International doctoral thesis co-supervision
In order to promote and facilitate the internationalization of its academic offer, the University of Valladolid encourages international co-supervision of doctoral theses. For this purpose, the statement "Thesis in co-supervision with the University U", will be included on the front of the title of Doctor, provided that the following REQUIREMENTS are met:
- A co-supervision agreement will have been formalized between the University of Valladolid and the foreign university(ies) whereby both recognise the validity of theses written under co-supervision and wherein they undertake to award the doctoral degree at the request of the interested parties.
- During the term of the agreement, the doctoral student must be enrolled in doctoral studies at both universities.
- The doctoral student will have a thesis supervisor at each university.
- That, for their doctoral thesis work, the doctoral candidate is awarded a PhD degree from each of the higher education institutions responsible for the thesis and who are signatories of the agreement
- During the training period required to obtain the title of Doctor, the doctoral student must carry out a stay of at least six months at each of the institutions that sign the co-supervision agreement, and must conduct research work, either over a single period or several periods. Stays and activities will be set out in the co-supervision agreement and will be accredited by means of certificates signed by the persons responsible for the stays, and which will be included in the doctoral student's activities document.
- Theses in international co-supervision may also grant the mention "International Doctorate" in the title of Doctor if research stays are carried out at institutions other than those taking part in the formalized agreement, provided that the remaining requirements stipulated for this mention are fulfilled.
The doctoral student must follow the ordinary deposit, public presentation and admission to defence procedure established by the Regulation of Doctoral Studies of the University of Valladolid.
The defence of the thesis shall be a single event and shall be held at either of the two universities –as specified in the agreement. The examining board shall have the approval of the Doctoral Theses Committee or equivalent body of both institutions and shall send an original record of its proceedings to the competent body of each university.
More information in the Rules for Doctoral Studies.
If you are interested in promoting a co-supervision (cotutelle) agreement and/or wish to request information about the process, please contact:
Deputy Director of International Relations at the Doctoral School (EsDUVA):
subdireccion.relaciones.escuela.doctorado@uva.es
Agreements Section of the International Relations Office (RELINT):
The agreement shall be processed and signed during the first year of enrolment in doctoral studies at the University of Valladolid. In exceptional cases in which the Doctoral Theses Committee so authorises –and following a justified request by the promoter of the agreement– processing of the co-supervision agreement may commence and conclude during the second year of enrolment in the doctoral studies.
Once the student has been accepted in the doctoral programme and is enrolled at the UVa, the tutor of the doctoral thesis –as the internal promoter of the agreement– will submit the agreement to the UVa International Relations Service:
- The agreement proposal form, which shall include the agreement of the promoting supervisor and a report justifying the advisability of processing the agreement.
- The suitability report of the supervisor at the foreign university to assess their research experience.
The International Relations Service will send the agreement proposal to the International Relations Coordinator of the Doctoral School to be signed.
In order to continue the process, the tutor of the doctoral thesis –as the internal promoter of the agreement– must present the negotiated text of the co-supervision agreement to the International Relations Service (RELINT) of the UVa, fully completed and previously agreed between the parties involved.
The forms for the proposed co-supervision agreement and the co-supervision agreement template (together with the annex) are available HERE in the panel "Forms for the processing of international co-supervision".
Procedure for processing doctoral theses under international co-supervision
(Agreement of the Doctoral School Management Committee, 21 March 2024)