PhD in Prehistoric Archaeology

Why do this PhD?

The Doctorate in Prehistoric Archaeology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) is a postgraduate program designed to train future researchers in the field of prehistoric archaeology. This program is aimed at students who have already completed a master's degree in archaeology or related disciplines.

This doctorate offers advanced training in methodology, theory, and practice of research in prehistoric archaeology. Students will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art research materials and techniques, and will be provided with extensive theoretical and practical knowledge to carry out innovative and high-quality research.

In addition, UAB has one of the most important and recognized research teams in the field of prehistoric archaeology. Students in this program will have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most prominent researchers in this field and participate in high-level research projects.

In summary, the Doctorate in Prehistoric Archaeology at the UAB is an excellent opportunity for those who wish to train as researchers in the field of prehistoric archaeology, with the guarantee of advanced training and the possibility of working alongside the best researchers in this field.

Professional opportunities

This PhD programme provides the following principal career options:

• Training of researchers and lecturers in research centres and universities.
• Specialists and consultants at centres for studying the historical and archaeological heritage, archaeological museums, heritage-management companies, international organisations, foundations, associations, etc.

Coordinator

Miguel Molist Montañá

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

The academic commission of the PhD program in Prehistoric Archaeology will consist of the PhD program coordinator for each of the participating universities and five other PhDs representing each of the doctoral program's lines of research.

Administration

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Coordinator: Prof. Miguel Molist Montañá
E-mail: Miquel.Molist@uab.cat
Phone: +34 93 581 43 10

Universidad de Cantabria
Coordinator: Prof. Jesús Emilio González Urquijo
E-mail: jesuse.gonzalez@unican.es
Phone: +34 942 20 11 16

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

External Directors

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

This PhD programme has, for the 2022-2023 academic year, the following pre-registration periods:

• From February, 15 to May, 29
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: June, 27
• From June, 20 to July, 29
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 3
• From Septembre, 1 to September, 14
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 14
• From October, 3 to October, 14
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October, 31
• From October, 17 to October, 31
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: November, 17
• From November, 2 to November, 16
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: December, 14

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

Applicants must submit the following:

• Complete Curriculum Vitae
• A statement of interest (one page maximum) detailing their reasons for joining the programme, their expectations, the line(s) of research that interest them and their career plans.
• Reference letters from prestigious researchers may be attached to the application.

Applicants are interviewed by lecturers working on the line of research they are interested in, who will then report to the programme’s academic committee.

English language certificates may be submitted, but are not a requirement. Students from other countries whose first language is not Spanish should have a proven level of spoken and written Spanish that is comparable to the DELE intermediate level of the Cervantes Institute.

The academic committee may require students to undertake further studies to prepare for joining this programme. This may involve taking subjects from one of the master's degrees related to the programme.

Students taking part-time studies.

Students in certain circumstances (work, family, disability, etc.) may be allowed to study part-time on this programme. The admission criteria are as outlined above.

Selection criteria

The final decision on admission to the PhD programme in Prehistoric Archaeology is taken by the programme’s academic committee. The programme applies the following selection criteria and weighting to classify applications in rank order.

• Academic record and master's degree grade: up to 30%.
• Research experience: up to 20%.
• Degree of motivation, as seen in the interview with the tutor/supervisor and reference letters submitted by the applicant: up to 15%.
• Match-up to the profile of the programme: up to 15%.
• Level of English or other languages: up to 10%.
• Other merits, such as academic or research stays abroad or attendance at conferences: up to 10%.

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

The programmed activities for this PhD are as follows:

Obligatory:

• Attendance at seminars or conferences given by experts in the area of knowledge.
• Giving a seminar on the research project.

Optional:

• Presentation of a paper or poster at a national or international congress.
• Preparation of a research article sent to a high impact scientific journal.
• Research periods at private or public national or foreign centres.

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) 15 dies 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 2023.

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)

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

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

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
• 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

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

Regarding research, the work of the researchers and lecturers on this programme is widely recognised by national and/or international institutions.

Regarding PhD studies, the PhD programmes of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of Cantabria each received a favourable evaluation in the last edition of the Pathway to Excellence Award. This evaluation is based on their high scores on research-quality indicators: research premiums, large number of R&D projects, and papers published in high-impact international journals.