alumni

PhD presentation video

Coordinator

Alfredo Jesús Miñano Molina

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

• PhD programme coordinator
• Coordinator of the master's degree in Neurosciences at the UAB
• A representative of the Neurodegeneration and Aging area of the Institute of Neurosciences
• A representative of the Neuroregeneration and Repair area of the Institute of Neurosciences
• A representative of the area of Neurobiology and Mind

Administration

Secretary of the Institute of Neurosciences
M1 Building
Campus de Bellaterra, UAB
Phone: 93 581 3861
doctorat.inc@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 January, 22 to Febrary, 28
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: March, 14

• 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 August, 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

This PhD programme specifically requires its students to have a suitably high level in one of the following languages: Spanish, Catalan or English. In addition, priority is given to applicants with a master's degree in neurosciences or a related field. If the demand for places exceeds supply after applying the above criterion, applicants' average grades on bachelor's degrees and master's degrees are taken into account. Consideration is also given to whether candidates have research experience or have obtained grants or other funding.

Selection criteria

In order to classify valid applications in rank order the programme applies the weighting detailed below.

• Academic record and affinity of previous studies with the neurosciences (75%)
• Research grants obtained (15%)
• Research experience (conference papers, publications, participation in research projects) (10%)

Training supplements

Students entering the PhD in Neurosciences from studies that do not include research credits must complete and pass during the first year of the PhD the module Final Master's Thesis¨ of the Official Master's Degree in Neurosciences of the UAB: 15 ECTS.

Students entering the PhD in Neurosciences from official master's degrees in disciplines not related to the fields of Biosciences, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Psychology or similar, must take the module ‘Introduction to Data Processing and Communication of Scientific Information’ of the Official Master's Degree in Neurosciences of the UAB during the first year of the PhD: 9 ECTS.

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
  Five seminars to be attended per year. This activity is mainly held in English, occasionally in Spanish or Catalan.

• Giving a seminar on the research project
  Students must do this activity in the first two years of PhD studies. The language to be used is English. No more than 15-20 minutes should be spent addressing the audience.

• Participation in internal seminars organised by the research group or the department
  Students must provide proof of attendance at a minimum of five seminars or lectures.

• Oral presentations or posters at national or international conferences
  Students must give an oral or poster presentation at a national or international conference. Proof of having given at least one such presentation must be provided and the number of hours will be calculated in accordance with the total number of hours in the conference programme. The minimum is 15 hours: approximately two complete conference days.

• Training course for research staff working with animals used in experiments
  Training course for PhD students on working with animals used in experiments. The minimum duration is 30 hours and the language used is Catalan or Spanish. The regulations classify this course as mandatory for all PhD students experimenting or working with animals. It is optional for those whose doctoral research does not involve animal experiments.

Optional activities:

• Research paper sent to a high-impact scientific journal
  This optional activity consists of writing a research paper and submitting it to a high-impact indexed journal.

• Research stays in public or private centres, at home or abroad
  This activity has a maximum duration of 500 hours per year and a minimum of 80 hours.

• Participation in a journal club
  The minimum is one per year. The language used can be Spanish, Catalan or English (recommended)

• Collaboration meetings between research groups
  These can be between research groups or national or international networks. Other similar activities may be accepted. The language to be used will depend on the scope of the meeting. This can be Spanish, Catalan or English.

• Participation in workshops or courses on methodological specialisation
  To be officially recognised these workshops or courses must have a minimum duration of 6 hours. Students must certify having devoted at least 10 hours to this activity.

• Presentation of a paper at a departmental symposium
  Students must present a paper at a departmental symposium Students must certify having devoted at least 10 hours to this activity.

• Professional training activities for PhD students
  This optional activity consists of the successful completion of training for PhD students in finding career opportunities outside research. Students must certify having devoted at least 6 hours to this activity.

• Teaching duties (interns and clinical adjuncts)
  Teaching assistance in practical or problem-based classes. Students must certify having devoted at least 60 hours to this optional activity for it to be officially recorded in their transcript.

• Course on language competence for scientific communication
  Training course on scientific communication in different areas. Students must certify having devoted at least 10 hours to this activity. The language must be English or Spanish.

• Course on intellectual and industrial property
  A course on the fundamental principles of the protection of intellectual and industrial property This assists PhD students who are considering exploiting the results of their research. Students must certify having devoted at least 15 hours to this activity.

• Course on laboratory safety and hygiene
  Training course for PhD students on laboratory safety and hygiene. The minimum duration is 15 hours.

• Course on radioactive facilities
  Training course on using radioactive isotopes in research. Must have a minimum of 20 hours and its mandatory for PhD students working directly with radioactive isotopes in the laboratory.

• Training course for research staff working with animals used in experiments
  Training course for PhD students on working with animals used in experiments. The minimum duration is 30 hours and the language used is Catalan or Spanish. The regulations classify this course as mandatory for all PhD students experimenting or working with animals. It is optional for those whose doctoral research does not involve animal experiments.

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 start the application at least 2 months before the maximum of the term of permanence regime that appears on your file.

Look out! Students who want to deposit thesis in 24/25 course so as not to have to pay a new registration, must deposit and record their deposit request online no later than July, 18 the thesis will be in DI status.

The maximum date of validation by the Coordinator within the 24/25 course will be September, 30 at latest (ED status).

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

All PhD students

• Thesis file
• Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)
• Turnitin similarity report of the thesis file
• Turnitin Dissertation Report Affidavit
• Suitability document of the two external evaluators
• Document of suitability for members of the court

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: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

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

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

Information related to the thesis

Consult the Formal criteria for the presentation of the doctoral thesis, wether it is a thesis in traditional format (monograph) or if you present the thesis as a compendium of publications.

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]

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

Consult the Criteriasfor the PhD Special Prize Awards for the PhD in Neurosciences.

Consult the doctors who have obtained the Special Prize Award un this PhD programme.