PhD in Information and Communications Technology

Academic year 2024-25

See the pre-registration, admission and registration deadlines for the 2024-25 academic year.
You may also check this information for the 2023-24 academic year.

Lines of research

Networks and communications

Wireless communications, Network architectures, Signal processing, Information theory, 4G/5G networks, e-Commerce protocols, Network security, Resource management of distributed systems and cloud computing
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Information engineering

Artificial intelligence, Machine learning and pattern recognition, Intelligent systems, Expert systems, Soft computing, Inductive learning methods, Recommender systems, Multimedia systems
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Sustainability and energy efficiency

Energy efficiency engineering for systems and networks, Information technology governance
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Performance Engineering

Evaluation and modelling of the performance of computer systems, Resource management in computer systems
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Distributed embedded systems, industrial computing and industrial communications

Industrial informatics, Fault tolerance mechanisms, Industrial communications, Design, Formal verification, Reliability assessment, Implementation and validation of highly reliable real-time distributed embedded systems
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Computer vision

Environment analysis and 3D reconstruction, Scene recognition, Pattern recognition and machine learning (supervised/unsupervised, deep, reinforcement) in computer vision, Vision for mobile robotics (guidance, scene analysis and visual navigation), Human motion analysis and gesture recognition, Recognition of expressions and emotions
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Industrial, mobile, and service robotics

Design, prototyping and deployment of mobile robots (aerial, marine and ground), Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), Robotic navigation and 3D reconstruction, Obstacle avoidance and path planning, Multi-robot and cooperative systems, Artificial intelligence, machine learning and pattern recognition in robotics
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Systems, Robotics and Vision (SRV, http://srv.uib.es/)

Human-computer interaction

Biometrics and multibiometric systems, Virtual and augmented reality, Multimodal user interfaces, Neuroplasticity and rehabilitation interfaces, Human motion analysis and gesture recognition, Recognition of expressions and emotions, BCI (Brain Computer Interaction) and telerehabilitation, Dynamic multimedia systems, Interactive Digital television, Audiovisual data distribution over fixed and mobile networks
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Computer graphics

Modelling and animation of deformable objects, Synthesis of human motion, 3D modelling of the human body, Modelling of expressions and emotions, Facial animation, Facial ageing
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Software Engineering

Project management, Lean & Agile project management, Process evaluation and improvement, IT service management, Information security management
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Fuzzy logic and information fusion

Logic and fuzzy sets, Information fusion, Aggregation functions and logical connectives, Functional equations, Models and methods for decision making, Generalized metric structures, Similarity measures, Fixed point theory
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Processing and analysis of digital image

Image restoration, Colour image treatment, Image processing applications (biomedical images, inspection and detection of defects), Satellite images, Digital photography, etc.
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Dynamic Systems

Qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations (EDO), Qualitative theory of equations in differences, Integration of dynamic systems, Application of dynamic systems in neuroscience
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

Computational Biology

Algorithms in computational biology, Graphs in biology
Related research groups (in alphabetical order):

General and specific competencies

The objective of the doctoral programme in Information and Communication Technologies is for PhD students to acquire advanced, specialised and multidisciplinary training geared towards the different fields of Information and Communication Technologies. The main aim is to train expert researchers in innovative technologies and techniques—both theoretical and experimental—with a high degree of professional specialisation.

Core Skills

  • CB11 - Systematic comprehension of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to this field
  • CB12 - The ability to devise, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial research or invention process
  • CB13 - The ability to contribute to widening the frontiers of knowledge through original research
  • CB14 - The ability to perform a critical analysis, assessment and synthesis of new and complex ideas
  • CB15 - The ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community, as well as with society as a whole, about their areas of knowledge in the methods and languages commonly used within the international scientific community
  • CB16 - The ability to promote scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural advancement in academic and professional settings within the knowledge-based society.

Personal Skills and Abilities

  • CA01 - Work in contexts where there is little specific information
  • CA02 - Uncover key questions that need to be answered in order to resolve a complex problem
  • CA03 - Design, create, develop and undertake new and innovative projects in their area of knowledge
  • CA04 - Work in a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary setting
  • CA05 - Incorporate knowledge, handle complexity and provide opinions with limited information
  • CA06 - Intellectual criticism and defence of solutions.

Other Skills

  • OC01 - The capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship at technology-based companies (TBC).

Acces and entry Requirements

The recommended entry profile for this PhD programme corresponds to master degrees related to Information Technologies and Communications. The skills and knowledge of these master degrees must comprise a mastery in information and communication technologies related subjects.

The admission of the doctoral students is carried out by the Academic Committee of the doctoral program which, in the event that the number of pre-enrollments exceeds the number of places available, will apply as admission criteria the following (taking into account the weighting that is indicated):

  • The academic record of the previous Bachelor and Postgraduate degrees (80%). The score obtained in each of the subjects will be weighted on the basis of the number of credits of the subject, regardless of whether they belong to undergraduate or graduate levels. A scoring scale of subjects from 0 to 10 will be used, since it is a scoring system that is extended to most countries and easily scalable to other systems.
  • Assessment of a statement of reasons that motivate the doctoral student to enroll in this doctoral program (10%). Within this section, the Academic Committee will assess the degree of motivation, the clarity of the exhibition and the relationship with the research lines that make up the program.
  • Other merits (10%). The academic and scientific merits that go beyond the academic record will be valued: specialization courses, history of collaborations with research groups, publications, attendance at conferences and professional experience.

In addition, the Academic Committee of the doctoral programme can propose the completion of training complements to those students who do not fully comply with the recommended admission profile. This complementary training, consisting of a maximum of 30 ECTS credits of the master's studies offered at the UIB that are related to the doctoral programme, will be communicated to the student in the response to the application for admission and will mean a compulsory enrollment together with that of the PhD programme.

List of agreements of the doctoral programme

AnsuR Agreement (AnsuR Solutions Barcelona S.L)

University of Southern Brittany

Inisle Interactive Technologies, S.L

University of Carthage

Agreements and framework agreements of UIB. Search of agreements  .

Support and guidance information

The academic committee of the Doctoral Programme will assign a tutor to the applicant (once he or she is admitted). The tutor will be a doctor with accredited research experience and involved in the doctoral programme. Within six months from the first enrolment, the academic committee of the doctorate will assign to every student a thesis supervisor, which may or may not be the same as the tutor.

Supervision and monitoring of doctorand training activities and their PhD theses shall be in line with the UIB procedures for PhDs (RD 99/2011), the UIB Doctoral Degree Regulations (https://seu.uib.cat/fou/acord/13084/) and the verified degree report that you may consult on the "Results" webpage. The administrative and academic procedures that students must perform during their PhD may be viewed on the "Procedures" section of the UIB Doctoral School website: