Admission

Applications must be submitted online, and all the documentation and procedures are specified in the UAM Doctoral School web page. Apart from the general documents required for the application, the applicant should send a motivation letter.

There are three open application periods every academic course, which can be consulted in the Doctoral School website.

Background of prospective students

The PhD Program in Condensed Matter Physics, Nanoscience and Biophysics is aimed at students with a grade in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science, Materials Engineering, Environmental Sciences and the like; and with a master’s degree related to the research lines included in the doctorate: condensed matter physics, biophysics, nanotechnology, photonics and materials sciences.

The student must prove previous training (at the graduate or Master level) in research projects, and possess an intermediate/high level of English language (e.g. First Certificate, B2).

Assessment and evaluation criteria for applicants.

Candidates who meet the general requirements can be admitted to the doctoral program  after consideration by the Academic Committee of the adequacy of their previous studies to the recommended admission profile. In particular, the Commission will evaluate the following aspects of the candidate’s curriculum vitae:

1. Suitability of the candidate graduate and master studies to the research lines of the doctoral program (40%)
2. Qualifications obtained by the candidate in the master’s degree (20%)
3. Qualifications obtained by the candidate in the grade (20%)
4. Other knowledge (languages, computer science, etc.) and / or courses relevant for the execution of the doctoral thesis (20%)

In the event that the Commission judges that the titles accredited by the student are not appropriate to the subject of the doctoral program, he/she will not be admitted in the program. The following will not be considered adequate: i) master’s degrees or equivalent that do not correspond to scientific or technological areas, ii) previous titles that do not include research training credits.

Documents specific for the PhD program

Together with the required documents for the on-line inscription, the student should attach a motivation letter specifying:

-The interest and relationship of the PhD project with one of the research lines included in the program:

• Biophysics and Statistical Physics of Complex Systems.
• Nanoplasmonics, Nanoelectronics, and Quantum Optics.
• Low-temperature Physics (Superconductivity, Superfluidity).
• Surface Physics.
• First-principles Simulations and Modeling.
• Physical Properties of Molecular and Biological Systems and Nanostructures.
• Experimental Characterization of Molecular, Nanoscopic and Biological Systems.

– The name, affiliation and e-mail contact of the Thesis supervisor. In case the supervisor does not belong to the Science Faculty at UAM, the student will need also a tutor from one of the Departments associated to the PhD program. The student and her/his Thesis director will propose a tutor whose name, affiliation and contact must be included in the motivation letter. In case they do not know any appropriate researcher to act as tutor, they should contact the academic committee.