PhD in Information and Communications Technology

2024/2025

What you learn

Generic skills

Basic Skills:

(BS1). Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to that field.

(BS2). Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.

(BS3). Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.

(BS4). Ability to critically analyze, evaluate and synthesize new and complex ideas.

(BS5). Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.

(BS6). Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.

General Skills

(GS1). Ability to establish communication and collaborations with research groups and companies that develop R&D&I.

Specific skills

Specific Skills

(SS1). Propose innovative concepts and solutions in the field of Information and Communication Technologies, know how to evaluate and contrast them with real problems.

(SS2). Identify promising areas of research in the field of Information and Communication Technologies.

Horizontal Skills

(HS1). Generate creative solutions for problem solving in research.

Professional and academic career

Professional and academic career

The objective of this doctoral program is to train professionals in the field of information and communication technologies for two main academic paths: a) academic teaching and research activities in higher education centers and/or b) conduct R&D&I in private companies. As already mentioned, ICTs are one of the fundamental driving forces for innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises, to improve their competitiveness both nationally and internationally.

Companies and institutions involved

  • Artesis University College. (Belgium)
  • BigSkyEarth Training School, German Aerospace Center (DLR) (Germany)
  • BigSkyEarth Training School, University of Central Lancashire (UK)
  • CIAFEL. Centro de Investigação em Atividade Física, Saúde e Lazer (Portugal)
  • CRS4. Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Develpment in Sardinia (Cerdeña)
  • Centre National d’Études Spatiales (France)
  • Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada (Mexico)
  • Digital Design Studio - The Glasgow School of Art (UK)
  • Florida International University (USA)
  • Heidelberg, Max Planck I.A. (Germany)
  • InfoMed Fluids SRL (Rumanía)
  • Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, Université Pierre & Marie Curie (France)
  • Institut d’Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège (Belgium)
  • Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge (UK)
  • Instituut voor Sterrenkunde (Belgium)
  • JAMK University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
  • KMI. Knowledge Media Institute - The Open University (UK)
  • Laboratório de Reabilitação Psicossocial da Universidade do Porto e do Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Portugal)
  • Maastricht University (Netherlands)
  • National Research Council of Italy (Italy)
  • Observatorio Astronómico de Pádova (Italy)
  • Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)
  • Tumblr, New York City (USA)
  • Universidad Técnica de Machala (Ecuador)
  • Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico)
  • Universidad de Niza (France)
  • University of Aveiro (Portugal)
  • University of Bath (UK)
  • University of Bristol (UK)
  • University of Coimbra (Portugal)
  • University of Glasgow (UK)
  • University of Melbourne (Australia)
  • University of Porto (Portugal)
  • University of Stanford (USA)
  • Yahoo Labs London (UK)

Research lines

This are the main research lines for current study.

  • Biomedical informatics
  • Biomedical systems and bioinformatics
  • Collaborative filtering
  • Computational astrophysics
  • Computational creativity
  • Conceptualization and computation in chemistry
  • Connectionist systems
  • Data integration
  • Evaluation in the software process
  • Evolutionary computation
  • Holons and Informons
  • Information retrieval
  • Information security systems
  • Knowledge management
  • Methodologies and metrics in the software process
  • Monitoring and analysis of images in the marine environment for various studies

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 16: Applications.

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

Programme-specific teaching and training activities

Presentation Session

The objective is to introduce the students to the research teams that make up the doctoral program in order for the student to learn about the different research areas of the program.

In addition, students will be introduced to the process of writing a doctoral thesis, and the relationship between the student and the supervisor.

The day will be complemented with the experiences of other doctoral students, especially in their last year, in order to highlight important aspects and important experiences.

Introduction to Research

The main objective of this activity is for students to understand what a research project consists of and to be able to publish the results of their research work.

ICT Research

The objective of this activity is twofold. On the one hand, the doctoral students will have to present their research work in front of the rest of the doctoral students and members of the research groups, which allows them to evaluate their work and their ability to expose themselves. On the other hand, it also allows students to learn first-hand about the research work of their peers, allowing them to look for points of intersection and propose improvements or new ideas.

Mobility

Throughout the doctoral program, student mobility will be encouraged in order to carry out research stays with other national and international research groups.

For first year students, the establishment of contacts with other research groups working on related topics will be facilitated. This will be done, whenever possible, by attending congresses, or otherwise through telematic means.

For the rest of the students, research stays with research groups will be encouraged and they will be supported in the application for grants for this purpose.

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 31: 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 30: Research plan.

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.