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This section gathers usual queries of academic nature related to: the entry to doctoral studies, the educational activities of the programme and about the regulations on doctoral theses. For all those queries that are strictly administrative you can visit the Doctoral Studies Service

Entry to Doctoral Studies

1.Do I have to complete the Master’s Degree studies for applying it?

For accessing to the doctoral programme regulated by the RD. 99/2011 it is necessary:

  • To hold the Spanish qualifications of Undergraduate Degree, or equivalent and of University Master’s Degree.

Other possible ways for entering to Programme are:

  • To hold a degree obtained according to foreign educational systems, without the need of its accreditation, after verification by the university that it certifies a level of training equivalent to the official Spanish qualification of the Master’s Degree and which confers in the issuance country of the degree the access to doctoral studies. This admission doesn’t not imply the accreditation of the previous degree or its recognition for other purposes.

To hold other Spanish Doctoral qualification.

  • To be doctoral student under previous university regulations.
  • Licenciados, Arquitectos o Ingenieros (Former Spanish Undergraduate Degree) who have a Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (A Tertiary Education Degree) obtained according with the provisions in the RD. 778/1998 or who have achieved research proficiency regulated in the RD. 185/1985.

For degrees obtained abroad it is important that you remember that is necessary:

  • To translate officially the documentation which is written in a language other that Spanish and/or Catalan.
  • To legalise officially the documentation if you come from outside the European Higher Education Area.

2. I have studied outside Spain, ¿what steps should I take regarding to the legalisation of my studies?

If you have studied outside Spain and you hold a degree issued by a foreign university you should present the documentation translated by an official translator (if the University that issued the degree belongs to the European Higher Education Area) if this doesn’t belong to the EHEA apart from the translations you should also submit the legalisation of the documents.

You can consult the legalisation ways on Doctoral Studies Service. If you still have doubts, you can contact with the administration of the doctoral programmes: doctorado@uv.es

3. Can I access it with any other Master’s Degree?

No, there are two types of entry profiles to this Doctoral Programme. The recommended entry profile includes: Chemical, Industrial, Environmental, Agricultural or Civil Engineering, Biotechnology Master’s Degrees or other studies of the same level and branch of knowledge with equivalent contents. For the admission to the programme, these degrees are assessed with the maximum scoring (see question 5).

The applicants with Master’s Degree studies in the fields of Chemical, Environmental and Earth Sciences also can access to the programme, but since it is not the ideal profile these qualifications are assessed with the 50% of the scoring for the admission to the programme. In this case, it is necessary to take two subjects of the Master’s Degree in Environment Engineering of 9 credits each: Assessment of Environmental Quality and Pollutant transport in the natural environment. These are bridging courses for providing engineering knowledge, and it should be completed during the first year in the doctoral programme.

4. If I have entered to the Official Master’s Degree with a Diplomatura, Technical Engineering or Technical Architecture (Former Spanish Undergraduate Degrees) (equivalent to 180 ECTS) and the Master’s Degree has less than 120 ECTS, Can I access to the Doctoral Programme?

No. As established in the article 6 of the RD. 99/2011 for accessing to the doctoral programme, 300 credits should be certified. In case of not reaching 300 ECTS, you can:

  • Make the adaptation to Undergraduate Degree.
  • Complement the credits needed it with other Master’s Degree of 60 ECTS.

5. What rating system is used for admitting a student?

If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, the admission to the Programme shall be based on the following criteria:

  • Degree (undergraduate degree or equivalent and Master’s degree), on the basis of its suitability to the recommended profile (60%).
  • Average grade of the student academic record (25%).
  • Curriculum vitae (maximum 15%):
    • Collaboration grants and/or Pre-doctoral Research Contract. Each year (3%).
    • Special award of Diplomatura, Licenciatura (former Spanish undergraduate degree), undergraduate degree or master’s degree. For each of the awards obtained (2%)
    • Scientific publications (up to 10 %)
      1. A) For every scientific publication in a journal related in Science Citation Index (5%)
      2. B) For every scientific publication not related in the Science Citation Index (2%)
      3. C) For every participation in conferences or scientific meetings on a national or international basis, through communication, lecture or poster (1%)

It is important, therefore, that in your application form (providing supporting documentation) you include the information needed it for assessing the criteria mentioned. Remember that 12 places of new enrolment are offered. It is always advisable to include a letter of motivation

10% of the places available will be reserved for part-time students, understood as students with a dedication to the programme activities of less than 25 hours per week.

Regarding to entry systems and procedures adapted to students with special educational needs, the University of Valencia has the Unit for the Integration of People with Disabilities (UPD), which ensures the respect for the principle of equal opportunities and non discrimination and supports the collective of students with special educational needs. The Services Charter of this unit, informs about quality commitments and rights and duties of users.

According to the Royal Decree 1892/2008, of 14 November, which regulates the conditions for accessing to official university undergraduate degrees and the admission procedures to Spanish public universities, the 5% of places available will be reserved for students who have a recognised disability of at least 33%, as well as for those students with permanent special educational needs associated with personal circumstances of disability, who during their previous academic life have needed resources and support for their full educational normalisation.

6. When and where to apply?

The application form is made during a single period that is established between late July and 31 October. Each academic year may vary slightly, the updated information is available on the Doctoral Studies Service.

The application form is done telematically through the Doctoral Studies Service.

In the case that you have planned to prepare the doctoral thesis on the premises of the University of Valencia and you still do not have a thesis supervisor and/or director in the Department of Chemical Engineering, it is very important that as a previous step to pre-registration you contact with theresearch line in which you wish to develop the doctoral thesis. This Doctoral Programme is an experimental programme, and therefore, you should have the support of a professor who accepts your admission in his/her work team. This in an informal process that you should make on your own account.

Exceptionally, those students who have external funding may apply for admission to the programme beyond the official deadline (July to October) established by the University of Valencia; to do this you should contact the Programme Academic Committee (doctoriq@uv.es) for tailored assessment.

7. Do I need to have a supervisor and/or thesis director before to pre-register?

In the case that you have planned to prepare the doctoral thesis on the premises of the University of Valencia (department of Chemical Engineering), the answer is yes. It is very important that as a previous step to pre-registration you contact with theresearch line in which you wish to develop the doctoral thesis. This Doctoral Programme is an experimental programme, and therefore, you should have the support of a professor who accepts your admission in his/her work team. This in an informal process that you should make on your own account.

If you are going to develop your doctoral thesis in a collaborating organisation with the Programme it is advisable that you contact with the Programme Academic Committee (doctoriq@uv.es), so a tutor will be proposed to you, who will help you with academic and administrative issues.

8. Can I prepare the doctoral thesis in a part-time basis?

Yes, you can develop the doctoral thesis in a part-time basis, provided that you have included this preference in your pre-registration application form and the Academic Committee approved it. To do this, we highly recommend you that in the motivation letter you include the reasons that prevent you from developing the doctoral studies in a full-time basis, and to have the approval of the tutor and/or director.

9. What is the duration of the doctoral studies?

For the students enroled in programmes regulated according the RD 99/2011, three full-time years (plus 2 extensions of 1 year each) and 5 (plus 2 extensions, the first of two years and the second of one) in a part-time basis are established. For the purpose of the calculation of the previous period, sick leaves, maternity leaves or leaves for any other cause provided by current regulations will not be taken into account.

Remember that if the years established have passed through without presenting the application form for the submission of the thesis you should apply for the extension to the Academic Committee. You should make such application form within the usual term (from 1 to 25 July) established for the annual monitoring of activities by the Academic Committee.

The doctoral student can apply for a temporary withdrawal in the programme for a maximum of one year, extensible to another year. This application should be sent to the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme within the usual term (from 1 to 25 July) that is set for the annual monitoring of activities by the Academic Committee.

How do I know if I am accepted?

Since the end of the deadline set for the request for assessment, the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme has 15 working days to notify the result. The admission results are communicated by the coordinator of the programme to the Doctoral Studies Service, which publishes the list of excluded, admitted doctoral students and the waiting list. The University of Valencia will contact, after the publication of the list, with the students “admitted” by email and will inform about the procedure to be followed for preparing their enrolment in the corresponding doctoral programme.

How I prepare the enrolment?

Once you have been admitted to the doctoral programme you should prepare the enrolment as academic supervision. The enrolment should be prepared telematically and organised by the Doctoral Studies Service of the University of Valencia. In those cases where background credits are required you should enrol thereof at the time of preparing the academic supervision enrolment.

A tutor (professor/doctor) of the Department of Chemical Engineering will be assigned to you at the moment of enrolment, who will be the person responsible of helping you and assessing with you the training activities of the Programme. A director or directors of doctoral thesis also will be assigned to you. The thesis directors are in charge of the monitoring of the doctoral thesis. When at least one of the directors of the thesis is a professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering, it is usual that tutors are also one of the thesis directors.

After preparing the first year enrolment, the doctoral student, the University, the tutor, and if applicable the director should jointly subscribe the doctoral commitment document, related to, among other questions, procedures of conflict solving which can be applied to aspects concerning to copyright or industrial property and in general to the monitoring functions of the research activity of the doctoral student.

12. Who should I contact if I have doubts once enrolled in the programme?

The websites of the Doctoral Programme and the Doctoral Services are the main points of information. They contain all the necessary information for the follow-up of the Doctoral Programme, use them independently as the main consultation point.

If you can not resolve your doubts in this way, your supervisor is the first person you should contact. If your supervisor can not help you, he/she will direct you to the Doctoral Programme contacts:
• Doctoral Studies Academic Committee for academic issues doctoriq@uv.es
•Doctoral Services for administrative issues doctorado@uv.es

Training activities

 1. What is the Personalised Document of Doctoral activities?

The personalised document of activities is understood as the personalised control record of training activities undertaken by the doctoral student. This document will be regularly reviewed by the doctoral thesis supervisor and director, and reviewed annually by the responsible Academic Committee of the doctoral programme. You can find here the assessment application form.

2. What should I do during the first year of doctoral studies?

During your first year as doctoral student, you must do the following:

  • To submit the document of documentary commitment duly completed to the Academic Committee.
  • To fill out the personalised document of doctoral activities. To do this, you should contact your doctoral thesis director and supervisor.
  • To perform the planned activities in the personalised document of doctoral activities. To obtain the certificates and/or assessment reports of each training activity.
  • To prepare the research planbefore the end of the year.
  • To enrol and, when appropriate, to pass the bridging courses specified by the doctoral programme.

3. How the follow-up of my training programme and research plan is monitored?

The Academic Committee of the programme will open an annual deadline from 1 to 25 July for the assessment of the training programme and the research plan progress. To do this, you must submit the corresponding application form together with the supporting documentation and/or the assessment reports required under each of the developed activities.

Since the end of the deadline set for the request for assessment, the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme has 15 working days to notify the result.

For the enrolment of successive years a favourable report by the Academic Committee on the personal activities document and the research plan is necessary.

In the event of a negative evaluation, which must be supported, the doctoral students must be assessed again within six months. In order to do so they must develop a new research plan. If there is a second negative evaluation, the doctoral student will permanently withdrawn of the programme. Against these resolutions, which do not exhaust the administrative procedures, the applicant may lodge an appeal, which will be determined upon a report from the Postgraduates Studies Committees by the Principal or by his/her delegate.

Remember to provide to the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme all the necessary assessment reports and/or certificates indicated in the training activitiesprogramme.

