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.
20 places offered in academic year 2025/2026
This environment means that the entry profile is focused on two main factors: (a) thematic assignment to one of the three main lines of the Programme: Documentation, Communication and Humanities; and (b) the harmony with any of the lines of research proposed by the teaching staff of the Doctoral Programme, according to their academic career and publications.
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 specific requirements are related to the fit in one of these three major options for the Doctoral Thesis.
Thus, although it is not prescriptive to have the endorsement of a director at the time of the interview with the Coordinator of the Doctoral Programme, it does facilitate the admission process.
At the same time, knowledge of the English language (at least at level 2 ALTE of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment) is a guarantee of the degree of interest in the management of sources in the vast majority of current research fields. The fact that the Doctoral Programme has a large number of international students and the aspiration of many students to have the International Doctorate makes mastery of the English language increasingly a relevant requirement.
(On the different levels of language proficiency of the Common European Framework:
https://www.acles.es/uploads/archivos/Tablas_ACLES/Tablas_de_certificados_reconocidos_por_ACLES_2023_02_03.pdf).
Admission criteria when demand exceeds supply
When the demand for places exceeds the planned supply (20 places per course), an additional number of applicants may be accepted, subject to the agreement of the CAPD and the authorisation of the EIDUDC.
If this demand clearly exceeds the expected supply of places, then a scale would be applied. This scale, in addition to the personal interview with the candidate, should take into account the following criteria: (i) Academic record, (ii) previous research experience and its results, (iii) professional experience, (iv) research stays, (v) courses taken and taught and (vi) knowledge of languages. These criteria would apply to both full-time and part-time students.
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.