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Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology

Presentation

There is an obvious need for research training in the health and psychology field from a multidisciplinary perspective; with our doctoral programme, we am to answer this need.

The programme's overall goal is to make sure students develop the competencies required to successfully carry out research in the fields of health and psychology. More specifically, our goal is to train researchers who are capable of asking meaningful research questions and whose solution contributes to improving people's health and well-being. In addition, we want them to be capable of developing research projects that pursue a truly transformational purpose and train them to provide methodical, innovative and searching answers to the questions raised.

Accordingly, our wish is to train motivated, creative, original researchers who wish to advance in solving significant problems in the field of study, and whose solution will impact positively on the population's well-being. The doctoral programme divided into 7 research lines which address the following topics: e-health; psychological aspects and tools; neuroscience and language disorders; nutrition and lifestyles; healthy work environments; community care and health; gender, health and sociocultural models. We have both experience and research projects in all these fields. Different thesis proposals are offered for each of the research lines.

The programme is run by the UOC Doctoral School and is closely linked with the research experience of the faculty and research staff at the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute.

 

Competences

The doctoral programme develops the following basic competencies (as per Spain's Royal Decrees RD 99/2011 and RD 576/2023):

C1. Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the research skills and methods related to this field.

C2. Conceiving, designing or creating, putting into practice and adopting a substantial research or creation process.

C3. Contributing to expanding the frontiers of knowledge through original research.

C4. Developing a critical analysis and assessment and synthesizing new and complex ideas.

C5. Communicating with the academic and scientific community and with society in general regarding the student's areas of knowledge, employing the formats and languages habitually used in their international scientific community.

C6. Fostering scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress in a knowledge-based society, in academic and professional settings.

C7. Fostering open science and citizen science (in accordance with Article 12 of Spain's Organic Law 2/2023, of 22 March) so as to contribute to the status of scientific knowledge as a common good, with assessment of the doctoral student's performance of interdisciplinary activities relating to the different aspects of open science and citizen science, and the development of skills in both disciplines through microcredentials or similar.

Admission profiles

The PhD programme in Health and Psychology is for students who have a university degree in any of the programme's disciplines and are seeking a deeper understanding of these fields of knowledge and to make innovative and significant contributions to them through a rigorous approach to their object of study. 

Career opportunities

The high-level research training in this PhD programme prepares students for a wide range of professional careers. One, the most traditional, is academic research. Future doctoral degree holders may choose to further their academic career by means of postdoctoral training (highly recommended for the purpose of honing their research skills and acquiring further experience) and/or to apply for academic posts at universities or research centres.

However, they may also find professional opportunities in a wide variety of other, broader fields. To mention just a few examples, they can work in research and innovation units in various types of hospitals or healthcare facilities or in businesses associated with their field of study that have a research and innovation department or that prioritize research, or they can choose a career in consulting. However, these are just examples: there are many openings and opportunities, which also depend on their own capacity for innovation and thorough, hard work.

Official qualification

The UOC's Doctoral Programme of Health and Psychology is a programme that has been approved by the Spanish Universities Council, and its implementation has been authorized by the Government of Catalonia, in accordance with current legislation.

The UOC's doctoral programmes have full academic validity throughout Spain; where such is the intention, they are qualifications to perform regulated professions, in accordance with the regulations applicable in each case. 

The certificates for these programmes are issued together with a Diploma Supplement (DS), providing details of what the student studied, their results, the professional competencies obtained and the qualification's level in the Spanish higher education system; the aim of this is to facilitate recognition of the qualification and promote students' and graduates' mobility within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). 

In other countries, the validity of the official university qualifications issued by the UOC will depend on each specific country's education laws.

Official qualification


The UOC's Doctoral Programme of Health and Psychology is a programme that has been approved by the Spanish Universities Council, and its implementation has been authorized by the Government of Catalonia, in accordance with current legislation.

The UOC's doctoral programmes have full academic validity throughout Spain; where such is the intention, they are qualifications to perform regulated professions, in accordance with the regulations applicable in each case. 

The certificates for these programmes are issued together with a Diploma Supplement (DS), providing details of what the student studied, their results, the professional competencies obtained and the qualification's level in the Spanish higher education system; the aim of this is to facilitate recognition of the qualification and promote students' and graduates' mobility within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). 

In other countries, the validity of the official university qualifications issued by the UOC will depend on each specific country's education laws.

  • Start

    18 Sep 2025

  • Online

    100%

  • Admission: March 5, 2024

  • Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

  • Official qualification

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Programme quality

The quality of this degree programme is endorsed by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU), which ensures that rigorous standards, including those demanded by the EHEA, are met.

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Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology

Programme of study

Study plan

A personalized training plan will be set out for each student, based on prior knowledge and research abilities, particularly in research methodologies, and the student's research interests. This training plan may include the performance of bridging courses. It may also require students' participation in different activities included in the doctoral programme.

The bridging courses are master's degree courses that are related with the doctoral programme, generally with a high degree of specificity, which may help students progress in their research. We recommend that students take them during the first year (first and second semesters). We have an extensive list to cover all students' needs. It is also possible to consider taking other courses (not included in the list) from similar programmes, if they are considered suitable.

In addition, within the training plan, students' may be recommended to take part in different learning activities that are part of the doctoral programme.

Study plan


A personalized training plan will be set out for each student, based on prior knowledge and research abilities, particularly in research methodologies, and the student's research interests. This training plan may include the performance of bridging courses. It may also require students' participation in different activities included in the doctoral programme.

The bridging courses are master's degree courses that are related with the doctoral programme, generally with a high degree of specificity, which may help students progress in their research. We recommend that students take them during the first year (first and second semesters). We have an extensive list to cover all students' needs. It is also possible to consider taking other courses (not included in the list) from similar programmes, if they are considered suitable.

In addition, within the training plan, students' may be recommended to take part in different learning activities that are part of the doctoral programme. These are usually short-duration training activities (seminars and workshops), designed by the Doctoral School and which students from different programmes may find useful (although each programme can also have its own activities). These are usually on-site or online activities that are regularly updated to align with the students' identified needs. They may be given by experts in specific subject areas and they can be given at different times during the programme. The difference between seminars and workshops is that the latter have a more practical approach. Many of the programme's learning activities will be given in English.

In particular, the "Research seminar for the Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology" will be organized at regular intervals. This seminar is intended as an on-site and online meeting space that is held regularly with the aim of sharing doctoral students' work and other topics for cross-disciplinary debate among students belonging to the same cohort and the faculty members involved in giving the doctoral programme.

Within the programme's learning activities, cross-disciplinary mobility activities are also proposed with the goal of enabling students to take part in congresses, dissemination activities and research stays abroad.

Bridging courses

Bridging coursesCredits
E-health Tools6
Introduction to Public Health and Organization of Health Systems6
Language Acquisition and Evaluation5
Spoken Language Disorders5
Learning Difficulties Affecting Reading5
Survival and Longitudinal Data Analysis5
Multivariate Analysis5
Construction of Research Instruments6
Design and Analysis of Experiments5
Statistical Inference5
Regression, Models and Methods5
Software for Data Analysis5
Research Design in Social Sciences5
Advanced Qualitative Methods5
Advanced Quantitative Methods5

Research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses

The UOC also offers research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses in English aimed at students, researchers and faculty to foster research in scientific, academic and business fields.

Research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses can be recognized as free elective credits on bachelor's degree courses. If you are studying a doctoral degree at any university and have obtained a competitive grant, you can also study it as part of your training resources.

You can check all the courses in the website: https://estudios.uoc.edu/en/doctoral-programmes

Seminars and workshops

Seminars

Hours

Seminar: Academic writing100
Seminar: Entrepreneurship for researchers50
Seminar: Academic Presentations. How to Give an Effective Talk50
Seminar: Patents and copyright protection50
Seminar: Research seminar for the Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology
50
Workshop: Searching for Academic Information3-5

Workshop: Bibliographic Reference Management

4-6
Workshop: Where to Publish: How to Identify Leading Journals4-6
Workshop: Open Access4-6

 

Mobility activities

Hours
Presentation at national and/or international congresses75
Stays abroad500

Itinerary and duration

The maximum duration of studies will be four years for full-time students and seven years for part-time students, counted from the date of admission to the programme until the doctoral thesis is presented. This period does not include maternity or paternity leave, or any long-term sick leave deemed necessary by the Academic Committee.

The Academic Committee may authorize the extension of these periods, subject to the legally stipulated maximum periods, in specific circumstances defined for each doctoral programme.

After enrolling in the programme, each doctoral student will be given a personalized activity document. This document specifies all the activities set by the Academic Committee for the doctoral student's development.

