Students who meet some of the criteria listed in Article 4 of the UDC PhD Policies and Regulations will be able to access to UDC PhD programmes.
Candidates matching one of the general entry requirements for PhD students will be assessed in accordance with the specific criteria and merits for each programme. Information relating to application procedures and requirements are included in the programme structure for each course.
The decision to offer a student a place on a UDC PhD programme is the result of an application-specific evaluation process, and does not affect the academic or professional status of the candidate’s existing qualifications.
See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 5: Applications.
16 places offered in academic year 2025/2026
The entry profile establishes the previous training requirements of the students to be admitted to the program. In general, anyone in any of the following situations may be admitted to the programme:
· Branch of knowledge: Social and Legal Sciences
· Field(s) of knowledge: Social sciences, social work, labour relations and human resources, sociology, political science and international relations; Behavioral Sciences and Psychology.
· Entry qualifications: Sociology, Psychology, Tourism, Political Science, Administration Sciences, Social Anthropology, Social Education, Psychopedagogy, as well as related denominations.
· Recommended language skills for carrying out these studies: Spanish, Galician and English
· If they have not completed a master's degree, have equivalent training in research credits or have completed at least 60 ECTS of research training directly related to the programme.
· Have earned the DEA degree in programs similar to this doctoral program.
Cases that do not fit the admission profile will be studied by the CAPD, and may or may not proceed to admission, and establish specific complementary training.
PROGRAM-SPECIFIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS.
Letter of reference from the teaching staff of the programme. It is a mandatory requirement for admission to the programme to submit a letter of reference from a lecturer of the programme that i) endorses the potential viability of the future thesis within the framework of a line of research of the programme to which it is linked, and that ii) can act as a supervisor if the necessary requirements are met.
Knowledge of languages. Students must have language skills in Galician and/or Spanish, and a minimum knowledge of English equivalent to level B1 as it is the common language of scientific communication in the field of the thesis.
Foreign students from countries outside the Galician and/or Spanish linguistic fields must accredit a minimum knowledge of Galician and/or Spanish equivalent to level B1 In the event that they can only communicate through the foreign language that is commonly used for scientific communication in the field of the thesis, the programme must ensure their supervision and supervision of theses in that language.
The levels of linguistic knowledge will be accredited by one of the official certifications on the list of accreditations recognised by the UDC Language Centre for the different levels of the Common European Framework: https://www.acles.es/uploads/archivos/Tablas_ACLES/Tablas_de_certificados_reconocidos_por_ACLES_2023_02_03.pdf
Applications and registration for PhD programmes will be made using the online application system on the UDC website, accompanied by all necessary supporting documents. Applications and registration for external students will be made here.
If you need more information, you can check this sources the Application general procedure.
The selection of students for admission to the programme will be made based on the following criteria:
· Academic record (70%), determined by master's degree, DEA or research proficiency qualifications.
· Previous research experience and its results (10%). Publications, contributions to conferences, etc., and their suitability to the lines of research of the programme will be assessed.
· Knowledge of languages (20%). Knowledge of foreign languages at level B1 or higher, and knowledge of languages other than the mother tongue, etc., will be assessed.
In order to be assessed, merits must be documented and consistent with the lines of research of the programme. The same admission criteria will be applied to all students, both full-time and part-time.
The application for admission (or registration renewal) and enrollment in PhD studies will be carried out according to the terms approved by the Governing Council of the UDC.
See information on how to register for UDC PhD courses.