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New in the Theoretical Physics Ph.D. Programme (September 2022):

 

Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics (UAM)

Theoretical Physics

Ph.D. programme in Thoertical Physics
The PhD programme in Theoretical Physics (PDFT) is integrated within the realm of Experimental Sciences, and it involves a single educational institution, namely the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). The department responsible for the programme is the Departmento of Theoretical Physics (DFT, UAM), supported by the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT, UAM-CSIC), a joint research center belonging to CSIC and UAM. Both institutions are excellence benchmarks at the international level, both for their research in the field of Theoretical Physics and the training of PhD students in this area.

Within the programme, Theoretical Physics stands for a wide range of disciplines in the field of Fundamental High Energy Physics. These areas seek an understanding of the structure of matter and its interactions at the most fundamental level, as well as of the origin and evolution of the Universe. Among others, the disciplines involved include Quantum Field Theory, String Theory, Theoretical and Experimental Physics of Fundamental Particles, Cosmology, Nuclear Physics, Gravitation Theory, Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics, Condensed Matter Theory, Computational Physics, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information Theory. These areas - as well as more specialised ones - form the basis of the research lines in which the research staff at DFT and IFT are currently pursuing their work, and which to great extent inspire the programme.

The main purpose of the PDFT is the training in scientific research, with the subsequent elaboration of a PhD thesis.

 

 

Information for students:

 

Access to the programme: application and selection

 

Admission Criteria

The body in charge of the admission process is the Comisión Académica (CA) of the PDFT.

 

The CA will evaluate each application to enter the PDFT, following the criteria specified at Memoria de Verificación.

 

The admission guidelines are:
  • Passing the general access requirements.
  • Applicant's CV: articles in national and international scientific journals, chapters of books, talks and contributions in national or international conferences are positively valued (10%).
  • Applicant's academic record: both BSc and MSc (60%).
  • Reference letters from the applicant's institution of origin, expressing its aptitude for research (10%).
  • Interview with the CA: the applicant's knowledge in the field of theoretical physics will be evaluated (20%).

 

Experience has shown that a successful career for a student performing forefront research in the competitive field of Theoretical Physics usually requires a full-time dedication. Nevertheless, part-time admissions will also be considered in special cases, up to a total of three simultaneous ones.

 

Applicants should communicate any special needs derived from a disability to the coordinator of the PDFT. Both the applicant and the coordinator of the programme should then contact the "Oficina de Acción Solidaria y Cooperación", where the specific needs of the applicant will be addressed, and where advise, orientation and information will be offered.

 

The "Oficina de Acción Solidaria y Cooperación", that depends of the "Vicerrectorado de Cooperación y Extensión Universitaria", was created in October 2002. One of its achievements has been the creation and consolidation of the "Área de Atención a la Discapacidad", which offers service to the whole UAM Campus (students, professors, administrative and service staff). The main goal of this body is to guarantee equal opportunity and full inclusion of those students with a disability that affects their academic life, as well as to raise awareness in the UAM Campus.

 

 

Initial Enrollment for Tutorial Courses:

 

 

Procedures for enrolled students:

  • Access to Sigma Sigma (UAM online system of academic management - for questions on how to use Sigma, please contact doctorado.gestion@uam.es)
  • In the tab "Plan de investigación", the following documents must be uploaded:
    • Commitment of the PhD advisor. In case that the PhD advisor does not belong to the UAM, a member from UAM must tutor the student.
    • CVA of the thesis advisor(s)
    • Assigned tutor (when appropriate)
    • Research plan
    • Annual assessment: every year, a progress report must be submitted by both the student and the advisor (the date of submission depends on the date of enrollment, see the Calendar)
    • Request for an extension whenever appropriate (uploaded by the student once approved by the CA)
  • In the tab "Documentos de actividades":
    • Instructions
    • Activities performed during the PhD, properly validated by the advisor/tutor (completed PhD courses, published articles, participation and presentations in workshops, conferences and seminars, visits to other research institutions, etc.)
  • In the tab "Inscripción":
    • Thesis title (tentative if in progress)
    • Research line amongst the four that constitute the programme
  • In the tab "Directores de tesis":
    • Names and data of the thesis advisor(s)

