Mentions to the title

To obtain an International Doctorate Mention for a doctoral thesis, the following requirements must be met:

1. Research stays abroad:
   During the doctoral training, the researcher must complete one or more stays outside Spain at one or more higher education institutions or prestigious research centers, totaling a minimum of three months.
   • Stays in the candidate’s country of residence, nationality, workplace, or where they completed the studies granting access to the doctoral program do not count.
   • If multiple stays are undertaken, at least one must last at least one month, and none should be shorter than seven days.
   • All stays must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and authorized by the CAPD prior to their completion.
2. Writing the thesis in a foreign language:
   At least 25% of the thesis must be written in a scientific language relevant to the field of knowledge of the thesis (other than the official languages of Spain), or in the language of the country where the stay (or majority of the stays) took place.
   • This 25% must include full chapters or blocks of the thesis, as well as the summary and conclusions.
   • Indexes, bibliography, and appendices do not count towards this percentage.
3. Defense in a foreign language:
   During the defense, at least 25% of the oral presentation must be in the same foreign language mentioned above (the relevant scientific language or the language of the country where the stay or majority of stays occurred).
   • This rule does not apply if the stays, reports, and external evaluators are from Spanish-speaking countries.
4. External reports:
   • Two expert doctors from institutions outside Spain must submit favorable reports on the thesis.
   • These evaluators cannot be the supervisors of the stays. The doctoral program manages the process of requesting these external reports. External evaluators may be part of the examining committee if the program so decides.
5. International members of the Examining Committee:
   At least one doctor affiliated with a foreign research center, other than the supervisor of the stay, must be part of the thesis examining committee.
    
6. Documentation to be submitted when you apply for thesis defense:
   • Certificate(s) verifying the stay(s), signed by the tutor(s) at the foreign institution and/or the person responsible for its management.
   • Copy of the prior authorization for the stay from the CAPD of your program, endorsed by the thesis supervisor.

The Industrial Doctorate Mention aims to strengthen collaboration between academia and the social, economic, and productive sectors, fostering knowledge transfer and innovation. To obtain this mention, the following requirements must be met:

1. Applied research project

• The thesis must be linked to an original research project with industrial, commercial, social, or cultural relevance.
• The project must be carried out at a company, public administration, or other entity, excluding universities, public research organizations, and university hospitals (except in justified cases for the latter two).
• The minimum duration of the project within the host entity must be 18 months during the doctoral training period.
• This collaboration must be formalized in a report endorsed by the University and the collaborating entity, and validated by the thesis supervisor and the person responsible at the host institution.

2. Collaboration agreement

• A formal agreement between the University and the collaborating entity is mandatory.
• The agreement must include:
  • The obligations of both parties.
  • The distribution of rights related to any resulting industrial property.
  • The selection process for the doctoral candidate.
• The agreement must remain in force for at least the entire period of the candidate’s involvement in the project.
  Agreement model.

3. Employment contract

• The doctoral candidate must have a valid employment contract with the collaborating entity for at least one year during the thesis development.
• The contract must ensure that the candidate:
  • Dedicates at least 50% of their working hours to the research project.
  • Is employed for a minimum duration equivalent to 50% of the total time spent on the thesis (from initial registration to the defense application)

4. Supervision and tutoring

1. The doctoral candidate must have:
   • An academic tutor appointed by the University
   • A designated supervisor at the collaborating entity responsible for overseeing the project’s development. This person may also act as the thesis director if they meet legal requirements. However, they may not be a member of the thesis examining committee.

5. Application for Industrial Doctorate Mention

1. To apply for the Industrial Doctorate Mention, submit the Industrial Doctoral Thesis Application Form via email, along with the following documents:
   1. A report from the collaborating entity signed by the representative responsible for supervising the thesis.
   2. A copy of the employment contract or a certificate of employment history.
   3. A report from the CAPD confirming that the research and training plan aligns with the industrial research project being developed at the collaborating entity.
   4. If applicable, a copy of the resolution granting funding for the industrial doctorate through a competitive public call.
2. After reviewing the submitted documentation, EDIUS will inform you whether your project qualifies as an industrial doctorate.
3. When applying to defend your thesis, you must provide evidence that all initial commitments have been fulfilled. This includes:
   1. A new report from the collaborating entity explicitly detailing the development and scope of the industrial research project in relation to the doctoral thesis.
   2. An updated employment history certificate showing the full period during which the thesis was carried out

This modality involves completing a doctoral thesis under the joint supervision of two or more supervisors affiliated with two or more universities—namely, the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and one or more foreign universities.

1. Benefits of the joint supervision

• The PhD candidate will obtain two or more doctoral degrees—one from each participating higher education institution involved in the cotutelle.
• The doctoral degree issued by USC will include the statement: "Tese en réxime de cotutela coa Universidade 'U'" on the cover.

2. Requirements to obtain joint supervision

• A formal agreement must be signed between the participating universities or institutions.
• Annual tuition fees must be paid at each participating institution throughout all academic years while the thesis is being developed.
  • The thesis must be completed within the time limit established in the agreement, in accordance with the regulations of all participating universities. At USC, the minimum required period of stay is 18 months.
• A research stay of at least 6 months must be carried out at each participating institution (this can be discontinuous). These stays must be documented in your Doctoral Activities Document.
• The thesis must be defended only once, at one of the institutions that signed the agreement.

3. Requesting Joint Supervision

• Inform your USC thesis supervisor of your interest in joint supervision during your first year of enrollment at USC, as it will be necessary to find a co-supervisor at a foreign university.
• If your USC supervisor agrees, they must initiate the process by sending an email to: edius [at] usc.es (edius[at]usc[dot]es) with a completed draft agreement (we will provide you with the model upon request).
• The application must first be approved by the CAPD of your doctoral program, and then by the EDIUS Executive Committee.
• Once approved, EDIUS will contact the foreign university/universities to proceed with signing the agreement.

What does signing the agreement entail?

By signing the agreement, both institutions commit to keeping it up to date. This means:

• You must inform the respective doctoral schools of any changes that may affect your doctoral file, such as: Extensions to the thesis defense deadline, changes or additions to thesis supervisors, changes in the doctoral program, etc.

Requirements to Qualify for the Cotutelle Mention When the Defense Takes Place at the Foreign University

• A favorable report from the EDIUS Executive Committee is required, ensuring the quality of the thesis.
  • If the joint supervision is not authorized by any of the participating institutions, the cotutelle agreement becomes null and void. However, this does not prevent the thesis from being completed at the institution(s) where it was authorized.
• The number and composition of the examining committee will be determined in the agreement. It must include members from both universities. Thesis supervisors may be members of the committee if the agreement allows it, provided that the majority of the committee members are external to the institutions involved in the cotutelle.
• A USC representative on the examining committee will act as the university’s delegate, responsible for custody and transfer of the defense documentation, with prior notification to EDIUS.

Documentation to Be Submitted After Defending the Thesis at a Foreign University

After a successful defense, you will need to submit the following documentation to EDIUS (edius [at] usc.es (edius[at]usc[dot]es)):

• Minutes or certificate of the defense act at the other university, duly signed.
• Certification of the equivalence of the grade obtained (legally signed by the person acting as secretary of the examining committee or by the same individuals who signed the defense minutes).
• PDF of the thesis accompanied by the application for the issuance of the joint supervision (cotutelle) degree.

Please request the necessary agreement templates and associated documentation by emailing us at: edius [at] usc.es (edius[at]usc[dot]es).