Doctoral Programme in Advances in Microbial and Parasitic Biology

Generally speaking, the Master's degrees that provide access to this programme without supplementary training are:

• Aquaculture
• Biomedical research
• Innovation in food safety and technology
• Biodiversity and preservation of the natural environment
• Biotechnology
• Marine biology

offered by the USC.

Students holders of the Diploma of Advanced studies obtained through the USC's Doctoral Programme in Microbiology and Parasitology will also have access without supplementary training.

In the case of candidates with profiles different to those mentioned above, the Academic Committee evaluates each case individually. The possibility of requiring supplementary training (maximum 15 ECTS credits) will be considered.

Points for each merit are evaluated by the committee in the following way:

1. Academic transcript: 50%
2. Curriculum: 20%
3. Interview with the Committee: 10%
4. Proof of English proficiency equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: 20 %

• Admission profile

  The admission profile establishes the knowledge, skills and abilities that students wishing to access this programme must possess and, consequently, the most suitable qualifications for access to the programme and which determine admission and, where appropriate, the need or otherwise for PhD students to undertake additional training.
  In general, those students who can accredit a minimum training at master´s degree level in the areas of Microbiology and Parasitology, mainly within the following fields of knowledge indicated in RD 822/2021, may access this PhD programme, without the need to undertake complementary training: Biology and genetics; biochemistry and biotechnology; agricultural sciences and food technology; biomedical sciences; environmental sciences and ecology; pharmacy; medicine and dentistry and veterinary medicine.

• Requirements

  Access

  The general access and admission requirements are those set out in Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official PhD studies, and as amended by Royal Decree 576/2023, of 4 July. These are:
  1. In general, in order to access an official PhD programme, it shall be necessary to hold an official Spanish Bachelor´s degree, or equivalent, and a Master´s degree or equivalent, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been obtained in these two courses as a whole.
  2. Access may also be granted to those who are in one of the following situations:
  a) To hold official university degrees or equivalent Spanish degrees, provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in these courses as a whole, and accredit a level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.
  b) To hold a degree obtained in accordance with foreign education systems belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for homologation, which accredits a level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided that this degree entitles access to PhD studies in the country of issue of the same. This admission shall not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party nor its recognition for purposes other than access to PhD studies.
  c) To hold a degree obtained in accordance with foreign education systems outside the EHEA, without the need for its recognition, after verification by the university that it accredits a level of training equivalent to that of the official Spanish university Master´s degree and that it entitles the holder to access PhD studies in the country in which the degree was awarded. This admission shall not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party, nor its recognition for purposes other than that of access to PhD studies.
  d) To hold another PhD or Doctorate degree.
  e) Likewise, university graduates who, after obtaining a place in training in the corresponding entrance examination to specialised health training posts, have passed with a positive evaluation at least two years of training in a programme for obtaining the official qualification in one of the specialities in Health Sciences, may also be admitted.

• Specific requirements

  A compulsory requirement for admission to the PhD programme is the submission of a report by the student consisting of a reference letter from a lecturer on the programme who i) endorses the potential viability of the future thesis within the framework of a line of research of the programme to which it is linked, and who ii) could act as supervisor if the necessary requirements for this are met.
  Furthermore, given the characteristics and scientific level of the PhD programme, the student must have a minimum level of English equivalent to level B1, not only because it is currently the common language of scientific communication at international level, but also because part of the courses, both specific and transversal, as well as various activities of the programme can be carried out in this language. The language level will be accredited with the corresponding official certification of those included in the list of accreditations recognised by the Modern Language Centre (CLM) of the USC for the different levels of the Common
  European Framework: https://www.usc.gal/es/centro/centro-lenguas-modernas.
  In the case of not having this certification at the time of admission, the equivalent of this level B1 must be demonstrated through a personal interview with the CAPD of the Programme.

• Admission rules

  Students will be selected for admission to the programme on the basis of the following criteria:
  • Academic record (50%) determined by the grades obtained in the bachelor´s and master´s degree (or DEA or research proficiency).
  • Curriculum Vitae (20%). In this section, preference will be given to previous research experience and its results (publications, communications and other scientific contributions to conferences) and their adaptation to the lines of research of the PhD programme. Likewise, professional experience related to the lines of research of the PhD programme, research stays, courses taken or taught will also be valued. Candidates must submit supporting documentation.
  • Accreditation of a level of English equivalent to level B1 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (20%).
  • Personal interview (10%): In this section, motivation and aptitude, communication skills, etc. will be assessed.
  The same criteria will be applied to all students regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time.

• Title extinction

  The PhD programme may be terminated for any of the following reasons:
  • Failure to pass the accreditation renewal process established in article 10 of RD 99/2011.
  • Failure to accredit compliance with the requirements established by the state or regional regulations in force.
  • A proposal is made to terminate the programme as part of the degree review and improvement process in accordance with the procedure approved by the university.
  • The occurrence of any exceptional situation that prevents the correct development of the PhD programme.
  Termination shall have the following effects:
  • It will entail the loss of its official status and its removal from the RUCT.
  • It will not be possible to enrol new students in the PhD programme.
  • In any case, all affected students must be informed of the termination and of the consequences for the development of their studies.
  The University shall adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the academic rights of the students who are taking these studies under the terms established in the resolution for the termination of the study plan, and shall approve the procedure for the termination of the PhD programmes within the University.

• Bacterial and viral pathology of aquatic animals: molecular characterization, virulence factors and vaccine development

  Teachers	Area
  Carlos Pereira Dopazo	Microbiology
  Maria Isabel Santos Rodriguez	Microbiology
  Jesús Ángel López Romalde	Microbiology
  Maria Alicia Carolina Estevez Toranzo	Microbiology
  Ana Maria Otero Casal	Microbiology
  Juan Luis Barja Perez	Microbiology
  Manuel Luis Lemos Ramos	Microbiology
  Maria Isabel Bandin Matos	Microbiology
  Carlos Rodriguez Osorio	Microbiology
  Beatriz Magariños Ferro	Microbiology
  Noemi Bujan Gomez	Microbiology
  Javier Dubert Perez	Microbiology
  Ana Vences Lorenzo	Microbiology
  Miguel Balado Dacosta	Microbiology

• Homeothermic human and animal infectious diseases: diagnosis, treatment and prevention

  Teachers	Area
  Maria Isabel Santos Rodriguez	Microbiology
  Miguel Blanco Alvarez	Microbiology
  Ana Maria Otero Casal	Microbiology
  Jesus Eulogio Blanco Alvarez	Microbiology
  Jorge Blanco Alvarez	Microbiology
  Maria Elvira Ares Mazas	Parasitology
  Azucena Del Carmen Mora Gutierrez	Microbiology
  Hipolito Gomez Couso	Parasitology
  María Trinidad De Miguel Bouzas	Microbiology
  Maria Sandra Sanchez Poza	Microbiology
  Noemi Bujan Gomez	Microbiology
  Manuel Romero Bernardez	Microbiology
  Antonio Aguilera Guirao	Microbiology
  Saskia Camille Flament Simon	Microbiology

• Microbiology and Environmental and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

  Teachers	Area
  Carlos Pereira Dopazo	Microbiology
  Jesús Ángel López Romalde	Microbiology
  Ana Maria Otero Casal	Microbiology
  María Trinidad De Miguel Bouzas	Microbiology
  David Polo Montero	Microbiology
  Maria Sandra Sanchez Poza	Microbiology
  Sabela Balboa Mendez	Microbiology
  Manuel Romero Bernardez	Microbiology

• Animal and human immunoparasitology and water parasitosis

  Teachers	Area
  Maria Elvira Ares Mazas	Parasitology
  Jose Manuel Leiro Vidal	Parasitology
  Jesus Lamas Fernandez	Cellular Biology
  Hipolito Gomez Couso	Parasitology

The transversal and interdisciplinary nature of the PhD programme will allow students to deepen their research topic from a comparative perspective and to specialise in clinical, ecological, taxonomic or biotechnological aspects of great socio-economic interest, which will be of great use to the PhD student in his/her future professional career as a researcher.
Given the inter-faculty and inter-campus (Santiago and Lugo Campuses) nature of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, the scientific interest of this PhD programme lies in the fact that it brings together the different lines of research in the fields of Biology, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Food Science and Technology developed by members of the Department within the Areas of Knowledge of Microbiology and Parasitology.

• Basic skills

  - Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of research skills and methods related to that field.
  - Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial research or creative process.
  - Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
  - Ability to carry out critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas.
  - Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.
  - Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.
  - Ability to promote Open Science and Citizen Science, in accordance with article 12 of Organic Law 2/2023 of 22 March, as a way of contributing to the consideration of scientific knowledge as a common good, through the evaluation of transversal activities carried out by the PhD student related to different dimensions of Open Science and Citizen Science, as well as the training acquired in these disciplines in the form of micro-credentials or similar.

• Other competencies

  ‐ Specific advanced training in Microbiology and Parasitology research, mainly in genomics, proteomics and immunology techniques, which may vary depending on the line of research in which the PhD student is integrated to carry out his/her PhD thesis.
  - Specialisation in clinical, ecological, taxonomic and biotechnological aspects that will allow future PhD students to lead competitive teams in both academic and professional contexts.

The PhD programme in Advances in Microbial and Parasitic Biology maintains its significance and is updated according to the requirements of the discipline of Microbiology and Parasitology and scientific and technological advances, mainly in terms of genomics, proteomics and immunology techniques, which are adapted to the line of research in which the PhD student is integrated to carry out his/her PhD thesis. Therefore, the graduates of the Programme have achieved and will achieve the competences, capacities, knowledge and skills established in the verification report.
The transversal and interdisciplinary nature of the PhD programme allows students to study their research topic in depth from a comparative perspective and to specialise in clinical, ecological, taxonomic or biotechnological aspects of great socio-economic interest, which is of great use to the PhD student in his/her professional future as a researcher and which will allow graduates of the programme to lead competitive teams in both academic and professional contexts.

The main objective of this Masters degree is to train professionals and researchers in aquaculture; professionals with a solid recognised training at job level and researchers whose training allows them to carry out their research, with cutting-edge technologies, while keeping abreast of problems in production processing.