PhD in Civil Engineering

What you learn

Research groups: STRUCTURE MECHANICS CONSTRUCTION ROADS, GEOTECHNICS AND MATERIALS WATER AND SOIL WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING RAILWAYS AND TRANSPORT NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING

Generic skills

Specific skills

Transversal skills

Professional and academic career

Professional and academic career

Companies and institutions involved

The Galician Civil Engineering Foundation collaborates in the development of the doctoral programme in Civil Engineering. As stated in the statutes of the latter, it is an organization of a foundational nature, of Galician interest, constituted on a non-profit basis, whose assets are affected, in a lasting way, to the realization of the purposes of general interest of the institution. The purposes of the Civil Engineering Foundation, as set out in Article 7 of its statutes, are the following: A) To promote scientific research, technological development and innovation. B) To promote technical development and collaboration with other Spanish and international institutions. C) To promote the incorporation and development of new technologies. D) To promote the formation of groups of researchers specialising in the different fields of action. E) To facilitate the exchange and transfer of knowledge between the groups of the different agents of the science-technology-business system. F) To disseminate the results of the activities carried out, as well as to coordinate the preparation of reports, opinions, studies, etc., at the request of entities, institutions and companies. G) To promote collaboration agreements between the Foundation and the School and other engineering schools, research centres, and companies, both public and private, for the development of the foundational purpose and the channelling of technology transfer. There is a Framework Agreement between the University of A Coruña and the Galician Civil Engineering Foundation for the Development of Academic, Scientific and Technology Transfer Activities.

Research lines

This are the main research lines for current study.

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

Los estudiantes del Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Civil tienen la oportunidad de participar en un proyecto formativo adaptado a su investigación y coordinado por el tutor y el director de la tesis, que podrá abarcar las siguientes actividades: - Asistencia a congresos, seminarios y simposios relacionados con su plan de investigación. - Estancias de investigación en departamentos, laboratorios y grupos relevantes de universidades y centros de investigación de prestigio reconocido. - Cursos formativos sobre las herramientas empleadas en su metodología de investigación. - Como actividades formativas transversales, se procurará la participación en las impartidas por el Centro Universitario de Formación e Innovación Educativa (CUFIE), en particular en el Plan de Apoyo al Doctorado y a la Investigación (PAI), así como las específicas para doctorandos organizadas por la Biblioteca Universitaria.

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.