PhD Programme in Advanced Materials and Processing

Education objectives

The doctoral program proposed on Advanced Materials and Processing is in-line with the objectives defined in the 1st Materials Summit organized in 2010, by the European Commision , that considers Advanced Materials as one of the five Key Enabling Technologies. It offers a widely interdisciplinary 3rd Cycle, built from the competence and experience of the research institutions and academic departments that have been engaged in the main effort on national grounds to create and promote original innovative research, high education and innovation in technology inside the domain of materials and related areas of science and engineering since early eighties of last century.

The program is tuned with high ranking European Universities, Institutes and running European PhD network programs, turning so the graduates more competitive worldwide and in particular in Europe, besides opening routes of R&D collaboration of the personnel involved, strengthen so Portuguese competitiveness towards European R&D projects and networking.

In addition to networking Portuguese Universities and high ranking research labs, the proposal also brings as collaborators competences from industry, to tune the program with medium to long term strategies in human resources,. The implementation of this Program is consistent with the strategic goals of the institutions involved, whose objectives are: (1) contribute to the development of a qualified, globally engaged, and diverse professional work force, tuned with European expectations that will benefit government agencies, industries, and academia; (2) Expand and enhance educational and research services through mutual collaboration and access to each other’s existing education programs, research activities and student resources of the institutions involved; (3) Provide industry and multisectorial exposures and experiences to students via the envisaged collaborations.

The joint effort of the academic and research institutes is backed by the College of Materials of OE and by SPM as a way to meet the challenges of innovation in industrial production and strengthen the internationalization of PhD holding fellows

The main objectives of this 3rd Cycle of Studies are to ensure that a holder of this degree has the following capacities:

• Argumentation well grounded in the most current scientific knowledge.
• Conscious attitude in matters of scientific and social ethics.
• Proactive attitude in transferring knowledge ''''from the laboratory to the industry''''.
• Responsible attitude on issues of sustainability of the applications of the associated Materials and Technologies.
• Good articulation of group work with individual work / initiatives.
• Good planning, execution and analysis of experimental work.
• Advanced knowledge of Materials Science and Engineering.
• Habit to keep abreast of the frontiers of knowledge.
• Implementation of innovative solutions to complex problems in Materials Engineering.
• Integrated and critical view of the Science and Engineering of materials and their applications.
• Mastery of methods and ability to conduct research.

Career opportunities

Various industries (ceramics and glass, polymers and molds, automotive and aerospace, metal mechanics, electronics and computers, etc.) in the area of R & D, Research and Education, Consulting, Business.