Cotutelle (International joint supervision)

- Application

The first step, both for UAB students and those coming from a foreign university, is to apply for admission and register for a doctoral programme at the UAB. Then you need to request the processing of the co-supervision by the Standing Committee

- Deadline

The co-supervision agreement document must be signed no later than one year after the first registration at the UAB. The processing time is approximately six months.

- Physical stay at each university*

Minimum stay of six months at each university, which can be divided over the entire duration of the doctoral programme.

At the time of deposit, you must include in the activity document a certificate confirming your stay at each institution, signed by the corresponding supervisor:

• 62 Co-supervision: Research stay at public or private foreign universities,
• 63 Co-supervision: Research stay at the UAB.

*Before starting your research stay, you must complete and comply with any special procedures or requirements that may be required by the INSS (National Social Security Institute) in order to benefit from healthcare coverage abroad. You can consult this information on travel abroad for recommendations from the Ministry.

- Thesis supervisors

You must have at least one supervisor at each university. The supervisors from the other universities will also have to be registered in your academic record, they will have to sign the documents that are necessary during the studies, and, in due course, validate the activities and the deposit of the thesis.

- Financial aspects

At the UAB you will have to pay the registration fee for all academic years, as well as the fees for issuing the degree at the end of the doctoral programme, and any costs that may arise from the studies and procedures (insurance, certificates, etc.) You will also have to pay costs at the other universities, where applicable, according to their regulations. Defence fees are only paid at the university where the session is held. You can check the prices here.

- Conditions and regulations

The same conditions and regulations must be satisfied as for the rest of the UAB students:

• Academic-administrative calendar
• Regulations for PhD
• Regulations for each PhD programme

In the event that there are higher-ranking regulations applicable to the UAB that govern co-supervision, the agreements could be affected by them, such as aspects of awarding degrees, composition of the panel, etc.

- International doctoral research component

If you opt for co-supervision of your thesis you are recommended to also opt for the international doctoral research component. In relation to the three-month stay to obtain this component:

• The thesis supervisors cannot be responsible for the stay.
• The stay must be carried out in an institution other than the co-supervising universities.
• The stay can be done in the same country as the co-supervision or in another.

- Languages of writing and defence

Catalan, Spanish, English or one of the official languages at the other university. An abstract in one of the accepted thesis languages for the other university must always be included. It will not be necessary to request a defence in a foreign language.

- Deposit

The thesis must be deposited at each of the universities that have signed the agreement, meeting the deadlines of all of them. The rest of the requirements must also be met: external reports, dissemination, approval by the examination panel.

- Examination panel

Independently of the place of the defence, the regulations of all the signatory universities regarding the composition of the examination panel must be complied with.

The number of members may be higher than that for a regular thesis (3 full members), meeting the following requirements:

• Minimum 3 members,
• Between 2 and 3 reserve members,
• If there are 3 or more, one member must be from the signatory universities,
• If there are 5 or more, one member must be from the UAB,
• Balanced composition between men and women,
• In all cases, the majority of members must be external to all the signatory universities.

The exact number of full and reserve members, and their distribution among the universities and people external to them, must be specified in the annexe to the agreement, although it is not necessary to indicate the specific people at this stage.

- Place of defence: as specified in the agreement. It can be UAB or one of the signatory universities. It is not necessary to request defence outside the UAB.

• If the defence is carried out at the UAB by videoconference, the procedures and requirements for videoconferences at the UAB must be complied with,
• If the defence is carried out at the other university by videoconference, you must consult its procedures and requirements there.

- PhD Degree

You will obtain a degree at each university, complying with the application procedure  required in each place. The UAB report includes on the front the diligence of "Thesis under joint supervision with the (university that signed the agreement)"

 

 

If you did not find in this page the information you need, you can contact the School for Doctoral Studies at ed.comissions@uab.cat (if you send an email, you must identify yourself by indicating your ID / passport, NIU, name and surname).

 

 

 

Links to the procedures related to joint supervision

• Admission
• Registration
• Add a supervisor
• Application to the Standing Committee
• Activities
• Thesis deposit and defense
• Request for degree certificate

 

Documents

Models of agreement:

• Catalan
• Spanish
• English