In general terms, for accessing an official doctorate program it’s necessary to be in posession of the degree and master spanish certificates or equivalent, and having earned a minimum of 300 ECTS credits between degree and master studies. These studies have the ultimate purpose of eleaborating and defending the doctoral thesis, after which the candidate will obtain the title of doctor.

To access the doctoral program, it is necessary to make a request for access and admission and the Academic Committee will be responsible for assessing the documentation provided and deciding on admission to the students’ program. You can consult all the information regarding the access and admission processes here.

The duration of doctoral studies varies depending on the dedication, full-time or part-time.

If you enroll full-time, the duration is 3 years, counting from the date of formalization of admission (enrollment of academic tutelage). If after this term has not been submitted the application for deposit of the thesis, the Academic Committee of the program may authorize an extension for one more year that, exceptionally, may be extended another additional year.

If, on the other hand, you enroll part-time, the duration is 5 years, counting from the date of formalization of admission (enrollment of academic tutelage) and the extension can be authorized for 2 more years, which, exceptionally, can be extended for an additional year.

The academic tutelage enrollment must be completed every academic year, regardless of the enrollment date and the thesis’s deposit date.

You will have to carry out different formative activities in each academic year, such as regular attendance at seminars, colloquiums and conferences, follow courses of a specialized school for postgraduates (summer school …), follow official master’s courses related to the program … The realization of these activities will have the approval and will be accredited by the thesis director in the annual follow-up report.

Once admitted to the program and before the end of the first year of the doctorate, a research plan must be presented, usually in the month of June (see calendar). The research plan must include the following sections:

• Provisional title of the thesis Objectives of the thesis
• The methodology that will be used
• Temporary planning

From the second course and until the deposit of the thesis, the follow-up report that includes the activities and the annual report of the tasks performed must be presented.

Once the preparation of the doctoral thesis has been completed, the Academic Committee of the Program must be requested to deposit it. The application can be submitted provided that two consecutive positive reports of monitoring and annual evaluation of the research plan have been obtained and that the payment of the doctorate enrollment is up-to-date from the beginning of the doctoral studies