Usual procedures

Doctoral Thesis

The indications on the development of doctoral studies at the UPM, the preparation of the doctoral thesis, its defense, its evaluation, etc., are included in the state, regional, and UPM regulations. . This regulation can be consulted at this link

The most common procedures are highlighted below, for illustrative purposes

  • 1. Development of the doctoral thesis
  • 2. Prior evaluation of the doctoral thesis
  • 3. Thesis Submission Request and Examiner Panel Proposal
  • 4. Next procedures

a) Throughout the development of the research leading to the preparation and defense of the doctoral thesis, the student must complete, annually – within the deadlines indicated – and on a mandatory basis, the following two documents:

  • A Research Plan that will be evaluated and reported by the director or directors of the thesis and by the CAPD. This document must be submitted by the doctoral student in a timely manner (failure to do so may result in withdrawal from the Program). In this link you can obtain more information about it.
  • An Activity Document, which will be evaluated by the CAPD. In this link you can download the template to use the first year. In successive years the same file will be completed, highlighting in some way what has been done in each year.

b) Doctoral students can request three types of mention to their doctoral degree. They are indicated below, along with the link that refers to the regulations that regulate it:

c) Other procedures that the doctoral student can carry out are those indicated below. For all of them, the doctoral student must first read the regulations that regulate it and the forms to be presented. Applications will generally be submitted through the THESIS platform; and for cases in which this option is not yet enabled, they will be presented by email (preferably with a digital signature).

  • Request for change of dedication.
  • Request for extensions – ordinary and extraordinary – for the deposit of the thesis.
  • Request for temporary withdrawal from the program.
  • Request for co-supervision of the doctoral thesis.
  • Request to change tutor and/or director.
  • Application for an international stay to obtain an International Mention.
  • etc.

In general terms, for a doctoral thesis to be admitted for defense, it must have at least one article admitted for definitive publication in a journal indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) up to the third quartile (Q3) of the last year. published or the year of production of the merit.

When the doctoral thesis is close to completion, the doctoral student can request its prior evaluation through the THESIS platform.

The steps to be taken are included in the Regulations for the Preparation and Evaluation of the Doctoral Thesis. However, at this link (link to the prior evaluation protocol) you can download a protocol that we have prepared, which contains indications, suggestions and answers to questions raised in previous applications.

Once the doctoral thesis is complete, the doctoral candidate may request the submission of their thesis via the THESIS platform. The Committee for Academic Programmes and Doctoral Studies (CAPD) will propose the panel to evaluate the defense, although the doctoral candidate may suggest potential members who are doctors and experts in the field.

The steps to follow are outlined in the Regulations for the Preparation and Evaluation of the Doctoral Thesis. However, a protocol that we have developed can be downloaded from this link , containing instructions, suggestions, and answers to questions raised in previous applications.

Once the deposit and the court are approved by the CAPD, the documentation must follow a series of procedures, which are listed below:

  • The International Doctoral School (EID) receives the documentation, reviews formal aspects, and interacts with the doctoral student and with the CAPD if any modification or correction is necessary.
  • Once the documentation is correct, the EID formalizes the deposit. The thesis must be on public display for 15 days.
  • After 15 days, and if there has been no allegation, the EID sends the documentation to the Doctoral Area Commission (CAD) to schedule a meeting.
  • When the CAD has authorized the defense and the court has approved it, it will issue the corresponding official letters – which will be available on the THESIS platform.
  • From that moment -and not before-, you can begin to organize the defense act.
  • After the defense and evaluation, the doctor can apply for the title.
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