The Doctoral Program in Agrarian Sciences (DPAS) trains highly qualified professionals in the different domains of Agrarian Sciences, namely in the sub-areas of Crop Production, Animal Production, Food Science and Technology, and Agricultural Technologies.

Tecnologias Agrárias → Agricultural Technologies. The program is designed to provide the multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary scientific skills necessary to conduct research independently with methodological excellence. The DPAS is based on the development of an original research thesis, corresponding to 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), with a standard duration of three years of full-time (or equivalent) supervised research training. During the first year, students are required to undergo an evaluation examination to obtain definitive enrolment in the study cycle. Upon completion, candidates submit an original scientific thesis based on independent research, which is defended in a public examination and leads to the award of the degree of Doctor in Agrarian Sciences. The doctoral thesis may be presented either in a conventional monograph format or as a compilation of scientific publications in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals, in which case a general introduction and an integrated discussion of the results must complement it.

Objectives

The doctoral programme aims to provide advanced training in Agrarian Sciences, endowing students with the intellectual, scientific, technical, and societal preparation necessary for the development of high-level academic, industrial, and technological research across the various domains of this field.

Professional Abilities

During the DPAS the student should acquire:

• Solid and advanced knowledge and required skills to perform autonomous research on a complex topic of scientific and technological relevance across different domains of Agrarian Sciences.
• skills and research methods that enable the critical analysis of complex problems, based on a systematic understanding of knowledge, allowing for the evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas, the design and management of innovative solutions, and their effective communication to both the academic community and society at large, thereby promoting technological, social and cultural development and ensuring full responsibility for one’s actions, particularly with regard to their ethical and deontological implications.

During the DPAS, students are encouraged to publish scientific articles in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and to present their results at nationally and internationally recognised scientific conferences. The programme also promotes the development of new applications and systems with potential for valorisation through intellectual property protection and transfer to industry, thereby contributing to scientific and technological progress in Agrarian Sciences. In this context, doctoral candidates also assume an active role in knowledge transfer, acting as key agents in the dissemination and valorisation of the main scientific outcomes generated within the DPAS and the participating institutions.

Throughout the DPAS, particular attention is devoted to the development of attitudes and transferable skills, as well as to students’ employability. Graduates of this doctoral programme have pursued successful careers in national and international academia, as well as in public and private research institutions and companies operating in fields related to agrarian sciences.

Admission requirements

• To have a Master’ degree or the legal equivalent in agrarian sciences or related fields;
• To have a first degree and a relevant academic and scientific curriculum, recognized by the Scientific Board as attesting the capacity to successfully complete the course. This recognition is only valid for access to the cycle of studies and does not confer to the holder the equivalence to a master degree or the recognition of that degree. 
• To have a relevant academic career or personal curriculum recognized by the Scientific Board as sufficient guarantee of ability to successfully complete the course. This recognition is only valid for access to the cycle of studies and does not confer to the holder the equivalence to a master degree or the recognition of that degree.

Selection and ranking criteria

• Academic Career (AC), weighting 60%.
• - Arithmetic mean of qualifications required in the call for applicants (first degree or master degree) on a scale of 0 to 20 values.
• - If more than one certificate is submitted (first degree or master degree), it should be considered the most appropriate to the work plan.
• Personal Curriculum (PC - 25%), weighting 40%.

• Letter of motivation;
• Number and quality of publications and scientific communications;
• Awards and distinctions in the scientific area of the study cycle;
• Participation in the scientific team of projects;
• Professional experience relevant to the development of the work program;
• Complementary training;

• Tiebreak:

•  the applicant with the best score in the academic career;
• the applicant with the with lesser seniority in the degree of master;

• An individual interview may also be required whenever the curricular evaluation (academic career, and personal curricula) is not sufficiently distinctive of the position of the different applicants, in order to recognize the following skills:
• ability to express ideas and communication skills;
• the motivation to enrol in this cycle of studies.

• Candidates may be rejected if their academic career and personal curriculum are considered insufficient.

Teaching Language

• In Portuguese and partially in other foreign language(s)

Information

• Application Dates 2025-2026
• Thesis Submission

Contacts

General information

Study Plan

Certificates

Predominant Scientific Areas

Previous Courses/Cycles of Study