Doctoral Program in Physical Chemistry 2021–2022

The RD 99/2011 highlights the high professional training of doctors in various fields, especially those that require creativity and innovation. Therefore, the doctors of the program will have acquired, at least, personal skills and abilities to:

1. Develop in contexts in which there is little specific information.
2. Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
3. Design, create, develop and undertake innovative and innovative projects in their field of knowledge.
4. Work both as a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
5. Integrate knowledge, face complexity and formulate judgements with limited information.
6. The criticism and intellectual defence of solutions.

CE01 - Know the main lines of research in the field of Physical Chemistry and related areas, recognizing their multidisciplinarity.

CE02 - Acquire a systematic, rationalized and updated knowledge of the scientific-technological concepts of Physical Chemistry.

CE03 - Understand the main methodologies applied in the investigation of the chemical-physical characterization of compounds and systems

CE04 - Be able to assess the degree of risk, toxicity and the environmental and legal implications of the chemical products used in the laboratory to manage them safely and responsibly.

CE05 - Manage scientific information search tools, bibliographic collections, specific chemistry databases, patents, etc. with the ability to select the most appropriate information.

The requirements for access to doctoral studies are set by the RD 99/2011, of 28 January. In general, access to the programme is open to those who hold an official Spanish Bachelor's and Master's degree or equivalent, having passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in these two degrees.

Students with a foreign degree issued by a country included in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) may apply for admission directly (info). If the degree was issued by a non-EHEA country, the application for admission with a foreign degree that has not been recognised (info) must be submitted.

Interested parties can find more information about acceso and admission at the Doctoral School section and at the administrative office of the programme (see contact details in the general information section of the programme).

Interested students can obtain further information about

Preferred profiles:

Without the need to take complementary courses.

Selection criteria:

1.- Applicant´s academic background

1-factor – Bachelor´s Degree in Chemistry, Official Master´s Degrees which give access to the PhD Programme in Physical Chemistry.

0.9-factor –  Bachelor´s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Physics and similar areas considered by the Academic Commission. Official Master´s Degrees considered similar by the Academic Commission to those giving access to the PhD Programme in Physical Chemistry.

0.1 to 0.8-factor – Other Higher Education studies.

2.- Applicant´s academic records:

Undergraduate Degree – Up to 40 points

Master´s Degree – Up to 10 points

3.- Fellowships and/or study grants: up to 8 points

4.- Previous research experience: up to 10 points

5.- Suitability of candidate´s curriculum to the research lines of the receiving research groups: up to 4 points

6.- Previous work experience: up to 20 points

7.- Other research accomplishments: up to 4 points

8.- Other academic accomplishments: up to 4 points

Profile: Chemical Engineering

Complementary courses: Theoretical and Computational Chemistry; Fundamental properties of nanostructured materials; Preparation of nanostructured materials; Characterization I: Physical-chemical techniques; Characterization II: Advanced microscopies; Nanodevice fabrication and applications; Synthesis and processing of nanostructured materials.

Profile: Physics

Complementary courses: Electrochemistry; Renewable resources; Non-conventional solvents and reaction mechanisms; Characterization I: Physical-chemical techniques; Characterization II: Advanced microscopies; Nanodevice fabrication and applications.

Profile: Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Others

Complementary courses: Toolbox of skills for research; Electrochemistry; Theoretical and Computational Chemistry; Renewable resources; Non-conventional solvents and reaction mechanisms; Fundamental properties of nanostructured materials; Preparation of nanostructured materials; Characterization I: Physical-chemical techniques; Characterization II: Advanced microscopies; Nanodevice fabrication and applications; Synthesis and processing of nanostructured materials.

Doctoral students, as researchers in training and students of the University of Zaragoza, must register annually with the corresponding fees for the academic supervision of the doctoral programme while they continue their doctoral training. The enrolment period will be the one established for this purpose in the calendar of the corresponding academic year.

As a general rule, enrolment will be done online through the Virtual Secretariat of the University of Zaragoza, having previously obtained a personal identification number (PIN) and password from the identity management service of the University of Zaragoza. Those who are unable to enrol online will be allowed to do so in person by going to the Doctoral School Section during opening hours. For the first, second and subsequent enrolments, doctoral students will have to present various documents about their previous studies, depending on whether they have been studied in countries within or outside the European Education Area.

The website of the Doctoral School provides complete and updated information about the enrolment procedure including key points, prices, discounts and insurance,  legalisation and translation of documents and various practical details.

