The PhD Programme in Basic and Applied Chemistry is the result of merging the previous PhD studies in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Agricultural Chemistry. All these programmes were taught at the Faculty of Chemistry, one of the oldest centres at the University of Murcia.
In order to contextualise the Doctoral Programme in Basic and Applied Chemistry, we must go back to the 1985 regulations on third cycle studies. Those regulations attached PhD Programmes to departments and required a minimum of 10 students for a PhD programme to be taught. This led to different departments to group together and to provide interdepartmental/ intercentre/interuniversity Doctoral Programmes. The research teams working at the Faculty of Chemistry were integrated into the following interdepartmental Doctorate Programmes:
Chemistry, integrating research teams from the departments of Physics, Chemical Engineering, Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry; with the Biotechnology team being incorporated from the 2003-2005 biennium.
Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Geology, in which the teams of Soil Contamination, Chemical and Pesticidal Action and Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry participated, among others; and from the 2004-2006 biennium, the name changed to the PhD Programme in Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Geology and Environment.
These Programmes were available until the biennium 2006-2008, when they were replaced by postgraduate studies regulated by RD 56/2005. The old Doctoral Programmes were turned into Master's degree studies with a research profile that gave access to Doctoral studies; in this framework, the following postgraduate programmes attached to the Faculty of Chemistry became:
- Postgraduate studies in Chemistry, consisting of four master’s degrees and Doctoral studies in Chemistry.
- Postgraduate studies in Chemical Engineering, consisting of six master’s degrees and Doctoral studies in Chemical Engineering,
- Postgraduate studies in Agricultural Chemistry, made up of one master's degree and Doctoral studies in Agricultural Chemistry.
With the Royal Decree 1393/2007 and 861/2010, Master's degree programmes were completely disassociated from Doctoral studies, when both stop being under the name of postgraduate programmes. The Doctoral Programmes regulated by these Royal Decrees were taught until the academic year 2012-2013.
In the course of time described above, the Doctoral Programme in Chemistry has enjoyed the following Mentions granted by the corresponding Ministry:
QUALITY MENTION
- Doctoral Programme in Chemistry (RD: 778/1998)
- Biennium: 2005-2007. BOE: 07/14/2005 nº 167; pg. 25137; validity 2005/2006
- Biennium: 2006-2008. BOE: 08/30/2006 nº 207; pg. 31385; validity 2006/2007
- Doctoral Studies of the postgraduate programme in Chemistry (RD: 56/2005)
- Validity 2007/2008. BOE: 10/12/2007 nº 245; pg. 41584.
- Validity 2008-2009. BOE: 11-12-2008 # 273; pg. 44920.
STATEMENT OF EXCELLENCE:
UNIVERSITY PROGRAMME OF DOCTORAL STUDIES IN CHEMISTRY (RD: 1393/2007) Validity since the academic year 2011-12. BOE: 10/20/2011 nº 253; pg. 109903.
Lastly, the entry in force of RD: 99/2011, with an important commitment to interdisciplinarity and internationalisation of doctoral studies, offered an opportunity to design strong and quality Doctoral Programmes. We consider that the PhD Programme in Basic and Applied Chemistry, attached to the International School of Doctoral Studies of the University of Murcia (EIDUM), brings together the required interdisciplinarity and internationalisation since its research lines belong to a wide variety of knowledge areas. The Doctoral Theses defended so far show an average of four published works in prestigious international journals with a high impact factor; approximately 85% of our students have been awarded a scholarship in public competitions or linked through calls of the project itself; and approximately half of the theses defended have been distinguished with the Mention of European Doctorate. In addition, the research teams and lines or sub-lines gain funding to train Doctors and maintain collaborations with prestigious foreign researchers on a regular basis.
