Doctoral programme in Environmental Engineering 48 months PHD Programme By Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Main Subject

Engineering - General

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

Background:

This doctoral programme was first offered in the academic year 1986-1987. At the time, the name of the programme was Water Engineering. The programme, organised by the Department of Engineering Design of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, was offered under this name in the academic years 1986-1987 and 1987-1988. In the 1988-1989 academic year, the degree was renamed the doctoral programme in Environmental Engineering. From the 1989-1990 academic year, the programme was delivered mainly at the Institute of Applied Petrochemistry (IPA) and later at the Institute of Environmental Modelling and Technology (ITEMA), both institutes of the UPC. Since May 1999, the doctoral degree has been an interdepartmental programme. For organisational purposes, it is currently based at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This degree can be considered the first doctoral programme in environmental engineering offered in Spain.

Based on a call issued in February 1995, the Directorate-General for Higher Education of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science included the doctoral programme in Environmental Engineering on a list of high-quality doctoral degrees.

Objectives:

The aim of this programme is to enable doctoral students to acquire research skills in the field of environmental engineering, particularly in the following research areas: environmental modelling (atmospheric and water quality), waste management, environmental impact assessment, environmental management systems, noise, industrial wastewater, groundwater, remediation of contaminated soils, and treatment technologies.

Competencies that must be acquired by students (based on the Dublin descriptors). Students must:

• demonstrate systematic understanding of a field of study of the programme and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field;
• demonstrate the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial process of research with scholarly integrity;
• have made a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication;
• be capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas;
• be able to communicate with their peers, the larger scholarly community and society in general about their areas of expertise;
• be able to promote, in academic and professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge-based society.

Rationale:

In the contemporary world, the importance of environmental issues, both locally and at the global level, is beyond dispute. The importance of environmental issues was clearly recognised in three key Earth Summits: the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972; the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (informally known as “Rio+10”) held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August–September 2002. The problem of climate change, for which there is conclusive scientific evidence, and the legal framework defined in the Kyoto Protocol also underscore the pressing need to tackle environmental issues. All of these factors clearly justify the need for a doctoral programme that provides students with advanced research training in these areas.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Engineering - General

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

Background:

This doctoral programme was first offered in the academic year 1986-1987. At the time, the name of the programme was Water Engineering. The programme, organised by the Department of Engineering Design of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, was offered under this name in the academic years 1986-1987 and 1987-1988. In the 1988-1989 academic year, the degree was renamed the doctoral programme in Environmental Engineering. From the 1989-1990 academic year, the programme was delivered mainly at the Institute of Applied Petrochemistry (IPA) and later at the Institute of Environmental Modelling and Technology (ITEMA), both institutes of the UPC. Since May 1999, the doctoral degree has been an interdepartmental programme. For organisational purposes, it is currently based at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This degree can be considered the first doctoral programme in environmental engineering offered in Spain.

Based on a call issued in February 1995, the Directorate-General for Higher Education of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science included the doctoral programme in Environmental Engineering on a list of high-quality doctoral degrees.

Objectives:

The aim of this programme is to enable doctoral students to acquire research skills in the field of environmental engineering, particularly in the following research areas: environmental modelling (atmospheric and water quality), waste management, environmental impact assessment, environmental management systems, noise, industrial wastewater, groundwater, remediation of contaminated soils, and treatment technologies.

Competencies that must be acquired by students (based on the Dublin descriptors). Students must:

• demonstrate systematic understanding of a field of study of the programme and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field;
• demonstrate the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial process of research with scholarly integrity;
• have made a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication;
• be capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas;
• be able to communicate with their peers, the larger scholarly community and society in general about their areas of expertise;
• be able to promote, in academic and professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge-based society.

Rationale:

In the contemporary world, the importance of environmental issues, both locally and at the global level, is beyond dispute. The importance of environmental issues was clearly recognised in three key Earth Summits: the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1972; the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992; and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (informally known as “Rio+10”) held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August–September 2002. The problem of climate change, for which there is conclusive scientific evidence, and the legal framework defined in the Kyoto Protocol also underscore the pressing need to tackle environmental issues. All of these factors clearly justify the need for a doctoral programme that provides students with advanced research training in these areas.

Admission Requirements

General entrance requirements

To gain admission to a doctoral programme, applicants must have an official Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a university master's degree or equivalent, together comprising a total of at least 300 ECTS credits.

You may also gain admission if you fall into one of the following categories:

1. As a rule, applicants seeking admission to an official doctoral programme must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have passed at least 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees.

2. Any of the following applicants may also gain admission:

a. Holders of official Spanish degrees or equivalent Spanish qualifications, provided they have passed 300 ECTS credits in total and they can prove they have reached Level 3 in the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.

b. Holders of degrees awarded in foreign education systems in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which do not require homologation, who can prove that they have reached Level 7 in the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (https://www.ciencia.gob.es/), provided the degree makes the holder eligible for admission to doctoral studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.

c. Holders of degrees awarded in a country that does not belong to the European Higher Education Area, which do not require homologation, on the condition that the University is able to verify that the degree is of a level equivalent to that of official university master's degrees in Spain and that it makes the graduate eligible for admission to doctoral studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.

d. Holders of another doctoral degree.

e. University graduates who, having previously been awarded a training post in the entrance examination for specialised health training posts, have passed and obtained a positive assessment in at least two years of training on a programme leading to an official qualification in a Health Sciences specialisation.

Specific requirements and admission procedure

Each doctoral programme may have specific requirements for admission in addition to the general requirements. The additional specific requirements that must be met for admission are listed on the web pages for each programme (https://doctorat.upc.edu/en/programmes).

For the admission procedure and calendar, see this section. (https://doctorat.upc.edu/en/future-doctoral-candidates/access-and-admission/admission-procedure).

4 Years
Sep
Oct

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