Cotutela
Description
A doctoral thesis is undertaken under the International Co-supervision System when, based on a single defence, the same thesis has the right to two doctoral certificates (one from UPF and the other from a foreign university). It can never be a single jointly awarded certificate.
Included on the front of the doctoral certificate will be “Thesis under the co-supervision system with University X”, under the following circumstances:
- When the doctoral thesis has been supervised by two or more doctors from two universities, one Spanish (in this case UPF) and the other a foreign university.
- When both universities have signed a collaboration agreement for the co-supervision of doctoral theses.
In accordance with the Regulations on Thesis Co-supervision at UPF, the necessary time frame for obtaining a doctorate will be divided between the two universities for alternating placements at each. The minimum time students can spend at either one of the universities can be no less than nine months, with the remaining time spent at the other university. The placement can be undertaken in one or across several periods.
Procedure
- Send the co-supervision application to the Academic Committee of the doctoral programme (attaching all the required documentation):
- Reports from the thesis supervisors of each university.
- Entry and enrolment documentation of the current academic year for the university of origin (only for students who have begun their doctoral studies at the other university).
- A CV and passport photocopy for the supervisor from the other university.
- The Academic Committee endorses the application and, if appropriate, accepts the co-supervision.
- The secretary’s office of your doctoral programme will provide you with UPF’s thesis co-supervision agreement form.
- You must coordinate with the thesis supervisors from UPF and the other university regarding any changes and/or amendments to the text of the agreement and submit the final proposal to the secretary’s office of your doctoral programme for UPF’s review.
- Once you have the final text of the agreement, the Academic Committee will approve the specific agreement and refer it to the rector for him to sign.
You must:
- Respect the applicable regulations of both universities.
- Undertake a minimum placement of 9 months at each institution.
- Make an annual payment of all corresponding enrolment fees to UPF, in accordance with the official public prices.
- Send a request for the issue of the doctoral certificate to the participating universities
If you have been granted authorisation to undertake your thesis within the co-supervision system, check in the “Thesis Information” section in the doctoral thesis’ Monitoring Module that due notification of the co-supervision of the thesis has been given. If this is not the case, contact the secretary’s office of your doctoral programme.
Decision
It is the responsibility of your programme’s Doctoral Studies Committee to grant or deny authorisation for the student to undertake their thesis under an international co-supervision system and to approve the thesis co-supervision agreement between the two institutions.
The secretary’s office of your doctoral programme will notify you regarding the decision.