International PhD Mention
What is the International PhD Mention?
The UCM offers PhD students the possibility to receive the International PhD Mention, which gives added value to the title. This may be included on the front of the PhD title, provided that all requirements are met.
What requirements do I have to meet to apply for the mention?
- A stay of minimum three months outside Spain in a prestigious higher education institution or research centre, studying or carrying out research work, during the period of the PhD program. This stay may be carried out in a maximum of two periods. The stay and the activities must be endorsed by the tutor and the director and authorised by the Academic Committee, and will be included in the PhD candidate's activities document.
- Part of the PhD thesis, at least the abstract and conclusions, must be written and defended in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in its field of knowledge, different from any of the official languages in Spain. This rule does not apply when the stays, reports and experts come from a Spanish-speaking country.
- The PhD thesis must be assessed by a minimum of two expert PhDs belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research institute.
- At least one expert from a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre, holding a PhD degree, other than the person responsible for the stay mentioned in paragraph a), must be member of the panel evaluating the thesis.
How is it processed?
The PhD candidate, at the time of submitting the thesis, must include the documentation that accredits compliance with the sections corresponding to the requirements indicated above, in addition to:
- The two reports of the experts referred to in point c) of the previous paragraph, accompanied by a brief curriculum vitae of the researchers issuing them. These experts may be on the panel and may also be the evaluators of the thesis.
- Certification of the stay outside Spain, with indication of the initial and final dates, issued by the person responsible of the investigation mentioned in point a) of the previous section. This person responsible cannot be in the panel.
Who decides?
The Academic Committee, in view of the documents provided, will decide if the PhD candidate is eligible for the International Mention. If the resolution is positive, the Academic Committee will send the certificate of the stay and the reports of the experts to the Doctorate Committee, together with the proposal of the panel and the documentation indicated in the regulations.
Following the act of defence of the thesis, the Secretary of the panel shall certify compliance with subparagraphs (b) and (d) of the requirements.
Who grants the Mention?
The President of the Doctorate Committee, once he or she has received the documents of the thesis, will issue a certificate of the International Mention, which will be sent to the PhD candidate.