Application

This PhD programme is biennial.
The upcoming programme edition is due to open in 2025/2026 with calls opening in the 1st quarter of 2025.

 

2023/2024 edition - APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Who can apply | Submission of applications | Evaluation criteria | Tuition fee

Who can apply?

1 - Applicants for admission to the Doctoral Programme in Cities and Urban Cultures:
a) Holders of a master's degree or legal equivalent;
b) Holders of a bachelor's degree, holders of a particularly relevant academic or scientific curriculum that is recognized as attesting capacity to carry out this cycle of studies by the Academic Board of the Faculty of Economics;
c) Holders of a school, scientific or professional curriculum that is recognized as attesting to the ability to carry out this cycle of studies by the Academic Board of the Faculty of Economics, applicants must obtain a curricular evaluation equal to or higher than 12 points.
2 - The recognition referred to in subparagraphs b) and c) of paragraph 1 only allows access to the cycle of studies leading to a PhD Degree and does not grant its holder the recognition or equivalence to a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree.

NOTE: In terms of the Assessment in this course, admission to the preparation of the thesis depends on the achievement of 60 ECTS in the curricular units. In addition, students must submit to a public hearing of their Thesis Project, before a jury appointed for that purpose, which will qualitatively evaluate the work presented (Approved or Not Approved).

Number of vacancies: 10

Submission of applications

Applications must be exclusively submitted  via the online Platform InforEstudante.
Instructions are available here.

Required documentation

- Motivation Letter, including: reasons for applying to the program; framing the application in life projects (personal or organizational; professional, civic or social); and draft project for doctoral thesis (MANDATORY);
- Two Letters of Recommendation (MANDATORY);
- Certificate of Bachelor's degree with final course classification (diploma). A certificate proving approval in the curricular units carried out must be included, with respective classifications (school transcript). (MANDATORY, except if the primary course is a course taught at the University of Coimbra);
- Certificate from Master's degree with final course classification (Master degree diploma). A certificate proving approval in the curricular units carried out must be included, with respective classifications (school transcript). (MANDATORY, except if the origin course is a course taught at the University of Coimbra);
- Official declaration of course outlines and hourly course loads with classification of each course unit of courses previously taken (transcript), in case of equivalence credits request. (MANDATORY, except in degrees awarded by the University of Coimbra under the Bologna Process – after 2007/2008);
- Diploma(s) of proficiency in foreign languages (if available);
- Curriculum vitae (MANDATORY);
- Identity Document (MANDATORY only for foreign applicants).

NOTE: If the documents mentioned above are written in a foreign language other than Spanish, French, and English, it is mandatory to present a translation to Portuguese undertaken by a translator recognised by the Portuguese diplomatic representation. 
The submission of the authenticated original documents is mandatory to the applicants admitted who enrol and register and must be done as soon as possible in order to complete their personal file. Further information

Evaluation Criteria

1. School and Training Curriculum: academic studies (degrees and respective final classifications, namely undergraduate and master's degrees); other school, technical and / or professional training; relevance of non-degree training that does not confer a master's degree or higher for the training requirements of the study cycle, (4/10 Weighting);
2. Academic / Scientific and Professional Curriculum: participation in scientific and academic activities; relevant professional experience for the scientific field of the study cycle; evaluation of scientific and professional merit, considering the adequacy of the scientific and professional curriculum to the formative requirements of the study cycle, (3/10 Weighting);
3. Motivation and PhD Project (includes, if necessary, an Interview): relevance and quality of the PhD project; coherence and pertinence of the application framework for the study cycle in applicants life projects (personal or organizational; professional, civic or social); adequacy of applicants profile to the learning and qualification requirements of the study cycle, (3/10 Weighting);

Jury:
Carlos José Cândido Guerreiro Fortuna (President of the Jury)
Claudino Cristóvão Ferreira
Paulo Jorge Marques Peixoto

Regarding the access referred to in sub-paragraph c) of paragraph 1 of the conditions of admission the application evaluator assesses the CV of applicants and rates it on a scale of 0 to 20 following the criteria i) to iii) and their respective weights:
i) School and training curriculum, considering the relevance of the courses held to the scientific field of the study cycle and the final classification obtained in these courses, (30/100 Weighting);
ii) Academic / scientific / technical curriculum, considering participation in the following types of activities, as long as they are related to the scientific field of the study cycle, (30/100 Weighting):
a. congresses, seminars, research projects;
b. publications of a scientific and / or specialized technical nature (monographs, book chapters, articles in periodicals, technical or research reports);
c. awards and other similar distinctions;
d. projects and activities for the application or practical integration of knowledge and specialized scientific methodologies
iii) Professional curriculum, considering the professional path; the relevance of the professional functions performed for the scientific field of the study cycle; the duration and nature of these functions, (40/100 Weighting).

NOTE: Assessed applications that have a grade lower than 9.5 in one of the evaluation criteria will automatically become non-approved.

Annual Fee: 2,000 Euros

Part-time registration: Admits (Thesis only)

Informations for candidates 

- Application is subject to the payment of a 50.00 € fee, which is non-refundable, even in case of invalidation of application and of non-placement.
- Applications are submitted online
- Applicants who do not have the documents attesting the required qualifications or other documents until the end of the deadline for applications may apply conditionally. If they do not submit the required documents until the new deadline provided, their application will become "Not Admitted". Then, they can move their application onto the following call for applications without any additional charges.
- In applications definitively considered valid, and after the evaluation period has started, it is not possible to add or replace the documents presented. To add new documentation, a new application must be submitted in the next phase, if any.
- After the last phase of applications, and if there are still places available, applicants may submit their application by means of a request, beyond the deadline, which will be duly appraised by the coordination of the Course /Organisational Unit.
- Further information about academic issues, including the academic calendar.
- Contacts: E-mail; Telephone: 00351 239 247 195; In person assistance, at the Student Hub of the University of Coimbra.