PhD in Computing

Presentation

PhD Computing: students enrolled in  the Computing programme (RD  1393/2007 and  189/2007) for the first time before 2012/2013, with few exceptions.

Be aware that the PhD defense must take place before 30th of September 2017.  



The Computing programme addresses research areas related to the analysis, design and use of software. This means, in particular, research areas such as: information systems and databases, software engineering, programming methodology, theoretical computer science, analysis and design of algorithms, bioinformatics, computer-aided geometric design, virtual reality and synthesis of realistic images.

In order to focus scientific and methodological skills on specific topics, the programme has a structure based around three core areas (corresponding to the three especializations of the associated Master): Algorithms and Programming, Information Systems, and Visualization, Virtual Reality and Graphic Interaction. Each research area offers a set of courses and seminars and in addition research projects within the corresponding research groups.

PhD general information

Official postgraduate programme (POP) to which the doctoral programme belongs:
Information and Communication Technology

Related official courses that include most of the bridging courses:
Master in Computing

Quality Mention (until 2010) or Excellence Mention (from 2011) reference code and attainment academic years:

MEE2011-0425 (2011, 2012, 2013)
MCD2003-00130 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

Doctoral programme that it replaces (and reference to the MEC Quality Mention if applicable):
SOFTWARE (MCD2003-00130)

Basic and/or associate units at UPC involved:
DEPARTAMENTO DE LENGUAJES Y SISTEMAS INFORMÁTICOS (CS)

Precedents:
The doctorate program o in Computing appears after the adaptation to the EEES of the doctorate program in Software that was created in year 1985. The new framework originated by the adaptation of the postgraduate courses to the guidelines of Bologna made the adaptation of the studies of postgraduate courses indispensable. For this reason a design that integrates a program of Master and another of Doctorate was selected in order to provide a solid and competitive training to the students who wish to carry out their research in one of the research topics of the areas of computing that are part of the program.

The doctorate program in Computing/Software has been a fundamental support for a big part of the research performed in the departments of Languages ans Information system (CS) and Applied Mathematics (IMA) of the UdG. The program has accommodated Catalan students as well as students from the rest of the world. The acceptance that the programme has had among the students, its internationalization and the quality of their doctoral theses have been determining factors when receiving and keeping the mention of quality of the Ministry of Education and Science since year 2003.

Justification of the necessity of the programme:
The Computing doctorate program covers subjects of research in a set of disciplines related with the programming of the computers: algorithms. programming, data bases, software engineering, bioinformàtica, computer visualization, virtual reality, etc. These subjects are a continuation of the studies carried out in first and second cycle of the informatics engineering degree, and of the Mathematics degree, in which the Department has teaching responsibility, as well as other closed in interest degrees. Moreover, these areas are tied to the activity of the companies in the sector of the computer science, and to research topics recognized at international level.

The high participation of the groups of research involved in the program in competitive research projects, most of them funded at European or National level, together with the number of new students that the program attracts every year as well as the number of doctors who are incorporated to the industria, the universities or to other institutions of research also justifies the opportunity of this doctorate program.

Objectives:
In general, the Software programme addresses research areas related to the analysis, design and use of software. This means, in particular, research areas such as: information systems and databases, software engineering, programming methodology, theoretical computer science, analysis and design of algorithms, bioinformatics, computer-aided geometric design, virtual reality and synthesis of realistic images.

In order to focus scientific and methodological skills on specific topics, the programme has a structure based around four core areas (corresponding to the four research sections of the Department): Algorithms and Complexity, Logic and Programming, Computer Graphics, and Information Systems. Each consists of a set of courses and seminars and offers supervised research projects within the corresponding research area.

Regulation for the development and evaluation of the thesis:
The regulations that apply are available at: (only in catalan version) NORMATIVA DOCTORADO UPC

Number of entry places per academic year, in view of the teaching, supervision and research capacity
25

Specific agreements established if other organisations or universities are involved:
The program is interuniversitarian, there is an agreement with the University of Girona for the doctorate program in Software.

Infrastructure and facilities that must be available for the students to be able to carry out research:
Rooms for grant holders, study rooms, computer room.

Specific criteria for selection and admission to the programme and the criteria for assessing student's merits (if applicable):
The admission policy of the PhD programme in Computing aims to ensure equal access oportunities to the high level education for well qualifyied students. In principle, the university applies the same policy to their international students, however with some additional requirements in order to maximize ther success posibilities inside the programme.

The students must be aware of the especifiq requirements. The exams, interviews, project proposal, and recommendation letter might take part in the admission process. In general the programme will evaluate their students on the basis:

  1. Academic records
  2. Publications (if any)
  3. Research experience (if any)
  4. Curriculum vitae
  5. Adequacy of the research area of interest to the research lines developed inside the research groups.
  6. Others.


Main qualifications required for admission, if any:
The prioritary degrees to access to the program are: Master in Computing, degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or of similar areas, always with the previous analysis of the curriculum.

The student who is willing to follow the doctrate program will have to present the corresponding admission request, attaching the ir academic records, including scores and grading scale. their curriculum vitae, and specifying the specialization and research group in which they want to carry out their doctoral thesis work.

The Academic Commission will analyze the requests twice every academic year (July and February) and will take a decision about the admission. The Commission will assign a tutor to each admitted student, the turor will be a doctor of the Department. The assignment will be carried out taking into account the scientific interests of the applicant and according to the availability of the teaching staff. It will be attempted, Whenever it is possible, the tutor's research will be involved in the specialization asked for.

Procedure established for periodically monitoring students (if applicable): The Academic Commission of the Doctorate program assigns a tutor to each student who is admitted. The tutor makes the follow-up of the student during their formation period and orientates the student in the selection of a subject of research. Once the proposal of theses has been acepted, this task will be taken by the thesis director.

At the completion of the academic course each student must submit a report of the activity developed along the periode to the program's Academic Commission. Likewise the tutor or the thesis director will submit a reasoned report about the progress attained along the course. The Academic Commission will make use of these reports for the evaluation of the student's academic performance.

The Academic Commission of the Program will establish the relevant activities and the

Activities organised by the programme aimed at complementing the methodological or scientific training of the students:
A joint seminar will be organized by the program aiming at showing the last advances in the different intensifications.

In an eventual way intensive courses will be organized connected the mobility programs of teachers in which the program participates.

Requisites for complementary methodological or scientific training courses, if any (the official master's degree programme that these courses belong to must be specified):
In the case that complemetary background is required, the courses should be taken inside the Master in Computing curricula.

Time limit (if any) for carrying out bridging courses and criteria for expelling students if they fail to comply:
The students will have two opportunities for passing complementary courses, the required time will depend on the periodicity of the offer of the subjects that they have to pass.