Program access information

Objectives

The main objective of the doctoral program in Health and Wellness Technologies is the advanced training of doctors in the scientific-technological areas on which the preventive, curative and support aspects of health and wellness are based. Specifically, four main areas of action are considered:

• Prevention of health risks
• Health promotion and maintenance
• Health recovery
• Promotion of personal autonomy and care for people in situations of dependence

It is a complex and highly interdisciplinary field that serves as a bridge between the fields of health and technology. It therefore encompasses numerous areas of knowledge from the health, experimental, technical and social fields.

Entry Profile

The program is open to Spanish or foreign graduates with a degree in Biomedical, Industrial, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology or Biotechnology. For the completion of doctoral theses in the line of research in Occupational Risk Prevention, graduates with training in Civil Engineering, Agronomy, Construction and Architects may also be admitted. Likewise, engineers or graduates from any other branch may be admitted provided that the CAPD considers that their training is adequate to carry out the Doctoral Thesis within the lines of research of the Doctoral Program. If the entrance qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree, the student must be in possession of a Master’s Degree or have passed at least 60 credits of postgraduate training (Master’s Degree) in the field of engineering/graduates described in the previous point.

Profile of graduates

Doctor with extensive training in the area of health technologies and specialized in one of the areas indicated in the objectives. This professional masters the use of different processing techniques, analysis, modeling, instrumentation, etc. applied to health, and has acquired skills for obtaining and analyzing results and their dissemination through the writing and presentation of different papers and reports. It is a professional prepared to work in the health technology sector who knows the latest advances in this field at national and international level.

The documentation to be provided in order to be admitted to the PhD program is as follows:

1. Letter of commitment from the Thesis Director.
2. Research plan (approximately 2 pages in length).

Admission criteria

1. Academic qualifications: The program is open to Spanish or foreign graduates with a degree in Biomedical, Industrial, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology or Biotechnology. For the completion of doctoral theses in the line of research in Occupational Risk Prevention, graduates with training in Civil Engineering, Agronomy, Construction and Architects may also be admitted. Likewise, engineers or graduates from any other branch may be admitted provided that the CAPD considers that their training is adequate to carry out the Doctoral Thesis within the lines of research of the Doctoral Program (Agreement of the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program of November 11, 2015).
2. Postgraduate training: Must have passed at least 60 credits of postgraduate training (Master’s degree) in the field of engineering/graduate degrees described in the previous point.
3. Academic record: Both undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be provided to be evaluated by the CA.
4. Training complements: The admission of the student may include the requirement of complementary training when the CA considers it necessary, depending on the student’s previous training.
5. Line of research in which the doctoral thesis is framed.

The CA of the program will be responsible for evaluating the admission of students by applying a valuation index (IV) on a scale of 0 to 100 points.

Those who pass a minimum of 70 points will be admitted to the doctoral program.

In the case of having previously completed at least 60 credits at the Master’s level, the following equation will be applied:

IA=20*E + 30*G + 50*M

Where E is the weighting factor of the academic record of the total studies (undergraduate and graduate) considering the overall average grade on a standardized scale from 0 to 1, G is the factor of suitability of the undergraduate degree and M is the factor of suitability of the graduate education;The values taken by the factors G and M are given as shown below:

1. Undergraduate Training
   • Line of research: Biomedical, Industrial Informatics, Telecommunications, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Biotechnology, Civil, Agronomy, Construction and Architects (recommended entry profile). G=1
   • Other lines of research: Biomedical (recommended entry profile) G=1 Industrial Computer Science, Telecommunication, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Biotechnology (recommended entry profile) G=0.8
2. Master’s Degree Training
   • Line of research: Occupational risk prevention, Master in Occupational Risk Prevention (recommended entry profile) M=1
   • Other lines of research: Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering (recommended entry profile) M=1

All lines of research:

• Master’s degrees whose contents present a 75% affinity with the line of research in which the doctoral thesis of the student is framed (evaluation by the CA) M=0.75
• Master’s degrees whose contents present a 50% affinity with the line of research in which the doctoral thesis of the student is framed (evaluation by the CA) M=0.5

In addition, according to Agreement of the Governing Council of the UPV of 28/11/2013: Official university degree + 60 credits at master’s level ≥ 300 credits. For the computation of credits, all the credits earned in all the university degrees presented are added together. For higher Spanish degrees (more than 300 credits or a study plan of more than 5 years) the requirement of 60 credits at master’s level is included (agreement of the Governing Council of the UPV).

The Academic Committee of the program, after studying the student’s curriculum, will decide on the relevance of the student’s complementary training.

Where appropriate, it will define the list of subjects to be taken from the university’s postgraduate academic offer, considering the specific training required by the doctoral student for the proper development of his or her research work. It must be considered, in this sense, that there is a training offer in the Masters related to the doctorate in question that allows this assignment to be made without problems of adequacy.

Basics

• Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to that field.
• Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.
• Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
• Ability to critically analyze, evaluate and synthesize new and complex ideas.
• Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.
• Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.

Personal skills and abilities

• To develop in contexts where there is little specific information.
• Find the key questions to be answered to solve a complex problem.
• Design, create, develop and undertake novel and innovative projects in their field of knowledge.
• Work both in a team and autonomously in an international or multidisciplinary context.
• Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgments with limited information.
• Intellectual criticism and defense of solutions.

Other competencies

• Demonstrate knowledge of issues relating to the rights of other researchers and research, e.g., confidentiality, copyright attribution, ethics, malpractice, plagiarism prevention, data ownership and data protection law requirements.
• Understand funding processes, research evaluation and grant application procedures.