Procedure for the submission and defence of the thesis

Once the doctoral thesis has been completed, the doctoral student must apply for the thesis to be deposited through the Catalogue for academic transactions-Doctorate in “Online Thesis Deposit”.

Before starting the application to deposit the doctoral thesis, you are urged to review and have prepared the supporting documents you will have to provide in the process. This is listed on the last page of the guide.

The academic committee will request two external reports on the thesis. For this purpose, the director may propose the names of specialists, who must meet the following requirements:

• To hold the degree of doctor.
• To have accredited research experience of at least one six-year period in the last seven years, or two six-year periods in previous periods, or publications indicating the impact index and the indexing bases used (art. 5.1b) of the rules for presenting and defending the doctoral thesis at the UVa.
• To belong to universities or higher education or research institutions other than the University of Valladolid and its Doctoral School. When applying for the "International Doctorate" mention, these institutions cannot be Spanish.
• To have a research profile related to the topic of the doctoral thesis.

The following may not issue a report prior to the admission for defence of the thesis:

• Co-authors of the contribution presented to endorse the quality of the thesis.
• Co-authors of publications presented in the case of theses through a compendium of publications.
• Researchers belonging to the institution with which the co-supervision agreement has been signed.
• Faculty staff from other universities who are part of the doctoral programme report.
• Researchers belonging to the institution at which the doctoral student undertook their stay to apply for the "International Doctorate" mention.
• Faculty staff or researchers belonging to universities or institutions that have a collaboration agreement with the doctoral programme.
• Researchers belonging to health institutions, except if they also belong to universities (part-time lecturers or adjunct professors) or higher education institutions.

The external reports will be uploaded to Sigma.

If necessary, the doctoral student must draw up a document that sets it the improvements made, justifying the aspects of the external reports which have been taken into account.

The academic committee of the doctoral programme will propose to the Doctoral Thesis Committee the composition of the thesis examination board, which will be made up of three members and two reserve members, whose suitability must be accredited.

It must be taken into account that:

• All proposed members must hold a PhD, have accredited research experience and a research profile appropriate to the topic of the thesis.
• No more than one member of the thesis examination board may belong to the same university.
• Emeritus and honorary emeritus professors, appointed as such at the University of Valladolid, may form part of the thesis examination board.
• For the purpose of forming part of the thesis examination board, the following will be considered as belonging to the University of Valladolid:
  • Researchers belonging to the institution where the doctoral student undertook the stay to apply for the "International Doctorate" mention.
  • Faculty staff or researchers belonging to universities or institutions that have a collaboration agreement with the doctoral programme.
• With due justification, up to a maximum of one incumbent and one reserve may be from institutions that are not universities or higher education institutions. In any case, a majority of the members of the thesis examination board shall always be from universities or institutions of higher education or research.
• In theses with the "International Doctorate" mention, one doctor from a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre must be a member of the thesis examination board. This member may not be the person who was in charge of the student’s stay.
• In theses under international co-supervision and when the thesis is defended at the other university, the composition of the thesis examination board may differ from the one indicated above, if so established in the agreement.

The following may not form part of the thesis examination board:

• The tutor and thesis supervisor, except for theses presented within the framework of bilateral co-supervision agreements with foreign universities that so provide, and only if the thesis is defended at the other university.
• For ordinary theses, the co-authors of the contribution related to the thesis that is included to accredit the quality of the thesis.
• For theses prepared through a compendium of publications, the co-authors of the publications that make up the doctoral thesis.

The academic committee will give its authorisation for the thesis to be deposited before the EsDUVa Doctoral Thesis Committee.

This authorisation will be accompanied by:

• The external reports obtained.
• Authorisation of the supervisor and tutor
• Proposal of the thesis examination board.
• Justification of the suitability of the doctors who have issued the external reports and those put forward to form part of the thesis examination board.
• A positive evaluation of the activities document, through Sigma Doctorado, of the academic year in which the thesis is deposited.

Once the thesis has been deposited with the Doctoral Thesis Committee, a public exhibition period of 10 working days will be opened so that any doctor who so requests may consult the thesis and the external reports and, where appropriate, put forward any arguments they deem necessary in writing to the Doctoral Thesis Committee.

The Doctoral Thesis Committee will authorise defence of the thesis, and will submit the proposal to appoint the thesis examination board to the university rector.

In cases where it is deemed necessary, the committee may request additional reports be issued by other doctors, giving a reasoned evaluation of the thesis, and which expressly establish whether or not it is suitable for defence.

In this case, the doctoral candidate may be required to make the necessary changes, for which they will be granted a period of three months in which to deposit a new version of the thesis, which must include:

• A copy of the thesis with the changes included.
• A new report by the thesis supervisor
• A document explaining the changes included.

Authorisation must also be obtained from the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Once the public exhibition period has elapsed and the defence of the doctoral thesis has been authorised, two actions will take place:

1. The doctoral student will receive an email with the information that the defence has been authorised and that they can now self-enrol for the doctoral thesis examination within the following three days.
2. The rector of the University of Valladolid will appoint the thesis examination board proposed by the Doctoral Thesis Committee.

Self-enrolment in the doctoral thesis examination is made through the Catalogue for academic transactions-Doctorate in "Self-enrolment Doctorate and Self-enrolment Doctoral Thesis Examination".

Payment of the fees for the doctoral thesis examination is always made by credit card (TPV).

The process is very intuitive, but should any problem with payment arise you can consult the following guide: Guide to self-enrolment for the doctoral thesis exam.