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)
Record transcript with all courses (undergraduate/bachelor and master degree), grades per course, and the duration of the degree
Two letters of recommendation with visible date (to be uploaded in the application platform)
Motivation letter (about 300 words), indicating the specialisation field to which you are applying, including research interests
Research proposal (written in English and following the structure defined in the document ‘Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2026-2027’ 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 October 30)
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 analysed 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.

Evaluation Criteria & Ranking 2026-2027

Portuguese/English Versions

Fees and
Financial Aid

Please check with the Academic Services for Iscte payment schemes.

The application for doctoral programmes requires the payment of non-refundable-fee.

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 programme for at least 3 years before submitting their PhD theses.

Academic Year 2026 / 2027

Application Deadlines

round	application fee	opening date	closing date	reservation fee	programme enrollment	curricular units registration	current vacancies
1^st Round	€ 70	DEC 15, 2025	JAN 14, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	JAN 29 - FEB 11, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026	30 (unused vacancies transfer to next round)
2^nd Round	€ 70	JAN 28, 2026	FEB 25, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	MAR 12 - 23, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026
3^rd Round	€ 70	MAR 11, 2026	APR 6, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	APR 16 - 30, 2026	APR 16 - 30, 2026
4^th Round	€ 70	APR 22, 2026	MAY 13, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026	MAY 28 - JUN 11, 2026
5^th Round	€ 70	JUN 3, 2026	JUN 24, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	JUL 9 - 23, 2026	JUL 9 - 23, 2026
6^th Round	€ 70	JUL 8, 2026	AUG 26, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	SEP 10 - 21, 2026	SEP 10 - 21, 2026
Supplementary round	€ 70	SEP 9, 2026	SEP 23, 2026 5:00 pm (PT time)	€ 500	OCT 8 - 15, 2026	OCT 8 - 15, 2026

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