 

 

Information for tutors and advisors

  • For tutors: instructions to validate formative activities PDF link
  • For adviors: instructions to attach reports PDF llink

 

 

Procedure for the thesis defence:

 

 

PDFT formative plan:

 

 

Supplementary courses:

The PDFT contemplates supplementary courses for those students that lack previous knowledge in one of more of the following areas: quantum field theory, gravitation, cosmology and the standard model of particle physics. The CA may stablish such supplementary studies from the corresponding courses in UAM's Master on Theoretical Physics, up to a total of 12 ECTS credits.

Grants:

 

 

Official documentation of the degree (in Spanish)

 

 

Background

The PDFT involves a single educational institution, namely the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). The department responsible for the programme is the Departamento de Física Teórica (DFT, UAM), supported by Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT, UAM-CSIC), a joint research center belonging to CSIC and UAM. Both institutions are excellence benchmarks at the international level, both for their research in the field of Theoretical Physics and the training of PhD students in this area. In particular, IFT has been awarded with the national excellence grant Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa in the years 2012, 2016 and a href="https://www.ift.uam-csic.es/es/news/el-ift-ha-sido-galardonado-por-tercera-vez-con-el-sello-de-excelencia-severo-ochoa">2020. Recently, the research center CIAFF-UAM has been created within the DFT. Through these two institutions the DFT has the means necessary to carry out first-level research activities.


Within the programme, Theoretical Physics stands for a wide range of disciplines in the field of Fundamental High Energy Physics. These areas seek an understanding of the structure of matter and its interactions at the most fundamental level, as well as of the origin and evolution of the Universe. Among others, the disciplines involved include Quantum Field Theory, String Theory, Theoretical and Experimental Physics of Fundamental Particles, Cosmology, Nuclear Physics, Gravitation Theory, Astrophysics, Astroparticle Physics, Condensed Matter Theory, Computational Physics, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information Theory. These areas - as well as more specialised ones - form the basis of the research lines in which the research staff at DFT and IFT are currently pursuing their work, and which to great extent inspire the programme.

The main purpose of the PDFT is the training in scientific research, with the subsequent elaboration of a PhD thesis. The current programme follows the previous Official PhD Programme in Theoretical Physics, which obtained the positive verification in 2010 (BOE 10 February 2010), the Quality Mention since its first academic course in o 2003-2004 (refs. MCD2003-00221 and MCD2006-00374), and the Mention Towards Excellence from the Science and Education Ministry (BOE 20 October 2011, ref.MEE2011-0264) with a score of 95/100. The current programme is adaptded to the specifications of the Real Decreto 99/2011 it is integrated with UAM Doctoral School (EDUAM).

 

 

Participating Research Centers

 

 

Research lines associated to the PDFT:

 

International projects associated to the DPFT:

 

Researchers associated to the DPFT as thesis advisors or tutors:

 

Ph.D. Thesis Offers:

 

 

 

Comisión Académica:

The Comisión Académica (CA) of the (PDFT) is composed by five members:

  • three permanent or Ramón y Cajal members in Theoretical Physics area of DFT y
  • two researchers from the supporting institutions (IFT).

 

CA currents members are:
  • Coordinator: Prof. Claudia Beatriz Glasman Kuguel (DFT, LI: 061)
  • Secretary: Prof. Carlos Pena (DFT/IFT, LI: 063)
  • Dr. Jesus Moreno (vocal, IFT, LI: 064)
  • Dr. Fernando Marchesano (vocal, IFT, LI: 062)
  • Prof. Agustín Sabio Vera (vocal, DFT/IFT, LI: 064)

 

 

Minutes:

 

 

Programme evaluation:
UAM PDFT was evaluated favorably by the Comisión de Verificación y Acreditación de Planes de Estudios del Consejo de Universidades en September 2013. Its implementation as part of the official doctoral education in the Universities of the Comunidad de Madrid was agreed in January 2014 (BOCM-20140103-5).
 
