Access to an official doctoral programme is dependent on the applicant holding an undergraduate degree and a postgraduate or master’s degree. Both of these must be equivalent, respectively, to a higher education degree (Grado or Licenciatura) and master’s degree (Posgrado or Máster) completed in a Spanish University.

Additionally, applicants in the following situations can also apply:

i. Those in possession of an official Spanish undergraduate degree, or an undergraduate degree from another country within the European Higher Education Area must have also completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits during their official university studies, of which at least 60 credits must be master’s related. If the ECTS credit system does not apply, each academic year will be deemed to be equivalent to 60 ECTS credits.

ii. Those in possession of an official Spanish undergraduate degree, or equivalent, with at least 300 ECTS credits, according to European Community Law. In such cases, applicants must have attained complementary study credits (except in those cases where the completed undergraduate degree curriculum includes research credits equivalent to master’s level research credits).

iii. University graduates who, after obtaining a place through the corresponding access exam for specialized medical training, have successfully completed at least two years’ study on a programme in order to obtain their official degree in one of the health sciences areas.

iv. Those in possession of an official degree from a higher education institution outside the European Higher Education Area.

• Note: in such cases, there will be no initial requirement for the applicant to attain official approval of the degree certificate (homologación). The UGR will determine if the foreign degree is equivalent to an official master’s degree in Spain and permits access to doctoral programmes in their home country. (The degree in question will be subject to validation by the UGR to confirm that it accredits an equivalent level of study to that of the official Spanish master’s degree and gives access to doctoral studies in the home country).

v. Those in possession of an official Spanish doctorate or PhD degree pertaining to previous university systems.

Processing of Applications:

Upon reception of the application, the Academic Committee for each doctoral programme may either:

i) Accept the application. ii) Establish additional study requirements for the applicant prior to thesis writing. iii) Reject the application.

Applicants are strongly advised to visit the website of the programme they wish to apply for in order to inform themselves about specific application criteria.

If the thesis is to be undertaken at a collaborating centre, institution, or entity not belonging to the University of Granada, this must be mentioned in the application. There must be a formal agreement both between this associated centre (CSIC, company, etc.) and the University of Granada, and with the corresponding doctoral programme, which allows the doctoral candidate to undertake the thesis at their premises. The applicant must also provide a letter from the director of the centre in question, authorizing them to carry out their thesis there. This letter must be attached to the application.

(Please note that you will receive an e-mail from the admissions office when these documents are required for submission).

1. Completed Doctoral Programme Admissions Application form.
2. Letter of acceptance from the collaborating centre, institution, or entity in which the thesis will be carried out, if this does not belong to the University of Granada.

Additional documents to be scanned and submitted:

a. Your official undergraduate degree.

b. Academic transcripts of undergraduate studies (transcripts for each completed year must be included.)

c. Your official master’s or doctorate degree allowing access to doctoral programmes at the UGR.

d. Academic transcripts of master’s degree, doctorate or PhD studies.

e. A sworn translation of the above documents (in 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d) if they are not issued in either Spanish or English.

f. Diplomatic legalization, or an Apostille of The Hague, for the above documents (only for applicants from outside the European Higher Education Area.)

g. Certificate (in Spanish or English) issued by your university of origin that confirms that your degree (master’s or doctorate) qualifies you to undertake doctoral studies in your home country. (Only for applicants from outside the European Higher Education Area.)

h. Letter of recommendation from supervisor or researcher at the UGR stating their intention to support the applicant throughout their doctorate

i. Passport or Identity Card.

j. Curriculum vitae (optional).

k. Language certificates (optional).

Applicants who are currently or have been students at the UGR can submit those documents generated via their online Identified Access (Acceso Identificado), in which case official certificates for 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are NOT necessary.

For additional application requirements please consult the website of the programme to which you wish to apply. Furthermore, it is advisable to obtain and submit a letter of recommendation from the researcher who intends to support you throughout your studies. If a recommendation letter is necessary in order to gain admission into the course to which you are applying, you must download the recommendation letter template, which is available via the online admissions tool.

The admissions process is to be completed exclusively by submitting the application ELECTRONICALLY online and presenting the aforementioned documents via the following link:

Online application tool

Once submitted, applicants will be informed of progress in their application via the electronic admissions tool.

