PRODEF

The Doctoral Program in Engineering Physics deals with the application of advanced physics to modern engineering challenges. It shares with other engineering doctoral programmes an interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and action oriented approach to systems, processes, technologies and devices with strong impact in our society and economy.

Being a doctoral program, training by research is mandatory, with the goal of autonomy. Autonomy in research is a very sophisticated skill, way beyond the proficiency in specific disciplines that characterizes pre-doctoral training. The student will approach problems that are open, don’t have unique solutions, in an environment of collaboration and networking. The scale and time of effort to achieve a solution is also much larger than encountered before. PhD students have therefore, further to scientific proficiency, significant resilience, creativity and capacity to work in teams.

Training by research is present initially in the tutorial approach of its courses, in the thesis project definition by the student and in the research project undertaken. The students undertake the research project in leading Portuguese research units, most of the time in collaboration with foreign institutions and international teams. Throughout the programme attention is given to transferable skills and students employability. Currently 33 students are enrolled in PRODEF.

Research Activities

PRODEF is a doctoral program that differentiates itself by the use of a deeper knowledge of Physics. Several different research areas are included in ProDEF research activities, like Advanced Instrumentation, Advanced Materials, Aerospacial Engineering, Applied Biophysics, Energy Storage and Harvest Physics or Photonics and Optoelectronics, among others. 

The doctoral program in Engineering Physics integrates two faculties - the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Sciences  of University of Porto - and a considerable number of research and interface institutes with strong research dynamic at University of Porto, among which are Ceft, CentraLaeta-Inegi,  IfimupINESC-TECIpfnMaTER, and SYSTEC.