The Doctoral School of the University of Valladolid has a set of activities and processes aimed at guaranteeing the quality, control, review and continuous improvement of doctoral studies. These activities and processes are developed and supervised by three bodies: the academic committees of the doctoral programmes, the Doctoral Committee and the Doctoral School itself (EsDUVa). In this process of quality control and supervision, the EsDUVa is responsible for the following functions:
- Organising training activities to promote transversal research skills.
- To collaborate with the Doctoral Commission for the continuous improvement of the quality of doctoral theses presented at the University of Valladolid.
- To promote quality in the third cycle training offer, participating in the processes of verification, monitoring and accreditation of the same.
- To approve applications for the incorporation and withdrawal of researchers in the Doctoral Programmes.
- To define and document the processes and procedures aimed at guaranteeing the quality of postgraduate studies.
In the process of quality control and supervision, the Academic Committees of the doctoral programmes (CAPD) are entrusted with the following functions:
- Establish the requirements and criteria for the selection and admission of doctoral students to each PD.
- To issue reports on applications for the incorporation and withdrawal of researchers as members of the PD.
- To be responsible for the training and research activities of the PD.
- Evaluate the research plan, the doctoral students' activities document, and the reports of the thesis tutors and supervisors.
- Prior to the deposit of doctoral theses, to obtain reports issued by PhD specialists belonging to two different institutions and to propose the list of PhDs who may form part of the examining board that will assess the thesis. The external informants of the thesis may not form part of the examining board. The external reports are incorporated into the thesis and are available to the examining board. External informants and members of the examining board are required to have accredited experience (one period of recognised research activity in the last seven years or two in previous periods).
- Drawing up degree monitoring reports, where the results, the fulfilment of the established goals, the strengths and weaknesses and the actions for improvement are recorded. The Studies and Assessment Office supports the PD in the monitoring processes by collecting and tabulating mainly quantitative information (table of activity, performance and perception indicators).
- Collecting qualitative information on suggestions, complaints and strengths.
- Offering information about the degree on the PD websites.
The Doctoral Thesis Committee is a quality control system of the Doctoral School, whose members are appointed by the Governing Council, and which is responsible, among other duties, for supervising the quality of doctoral theses from the moment they are submitted for defence. The Thesis Committee has a number of tools at its disposal for this purpose:
- Ordinary theses must be endorsed with a contribution or an article of impact recognised by the CNEAI for the area of knowledge and accepted for publication during the PhD. In the compendium of publications modality, a minimum of three scientific articles accepted or published in an impact medium recognised by the CNEAI must be provided.
- You can request changes in the composition of the panels, if the members do not accredit research experience in the area.
- It may request an extension of the external reports to the same experts appointed by the CAPD.
- It may request new reports from other external experts (who are guaranteed anonymity).
- Once the reports have been received, the Thesis Committee can accept the thesis without changes, suggest changes for a new version within the same repository or reject the thesis.
- The Thesis Committee also supervises co-supervision agreements.
The Guarantees Commission is the EsDUVa body responsible for studying and resolving complaints from doctoral and master's degree students regarding their assessment.
The Guarantee Commission will have the following functions:
- a) To study and resolve complaints from students requesting a review of their qualifications in Master's degree courses attached to the EsDUVa, as established in the Academic Regulations.
- b) To study and resolve complaints from doctoral students in relation to evaluations issued by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme.