There can be three mentions to the title of Doctor: Mention of Industrial Doctorate, Mention of International Doctorate and Mention of Cotutelle (International joint supervision). These are honorary qualifications that are included on the front of your degree as long as you meet a series of formal academic requirements specific to each of them.
Compliance with these requirements is evaluated by the EDIUS and the academic commissions of the programmes as stipulated in the Regulations.
Types of mentions
Theses with a special international projection, carried out in collaboration with prestigious research and innovation centres and that also have the support of accredited international experts, may qualify for this mention as long as the fulfillment of the following requirements are accredited:
Research stay
You will have to carry out a research stay of at least three months of duration in a prestigious research centre outside of Spain, one time or in discontinuous periods of at least 15 days. In that centre you will have a tutor.
The stay, as well as the activities that it includes, must be endorsed by the supervisor of your thesis and authorised prior to its completion by your CAPD.
- For these purposes, the stay made in the country in which you are born or in the institution where you work will not be considered valid.
- Nor will they be able to count as a stay or parts of a stay, attendance at congresses, conferences, seminars, etc.
After the stay or any of its periods, you will incorporate it into your activities document so that it forms part of your annual evaluation.
- For these purposes, the stay made in the country in which you are born or in the institution where you work will not be considered valid.
Language for the thesis writing
Part of your thesis, at least the summary and the conclusions, must be written and defended in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in your area, different from any of the official languages in Spain.
This rule will not apply when the stays, reports and the presence of experts come from a centre or institution in a Spanish-speaking country.
Favourable report from at least two international experts
A minimum of two expert doctors belonging to a non-Spanish higher education or research institution will have to issue a favourable report on your thesis, in accordance with the procedure and models that we will provide.
Thesis examining committee
At least one expert belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre with the title of doctor and other than the person responsible for the tutoring of your stay will be part of the examining committee that evaluates the defence of your thesis.
The international experts who report the thesis can later be part of the examining committee, as long as they have not been the tutors of the stay. In other words, the person who has been a tutor for the stay can issue a report on your thesis. In turn, whoever reports the thesis can be part of the examining committee. What is not possible is that the person tutoring the stay is part of the committee.
Required documentation when submitting the thesis
In addition to the general documentation, you must present:
- Certificate of stay minimum of 3 months carried out in a research or higher education centre in a country other than Spain.
- Copy of prior authorisation of the completion of the stay by the Academic Committee of your Doctoral Programme (CAPD), endorsed by the thesis supervisor.
- Favourable report of the thesis by two expert doctors belonging to a non-Spanish higher education or research institution.
- Certificate of stay minimum of 3 months carried out in a research or higher education centre in a country other than Spain.
The thesis with an Industrial Doctorate Mention is that original work in which an industrial problem is answered or an innovative project related to industry is developed. It must be carried out within a company (a company from a private or public sector or Public Administration) in any area of knowledge.
In order to be eligible for this mention in your degree, you will have to prove that you have:
- An employment contract with a duration of at least 18 months in which it is specified that you dedicate at least 50% of your working day to the development of the industrial research or experimental development project.
- A descriptive report of the industrial research project or experimental development that you are carrying out approved by the company.
- A tutor in the company, who may act as thesis supervisor as long as he/she meets the requirements to be included in the Register of Directors of the USC.
If you have the above, you must make an application to the EDIUS for approval of the completion of the thesis under the modality of Industrial Doctorate, following the steps indicated below:
- Start: mail us the form Industrial doctorate thesis application with the following annexes:
- Company report signed by the representative of the company who supervises you.
- A copy of your employment contract, or a certificate of your working life.
- CAPD report of your programme as your research plan is adapted to the project you develop in the company.
- If this is the case, a copy of the resolution for the award of an industrial doctorate by competitive public call
- Company report signed by the representative of the company who supervises you.
- EDIUS approval: after analysing the documentation you provide us, the School will inform you if your project is considered an industrial doctorate or not, as well as the need, if applicable, to sign an agreement with the company, as provided in the regulations (article 39.2 c).
