Entry and Admission to the Research Period

Entry Requirements and Criteria of Admission

Students who hold a Spanish University Degree or European Higher Education Area Degree (EHEA):
To gain admission to the research period of a Doctoral Program, it is necessary to be the holder of a University Master's Degree, or of one of an equivalent standard issued by an institution of Higher Education within the European Education Area (EHEA).

Likewise, they may also access the research period those who satisfy the one of the following conditions:

Have successfully completed 60 credits ECTS in one or more of the range of UIMP Masters' Degrees or those of other Spanish universities.
Be a holder of a Bachelor's Degree, the weighting of which, in accordance with the regulations of European Community Law, be of at least 300 ECTS credits.
Be the holder of an Advanced Studies Diploma obtained in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/98, dated 30 April, or have been recognized as being in possession of an Aptitude for Research Qualification, as regulated by Royal Decree 185/85, dated 23 January.

Students with Qualifications from Education Systems outside the EHEA:
Those students who are holders of a Degree Qualification obtained from education systems outside the EHEA, will be granted admission, without homologation being required, but only after verification that the Degree Qualification certifies a level of educational training equivalent to the corresponding Spanish Masters' Degree Qualifications, and which, in the country of issuance, entitles the holder to admission to Doctorate-level Studies.

Those students who are holders of a Degree Qualification obtained from education systems outside the EHEA, will be granted admission, without homologation being required, but only after verification that the Degree Qualification certifies a level of educational training equivalent to the corresponding Spanish Masters' Degree Qualifications, and which, in the country of issuance, entitles the holder to admission to Doctorate-level Studies.

Students will be admitted to the research period of a specific Doctoral program in keeping with the specific requirements and merit assessment criteria that may be set for each of them, amongst which may be included requirements for prior training in certain disciplines.

Each student is advised to consult the website of the corresponding Doctoral Program and make sure that he or she meets all the entry requirements, as well as the specific criteria for admission and that he or she check the documentation required of him or her.

Application for Admission to the UIMP Doctoral Commission

The student who wishes to apply for admission to the research period of a Doctoral Program, should make the application to the Program Coordinator, who will make a decision with regard to it and assign him or her a Thesis Supervisor. The student should then submit to the proposed Supervisor a Thesis Project that will at least include:

A title
The Subject of the Research Project
An Overview of the State of the Field of Knowledge concerned, together with a Working Hypothesis
The Material required and the Method of Study to be employed
Information concerning the financial backing required in order to carry out the Research Project

As soon as the Supervisor issues a favorable report on the Thesis Project, and with the approval of the Program Coordinator, the student can apply for admission to the UIMP Doctoral Commission, which is the Collegiate body that decides on admissions to Doctoral Studies and which approves Thesis Projects.

Stipulated Period for Applications for Admission
From October to May. The Doctoral Commission meets twice a year (in October and February)

Documents Required

Those students seeking admission to the research period of a Doctoral Program will be required to hand in at the UIMP Student Administration Office (Secretaría de Estudiantes, C / Isaac Peral, 23. 28040 Madrid - Spain) the following documentation:

Students who hold an official Spanish University Degree or European Higher Education Area Degree (EHEA), or an homologated Degree from a foreign University:

Application for admission to the research period of the Doctoral Program concerned as holder of a Spanish Degree or European Higher Education Area Degree (EHEA), or an homologated Degree from a foreign University (Forms)
A report on the suitability and research curricula of the Doctors proposed as Supervisors, Co-Supervisors, or Tutors of the Doctoral Thesis concerned (Forms)
Photocopy of National ID card, in the case of Spanish citizens, or of passport or identity document, in the case of foreign nationals.
Authenticated photocopy of the Higher University Qualification Certificate concerned, or proof of having paid the fees for the issuance of the Master's Degree Certificate concerned, or, as the case may be, proof of having completed 60 ECTS within official Postgraduate Programs.
In the case of a Qualification from a foreign university, an authenticated copy of the homologation credentials concerned.
Transcript of Personal Academic Records, or authenticated copy thereof, concerning Official Postgraduate Studies undertaken (minimum of 60 ECTS).
Authenticated copy of having been granted the Aptitude for Research Qualification (for students belonging to Plan '85) or the Diploma in Advanced Studies, DEA, (for students belonging to Plan '98).

Students with Degree Qualification Certificates issued in accordance with education systems outside the EHEA:

Application for admission to the research period of the Doctoral Program concerned as holder of a non-homologated Degree Qualification issued in accordance with education systems outside the EHEA (Forms)
A report on the suitability and research curricula of the Doctors proposed as Supervisors, Co-Supervisors, or Tutors of the Doctoral Thesis concerned (Forms)
Photocopy of National ID card, in the case of Spanish citizens, or of passport or Non-National identity document, in the case of foreign nationals.
Authenticated photocopy of foreign Higher Degree Certificate and Master's Degree Certificate, or proof that they have been applied for. These documents must be duly legalized and translated, if necessary.
Legalized photocopy of Transcript of Personal Academic Records concerning Official Postgraduate Studies completed in which are set down the official duration, in academic years, of the Study Plan undertaken, the subjects taken, the grades obtained in them, together with the hours-based weighting of each. This document must be translated, if necessary.
Authenticated photocopy of the Certificate issued by the University which also issued the Degree Certificate wherein it is set down that the Higher Education Qualification obtained provides access to Doctoral Studies in that same country which issued it.

The admission of these students is subject to the Principal's approval. Under no circumstances does the Principal's approval imply the homologation of the Degree Qualification concerned beyond the fact that it is held by the applicant, nor the acknowledgement of it for purposes other than that of admission to the Courses taught within the Doctoral Studies concerned.

Resolution of the Application for Admission and the Designation of Supervisor by the Doctoral Commission

The Doctoral Commission will decide on the application for admission and on the approval of the Doctoral Thesis Project, taking into account the documents provided by the student, as well as any external reports, were they to be required. In the case of there being a positive resolution, the Doctoral Commission will assign the student concerned a Doctoral Thesis Supervisor who must necessarily be one of the members of the Teaching Staff linked to the Doctoral Program.

The Commission may authorize as Thesis Supervisors Doctors who are not included in the list of members of Teaching Staff or Researchers in charge of Doctoral Thesis supervision, as stated in the justificatory Full Description which forms part of the process of verification of official Postgraduate Studies Programs approved by the Ministry of Education. In such cases, it would be necessary to appoint a Tutor, who will be a Doctor linked to the Doctoral Program concerned.

Formalizing Enrolment with regard to Academic Supervision

Upon receipt of the resolution of admission, the student concerned is obliged to formalize in the UIMP Student Administration Office his or her enrolment in the phase of academic supervision (via the payment of the required fees), and which must be renewed each academic year.

This same enrolment will grant him or her the right to academic supervision, together with the use of the University's resources and organisms which may be of assistance in the study geared toward the development of his or her assigned work, besides those foreseen in the regulations concerning Doctoral students.

In order to request that permission be granted for the reading of the Doctoral Thesis to take place, it will be essential to have paid the enrolment fees for academic supervision as from the academic year in which the Thesis Project would have been registered up until the course year of the formulation of the reading of it.

Stipulated Period of Enrolment
From October to May

Registration Fee

Students should pay the following fees:

Administrative fee: 30,43 €, at the first registration
Office expenses: 6,17 €, per year
School insurance (under 28 years old): 1,12 €, per year
Tuition fee: 214,13 €, per year

Other charges:

Thesis defense: 132,85 €
Issuance of Ph.D.Degree: 227,98 €