4. What should I do during the years after the first year of enrolment?

During the years after your first year as doctoral student, you must do the following:

  • To update the personalised document of doctoral activities. To do this, you should contact your doctoral thesis director and supervisor.
  • To perform the planned activities in the personalised document of doctoral activities. To obtain the certificates and/or assessment reports of each training activity.
  • If necessary, updating the research plan.
  • If necessary, apply for an extension, with a reasoned written, to stay in the programme.

Each year you will have a period from 1 to 25 July to apply for the annual assessment of the training activities and the degree of implementation of the research plan.

5. How long can I be without enroling?

The doctoral student can apply for a temporary withdrawal in the programme for a maximum of one year, extensible to another year. This application should be sent to the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme within the usual term (from 1 to 25 July) that is set for the annual monitoring of activities by the Academic Committee.

6. What should I do in order that a stay in international research centres will be recognised as a training activity of the doctoral programme? Can it be used for obtaining the International Certification for Doctoral Degrees?

The Academic Committee will authorised the stay and the activities developed in an international higher education institution or in an international research centre. It will also indicate whether such activities are considered appropriate to grant the International Certification for Doctoral degrees. This stay should have a duration of at least 3 months if the student wants to apply for the International Certification for Doctoral degrees. To do this, the doctoral students should submit their applications to the Academic Committee with the approval of the thesis director and supervisor with at least fifteen days before the beginning of the stay. At the end of the stay, the receiving centre supervisor and/or director must confirm the stay and give his/her approval, through a signed document, on the work done by the doctoral student. At the end of each academic year, the Doctoral Academic Committee will reflect the activities developed by the doctoral student in the Annual Personalised Document of Activities.

Doctoral theses

 

1. Where can I find all the information regarding the submission, assessment and defence of the doctoral thesis?

The University of Valencia has Regulations about the submission, assessment and defence of the doctoral thesis.

You can find here an outline procedure from the application for the submission to the doctoral thesis defence.

2.Is there an alternative to the traditional doctoral thesis?

Yes, there is. You may submit a doctoral thesis by the sum of publications. The necessary requirements and additional documentation are specified in the Article 8 of the Regulations about the submission, assessment and defence of the doctoral thesis.

3.I would like to write the thesis in another language, what should I do?

The thesis can be written and defended in the usual language for the scientific community in their field of knowledge. Required additional documentation is specified in the Article 7 of the Regulations about the submission, assessment and defence of the doctoral thesis.

4.If my doctoral thesis is subject to protection and technology and knowledge transfers processes, what should I do?

You must follow the authorisation, defence and publication procedure specified in the Article 10 of the Regulations about the submission, assessment and defence of the doctoral thesis.

5.What if have I not completed it within the time period laid down?

In the case that the years established have passed through without presenting the application form for the submission of the doctoral thesis (see question 9), you should apply for the extension to the Academic Committee. To do this, you must submit a reasoned report which must have the approval of the doctoral thesis supervisor and director or directors (in case of co-direction). The deadline to apply for the extension is from 1 to 25 July.

6. For obtaining the International Certification for the Doctoral Qualification, can the thesis’ supervisor and director take part of the assessment committee?

Yes, they can. Because these experts must not be in any case the supervisors of the three-month stay in the international receiving centre.

7. If I am not enroled in the doctoral programme, is a three-month stay valid to get the International Certification for doctoral degrees?

No, it isn’t. To get the International Certification for Doctoral Degrees, the stay must be done while you are enroled in the programme as a doctoral student.

8.Within which period must the doctoral students from doctoral programmes previous to the Royal Decree 99/2011 defend their doctoral thesis?

Doctoral students belonging to the Royal Decrees 185/1985, 56/2005 and 1393/2007 (doctoral thesis enrolment prior to 11 February 2011), have time until 11 February 2016 to defend their doctoral thesis.

Doctoral students belonging to the Royal Decree 1393/2007 (doctoral thesis enrolment between 11 February 2011 and 30 September 2013), have time until 30 September 2017 to defend their doctoral thesis.