The procedures for the supervision of students on the programme are set out in article 11 of Royal Decree 99/2011 regulating doctoral studies. Thesis supervision is also covered by Title I of the Regulations on Doctoral Theses of the University of Zaragoza.

Doctoral students admitted to the programme will register annually for academic supervision at the University of Zaragoza. The academic committee of the programme will assign a thesis supervisor and a tutor, who may or may not coincide. The thesis supervisor will be responsible for the overall management of the student's research tasks, for the coherence and suitability of the training activities, for the impact and novelty of the subject matter of the doctoral thesis in his/her field, and for guiding the planning and, where appropriate, its adaptation to that of other projects and activities in which the student is enrolled. The tutor is responsible for ensuring that the training and research activity is in line with the principles of the programme and the Doctoral School and will ensure the interaction of the PhD student with the programme's Academic Committee, the body responsible for supervising the progress of the research and training and for authorising the presentation of the thesis of each PhD student on the programme.

The supervision of doctoral students will be set out in the Doctoral Charter which, once enrolment has been completed, will be signed by the doctoral student, his/her tutor and supervisor, the programme coordinator and the director of the School for Doctoral Studies. For further information on thesis supervision, please contact the programme's administrative office (see contact details in the programme's general information) or the programme coordinator.

The mechanisms for monitoring doctoral students are in accordance with the provisions of Article 11. Doctoral supervision and monitoring of RD 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies.

Before the end of the first year of enrolment, the PhD student must present a document that includes the research plan and the personal training plan. This may be improved and detailed throughout their stay on the programme and must be endorsed by the supervisor and tutor.

The research plan shall include, at least, the methodology to be used and the objectives to be achieved, as well as the means and timetable for achieving them.

The personal training plan will contain a forecast of the different training activities to be carried out during the doctoral thesis (courses, seminars, mobility actions, etc.).

The activities document is the record of all the activities - stays, courses, attendance at conferences, etc. - that the PhD student carries out from enrolment in the doctoral programme until the submission of the doctoral thesis.

These documents, as well as the director's and tutor's reports, are managed through the doctoral management application, SIGMA.

The academic committee of the programme will annually evaluate the progress of the doctoral student in terms of his/her research plan and the activities document together with the reports that the director and tutor must issue for this purpose. A positive evaluation will be a prerequisite for continuing on the programme. In the event of a negative evaluation, the PhD student must be evaluated again within a maximum period of six months. In the event that significant shortcomings continue to occur, the Academic Committee must issue a reasoned report, after hearing the interested party, and the doctoral student will be definitively withdrawn from the programme.

Once the thesis has been completed, the PhD student must proceed to its deposit and defence in accordance with the provisions set out in the thesis regulations of the University of Zaragoza and in the procedure that develops it, available on the EDUZ regulations website

The Doctoral School of the University of Zaragoza offers its doctoral students various transversal training activities focused on facilitating the acquisition of the necessary skills to actively participate in the knowledge society and to successfully manage in a complex and changing labour market. The activities in module 1, Communication skills, help PhD students to effectively disseminate research and its results and to share knowledge in an attractive way, both in writing and orally. Module 2, Scientific Information Management, provides training in searching, processing and managing bibliographic information. Module 3 includes activities that improve the doctoral student's readiness to manage in a professional environment. The activities in module 4, Research and Society, provide doctoral students with a space for reflection on issues of interest to participate fully and responsibly in today's diverse, digital and global society. Module 5 contains activities on instrumental or technical aspects necessary to apply cutting-edge research methodologies.

The training offer is completed with online activities for all G9 doctoral students, teaching and research training activities organised by the Institute of Education Sciences of the University of Zaragoza and with those carried out within the framework of inter-university and international Doctoral Conferences.

The complete offer for each academic year is published here.

Title: Preparation and presentation of the Research Plan. Compulsory

Duration: 1

Control procedures: Evaluation of the Academic Committee. The positive evaluation will be mandatory to continue in the program.

Title: Anual follow-up of research plan. Compulsory

Duration: 1

Control procedures: The Academic Commission will evaluate the presentation, the Research Plan and the document of activities, as well as the reports that for this purpose must be issued by the tutor and the director. The positive evaluation will be an essential requirement to continue in the program.

Title: Seminars. Compulsory

Duration: 12

Control procedures: Proof of attendance signed by the organizer of the activity and presentation to the CAD of a report describing the applicability of the knowledge acquired.

