Thesis defence
Once the thesis is available publicly and there are no further allegations within 10 days, the Department will request the approval to defend the thesis to the Doctoral School.
Deadline: Students must defend their PhD Thesis within the next 6 months after the Doctoral School authorises it.
Thesis defence date
The Doctoral School requires a date for the thesis defence which must have been previously agreed upon. The thesis director is responsible for contacting the members of the panel and the PhD candidate to agree upon a day. To make the necessary arrangements, the PhD student must inform the Department about the date and time the student chooses for the thesis defence. There is a budget of 2,000 Euros There is a budget available to bring any member of the examining board to the thesis defence date (maximum of 2,000 Euros for those coming from a country within the EU, and maximum of 2,500 if they are from countries outside the EU). Expenses exceeding this amount will have to be covered by other funds, e.g. a research project from the thesis supervisor. The allowance of the examining board can be adjusted by inviting any members when they participate remotely. The Department has a protocol prepared for such cases.
The PhD thesis defence could take place between September 1st and July 31st. It is not allowed during August.
The Department's office will arrange the panel members' accommodation and trips and send them a copy of the thesis by e-mail or post.
Panel members will gather in the defence room around half an hour before the start of the presentation to fill in the necessary administrative documents and ask any questions they might have about the defence process. The panel members are also expected to hand in the thesis report form they will have previously received by e-mail.
Room for the Public Defence
The Department's office will book a room for the public thesis defence. If available, the defence will be held in room 40.035 - Albert Calsamiglia or in room 23.S05 - Mercè Rodoreda Auditorium.
The room will be available 30 minutes before the start of the defence so the candidate can check that everything needed for the presentation is working correctly. If the student requires special technical support or needs a place to rehearse during the previous days, a request must be sent to the Department's office.
Once the defence is over, the Department offers a lunch/dinner for those in attendance (the PhD student, the panel members, the supervisor, and one guest of the PhD student). The Department will contact the doctoral student to book a place and confirm attendance.
Administrative procedures before the defence
The Postgraduate Office will send an e-mail to the PhD student with the following information and instructions:
- The Doctoral School agreement authorises the thesis panel.
- "Abonaré" of the dissertation rights fees (Check the tuition fees)
- Instructions to fill in the TESEO Form (Spanish Ministry of Education)
Thesis via videoconference
Below you will find the information you need to organize the thesis defence via videoconference:
- Space equipped with the necessary technology: Mercè Rodoreda Auditorium or Albert Calsamiglia Auditorium (both on the Ciutadella campus).
- Conditions for defending a doctoral thesis via videoconference (agreement of the Steering Committee of December 2015):
- Defending the thesis via videoconference is optional.
- Approval by the Academic Committee.
- The doctoral student must always be present at UPF.
- Only the board member can participate in the defence of the doctoral thesis via videoconference (this must be specified in the proposed thesis board form).
- It is strongly asked to conduct a technical test with the “external” board member a few days before defending the thesis.
Thesis defence protocol
- The panel chair opens the session by welcoming the attendees and presenting the thesis defence.
- The PhD candidate has about 30-40 minutes to present the thesis.
- Each member of the panel has 20-30 minutes to ask questions.
- The PhD candidate has time to answer the questions from the members.
- The panel chair asks the audience if any other Doctor wishes to ask a question.
- The panel president asks the audience and the PhD candidate to leave the room.
- The members of the panel discuss the thesis and grade it. The grading system is: (1) NOT PASS, (2) PASS, (3) GOOD, and (4) EXCELLENT. The equivalent grading in Catalan is 'no apte', 'aprovat', 'notable' and 'excel·lent'. If the grade is (4) Excellent, the president of the panel must ask the other members of the panel to vote for or against the "Cum Laude" mention. The members of the panel will cast their positive or negative vote, which must be secret, in a ballot box. Please find the document of Instructions to members of PhD thesis Tribunals for the award of "Cum Laude" here.
- The PhD candidate and the audience enter the room.
- The chair of the panel informs the student as to the grade and whether the "Cum Laude" mention has been proposed. In this case, the PhD candidate is informed that the result of the "Cum Laude" vote will be known within a week.
- The panel's secretary will give the Department's Office all the documents related to the thesis defence session: a certificate with the thesis grade signed by the members of the panel, the TESEO form, the individual report of each panel member and the ballot box with the votes.
- Within a week of the thesis defense session, the chair of the panel or the PhD programme coordinator will open the ballot box, recount the votes, sign the corresponding "Cum Laude" certificate and inform the student and the thesis director of the result.
International Mention in the Doctoral Diploma
Before requesting the PhD Diploma. the student should request the International Mention in the Doctoral Diploma. Check the requirements and the application form here.