A PhD is the highest degree awarded by a university. The title of doctor is official and valid throughout national territory and is recognised throughout the European Higher Education Area.

To obtain the title of doctor, it is necessary to demonstrate the ability to carry out original, autonomous research, that meets internationally recognised standards of quality, and conclude with the writing of a doctoral thesis and its defence before a panel of experts on the discipline, who will assess and determine its adequacy.

Doctoral training is structured into programmes that offer transversal and specific training relating to the field, although the essential work of the doctoral candidate will be research. The programmes envisage diverse training activities that the doctoral candidate must carry out during his or her stay on the programme; doctoral candidates are not required to gain ECTS credits (unless they have to undergo training complements on programmes that require them as part of their original studies).

To take doctoral studies at the UCM, it is necessary to apply for admission to one of the programmes offered by the Doctoral School, within the period established for each academic year. Once admitted, it is necessary to enrol. Enrolment will need to be renewed at the beginning of each academic year until the presentation and submission of the doctoral thesis.

During the first academic year of the programme, and always before 31 January, the PhD student must register the thesis and sign a written commitment; it is also necessary to complete the doctoral candidate’s Research Plan, the Training Plan and doctoral activities document.

The PhD student must prepare a research plan and a training plan during the first academic year of the stay on the programme, which, together with the training activities that he/she carries out, will be included in the activities and research plan register (RAPI). These documents will be regularly reviewed by the tutor and thesis director and assessed annually by the academic commission responsible for the PhD programme.

The duration of studies for doctoral students for students admitted before the academic year 2023-24 is 3 years full-time and 5 years part-time. In the case of students admitted in the academic year 2023-24 and after, the duration of studies will be 4 years full-time and 7 years part-time. The Academic Committee of the program, at the request of the doctoral student, may authorize the extension in accordance with the provisions of the Permanence Regulations.