General Admission Requirements to PhD programmes
The General Admission Requirements to a PhD programme will be those established by law.
Currently, as provided under Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, amended by Royal Decree 43/2015:
- As a general rule, applicants to official PhD programmes must hold an official undergraduate degree or equivalent and an official Master’s degree.
- Candidates must comply with one of the following requirements:
- Candidates must hold an official Spanish university diploma or one from another European Higher Education Area member country valid for access to Master’s degree programmes in compliance with article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, 29 October. Candidates are also required to have earned a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in official university programmes, at least 60 of which must have been earned at the Master’s degree level.
- Candidates must hold an official Spanish undergraduate degree, which, in compliance with EU law, requires successful completion of at least 300 ECTS credits. Candidates holding only undergraduate degrees are required to take additional courses unless the curriculum for the degree they completed includes research training credits, equivalent to those envisaged at the Master’s degree level.
- University graduates who have previously passed the official exams required to enter a residency programme in Health Sciences and have successfully completed at least two years in the specialist programme leading to award of an official degree in a specialist field of Health Sciences.
- Candidates who have obtained a degree in compliance with foreign educational systems, without the need to have the degree officially recognised. However, prior proof that the degree accredits qualifications equivalent to official Spanish Master’s degrees and allows entry to doctoral studies in the issuing country is required. Under no circumstances will this process imply recognition of the degree certificate for any purposes other than access to PhD programmes.
- Candidates holding another Spanish PhD diploma obtained in degree programmes which have been discontinued.