PhD in Computational Science

2025/2026

What you learn

The main objective of the PhD in Computer Science is the training of new doctors in the area of Advanced Computing. The research groups that provide main support for the formation of the program are VARPA (Artificial Vision and Pattern Recognition), LIDIA (Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Laboratory), LYS (Language and Information Society), LBD (Database Laboratory), IRLAB (Information Retrieval Lab.) and GSA-GII (Autonomous Systems Group – Integrated Engineering Group).

Generic skills


Specific skills

CA01 - Function in contexts in which there is little specific information.
CA02 - Find the key questions that need to be answered to solve a complex problem.
CA03 - Design, create, develop and undertake novel and innovative projects in their field of knowledge.
CA04 - Work both in a team and autonomously in an international or multidisciplinary context.
CA05 - Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgments with limited information.
CA06 - The critique and intellectual defense of solutions.
CE1 - Specific - Acquire knowledge of Computational Logic and its main applications to other specific areas of research in Computing such as Automatic Reasoning, Knowledge Representation, Temporal and Spatial Reasoning, Multi-Agent Systems, Semantic Web, Formal Verification, etc.
CE2 - Specific - Understand the basic concepts of computational learning, the different techniques available and their scope of applicability. Be able to apply the different learning techniques using an appropriate methodology.
CE3 - Specific - Knowledge of the main aspects of formal modelling and performance evaluation of Distributed and Concurrent Systems.
CE4 - Specific - Have a broad understanding of Information Management systems, from the most technical aspects such as Compact Data Structures and the corresponding algorithms of use, to the most advanced techniques of Information Retrieval, Information Extraction and Answer Search.
CT1 - Transversal - Acquire knowledge and experience about research work, its characteristics, rigor and ethical responsibility of research.
CT2 - Cross-sectional - Acquire experience in the search for sources of scientific information, critical analysis of it, knowledge of the rankings and impact of articles and scientists, indexes, citations, etc.
CT3 - Transversal - Acquire experience about the methodology of writing scientific papers: presentation of papers in scientific journals and scientific conferences, together with the methodology of presentation of papers.
CT4 - Transversal - Know the characteristics of research as a profession, the research environment and professional tasks. Aspects such as patents, software registrations and intellectual property; the work of scientific review, ethics and tasks; projects, types of projects, how to write them, basic management.
CG1 - General - Have acquired advanced knowledge at the frontier of knowledge and demonstrated, in the context of internationally recognised scientific research, a deep, detailed and grounded understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects and of scientific methodology in one or more research fields.
CG2 - General - To have made an original and significant contribution to scientific research in their field of knowledge and that this contribution has been recognised as such by the international scientific community.
CG3 - General - Have demonstrated that they are capable of designing a research project with which to carry out a critical analysis and an evaluation of imprecise situations where they can apply their contributions and their knowledge and work methodology to make a synthesis of new and complex ideas that produce a deeper knowledge of the research context in which they work.
CG4 - General - Ability to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to an audience, specialized or not, developing skills to communicate, write reports and assume different roles and responsibilities.

Transversal skills


Professional and academic career

The proposed doctorate is part of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. According to data from the  European Commission, the The ICT sector generated 590 billion euros in 2018, where Spain contributed 7% of the EU's added value. According to data from the "Agency for Technological Modernisation of Galicia" referring to the ICT hypersector in Galicia (which includes the ICT sector together with the audiovisual content and services sector), Galician companies represent 4.7% of the total Spanish ICT hypersector and represent 1.7% of the companies in Galicia (4170 companies in 2022). The data justify the real demand, on the part of the ICT sector, for professionals with a research profile, also responding to the training and scientific needs of the Galician University System and the Galician ICT sector. Although the proposed doctorate has an important component of scientific focus, the program also encourages entrepreneurship. Thus, some of the former students of the PhD in Computer Science are currently part of the staff of national ICT companies with a presence in Galicia, such as Indra or Altia, and of ICT departments of banks such as Abanca. In addition to the work traditionally carried out in the research groups that support the programme, the creation of spin-off companies has been encouraged over the last few years. Initiatives such as the business incubator promoted by the UDC stand out, from which notable examples have emerged such as Lambdastream, Igalia or Enxenio and which have staff that have been nurtured to a greater or lesser extent by students and professors of the UDC's PhD in Computer Science.

Professional and academic career

The proposed doctorate is part of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. According to data from the  European Commission, the The ICT sector generated 590 billion euros in 2018, where Spain contributed 7% of the EU's added value. According to data from the "Agency for Technological Modernisation of Galicia" referring to the ICT hypersector in Galicia (which includes the ICT sector together with the audiovisual content and services sector), Galician companies represent 4.7% of the total Spanish ICT hypersector and represent 1.7% of the companies in Galicia (4170 companies in 2022). The data justify the real demand, on the part of the ICT sector, for professionals with a research profile, also responding to the training and scientific needs of the Galician University System and the Galician ICT sector. Although the proposed doctorate has an important component of scientific focus, the program also encourages entrepreneurship. Thus, some of the former students of the PhD in Computer Science are currently part of the staff of national ICT companies with a presence in Galicia, such as Indra or Altia, and of ICT departments of banks such as Abanca. In addition to the work traditionally carried out in the research groups that support the programme, the creation of spin-off companies has been encouraged over the last few years. Initiatives such as the business incubator promoted by the UDC stand out, from which notable examples have emerged such as Lambdastream, Igalia or Enxenio and which have staff that have been nurtured to a greater or lesser extent by students and professors of the UDC's PhD in Computer Science.

Companies and institutions involved

The different research groups of the Department of Computer Science maintain a wide range of collaborations with other groups and Spanish and foreign universities, which guarantee the training and mobility of doctoral students. Similarly, collaborations are maintained with different companies in the ICT environment, through contracts with them by the different groups, in addition to the collaboration of doctors and professors with spin-offs that have arisen within the Department. For example, those that stand out for their stability or special relevance for the doctoral programme are listed: 

ISIR - Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, Sorbonne Universite (France);  Robotics Institute - University of Technology Sydney (Australia); Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) (Italy); Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); University of Kent (UK); University of Porto (Portugal); University of Lugano (Switzerland); University of Sheffield (UK); University of Potsdam (Germany); Technical University of Vienna (Austria); Università degli Studi di Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy); Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany); National University of Uzbekistan; Universidad de Chile; North Carolina State University (USA); University College London (UK); University of Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Research lines

This are the main research lines for current study.

  • Aprendizaje Máquina
  • Bioinformática e Informática Biomédica
  • Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural
  • Recuperación de Información (IR)
  • Robótica Autónoma
  • Sistemas Basados en Conocimiento
  • Sistemas Distribuidos
  • Tecnologías para Sistemas de Información Complejos
  • Visión Artificial

Planning for teaching

Additional subject teaching

Candidates who do not meet all the necessary prior learning conditions for the programme may be required to complete additional courses in the form of subjects and modules from UDC Master’s and undergraduate programmes. The number of credits from additional subject teaching will not exceed 15 ECTS credits, which students may choose to complete before or after enrolment in the PhD programme.

Students who do not opt to complete additional coursework prior to enrolment should register for their extra subjects or modules at the same time as the PhD. Failure to complete additional coursework within a period of three consecutive terms will result in the termination of the student’s registration.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 5: Applications.

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

Programme-specific teaching and training activities

In the Ph.D. program in Computing the specific teaching activities are organized in a series of introductory seminars to the different current research lines in the computer science scope, which also integrate the different teaching lines of the PhD program. The specific seminars are organized in three blocks or itineraries, which help the student to choose the seminars depending on his/her main interests about a research line to follow: Intelligent Systems, Distributed and Concurrent Systems, and Information Management. All the seminars are taught in 4 hours. The student must attend (mandatory) the transversal courses oriented to research methodology (offered by the CUFIE of UDC), whereas he/her must attend a total of 8 courses/seminars selected from the different offered specific seminars. Relation of specific seminars:

https://www.dc.fi.udc.es/phd/index.html%3Fq=en%252Fnode%252F20.html

Supervision agreement

The PhD supervision agreement defines the academic relationship between the candidate and the University, the rights and responsibilities of each (including any intellectual and/or industrial property rights resulting from the candidate’s research), the procedures in place in relation to conflict resolution, and the duration of the agreement. It also specifies the duties of the PhD tutor and supervisor.

The supervision agreement must be signed by the candidate, tutor and designated university representative (or representatives) within a maximum period of one month as from the date of registration. The supervisor’s signature may be added subsequently, once a supervisor has been appointed.

When the document has been signed by all the relevant parties, the agreement is then added to the candidate’s record of activities.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 13: Supervision agreement.

Research plan

The candidate must prepare a research plan within six months of registration, with information regarding methodology, objectives, resources and milestones. The research plan is submitted together with the report of the supervisor and/or tutor for approval by the Academic Committee for PhD Programmes (CAPD). Improvements to the plan may be introduced with the approval of the supervisor and/or tutor based on the annual review of the student’s research progress.

Research plans are subject to annual review by the CAPD, including the report(s) of the supervisor and/or tutor and the candidate’s record of activities. Students will be permitted to continue with their studies if the outcome of the review is satisfactory. If the outcome is negative, the student will be required to submit a new plan within a period of six months. If the committee is still not satisfied, the candidate will be removed from the programme.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 15: Research plan.

Teachers

Student mobility

UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.

For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.

Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.

Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.