By the end of the first year, doctoral students must write a research plan that includes the methodology to be used and objectives to be pursued, as well as the means and timetable for completing the thesis.

The Academic Committee will conduct an annual assessment of each doctoral student's research plan and activity document, which will be considered together with reports from the tutor and thesis supervisor. This research plan must receive a positive assessment for the doctoral student to continue in the programme.

Over the course of the programme, each doctoral student must successfully complete the specific training activity (basic, thematic and methodological seminars) stipulated in his/her personalized pathway. In the first year of the programme, doctoral students must also write a research plan and have it approved.

 

Research lines

More information
Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology

Academic team

Doctoral School Management

  • David Masip Rodó

    PhD in Computer Engineering (UAB). He teaches courses on artificial intelligence, infographic, computer vision and business intelligence. He is currently the director of the UOC Doctoral School. His research focuses on the study of computer vision algorithms dedicated to the analysis of human behaviour, facial perception and object and scene recognition.

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In 1995 the UOC was launched as the world's first fully online university. More than 30 years later, we are still pioneers in digital education.

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Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology

Call for applications

General requirements

To be admitted to the organized research period of the Doctoral Programme in Health and Psycology, students must meet both the general University and specific programme requirements.

To this end, students must first submit proof of meeting one of the following sets of requirements:

  • Hold a an official university master's degree issued by a higher education institution in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits out of all official university courses.
  • Hold an official Spanish university degree, or one from an EHEA member country, that allows them admission to a master's course, and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits out of all official university courses, of which at least 60 must be at the master's level.
  • Hold an official Spanish graduate degree of at least 300 ECTS credits in line with EU legal regulations.
  • Candidates with degrees from education systems outside the EHEA, whose degrees do not require homologation (official recognition by the Spanish Ministry of Education), must hold a level of education equivalent to Spanish university master's degrees that authorizes admission to doctoral studies in the country issuing the degree.

General requirements


To be admitted to the organized research period of the Doctoral Programme in Health and Psycology, students must meet both the general University and specific programme requirements.

To this end, students must first submit proof of meeting one of the following sets of requirements:

  • Hold a an official university master's degree issued by a higher education institution in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits out of all official university courses.
  • Hold an official Spanish university degree, or one from an EHEA member country, that allows them admission to a master's course, and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits out of all official university courses, of which at least 60 must be at the master's level.
  • Hold an official Spanish graduate degree of at least 300 ECTS credits in line with EU legal regulations.
  • Candidates with degrees from education systems outside the EHEA, whose degrees do not require homologation (official recognition by the Spanish Ministry of Education), must hold a level of education equivalent to Spanish university master's degrees that authorizes admission to doctoral studies in the country issuing the degree.
  • Be a university graduate and have passed with a positive assessment at least two years of education on a programme to be awarded the official degree of any of the health sciences specialities.
  • Hold a Spanish doctoral qualification in accordance with the previous university system.
  • Be a graduate, architect or engineer and be in possession of the Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA), awarded in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/1998, of 30 April 1998, or have obtained research proficiency, regulated in Royal Decree 185/1985, of 23 January 1985.
  • Candidates who have not successfully completed the initiation to research credits for a university master's degree programme will have to take those bridging courses specified by the programme, if any.
  • The continued enrolment on the doctoral programme of candidates who hold only an official university bachelor's degree that, in accordance with EU law, consists of 300 ECTS credits or who have not taken and successfully completed at least 20 initiation to research credits as part of a university master's degree programme is contingent on the successful completion of the relevant bridging courses for the initiation to research module, pathway or subjects for the corresponding training period.

Applicants who have not passed the Introduction to Research credits in a university master's degree will need to take the bridging courses determined by each programme, as appropriate.

In the case of applicants who only have an official university bachelor's degree certificate which, in accordance with the rules of EU law, has a duration of 300 ECTS credits, or have not taken and passed a minimum number of Introduction to Research credits in a university master's degree programme, their continuation in the doctoral programme is conditional upon them passing the bridging courses corresponding to the Introduction to Research module, pathway or courses for the corresponding period of academic training.

Students must have sufficient knowledge of the basic concepts and tools required for performing competitive research in bioinformatics. Consequently, the main and preferred admission pathway to the Programme is to have taken a master's degree focused on research in any of the disciplines that make up the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics.

