Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion

Student profile

Students should have a Bachelor’s degree level basic knowledge of classical and modern physics, as well as adequate mathematical and computational training. The prerequisites are a Bachelor's degree in engineering, applied physics, physics or equivalent.

Finally, students must have a good level of English (spoken and written) and, if possible, demonstrate it (TOEFL, GRE, etc.).

Admission requirements

According to art. 6 of the PhD studies regulation (RD 99/2011), in order to access the Program it is required to have a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and a Master's degree (or equivalent), provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in these two cycles as a whole, or the equivalent degree qualifies for level 3 of MECES (Marco Español de Cualificaciones para la Educación Superior, Spanish Framework for Higher Education Qualifications).

Likewise, access is available to candidates in possession of foreign degrees from countries integrated into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) when the degree can be accredited as level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition; and candidates with a degree which is equivalent to a Spanish Master's degree, obtained in foreign education systems outside the EHEA, as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition. 

Admission requirements for the Ph.D. Program in Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion are the following:

A Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Applied Physics, Physics or equivalent, and preferrably Graduate studies in the fields of Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion.

Applicants without the necessary background in Postgraduate studies in the area of plasmas physics and nuclear fusion will need to complete complementary training (up to a maximum of 30 ECTS) which will be determined by the Academic Committee along with the thesis advisor/s.

Admission criteria

Admission is determined according to the criteria set by the Academic Committee listed below. These are implemented by the coordinator of the program, who reports to the Committee on a regular basis. 

Selection is based on merit and capacity of the candidates, for which the following criteria are considered:

• Academic transcript of previous studies
• Curriculum vitae (scientific and professional background, relevant merits, etc.)
• Motivation letter by the candidate stating their reasons to participate in the Program
• Endorsement letters from professors at the university or from professors or researchers at other institutions with direct knowledge of the capacity and competence of the candidate
• Relevance of the thesis project and its connection with the lines of research of the Ph.D. Program. For this purpose, the thesis project can be endorsed by a professor from the program

The Academic Committee will determine the convenience of a personal interview with the candidate.

Admission criteria and procedures are the same for full-time and part-time students.

Seats available for the academic year: 15

• Apply for admission

Specific training

• Research Seminars 
  Required for all students. This activity consists of a series of 10-12 conferences and seminars (one per week), in English or Spanish, on relevant subjects in the area of Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion by professors from the Ph.D. program and guest lecturers from the field. At the end of the series, students will prepare and give a seminar on a topic proposed by the Academic Committee. This activity will be carried out in the first semester of each academic year.

• Doctoral Meetings (Ph.D. Event in Fusion Science and Engineering)
  Required for all students. The purpose of these meetings is for students from European Ph.D. programs in nuclear fusion to get together, present and discuss their research work, and also attend conferences and lectures of general interest in the field of fusion energy. The meetings are funded, at least partially, by the FUSENET association and take place on an annual basis with a duration of 2-3 days (www.fusenet.eu/phdevent). Students are required to participate at least in one meeting during the Ph.D., except for students whose research work is not focused on the nuclear fusion field.

Research skills training

Research skills training focuses on abilities common to all disciplines for the development of scientific and educational skills and career improvement. This training consists of different activities (short. courses, seminars, etc.). The Ph.D. advisor, in collaboration with the Academic Committee, will provide orientation to the students on the convenience of these activities. This training is optional.

Further information:

• Research skills courses at the Doctoral School
• How to earn research skills training credits

Complementary training

Students with insufficient previous training at graduate level in the Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion field are required to complete training complements (maximum: 30 ECTS credits) to be determined by the Academic Committee of the Program in collaboration with the tutor and thesis advisor.

The following scientific and technical infrastructures are available to students of the PhD Program in Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion:

• Supercomputing capacity at different calculation centers, both in the UC3M and CIEMAT facilities, intended for numerical modeling and simulation.
• For the study of materials, the Physics Department at UC3M offers different laboratories with equipment for sample fabrication and preparation, microstructural characterization and materials mechanics.
• For the experimental research in fusion plasmas, the National Fusion Laboratory (LNF, CIEMAT) provides TJ-II, an ICTS (Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure) that offers students the possibility to worj with a magnetic onfinement devide of the "stellarator" kind.

Additionally, thanks to the collaborative synergies established by the professoral team, the PhD students may access singular equipment in other institutions such as Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Max-Plank-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP), the National Centre for Electron Microscopy (CNME) or the Centre for Micro Analysis of Materials (CMAM), among others.

Preparation of the thesis

Please check the Guide with recommendations that the University Library has accessible on its website.

• Thesis step by step

You must always follow the guidelines of your thesis advisor, the guidelines of your doctoral program, and the regulations of the Doctoral School.

Thesis defense

The doctoral thesis consists of an original research work developed by the Ph.D. candidate student in the field of knowledge of the program that enables the student for autonomous work in the field of R+D+ i.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the Doctoral School establishes the follow-up procedures to guarantee the quality of the doctorate's training and supervision. It also facilitates the procedures for the proper evaluation and defense of the doctoral thesis.

Further information:

• Doctoral thesis defense
• Theses completed on the program

Requirements for thesis defense in  Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion

• At least one peer-reviewed publication in an international journal with the PhD student listed as first author.  
• Attendance to at least one international conference or workshop with an oral or written presentation.  
• Attendance to at least one of the annual doctoral meetings organized by FUSENET (PhD Events in Fusion Science and Engineering) during the PhD.

Doctoral School Office | Leganés Campus

Rey Pastor Building, Office 3.0.B.08
Avenida de la Universidad, 30
28911 Leganés (Madrid)

Contact