Admission

Welcome

The Phd in Complex Systems Engineering (PCSE) is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to train researchers who can formulate, analyze and solve engineering problems involving complex systems wherein physical, human, biological and computational agents interact.

The purpose of engineering is to solve society’s problems. Today’s most critical challenges involve complex systems, wherein physical, human and biological agents that cannot be analyzed from only one discipline interact.

The information revolution has increased the complexity of systems, but has also enhanced the ability to understand, model, predict and design.

Eric Goles, Director

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Program Objectives

The main objective of the program is to train researchers who are able to formulate, analyze and solve engineering problems involving complex systems by integrating knowledge and methodologies from various disciplines, including mathematics, physics, biology, computer science or the social sciences.

Complex systems are considered to be those whose behavior depends not only on the properties of its constituent elements, but also that of new properties that emerge from the interaction between its parts.

The program is interdisciplinary and entails a systematically thought out range of courses and research workshops, and the writing of a doctoral thesis that represents an individual, original and independent contribution to the development of complex systems engineering.

Graduates of this program should be able to:

Carry out original research of excellence related to complex systems engineering.
Design innovative solutions to advanced engineering problems by integrating knowledge and approaches from various scientific disciplines.
Conduct research and development (R & D) and technology transfer projects, taking into account the various implications on the environment.
Function successfully in academia, industry or research centers.

Designed for:

University graduates with degrees in engineering or related sciences (mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry or others).
Professional civil engineers or holders of an equivalent degree that entailed a minimum of 10 academic semesters of study.

Admissions

– Application Process

See the details for the application process here. To apply for the ANID (ex-Conicyt) scholarship, check background information here.

Upon receipt of all required background information through our online platform, application materials will be sent to the PhD committee for subsequent evaluation.

– Application Materials

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Résumé
Photocopy of Chilean identity card or passport in the case of foreign applicants
Statement of Interest (format is open, to be determined by the applicant)
At least two letters of recommendation from academic or direct supervisors
Certificates of degrees earned
Grade point average (G.P.A.) with ranking or relative position within the undergraduate and graduate programs you have completed with their respective grade scales
English proficiency is required, since much of the study material is in English
Academic interview with the Program Director
$100 USD fee for foreign applicants not residing in Chile

* Send all background information to Natalia Peña at e-mail: postgrados.fic@uai.cl |

General Information

Times and Dates

The first year of PhD entails full-time study Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 7:30 PM with three hours of class daily on average. The following two or three years (depending on a case-by-case basis) will involve periodic corrections of the thesis. This being the case, students will schedule individual meetings with their respective thesis advisors.

Costs

Annual registration fee (for four years) U.F. 20
Annual tuition fees (for four years) U.F 200
Foreign students will pay an annual fee (for four years) of $12,000 USD.

Scholarship

Our PhD is accredited, so students can apply for the grant from ANID. Learn more about requirements and application deadlines here. There is also the possibility of applying to the following internal scholarships*:

Beca de Arancel de la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez: partially or fully finances the program fee. Its renewal is annual and will depend on the results obtained by the doctoral student in the program.
Beca de Estipendio de la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez: it consists of a monthly stipend of $1,100,000 CLP (about $1,165 USD) that is paid twelve months of the year, for a maximum of 4 years. Its renewal is annual and will depend on the results obtained by the doctoral student in the program.

*The availability of these scholarships changes each year.