- When you deposit, you will have to prove that everything established at the time of the request was carried out, for which you will have to attach
- New report of the company in which reference is made to the development and scope of the project carried out in relation to the thesis.
- An updated working life certificate that includes the period of the realisation of the thesis in the company.
- New report of the company in which reference is made to the development and scope of the project carried out in relation to the thesis.
- An employment contract with a duration of at least 18 months in which it is specified that you dedicate at least 50% of your working day to the development of the industrial research or experimental development project.
What is a Cotutelle?
The Cotutelle or International joint supervision is the realization of the doctoral thesis under the direction of at least two supervisors belonging to two universities, the USC and another foreign university
Both universities sign an agreement in which the terms of the collaboration are set and coordinate the actions leading to a single successful defence of the thesis which can, based on the corresponding rules on academic recognition at degree level in each universitiy, and provided that the thesis meets the quality requirements of both, result in two PhD degrees, one for each participating university.
On the front of the degree issued by the USC, in accordance with the provisions of RD 99/2011, the diligence “Thesis in cotutelle regime with University U” will be included.
With this type of academic collaboration between universities, the USC seeks to encourage exchanges between research groups, the mobility of PhD students and the excellence of PhD thesis.
What requirements must you meet to qualify for cotutelle?
- Enrol annually in a doctoral programme at both universities during all the academic years needed for the preparation of your thesis, being exempt from paying fees at the University in which the defence is not taking place.
- Complete a research stay at each university of at least a six-month duration which can be discontinuous and which you will include in your activity document.
In addition, a joint supervision agreement is required between the two universities.
How is cotutelle requested?
If you want to access this mention, you must inform your supervisor of the USC during your first year of enrolment at the USC, and find another place for your thesis at another foreign university.
If your supervisor agrees, they will request to start the procedure by sending us an email to edius@usc.es with the specific cotutelle agreement model completed.
The application will be submitted for the approval of the corresponding CAPD, as well as the EDIUS Executive Committee. From the School we will inform you to also complete a framework agreement and we will establish the contacts with the other participating university, keeping you up to date with the process and the signing of the agreement/s.
What does the signing of the agreement involve?
By signing the agreement you agree to:
- Keep agreements up to date: inform the respective doctoral schools of the changes in the conditions when completing your thesis that may affect your student file, such as the extension of the defence date, inclusion or change of supervisor, doctoral programme, etc.
- Authorisation for the defence: regardless of where the thesis is to be defended, you will have to submit it at the USC according to the ordinary procedure by electronic office so that a certificate of suitability can be issued to you and your defence be authorised.
What is required to qualify for cotutelle when the defence is at the other university?
- Have a suitability report from the EDIUS to proceed with the defence. In the case of a negative report, the agreement will be without effect, which does not prevent you from being able to carry out the defence at the other University.
- Parity of composition of the examining committee with the presence of members from both universities. Your supervisors may be part of the committee if stated in the agreement, but not holding the presidency of such tribunal and provided that it is composed of at least five members.
- Designation of a USC delegate in the act of defence: the member from the USC, who attends the defence as part of the examining committee, will act as the University delegate for the purpose of custody and transfer of the generated documentation, prior notification to the EDIUS (Act of defence and qualification statement).
Documentation to be presented after the defence
After a successful defence you will have to gather and send to the Academic Management Service (doutoramento@usc.es) with copy to the EDIUS (edius@usc.es) the following documentation:
- Minutes of the act of defence at the other University (legally signed by the corresponding Academic Services).
- Certification model with the qualification obtained (legally signed by the USC Delegate at the defence act).
- Thesis suitability report assessed and issued by the EDIUS after its submission.
Request at this email edius@usc.es the agreement models needed.
- Enrol annually in a doctoral programme at both universities during all the academic years needed for the preparation of your thesis, being exempt from paying fees at the University in which the defence is not taking place.
