The PhD in Medical Sciences is offered by the Faculty of Medicine and has the collaboration of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. This collaboration makes it possible to offer excellent and competitive postgraduate training, with a wide variety of training options, allowing students to develop their doctorate in various areas of Medical Sciences, supported by sustained biomedical research.
This collaboration will make it possible to offer excellent and competitive postgraduate training, with a wide variety of training options, allowing students to develop their PhD in various areas of Medical Sciences, supported by sustained biomedical research. It offers diversified training in Medical Sciences, particularly in medical and dental specialities recognised by the Ordem dos Médicos and the Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas.
The PhD in Medical Sciences comes about in the context of the recently created Católica-Luz Clinical Academic Centre (CAC – CL), which aims to boost the synergies that already exist between the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, including its teaching and research units: Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS) and Católica Biomedical Research Centre (CBR), the Luz Saúde group, the Hospital da Luz, the Hospital da Luz Learning Health and the União das Misericórdias Portuguesas, entities that integrate the teaching, research and medical care components and develop joint collaboration strategies.
This PhD is based on the idea that there is a set of skills, competences and knowledge that is considered essential for any PhD student. Therefore, the common core offered in the first year of the programme was designed to provide students with the essential competences of a researcher in Medical Sciences.
The aim is to offer a flexible and individualized curriculum structure, with the possibility of adapting the educational offer to each student through optional Curricular Units, according to their needs and purposes.
Its main objective is to promote excellent postgraduate training, providing students with skills, abilities, and knowledge capable of turning them into researchers in Medical Sciences. It also aims to promote the necessary skills for students to conduct independent, responsible, and competitive research.
Specific objectives include:
- Promoting the updating of knowledge in scientific domains that evolve rapidly and continuously.
- Conducting original research work published in SCOPUS-indexed journals with impact factors.
- Acquiring skills to communicate with peers, the wider academic community, and society in general, both in written and oral forms.
The first day of classes starts on October 17th, 2025 in online format!
This PhD in Medical Sciences has a duration of 4 years, equivalent to 240 ECTS, and will primarily take place at the Católica Medical School of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
Schedule: Mostly on Fridays from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Classes work in a blended learning format.
Venue: Católica Medical School
Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Sintra Campus
Estrada Octávio Pato | 2635-631 Rio de Mouro
Note: Some educational components and research project components may also take place at the Faculty of Dental Medicine or at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
This program is supported by the TRAINING4RESILIENCE project, funded by the European Union (NextGenerationEU), STEAM Youth Impulse and Adult Impulse, as part of the Recovery and Resilience Programme (PRR).