Admission Requirements

All applications must be submitted online.

Applications submitted on paper and/or by email will not be considered.

Online Application Form
Curriculum Vitae
Undergraduate/Bachelor certificate (with final grade)
Master course certificate (with final grade)
Transcript of records with all courses (undergraduate/bachelor and master degree) grades per course and the duration of your degree
Two Letters of Recommendation (to be uploaded in the application platform)
Motivation Letter (between 200-300 words)- indicating the specialization field that you are applying for
Research Proposal (written in English and following the structure defined in the document “Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 20245-2026” available below)

Check the general terms for admission here.

What to do if you have a non-Portuguese or non-Bologna Declaration country diploma or certificate?

Please be aware that if your diploma or certificate was not awarded by a Portuguese university or a university from a Bologna Declaration country, you must provide the following information:

Your diploma or certificate must have the final grade;
You must present a transcript of records that includes information about: the list of all courses completed, grades per course, the duration of the degree, the grading scale used by the institution granting the degree, and the final grade of the degree;
The documents must have the Hague Apostille or be recognized by the Portuguese local Consular agency (to be provided until the 30th October);
When the documents mentioned above are in a foreign language other than Spanish, French, English or Italian, a certified translation must be delivered.

The application will not be analyzed if the documents submitted do not meet the above conditions.

Visa

If you need a visa to study in Portugal, please apply as early as possible. Visa applications can be timely.

Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2025-2026

Portuguese/English Versions

Fees and
Financial Aid

Please check with the Academic Services for Iscte payment schemes.

The application for Doctoral Programs requires the payment of non-refundable-fee according to each round. Check the due amount in the timetable above.

Please give enough time for your fee to be process by the bank, specially if using a foreign bank.

If fees are received after the closing application date, the application may not be considered.

Annual fee 3.000 €.

Students are expected to be enrolled in the program for at least 3 years before submitting their Ph.D. thesis.

Academic Year 2025 / 2026

Application Deadlines

round	application fee	opening date	closing date	reservation fee	Enrollment in the program	Registration in the curricular units	vacancies
1^st Round	€ 70	December 16, 2024	January 15, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	January 30 - February 10	April 9- April 16	OPEN
2^nd Round	€ 70	January 29, 2025	February 19, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	March 6 - March 17	April 9- April 16	-
3^rd Round	€ 70	March 12, 2025	April 1, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	April 9 - April 23	April 9- April 23	-
4^th Round	€ 70	April 16, 2025	May 14, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	May 29 - June 12	May 29 - June 12	-
5^th Round	€ 70	June 4, 2025	June 25, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	July 10 - July 24	July 10 - July 24	-
6^th Round	€ 70	July 9, 2025	August 27, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	September 11 - September 22	September 11 - September 22	-
Supplementary Round	€ 70	September 10, 2025	September 24, 5:00pm (Portuguese time)	€ 500	October 9 - October 16	October 9 - October 16	-

Scholarship Calls

Merit scholarships

Scholarships for duration of the PhD program are granted to students with an excellent academic profile.

BRU-Iscte will offer merit scholarships to PhD candidates with an outstanding academic background. For more information see Regulation (link: Regulamento).

Funding Opportunities

There are several scholarships and financial support schemes available for national and international PhD candidates & students.

Competition can be strong, but it is well worth exploring your options. Following are some of the main places to find out more about scholarships and funding opportunities.

Funding Opportunities for PhD Candidates