Doctoral program in Computing

Barcelona- Diagonal North campus, Barcelona, Spain

Shortlist

# =144QS Subject Rankings

36 monthsProgram duration

2,001 EURTuition Fee/year

YesScholarships

Shortlist

Program overview

Main Subject

Computer Science and Information Systems

Degree

PhD

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The doctoral programme in Computing was designed to adapt the doctoral programme in Software, created in 1985, to EHEA requirements. The new framework that emerged with the introduction of the Bologna guidelines necessitated the adaptation of postgraduate...
Read more courses. As a result, in 2005, an integrated master's-doctoral programme was designed to provide rigorous, competitive training for students wishing to undertake research on topics in the areas of computing covered by the programme. The current programme is the result of a process of adaptation to Royal Decree 99/2011, the reconfiguration of UPC master's degrees in the area of information technology, and the restructuring of the Department of Computer Science. In accordance with Royal Decree 99/2011, which regulates official doctoral studies, the programme was validated by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya) in October 2012. The doctoral programme in Computing covers research topics in a set of disciplines related to computing: programming, algorithmics, big data, bioinformatics, visualisation and virtual reality. These topics build on studies for the bachelor’s degree in Informatics Engineering, specialisation in Computing; the bachelor's degree in Mathematics, specialisation in Discrete Mathematics and Algorithmics; the new bachelor's degree in Data Science and Engineering, and other related degrees. The topics that the programme focuses on are covered in two related master’s degrees in which the department has teaching responsibilities—the master’s degree in Innovation and Research in Informatics (MIRI) and the master’s degree in Advanced Mathematics and Mathematical Engineering (MAMME)—and in other related degrees. These areas are also linked to the activity of companies in the IT sector and research topics of interest at the international level.The need for the course is also evident in the high level of participation of research groups involved in the programme in competitively funded research projects (most with European or national funding), the number of new students the programme attracts each year, and the number of graduates who find employment in industry and at universities and other research institutions.Graduates are employed at research institutes (including the Alan Turing Institute) and universities abroad. Others have set up companies (e.g. Nelio Software) or hold positions at leading companies in the sector (including Google and Amazon). These results demonstrate that graduates are highly employable.In order to focus scientific and methodological skills on specific topics, the programme is structured around the core areas that the research groups involved work on. This approach links research to internationally renowned research groups, which makes it possible to maintain the programme’s research areas within the main lines of research over the years. In addition to technical support, each research group offers courses at the master’s level and research seminars. The training programme also includes activities focusing on complementary skills, offered by the UPC Doctoral School. Two related master’s degrees qualify applicants for admission to the doctoral programme in Computing: the master’s degree in Innovation and Research in Informatics, with specialisation in Advanced Computing, Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality, or in Data Science; and the master’s degree in Advanced Mathematics and Mathematical Engineering, with specialisation in Discrete Mathematics and Algorithmics.The doctoral programme in Computing has provided critical support for much of the research conducted in the Department of Computer Science (CS), formerly known as the Department of Software (LSI). The programme has attracted students from Catalonia and around the world. The positive response from students, the programme’s international dimension, and the quality of doctoral theses produced has allowed the programme to earn and maintain a Ministry of Education quality award (from 2003 on) and then a Pathway to Excellence award (which replaced the quality award) until its expiry in 2013 (MEE2011-0425).The academic staff for the programme have a proven track record in international research. The five research groups involved in the programme have been recognised as consolidated research groups by the Government of Catalonia, and two of them also obtained financial support in the 2017 call for funding. Two professors on the programme have received the García Santesmases Prize for lifetime achievement, one of the national prizes awarded by the Computer Science Society of Spain (SCIE). Read less

Program overview

Main Subject

Computer Science and Information Systems

Degree

PhD

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Admission Requirements

Cambridge CAE Advanced

160+

TOEFL

72+

PTE Academic

59+

IELTS

5.5+

Applicants must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees (Royal Decree 43/2015, of 2 February (open in new window) )

In addition, the following may apply:

Holders of an official degree awarded by a university in Spain or any other country in the European Higher Education Area, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, which establishes official university course regulations, who have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on official university degrees, of which at least 60 must be at the master's degree level.
Holders of an official Spanish bachelor’s degree comprising at least 300 credits, as provided for by EU regulations. Holder of degrees of this kind must complete bridging courses unless the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in question included research training credits equivalent in value to those which would be earned on a master's degree.
Holders of an official university qualification who, having passed the entrance examination for specialised medical training, have completed at least two years of a training course leading to an official degree in a health-sciences specialisation.
Holders of a degree issued under a foreign education system. In these cases, homologation is not required, but the UPC must verify that the degree certifies a level of training equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
Holders of a Spanish doctoral qualification issued under previous university regulations.

Note 1: Doctoral studies entrance regulations for holders of an undergraduate degree awarded before the introduction of the EHEA (CG 47/02 2014)

Program Duration

3 Years

Starting Month(s)

Sep

Candidates are required to submit references or letter(s) of recommendation for acceptance

Candidates are required to submit an essay(s) for acceptance

Tuition Fee and Scholarships

Domestic Students

Tuition Fee/year

2,001 EUR

Tuition Fee (Out of State)

International Students

Tuition Fee/year

2,001 EUR

Other Expenses

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:

Where to look for scholarship opportunities

How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

A list of available scholarships around the world

A scholarship application checklist

Download Scholarship Guide

QS subject rankings

Subject: Computer Science and Information Systems

Chart
Data

2013
#101-150
2014
#51-100
2015
#51-100
2016
#51-100
2017
#101-150
2018
#51-100
2019
#101-150
2020
#51-100
2021
#=79
2022
#=86
2023
#82
2024
#=88
2025
#=144

Ranking criteria

Overall

65.6

Academic Reputation

58.5

Citations per Paper

77.5

Employer Reputation

62.3

H-index Citations

72.5

International Research Network

94.8

View all rankings data

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering and Telecommunications Sytems Engineering or Network Engineering (double degree)

Master's degree in Secondary and Upper Secondary Education, Vocational Training and Foreign Language Teaching (Mathematics specialisation)

View All

+1 More Subject

Doctoral program in Computing

Barcelona- Diagonal North campus, Barcelona, Spain

# =144QS Subject Rankings

36 monthsProgram duration

2,001 EURTuition Fee/year

YesScholarships

Program overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Program overview

Main Subject

Degree

Study Level

Study Mode

Admission Requirements

Exam Scores

Important Dates

Application

Tuition Fee and Scholarships

Tuition Fee

Domestic Students

International Students

Scholarships

In this guide you will find:

QS WUR Ranking By Subject

QS subject rankings

Subject: Computer Science and Information Systems

Ranking criteria

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