Curricular Structure

The Programme ultimately leads to a degree of Doctor in Economy or Sociology granted by the School of Economics of Coimbra University and is grounded on a curricular structure with a common trunk and two training branches, one titled "Knowledge and Innovation" and the other "Social Impact of Science and Technology". The common trunk allows for an approach, on the one hand, to the mutual inter-relations and constructs of science, technology and knowledge within society, and, on the other hand, to the analysis of the relations between governance, institutions and public policies. The branch "Knowledge and Innovation" focuses on the analysis of the processes of innovation, knowledge production and their respective policies, namely at European level. The branch: "Social Impact of Science and Technology" focuses on analysing the conditions and forms of knowledge production, of the dynamics of its appropriation and social uses and of its implications for global governance and for building a cognitive citizenship.

Over and above the Programme’s own teaching faculty, each edition of same will count on the participation of visiting Portuguese scholars and scholars of other nationalities, notably those who are part of the Centre’s and the Economics School’s international cooperation network. The Programme has a duration of four years, with the first year comprising a teaching component of eight seminars per semester, each totalling 45 hours. The first semester is devoted to matters of the highest conceptual and theoretical moment. The objective is to introduce participants to the thematics, concepts and core authors in each area, and the teaching component is essentially expositional. The second semester consists of seminars designed to further each of the areas of the first semester, in a predominantly interactive way and one leading to the creation of an academic spirit.
Access to the second year depends on condidates’ successfuly concluding the first semester.

The second year’s training comprises a "Research Seminar in Economy and Sociology" (45 ECTS), a "Seminar on the Methodology of Economics" or a "Seminar of  the Methodology of the Social Sciences" (10 ECTS) and an "Update and Discussion Seminar" (5 ECTS). Preparing for candidates’ dissertations begins in the second year and may take up to three years. The Degree of Doctor is conferred upon defence of the dissertation, of between 80,000 and 100,000 words, to be defended before a panel made up in accordance with Coimbra University’s Regulation of PhD Programmes.

1st Year: 1st Semester

Common trunk

Science, Technology and Knowledge in Society (7.5 ECTS) – João Arriscado Nunes

Governance, Public Institutions and Policies (7.5 ECTS) – José Reis, Vítor Neves

Branch: "Knowledge and Innovation":

Science and Knowledge Policies (7.5 ECTS) – Tiago Santos Pereira

Innovation and European Policies (15 ECTS) – Alfredo Marques, João Tolda

Branch: "Social Impact of Science and Technology":

Knowledge, Sustainability and Cognitive Justice (7.5 ECTS) – Paula Meneses

Governance, Knowledge and Public Participation (7.5 ECTS) – João Arriscado Nunes, José Manuel Mendes

1st Year: 2nd Semester

Common trunk

Seminar on Science, Technology and Knowledge within Society (7.5 ECTS)  - João Arriscado Nunes

Seminar on Governance and Public Institutions and Policies (7.5 ECTS) – José Reis, Vítor Neves

Branch: "Knowledge and Innovation":

Seminar on Science and Knowledge Policies (7.5 ECTS) – Tiago Santos Pereira

Innovation and European Policies (7.5 ECTS) – Alfredo Marques, João Tolda

Branch: "Social Impact of Science and Technology"

Seminar on Knowledge, Sustainability and Cognitive Justice (7.5 ECTS) – Paula Meneses

Seminar on Governance, Knowledge and Public Participation (7.5 ECTS) – João Arriscado Nunes, José Manuel Mendes

2nd Year

Research Seminar on Economics and Sociology (45 ECTS)

This seminar will be held twice-monthly and is directed at preparing and debating students’ research projects. In this context, students will take active part in a series of workshops on research methods and drafting a dissertation, as well as on methods of empirical research, their own work being an essential component of the curricular programme. The seminar will include a component directed towards the presentation and debate of recently published works, chosen and presented by each student in each session, with a view to a wider debate of the work’s theoretical and methodological implications. Within the context of the seminar, all PhD students will be asked to submit their initial project and the fruits of their research to the critical evaluation of their teachers and of their peers, in an endeavour to stimulate academic exchange and promote concrete methodological and thematic reflection. Success in this seminar will depend on the presentation and defence of the final thesis project of 15,000 words.

Seminar on the Methodology of Economics or Seminar on the Methodology of the Social Sciences (10 ECTS)

PhD candidates in Economics will attend a Seminar on the Methodology of Economics. PhD candidates in Sociology will attend a Seminar on the Methodology of the Social Sciences. These are Seminars of complementary training. Each will include debating a series of philosophical and methodological themes relevant to the scientific area concerned, and participation in seminars conducted by guest scholars. It is a 30-hour, twice monthly seminar.

Seminar on Update and Discussion– Thinking and Imagining  Knowledge (5 ECTS)

This seminar will be held twice-monthly, totalling fifteen sessions, to which various guest speakers from different areas will be invited. The objective of the seminar is to provide students with an uninterrupted relation with current topics which, from an interdisciplinary perspective, may contribute to the framing and strengthening of candidates’ own research work. The seminar will consist of 60 hours.