Program overview

The ITQB PhD Program in Chemical and Biological Sciences & Engineering  aims to provide a broad perspective of life sciences and bioengineering to highly motivated and qualified students, while keeping the in-depth specialized research component that is essential for a PhD degree.

The ITQB PhD Program is built on the long-standing experience of ITQB in Biology and Chemistry, and their associated technologies, as well as other emerging areas. The idea behind the ITQB PhD Program is that of learning research by doing research and the main part of the program is therefore devoted to a specific research project.

On the other hand, the ITQB PhD Program aims to provide students with the necessary tools to compete in the world market today, either in research and development, academia, or other carreers that require a high level of training in facing problems and challenges. The PhD program includes a formal teaching component, the PhD course, where students get acquainted with different research areas and learn about several experimental techniques, avoiding the drawbacks of today's excessive specialization. A special emphasis is also placed on preparing students for their future career and on the integration of science within society, so  students are challenged to think beyond the scientific subjects.

The ITQB PhD Program further includes a whole unit on bioentrepreneurship, with the quality seal of Universidade Nova, which exposes students to non-academic realities and expands their carreer perspectives outside academia.

The ITQB PhD Program in Chemical and Biological Sciences and Engineering has been fully re-structured in 2009 to meet the rules of the Bologna third cycle of higher education.