Title: Continuing education courses. Compulsory

Duration: 3

Control procedures: Proof of attendance signed by the organizer of the activity and presentation to the CAD of a report describing the applicability of the knowledge acquired.

Title: Assistance to congresses. Compulsory

Duration: 5

Control procedures: Proof of attendance, presentation of the work and presentation to the CAD of a report that includes the research related to the work of the most relevant doctoral candidate presented at the congress.

Title: Preparation of communications, publications or articles. Compulsory

Duration: 40

Control procedures: Reference of the contribution(s) and report of the thesis director that indicates the contribution of the doctoral student.

Title: Collaboration in divulgative activities. Compulsory

Duration: 5

Control procedures: Verifier signed by the organizer of the activity. Presentation to the CAD of the material used in the collaboration.

Title: Mobility. Optional

Duration: 160

Control procedures: Document signed by the receptor researcher or reception center. Presentation to the CAD of a summary of the work carried out and the achievements.

Doctoral students enrolled on doctoral programmes benefit from the mobility grants established in various national and international calls for applications. The calls of the Erasmus+ programme stand out. In the Modality Erasmus+ Studies, doctoral students can choose from a wide range of destinations as most of the agreements signed by the University of Zaragoza with other universities include places for doctoral students from all branches.

This mobility is carried out in accordance with the procedure Q-312_1. Procedure for the Management of the International Mobility of Undergraduate, Master and PhD Students.

With regard to the Erasmus+ Internships mode, doctoral students have access to two calls: the University of Zaragoza's own call and the one carried out by the Campus Iberus of International Excellence for the universities that are part of it, including Zaragoza.

Other interesting mobility calls are the Erasmus+ Short Mobility, the UNITA mobility, the external internships, those specifically aimed at Ibero-American students and those that finance international stays for pre-doctoral students, among others.

The mobility of doctoral students at the University of Zaragoza is also encouraged through the signing of co-supervision agreements with several foreign universities.

The Doctoral School of the University of Zaragoza has rules, regulations and procedures to facilitate the achievement of its various objectives. It is worth highlighting the Internal Regulations of the Doctoral School, the Instruction of the Doctoral School: Requirements for access, admission, dedication and permanence in the doctoral studies of the University of Zaragoza adapted to R.D. 99/2011. 99/2011; the Procedure for the elaboration of the Report on the Quality of Doctoral Studies and its different Programmes (ICED); the Code of Good Practices for the School and the doctoral programmes; the Doctoral Charter; the Procedure and model agreement to request the mention of doctorate industrial in the thesis or the Regulation of extraordinary doctoral awards. The aforementioned documents, drawn up with the participation and consensus of the various bodies of the Doctoral School, are published on its website.

The regulations section of the Doctoral School's website contains other important regulatory references for doctoral studies such as RD 99/2011 regulating official doctoral studies, the Regulations for Doctoral Studies (2012) and the Regulations on doctoral theses (2014), both from the University of Zaragoza.

Rules of duration and permanence in the doctorate are established in Instrucción de23 de mayo de 2018 de la Escuela de Doctorado relativa al acceso, admisión,dedicación y permanencia en los estudios de doctorado de la Universidad deZaragoza (R.D. 99/2011).

Full-time thesis should be complete in three years, from the date of admission to the doctoral program, although the Academic Committee of the program may authorize the extension of this period for one more year. Part-time doctoral students will have five years from their admission to the presentation of the thesis, and the Academic Committee may authorize an extension for two more years. Exceptionally, an additional year of extension can be added.

PhD candidates may request a change in dedication (full-time / part-time) as well as the temporary withdrawal for justified reasons of the Academic Committee. They can cause a definitive withdrawal and see their file closed in these cases: if the available time to deposit the thesis is exceeded or if they receive two consecutive negative evaluations of the research plan.

These processes are explained in detail on our website (info) and the doctoral students are told how to proceed in cases of temporary withdrawal (info).

Doctoral activity in an academic year is governed by the deadlines established in the specific doctoral academic calendar. This calendar, which is approved well in advance, sets the periods for application for access, admission to programmes, registration at the University of Zaragoza, presentation by doctoral students of the research plan and the activities document, as well as the deadlines for the defence of doctoral theses.

The website of the Doctoral School publishes the calendar for the current academic year, as well as for the two previous years.

For the doctoral thesis realization, the University of Zaragoza, the Department of Physical Chemistry and teachers involved in the Doctoral Programme provide the following resources and services.