As the sole alternative option, students who have not taken a master's degree but have taken a bachelor's degree with 300 ECTS credits or more that does not include research credits, in any of the disciplines that make up the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics, may be admitted to the Programme on the condition of taking 30 ECTS credits, during the first year, from a master's degree in Bioinformatics given by one of the universities involved in the Programme (see section 3.4).

The programme's vehicular language is English. Therefore, another admission requirement will be to provide evidence of having attained a level of English equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages' independent user level B2 (upper intermediate). If no accreditation of the level of English can be provided, the Selection and Monitoring Committee will assess the level during the interview.

According to Decree 822/202, of September 28, students with a disability equal to 33% or more have a reservation of 5% of the places.

Admission requirements

As well as the general and additional requirements established by the University, the doctoral programme in Health and Psychology establishes the following specific requirements:

  • If you're not a citizen of an English-speaking country, you must provide proof of a level of English equal to or higher than B2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
  • If you have attended school or have completed a bachelor's or master's degree (or equivalent qualification with regards to enrolment in the doctorate programme) in English in a country where English is an official language, you will be deemed to have an equivalent level to the one required.
  • You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equivalency table to see examples of certificates that correspond to these levels.

Admission requirements


As well as the general and additional requirements established by the University, the doctoral programme in Health and Psychology establishes the following specific requirements:

  • If you're not a citizen of an English-speaking country, you must provide proof of a level of English equal to or higher than B2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
  • If you have attended school or have completed a bachelor's or master's degree (or equivalent qualification with regards to enrolment in the doctorate programme) in English in a country where English is an official language, you will be deemed to have an equivalent level to the one required.
  • You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equivalency table to see examples of certificates that correspond to these levels.

Candidates for the doctoral programme who do not reach the required level will be given the opportunity to access the doctoral programme with a B1 level if they undertake to attain a B2 level before completing the research plan at the end of the first year. According to regulations, if the student does not attain this level, the research plan cannot be approved.

The UOC's Centre for Modern Languages offers English courses to attain the minimum level required for admission into the different doctoral programmes.

The UOC offers an online English language proficiency test, which can be accessed via this link, to accredit your knowledge of English. A score of between 72 and 94 accredits a level corresponding to B2 as defined by the CEFR. When taking this test, you must specify the code that corresponds to the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya): 4418. This code does not exempt the student from paying the corresponding exam cost and fees.

If you apply for a UOC grant, you must accredit a level equal to or higher than B2 from the time of application. For other grants, financial aid or research contracts, please consult the terms and conditions and requirements for each case (level of English and part-time or full-time format).

Admission documents

All candidates who apply to be admitted on a doctoral programme at the UOC should submit the following documents:

-       A photocopy of their DNI, NIE or passport.

-       A statement of interest in which the candidate makes a short presentation of their career and explains the candidate's specific reasons for applying to the programme (their motivations), a description of their research interests, as well as a brief research proposal and the links with the research group. 

-       A letter of endorsement that appears in the name of research that supports the personal doctoral project, as well as its intention to be your tutor.

Admission documents


All candidates who apply to be admitted on a doctoral programme at the UOC should submit the following documents:

-       A photocopy of their DNI, NIE or passport.

-       A statement of interest in which the candidate makes a short presentation of their career and explains the candidate's specific reasons for applying to the programme (their motivations), a description of their research interests, as well as a brief research proposal and the links with the research group. 

-       A letter of endorsement that appears in the name of research that supports the personal doctoral project, as well as its intention to be your tutor.

-       A curriculum that describes the programmes and master's degree or postgraduate courses the candidate has taken that are related to the research interests described in the statement of interest and, if applicable, a description of previous scientific output.

-       Academic certificates for the doctoral student's previous training, which state the subjects taken and the mark obtained, the sitting, the kind of subject, the number of credits and the average mark in the academic transcript, if this has not been submitted to prove that the admission requirements have been met.

-       Certificate of the level of English required by the doctoral programme.

-       Documents that prove that the candidate meets the admission requirements, you will find more information on this section within the Office's Secretary Campus. 

In the case of university qualifications obtained in higher education systems outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and not homologated (officially recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education), the university degree must be authenticated via diplomatic channels (or, if necessary, in a Hague Convention apostille). When certificates, degrees and academic transcripts are not written in an official language of the Spanish state or in English, these documents must be accompained by their sworn translation into Catalan, Spanish or English. Failure to provide these documents or the fact that the details they contain do not match what was stated in the application may lead to non-admission on the doctoral programme.

