Admission Criteria

The body responsible for carrying out the admission process is the Academic Committee.

With regard to the admission profile, applicants are recommended to have completed undergraduate studies in Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Chemistry, Veterinary Medicine, or other related Bachelor's degrees or Licenciatura qualifications, such as Biotechnology, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Genetics, Neuroscience, Health Biology, or Biomedicine, provided that these programmes enable students to acquire learning outcomes similar to those described above and related to Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biomedicine. Likewise, the BBMBiomed Doctoral Programme is primarily intended for students with academic training and competencies acquired through a science- or technology-oriented University Master's degree, preferably related to Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biomedicine. In particular, Master's degrees in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Biomedical Research; Genetics and Cell Biology; Molecular Biomedicine; Health Biology; Molecular Cancer Biology; Immunology Research; Pharmacological Research; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technologies; or Master's degrees equivalent to those listed above are recommended, provided that they enable students to acquire similar learning outcomes related to Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biomedicine.

Given the close academic relationship between the qualifications specified in the recommended admission profile and the research lines of the Doctoral Programme, students holding the qualifications mentioned above are considered to have the scientific and technical training and maturity required for the successful completion of their doctoral thesis. The Academic Committee of the Programme will assess, for each admission application, the suitability of the applicant's previous academic training and its correspondence with the research lines of the Programme.

In addition, a B2 level of English proficiency is recommended, as English is an essential tool in academic and research contexts. In particular, it is routinely used to consult and understand specialised literature, review scientific articles, and search for information relevant to doctoral research. Proficiency in English will also facilitate participation in academic activities, such as conferences and seminars, as well as scientific publication, thereby contributing to effective integration into the research community. It should also be noted that research stays at prestigious institutions abroad may enable doctoral researchers to obtain the International Doctorate distinction, which may also require the doctoral thesis to be written in English.

 

Evaluation Criteria

The assessment criteria will only be taken into consideration if the applicant meets the general and specific requirements of the Programme described above in the section on “Required Documentation”.

The Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme will assess the admission applications on the basis of the following merits and criteria:

1. Academic record in Bachelor's and Master's studies (0–50), calculated using the weighted average method according to the number of credits assigned to each course unit. Suitability of the applicant's previous qualifications in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or related fields (0–10).
2. Research activity, including publications and conference presentations (0–20). For publications, those appearing in international journals ranked in the first or second quartile within the relevant fields of knowledge will be assessed, as well as the applicant's position among the authors (first author or other position). For conference presentations, consideration will be given to presentations delivered as first author and to the type of presentation, whether oral or written. Other documented aspects of the applicant's curriculum vitae [English proficiency, research stays abroad, collaboration grants, and awards] (0–10). English proficiency will be assessed according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with three weighting levels: C1–C2, B2, and B1, or equivalent qualifications.
3. Other merits assessed by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme (0–10), including aspects such as the suitability of the proposed doctoral thesis project to the research lines associated with the Doctoral Programme, as well as the applicant's motivation and interest, as reflected in the documentation submitted during the admission process.

Admission to the Doctoral Programme requires a minimum score of 60/100. The specific application of these assessment criteria is set out in a scoring rubric, which is available both on the Programme's website (see below) and through the online admission platform provided for this purpose by the EDUCM. Only merits that are duly documented will be taken into consideration.

The Academic Committee will assess in detail applications from students with specific educational needs arising from a disability. In such cases, the necessary support mechanisms will be established during the admission process to enable the student to successfully complete the programme, and any potential curricular adaptations will be considered on an individual basis.

Scoring Rubric for the Assessment Criteria for Admission to the BBMBiomed Doctoral Programme