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Doctoral Management- Management of Administrative procedures

Procedure for depositing and defending the Doctoral Thesis

 Summary of the procedure

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Students who have written their doctoral thesis, and who wish to obtain the degree of doctor, must submit their doctoral thesis so it can be approved.
The doctoral thesis consists of an original piece of research written by the candidate in any discipline.
Once the doctoral thesis has been written and the supervisor or co-supervisors have written a favourable report, the student must follow the procedure below:

DEPOSITING THE DOCTORAL THESIS (First phase)
 Who: Students who wish to submit their doctoral thesis to oral examination to obtain the degree of doctor.
Where: At the secretary's office of the department to which the thesis supervisor belongs and after the supervisor has issued a favourable report. If the departments involved agree, the application can be submitted to one of the other departments that form part of the POP (Official Postgraduate Programme).
When: After the doctoral thesis has been written and on the date specified by the department before submission to the Postgraduate and Doctoral School. The date on which the committee responsible for the doctoral programme is to be convened must be taken into account.
Documentation: By presenting the following documents:

• Application for a doctoral oral examination
• A copy of the thesis
• Authorization by the supervisor or co-supervisors of the thesis (Thesis supervisor's authorization model)
• Authorization from the committee responsible for the official doctoral programme (Doctorate coordinator's authorization form)
• Should the student wish to be awarded the distinction of "Doctor Europeus", please consult the following website: www.urv.cat Doctoral studies – Administrative Procedures – (Application to European ditinction of Doctor Europeus)

• Document of the doctoral student's activities (will affect theses deposited on or after 11th February, 2012)
 
Observations: Before depositing their thesis, students must check that they have paid all the thesis tutorial fees and that they have got their DEA certificate (RD 778/1998) (if applicable).

DEPOSITING THE DOCTORAL THESIS (First phase)
 Who: The secretary's office of the department to which the thesis supervisor belongs, after the committee responsible for the official doctoral programme has issued a favourable report.
When: Before the 30th of every month and after the committee responsible for the postgraduate programme has met and accepted the deposit.
How: 1. By expressly stating on the bottom of the application form that the committee responsible for the doctoral programme has accepted the deposit of the thesis and returning the original to the student.

2. Submission to the Postgraduate and Doctoral School.

• The authorization of the committee responsible for the postgraduate programme (the coordinator of the doctoral programme must draft a report).
• Copy of the authorization from the supervisor or co-supervisors of the thesis.
• Application to register the doctoral thesis proposal, if the title and the supervisor or co-supervisors of the thesis have been modified with respect to the original registration and no longer coincide with the details of the thesis which is being deposited.
• Any documents that the evaluation process may have generated. These must necessarily include the overall report on the quality of the thesis written by the thesis supervisor, and another report guaranteeing quality written by the committee responsible for the doctoral programme.
• A proposal of which experts should be members of the examination panel to assess the thesis (3 members and 3 substitutes) indicating who will be the Chairperson and the Secretary. They must have the degree of doctor and proven research experience, and be active researchers or be able to show that they have done research which has been recognized by the scientific community. Those experts not from the URV must comply with similar requirements, which will be accredited by the committee responsible for the doctoral programme.
At least two members must be external to the URV and institutions collaborating with the program.
If students wish to be awarded the Doctor Europeus distinction: a certificate to show that they have made a study visit of at least three months outside Spain.

DEPOSITING THE DOCTORAL THESIS (2nd phase)
 Who: The student who wishes to defend his/her doctoral thesis to be awarded the degree of doctor and who has been accepted by the committee responsible for the official doctoral programme.
Where: At the Postgraduate and Doctoral School.
When: The first ten days of every month (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) August is not a working month.
How: By presenting the following documents:

• A copy of the thesis (if the copy has only been provisionally bound, then it must be substituted for a copy which has been fully bound and covered before the thesis is defended).
• If the thesis has been drafted in another language, a four-page summary must be provided in Catalan or Spanish.
• TDX form duly completed. Go to www.urv.cat intranet Doctorat studies – Administrative Procedures – Communication of thesis by means of TDX.
Observations: The Postgraduate and Doctoral School will verify that the student has enrolled for the thesis tutorial after being admitted by the department to the doctoral thesis preparation phase.

RESOLUTION OF THE APPLICATION (2nd phase)
 Who: The Postgraduate and Doctoral School
When: When the thesis has been deposited, and the documentation validated.
How: By providing students with two receipts: one to confirm that the thesis has been deposited, and the other for the examination of the doctoral thesis.
Observations: This fee must be paid before the oral examination

Students can consult the status of their thesis using their identity card number.

COMUNICATION OF THE THESIS DEPOSIT
 Who: The Postgraduate and Doctoral School.
Where: On the website.
When: The Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee will inform all the departments, institutes, faculties and schools of the university that a thesis has been deposited a maximum of five days after the event. The thesis will remain deposited for 10 natural days during which time any doctor may pass on any observations which he or she may have regarding the contents of the thesis to the chairperson of the Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee.

PROCESSING THE THESIS APPROVAL BY THE EXAMINATION PANEL AND DEFENCE OF THE THESIS
 Who: Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee (it will meet around the 25th of every month).
Where: On the website.
When: A maximum of 5 days after the Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee has met.
Observations: Depending on the documentation it receives, the Postgraduate and Doctoral Commission will authorize or not the defence of the thesis. If the defence of the thesis is not authorized, the Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee must give its reasons in writing to the student, to the thesis supervisor and to the committee responsible for the doctoral programme.

Students can consult the status of their thesis using their identity card number.

SENDING THE THESIS TO THE MEMBRES OF EXAMINATION PANEL
 Who: The department
How: To the 3 main members and the 3 substitute of the panel
When: After the thesis has been submitted and the examination panel has been approved by the Postgraduate and Doctoral Commission.
Documentation: A copy of the thesis.

 
 
 
 
COMMUNICATION OF THE DATE FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE DOCTORAL THESIS
 Who: The secretary of the examination panel on behalf of the chairperson.
How: On the website.
Where: To the chairperson of the Postgraduate and Doctoral Committee (Postgraduate and Doctoral School).
When: At least seven days before the oral examination
Observations: The defence will take place in a public session during the teaching period of the academic year (not including August).

COMMUNICATION, DATE, TIME, AND PLACE OF THE ORAL EXAMINATION
 Who: The Postgraduate and Doctoral School.
To who

• The members of the panel
• The coordinator of the doctoral programme
• The department to which the programme coordinator is affiliated
• The department to which the thesis supervisor is affiliated
• The head of the Secretary' Office of the Facult/School
• The doctoral student
• The Accounts and Finance Service
• The Research Management Service
• The Human Resources Service
• The Communications and External Relations Bureau
• The Publications Unit.

Information about the oral examination will also be posted on the web page of the Office for Communication and External Relations.
How: On the website.
When: As soon as the secretary of the examination panel has communicated the date of the oral examination.

THE ORAL EXAMINATION
 Where: At the Faculty/School specified by the department.
When: On the date specified by the chairperson of the examination panel.
How:

• The oral examination consists of the candidate presenting the research work carried out, with particular emphasis on any original contributions.
• The members of the examination panel will ask the student any appropriate questions.
The doctors present at the public act may ask questions as and when they are indicated to do so by the chairperson of the examination panel.
• At the end of the oral examination, each member of the examination panel will write down their evaluation and the overall grade will be communicated.
Documentation: Before the defence of the thesis, the department must present the secretary of the panel with:

• A list of the members of the examination panel
• The doctoral degree records
• The Teseo database form
• A doctoral thesis quality assessment form for each member of the examination panel (5 copies)
• The forms needed by the examination panel to award the overall grade of the doctoral thesis.

• Form for adding the distinction "cum lade" (will affect theses deposited on or after 11-02-2012)
• Document of the doctoral student's activities (will affect theses deposited on or after 11-02-2012)

Grades                    

Theses deposited before and incluiding 10 Febraury 2012

The examination panel will award the final overall grade in accordance with the following scale, which will be added to the record of the doctoral degree.

• fail
• pass
• B (good)
• A (excellent)

The examination panel may give the award of cum laude if the overall qualification is excellent and it is voted for unanimously.

Theses deposited on or after 11 Febraury 2012

• Once the defence of the thesis has finished, the panel will issue a report and the final grade awarded to the thesis, which will be either: Pass or Fail.
• The panel may award the thesis the distinction of "cum lade" if this is the unanimous decision of the secret vote.
• For the distinction to be awarded, the vote count must take place in a different session from the defence of the doctoral thesis.
•Those who obtain the final grade of pass "cum lade" will have an opportunity to obtain a special award.

CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEDURE (processing of the 1st phase documentation)
 Who The secretary of the panel
 How

The secretary will present the following documentation:

• A copy the officially recorded grade of the degree of doctor, duly signed by the panel members who attended the thesis
• The information form the Teseo database, signed by the secretary of the panel.
• The quality assessment form for the doctoral thesis, signed by each of the panel members.
• The form awarding the final grade to the president of the panel.
• Document of the doctoral student's activities.

 To

whom

  The department
 When  Once the thesis defence has been completed.

CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEDURE (processing of the 2nd phase documentation)
  Who  The secretary of the department will present:
 How

• The original copy of the officially recorded grade of the degree of doctor to the Academic Management Service.
• A copy of the grade and the information from the Theseo database to the Postgraduate and Doctoral School.
 When Once the documentation has been received by the secretary of the panel.
 CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEDURE (processing of the 3rd phase documentation)

 
 
  Who The Academic Management Service.
 How  By presenting all the documentation referring to the doctoral student that has been generated during throughout the doctoral thesis.
 When  Once the original copy of the officially recorded grade of the degree of doctor has been received and the corresponding grade has been recorded on the academic transcript by means of the computer system established for the purpose.

 
 
 
COMMUNICATION OF THE THESIS PROPOSAL (TDX)
 Who: The student
Where: At the secretary's office of the school or faculty on which the official doctoral studies of the official postgraduate programme administratively depend, and as soon as the thesis is deposited.
Documentation:

• The thesis in a single unprotected pdf file
• Contract signed in triplicate for the electronic publication of the thesis and subsequent public communication. This will be handed over by the Postgraduate and Doctoral School when the thesis is deposited.
• A maximum 150 word summary in Catalan or Spanish, as well as another in English, also in a computer file (Word).
 

(For more information, go to: www.tdx.cesca.es)
When: When the student has satisfactorily completed the oral examination.

Informació

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