Once the admission documentation has been reviewed and your application accepted, admission to the programme depends on your presenting the official documentation. 

 

Evaluation criteria

Access application evaluations are subjected to the criteria defined in the  official doctorate report, which is public and accessible on the UOC website. A rubric based on these criteria is used as an evaluation instrument and can be consulted here.

Calendar

2 December 2024: Start of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

3 February 2025: End of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

19 February 2025: Publication of the provisional lists of applications to be assessed. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website.

19 February to 26 February 2025: Period for appeals of the applications to be evaluated.

28 February 2025: Publication of the final lists of applications to be assessed.

Calendar


2 December 2024: Start of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

3 February 2025: End of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

19 February 2025: Publication of the provisional lists of applications to be assessed. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website.

19 February to 26 February 2025: Period for appeals of the applications to be evaluated.

28 February 2025: Publication of the final lists of applications to be assessed. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website.

6 May 2025: Publication of the provisional resolution on the accepted online and granted candidates. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website.

6 May to 13 May 2025: Period for appeals of the selection of online and granted candidates.

28 May 2025:Publication of the final resolution on the candidates admitted to the doctoral programmes and those who are granted. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website.

July 2025: Start of the enrolment period 2025-26.

September 2025: Start of the academic year 2025-26.

 
Doctoral Programme in Health and Psychology

Request access

Apply for the Welcome and Information Service is a free, no-obligation procedure that provides you with a user name and password that will allow you to enter the UOC's Virtual Campus, from where you will be able to:

1.    Contact experts who will help you settle any doubts you may have about applying.
2.    Consult the Campus Secretary's Office for information about the programme of studies, enrolment prices, documentation, etc.

Access requirements

Before requesting access, check that you meet the requirements for the programme you want to be admitted to.

Access form

On the access form, you must give your personal details and the educational level you have attained.

Access Documentation

You will find a list of the documentation you need when you request access and can consult the Campus Secretary's Office.

 

Discounts

If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Virtual campus

After you have requested access, you will receive a user name and password that will allow you to access the Virtual Campus, where you will find all the information and resources you may need.

Researcher

You will find the information to contact the lead researcher in the "research lines" section. The researcher can provide support for preparing your application and will be your sponsor, if he or she agrees. Once you have been admitted to the programme, he or she will advise and guide you in choosing courses, in accordance with your prior academic background, your interests and the amount of time you have.

Virtual Secretary's Office

There is a Procedure on the Campus where you can consult and manage all academic matters, such as viewing the programme of studies, payment options or the discounts available. 

You can complete the admission form the virtual campus Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation, where you will have to give your academic details, whether you want to apply for a grant and the research line you are interested in. 

You must submit an enrolment proposal after having chosen the courses you want to follow during the semester, which your tutor will analyse so that you can complete enrolment with his or her counselling. It is a step prior to completing enrolment.

Having completed the previous step, you must attach the documentation in the same section. You can see which documentation you must attach in the corresponding section within Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation.

When you have completed all the steps, the doctoral programme's academic committee will assess the applications that have been submitted. 

If you pass the first phase of the admission process, you will receive notification confirming that you have entered the second phase and a telephone interview will be scheduled.

If you pass the second phase of the admission process, you will receive notification to confirm that you have been admitted. You will have a maximum of one month (counting from the admission notification) to confirm your acceptance of the place on the doctoral programme; if this confirmation from you is not received, you will not be admitted to the programme.

It is at this point that you will be able to complete enrolment, choosing your preferred payment option from among those available. If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Remember that once you have enrolled, you will have ten days to send the admission documentation.

The Government of Catalonia establishes the public prices for credits and other academic services charged by public universities in Catalonia and the UOC. You can consult the prices in Decree 125/2023, of June 28th.

The fees will be those applicable when enrolment is completed. Subject to annual revisions.

Price and enrolment Fees
Price per credit
32,28€/cr*
Price per learning resources credit
15,16€/cr*
Biannual Fees
Fee for supervision, tutorship and continous assessment of the doctoral thesis
200,56€
Fee for the management of your record
54,54€
Fee for learning support services
101,47€
Fees
Fee for requesting your certificate
218,15€
Fee for oral examination and defence of the doctoral thesis
156,87€
Fee for requesting your record
54,54€
Academic pathway

This programme belongs to an academic pathway. Find out about the studies with which you can achieve your goals.

See pathway