The University of Zaragoza is strongly committed with aspects related with opportunities equality. As a result, architectural barriers elimination and subsequent universal accessibility to all university buildings and their surroundings is an issue of priority importance. Both, present and future university infrastructures are regulated by Law 51/2003.

Among the available resources, the following present remarkable importance:

Laboratories specialized in the study of fluid thermophysical properties.

These laboratories are provided with necessary equipment for the determination of a variety of fluid thermophysical properties, in a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Both pure compounds and mixtures can be studied; with the properties under determination being: critical points, isothermal and isobaric liquid-gas equilibrium, densities and sound propagation velocities, as well as mixture enthalpies, calorific capacities, surface tensions, refraction indices, viscosities, conductivities and permittivities.

Laboratories specialized in surface chemistry.

Different techniques for the preparation of nanostructured materials through “bottom-up approach” are available: i) Synthesis of ultra-thin films (Langmuir films, Langmuir-Blodgett, Self-Assembly, Spin-coatig, etc.), ii) Film characterisation (quartz microbalances, UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, FTIR, Raman, PM-IRRAS, SERS, XPS, XRR, SEM, TEM, AFM, STM, etc.).

Laboratories specialized in electrochemistry.

Available techniques allow the determination of different electrical and electrochemical properties: single molecule conductivity (STM), ultra-thin films conductivity, electrochemical studies (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical microscopy, etc.). There are also specific equipment for the determination of corrosion velocity in metals and electrosynthesis of organic molecules.

Laboratories specialized in supercritical fluids.

Available resources allow the study and optimization of separation (extraction, concentration) of natural resources through supercritical CO₂.

It is also noteworthy the linkage of some program teachers with different university institutes, as IUI de Ingeniería de Aragón (I3A) (http://i3a.unizar.es/), IUI de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI) (http://bifi.unizar.es/) and IUI en Nanociencia de Aragón (INA) (http://ina.unizar.es/). Doctoral students will have free access to the modern scientific equipment of these institutes.

Library and documentation services.

The University of Zaragoza has a number of libraries with broad schedules and easy access. A range of services are provided by university libraries, as books loan in paper and electronic formats, rooms with computers and for individual and group work.

The following libraries facilitate the access to documental resources, bibliographic databases and scientific publications related with the doctoral programme:

-       Faculty of Science Library

-       Hypatia de Alejandria Library.

Third Cycle section

This is the unity that provides technical and administrative support to university community related with doctoral studies.

Their main services are:

-       Information and attention to university community, paying special attention to web information.

-       Support to govern bodies and academic commissions.

-       Registration and records managements.

-       Support in the process of verifications and excellence mention.

-       Support in Erasmus Mundus calls.

International relations section

This service promotes doctoral students mobility, welcomes international doctoral students and facilitates their integration in the university. International doctoral students are provided with help and information about the city, available housing, Spanish (and other languages) courses, medical insurance, fellowships, etc.

Other support sources: mobility centre for students (EURAXESS).

EURAXESS in Aragón depends on the “Vicerrectorado de Política Científica de la Universidad de Zaragoza” and is part of the European Red EURAXESS, being an important information source that provides personalized assistance to both, foreign researchers that move to Aragón and researchers from Aragón that are interested in going abroad. Provided assistance focuses on visa applications, residence cards, homologation of university degrees, employ offers, Social Security and sanitary attention, schooling and other relevant information for the integration of the researcher in the foreign country.

Help in the application for external resources and travel bourses for conference assistance and abroad stays that are useful for predoctoral formation:

These activities will be paid by different public programs. All fellowships are subjected to annual renovation of its respective call.

1.     Short stays call for FPU/FPI beneficiaries.

2.     Calls from autonomous communities and other institutions for the realisation of short stays.

3.     Travel bourses provided by the University of Zaragoza.

4.     Mobility resources provided by doctoral programmes with “mención hacia la excelencia”.

The Doctoral program foments the application to these calls, as well as the development of agreements with high education institutions that favour the internationalization of doctoral students.

Likewise, the Doctoral Program will count with its own funds (research projects and contracts) of the different department research groups.

Doctoral Program graduates have at their disposal the professional guidance service of the University of Zaragoza (http://www.unizar.es/universa/), composed of professional counsellors with expertise in Human Resources. Universa provides personalized information on job search, company selection tests and curriculum development. Training courses on professional competences and mono graphic seminars (international mobility, job search, professional skills development, presentations and reviews, etc.) are organized periodically. These activities are very useful for guiding and facilitating labor insertion of the graduates.