New regulation for carrying out doctoral thesis with co-tutorship, approved by agreement of the Governing Council of 16 July 2021 – BOUC 29-07-2021.

What is the co-tutorship agreement for doctoral thesis?

It is the realization of a doctoral thesis on any field of knowledge by a doctoral student between two universities from different countries, and directed, at least, by a supervisor from each university or participating institution. The doctoral thesis shall be defended in one of the universities or participating institutions and the doctoral student gets a PhD degree certificate from each university.

What does the co-tutorship require?

• To meet the admission requirements and be accepted and enrolled in the both PhD programmes, one of the UCM and one of the foreign university. This procedure must be performed in accordance with the regulations of each university.
• To carry out a stay at each university during the period of the PhD programme. The time spent at each university cannot be less than six months.
• A co-tutorship agreement signed by both universities specifying among other things: the specific periods of stays, the supervisor at each university, the university where the thesis shall be defended, the composition of the tribunal and the thesis languages.

Who can apply for the co-tutorship?

The PhD student admitted and enrolled in a PhD programme at UCM. 

When to apply for the co-tutorship?

The co-tutorship must be applied during the first year of the PhD programme.

How to apply for the co-tutorship?

The PhD student must fill in the application form (Anexo I) for the co-tutorship and submit it to the Academic Committee of the PhD programme where is enrolled, attaching the documentation indicated in the application form.

Who resolves the co-tutorship?

The application will be studied by the Academic Committee of the PhD programme that must inform about the convenience of the application and authorize it before sending to the Doctorate Committee of UCM for the final approval. No application will be authorized if it does not comply with the co-tutorship regulation of the UCM.

Who processes the co-tutorship agreement?

Once the application has been authorized, the Doctorate Committee of UCM will communicate the resolution to the Academic Committee of the PhD programme to inform the interested parties and will send it to the International Relations Office (mjserna@ucm.es) which will be in charge of formalizing the agreement. It will have to be signed by the rectors of both universities.

Must the PhD student enrol at UCM?

Yes. Although the PhD student is doing the thesis under co-tutorship agreement, he/she must enrol annually at UCM on the same dates as the rest of the doctoral students at UCM.

Must the doctoral student complete the Activities Document and the Research Plan at UCM?

Yes. The Research Plan and the Activities Document at UCM must be generated and accepted every academic year to evaluate his/her academic progress. The PhD student must register the activities and the Research Plan through the RAPI application as the rest of the PhD students in accordance with the UCM PhD regulation.

Where does the PhD student defend the thesis?

The thesis shall be defended at university established in the co-tutorship agreement.

Regardless of the university of defense, the PhD student must deposit the thesis in the Academic Committee of the PhD programme at UCM following the established procedure and meeting the same requirements as the other PhD students. When the defense takes place at UCM the PhD students must also submit the official certificate of the stays carried out at the foreign university. When the defense takes place at the foreign university must also submit in the Academic Committee the official certificate of the stays carried out and the tribunal proposal made by the other university before defending thesis.

How to apply for the doctorate degree at UCM?

The PhD student has to apply for the degree in the student office of the Faculty responsible for the PhD programme and follow the same instructions as the rest of the PhD students at UCM.

FORMS:

Application for the realization of the Doctoral Thesis in Co-tutorship Regime (ANEXO I)

Authorization of the Academic Committee (ANEXO II) 

 

MORE INFORMATION:

• Doctorate Section: gestiondoctorado@ucm.es
  
• International Relations Office: mjserna@ucm.es