Those doctoral students who wish to be awarded the distinction of international doctor must comply with the requirements of the Royal Decree and the regulations governing the doctoral programme on which they are enrolled.
They must state this when they apply to deposit their thesis and present the required documentation.
- International doctor distinction
This distinction can be earned by those doctoral students who are enrolled on doctoral programmes regulated by RD 99/2011 and 1393/2007.
The obverse of the doctoral degree certificate may include the distinction of international doctor provided that the following requirements are met:
- The doctoral student must have studied or conducted research for at least three months at a higher education institution or research centre in a country other than Spain. This period and the activities must have been agreed to by the thesis supervisor and authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme, and are to be included in the doctoral student's activities document.
- Part of the doctoral thesis - at least the abstract and the conclusions - must be written and presented in one of the languages habitually used for scientific communication in the student's area of knowledge. This language must not be of the official or co-official languages of Spain. This requirement does not apply if the student's research visit and reports were undertaken in a Spanish-speaking country or if the experts on the examination panel are from a Spanish-speaking country.
- At least two expert doctors belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research institute must have written a report on the thesis.
- At least one of the members of the examination panel must be an expert doctor affiliated to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre. This expert must not have been involved in the student's study visit.
The thesis must be defended at the URV or one of its affiliated research institutes. In the case of joint doctoral programmes, the thesis must either be defended at any of the participating universities or respect the stipulations of the relevant collaboration agreement.
Check how to apply for the European or international doctoral distinction