Once the list of successful applicants for each doctoral programme in question is published, these successful applicants will receive an email with a unique password, which is required for enrolment and registration confirmation.

Once enrolment is completed, there will be a maximum timeframe (which will be specified) during which students must present the following documentation:

• Originals, or officially verified and stamped copies, of the documents originally submitted via email (except in such cases where the University of Granada is already in possession of these originals).

• The formal written approval of the research project proposal by the thesis supervisor(s), where applicable.

The aforementioned documents can be presented:

• At the Registry of the International School for Postgraduate Studies.

• At any official Registry of the University of Granada.

• At the Government’s Regional Offices (Subdelegación de Gobierno) of any province in Spain.

• Via the Spanish consulate or embassy of any country worldwide.

Should the student not provide the necessary documentation in the specified timeframe, their enrolment will be nullified, following due notification.

For additional information regarding access and admission and the types of Doctoral programmes available, please see below. Applicants are advised to read this section carefully so as to avoid delays in the application process.

The diplomatic legalization of degrees and certificates will depend on the agreement signed between Spain and the issuing country, as follows:

• Countries in which the European Union’s directives on degree recognition are applicable:

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland (thanks to a bilateral agreement with the EU).

If the degree has been issued by one of these countries, the application documents do not require legalization.

• Countries belonging to The Hague Convention:

It is only necessary that the degree have the corresponding Apostille. More information on Apostilles: Click here (in Spanish).

Apart from all the countries belonging to the European Union, the following are also covered by the Hague Convention:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Republic of Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Estonia, Russia, Republic of Fiji, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Mauricio Island, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Macao, Monaco, Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Niue, Panama, Puerto Rico, Rumania, San Vicente and Las Grenadines, Western Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Switzerland, South Africa, Surinam, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, Serbia, and Montenegro.

Extensions: The Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles, Aruba); United Kingdom (Anguilla, Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Isle of Man, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, The Cayman Islands, The Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands).

• All other countries:

Degree certificates must bear the following official stamps:

From the Ministry of Education in the country where the degree was completed. In the case of degrees and certificates from Brazilian Universities, this stamp is not necessary.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the degree’s home country.

From the Spanish diplomatic representation in the country of origin (at an embassy or consulate).

1. If access to the official master’s degree, issued by a Spanish university, was through a three-year undergraduate (equivalent to 180 ECTS credits) and the official master’s degree carries fewer than 120 ECTS credits, am I still eligible to access a doctoral programme?

To gain access to a doctoral programme, the applicant must undertake additional university-accredited studies in order to complete the mandatory 300 ECTS credits. The Academic Committee of the programme will study and approve, where appropriate, this complementary period of study to allow admission.

2. Can I gain access to a doctoral programme if I, as in the above example, have a three-year undergraduate degree from Spain, where the number of credits, along with that of my official master’s degree, exceeds 300 credits?

It is important not to confuse the credits obtained in the previous undergraduate degree system (Licenciatura) with the current ECTS credits obtained via the new official undergraduate (Grado) or master’s degrees. They are not comparable, as the former refer to the teaching hours received, and the latter to the minimum workload necessary to pass the course.

Regarding the Rules Governing Official Doctoral Programmes and the Doctoral Degrees Issued by the University of Granada, article 11.2a specifies that “In the case of degree programmes to which the ECTS credit system does not apply, each academic year will be deemed to be equivalent to 60 ECTS credits”.

3. Is any master’s degree issued by a Spanish University valid in order to gain access to a doctoral programme at the UGR?

Only official master’s degrees are valid for gaining access to a doctoral programme.

4. How can I find out whether a master’s degree is official or not?

Normally, the official master’s certificate or accreditation (degrees or supplemental degree certificates) indicate the official nature of the degree. If this is not the case, the applicant can consult the Register for University Qualifications (Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos) at www.educacion.gob.es/ruct to verify the status of the master’s degree in question.

If you have any further questions, please contact us via email at epdoctorado@ugr.es. Please state in the SUBJECT field: ‘Help with access to doctorate’. Thanks to your questions, we can continue to improve the information we provide.