In March 2014 the first student was admitted and enroled in the new programme. Since then, a total of 139 applications have been accepted in the PDFT, with an average of 17 new students matriculated per year. Currently, there are 73 PhD thesis in progress, and 60 thesis have already been defended within the PDFT.
 
Students within the PDFT benefit from different sources of funding, such as FPU and FPI contracts, contracts associated to th Science Ministry and EU funded research projects, and Fellowships from univeristies or other public or private entities, like for instance "La Caixa" doctoral fellowships.
 
In terms of research lines, currently the PhD theses are distributed as 11%, 31%, 15% and 43% with respect to the lines 061, 062, 063 and 064.
 
The number of defended thesis each year has been 7, 10, 22, 5 y 16 during 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 y 2021, respectively. In average, carrying the research plan and defence of a PhD thesis within the programme takes four years, with a success rate very close to 100%.
 
From a total of 60 thesis defended until December 2021, a 50% of them were awarded with the International Doctorate Mention. In average, the PhD thesis defended within the PDFT involve an average of 10 original publications in high impact international scientific journals.
 
Regarding the subseqent careers of students graduated from the PDFT, an 80% of them continue doing research through postdoctoral contracts in national and international universities and research centers, a 10% are tenured professors in universities abroad and the last 10% work in the private sector (research, marketing, sales).

 

 

Defended thesis:

 

UAM Extraordinary PhD prizes awarded within the programme:

  • Academic year 2018/2019

    Dr. Ana Rosario Cueto Gómez
    Thesis title: Measurements of isolated-photon production inclusively and in association with jets at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
    Advisors: Juan Terrón Cuadrado and Claudia Beatriz Glasman Kuguel

    Dr. Francisco Torrentí Salom
    Thesis title: Aspects of Preheating and Higgs Cosmology
    Advisors: Juan García-Bellido Capdevila and Daniel García Figueroa

  • Academic year 2019/2020

    Dr. Pablo Antonio Cano Molina-Niñirola
    Thesis title: Higher-Curvature Gravity, Black Holes and Holography
    Advisors: Tomás Ortín Miguel and Pablo Bueno Gómez

    Dr. José María Ezquiaga Bravo
    Thesis title: Desvelando el lado oscuro del universo con las ondas gravitacionales
    Advisor: Juan García-Bellido Capdevila

  • Academic year 2020/2021

    Dr. Pablo Quílez Lasanta
    Thesis title: New dynamics in axions and flavor
    Advisor: Maria Belén Gavela Legazpi

 

Other prizes:

  • Best doctoral thesis in Theoretical Physics in 2019, by the Real Sociedad Española de Física:

    Dr. José María Ezquiaga Bravo
    Thesis title: Desvelando el lado oscuro del universo con las ondas gravitacionales
    Advisor: Juan García-Bellido Capdevila

  • Premio Enrique Fuentes Quintana para Tesis Doctorales 2020 (área Ingeniería, Matemáticas, Arquitectura y Física):

    Dr. José María Ezquiaga Bravo
    Thesis title: Desvelando el lado oscuro del universo con las ondas gravitacionales
    Advisor: Juan García-Bellido Capdevila

 

 

Seminars and conferences:

PDFT students have access to the seminar series and the conferences organised regularly at DFT and IFT, and which are directly related to the research lines of the programme.

 

In such seminars and conferences participate high-profile researchers from national and international institutions. The participation of PDFT students is promoted both as audience and as speakers, in order to present the research work carried along their PhD.

 

Additionally, PhD students have access to the conferences organised by the different Faculties of the UAM campus, as well as those promoted by the EDUAM, that cover a wider spectrum of topics.

 

The participation in these seminars and conferences is part of the formative plan of the PDFT. Assistance is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended that every student, either part-time or full-time, attends at least a seminar per month.

 

 

Seminar series:

 

 

Monitoring and quality of the programme: