PhD FAST TRACK
ONE HIGHWAY
TO YOUR
FUTURE
The PhD Fast Track is an optional route to the PhD, targeted to top-performing Bachelor and MSc students who have the ambition to pursue their PhD studies.
BE INITIATED at the MSc level in the development of scientifically supervised research towards the PhD.
BE INVOLVED from an early stage, in a scientific project and take part of the rich environment of one of Técnico’s research units.
IMPROVE THE CHANCE of being financially supported by national and international scientific agencies.
COMPLETE both a MSc and a PhD degrees in just 5 years (10 semesters), immediately after the Bachelor’s degree.
What is the PhD Fast Track?
The PhD Fast Track is an optional route to the PhD, targeted to top-performing students who have the ambition to pursue their PhD studies immediately following their Bachelor’s degree.
Students in the Fast Track:
- are enrolled in a MSc programme at Técnico and, simultaneously, are engaged into a PhD programme.
- can take selected courses from the PhD curricular programme during the MSc.
- develop a MSc thesis oriented to the PhD research topic.
- are immediately enrolled in the PhD programme after concluding the MSc programme.
- when enrolled at the PhD programme, complete the curricular part and develop the research following the PhD work plan towards the defense of a doctoral thesis.
A scientific supervisor is appointed to guide the coordinated construction of the MSc and PhD work plans at the start of the PhD Fast Track.
The PhD Fast Track is tailored for a full-time 5 year period (10 semesters) for the MSc + PhD. This shortens the overall duration of the traditional MSc + PhD combination by a year.
Steps to Application
A prospective student aiming to enroll in the PhD Fast Track program must express this intention when applying for an MSc program at Técnico. Students already enrolled in the first year of an MSc program at Técnico can also apply for the PhD Fast Track.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and doubts not answered, don’t hesitate to contact doctoralschool@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Yes. The PhD Fast Track is aimed at students who are in the final year of a Bachelor programme, either at Técnico or any other university.
Yes. If you have not yet received your Bachelor’s diploma, you can still apply for the PhD Fast Track by submitting a copy of the Bachelor’s grade list with the final score. If you are provisionally accepted, you should submit your Bachelor’s diploma when you apply to a MSc programme at Técnico for the acceptance to become final.
Yes, if the following two conditions are met: you are enrolled in the first year of an MSc programme at Técnico, and you still have the option to take PhD curricular courses using elective courses from the second year of your MSc program.
Your chances are high if you are a top-performing Bachelor student. This means you have an “A-level” Bachelor’s diploma (ECTS grading) or a final Bachelor’s classification of 17/20 or above (or equivalent). However, meeting these criteria may not be sufficient. The selection process also considers the evaluation of your CV, as well as the recommendation and motivation letters you submit.
While the chances are generally low, it is still possible to apply. The PhD Fast Track primarily accepts top-performing Bachelor students. However, “B-level” Bachelor students may be considered exceptionally, if they demonstrate a strong commitment to the PhD Fast Track and already have a Técnico professor/researcher fully committed to being their scientific supervisor throughout the MSc and PhD programmes.
Yes, you must indicate the MSc and PhD programs you intend to be enrolled in during the PhD Fast Track, based on your work plan. It is advisable to contact the MSc and PhD coordinators before submitting your application.
No, it is not mandatory. However, having a Técnico professor/researcher endorsing your application as your prospective scientific supervisor for both the MSc and PhD is recommended.
During the first year of the MSc program you need to indicate your scientific supervisor that will guide your through the MSc and PhD programmes.
There are no restrictions on the number of PhD curricular courses you can take using elective courses from the MSc programme. However, the selection of PhD curricular courses should be made considering their relevance and interest to the development of your work plan.
Yes, students will be exempted from taking these courses in the respective PhD curricular plan. Once enrolled in the PhD programme, students should request that the PhD courses completed during the MSc be credited in the PhD curricular plan, with the respective final grades retained.
It is expected that your MSc thesis includes a seed project description and/or original results even if exploratory or preliminary in nature that are relevant to the development of the PhD research. Besides, the MSc thesis document must include an Annex containing Future Work outlining the expected PhD thesis work plan. The evaluation of this Annex by the MSc jury will advise the PhD Coordinator whether the public presentation to the Thesis Advisory Committee, in accordance with PhD regulations, is needed.
No, there is no specific time limit for submitting your MSc thesis. However, if you choose to pursue the PhD Fast Track and enroll in the PhD, please note that you must be enrolled in the PhD programme for a minimum of two years.
Yes, certainly, if that is your preference. However, if you decide to pursue a PhD at Técnico in the future, you will need to submit a new application.
Yes, you have the option to enroll in the PhD programme after the first year of your MSc programme. In this situation you must pay the tuition fees from the MSc and PhD programmes. However, by enrolling in a PhD programme you’ll have the opportunity to be hired as Teaching Assistants at Técnico and be eligible for the “Prémio Brito Camacho”, which provides financial support covering the PhD tuition fees. By remaining enrolled in the MSc programme as well, you may defend your MSc thesis and receive an MSc diploma.