Resources
Infrastructure, Services and Resource Provisioning
The quality of the Programme's training is backed by the merits of a large number of researchers. The University of Córdoba has made a significant effort in this regard, managing to attract a significant number of doctoral students, mainly through the signing of agreements with Ecuadorian and Italian universities and institutions. This valuable initiative has flourished thanks to the ever-greater research qualifications of the professors in the Social and Legal areas of the University of Córdoba. The number of 127 researchers, of which 73 are full professors (29 catedráticos and 44 profesores titulares), and 54 associate professors, with a total of 165 six-year research terms (sexenios), the 18 national and European research projects currently underway, and the high impact index of many of the publications of these researchers, speak to the quality of the Programme and render viable approval of the modification presented to augment the new number of slots in the next class to 90.
Students in the Social and Legal Sciences Doctoral Programme conduct their research on the Campus of the University of Córdoba, which has the material resources and services necessary for them to do their work properly.
More information on the research teams' material resources can be found on their respective web pages.
Doctoral students have access to the different resources available to the Departments, such as the library of each department, and conventional and interactive classrooms, the latter equipped with computers, digital whiteboards, Wi-Fi connections, the UCO website and the virtual teaching platform, etc
The Rabanales Campus features the Central Research Support Service (SCAI), whose resources can be consulted on its own website
The Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI) supports doctoral students/doctoral programs with the following processes:
- Information on University-Company relations and the possibility of incorporating doctoral students into the productive and business fabric.
- Information on the protection and valorisation of results.
- Promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit and support for the creation of Technology-Based Companies.
- Compilation and publication of the UCO's main transfer results of an innovative nature. The divulgation of transfer activities.
- Participation in training in official Master's programmes and specialization courses/conferences/workshops.
Doctoral students have access to the UCO's different libraries, although, due to its proximity to the laboratories where they carry out their research, the Biblioteca Universitaria Maimónidess library, on the Rabanales campus, is the one most accessible to them. All the resources it offers can be viewed on its website.
Doctoral students also have access to the different sports facilities available at the UCO. It offers numerous athletic services for everyone, both the university community and anyone who wants to practice sports. University Sports at the University of Córdoba represents a firm commitment to the promotion of exercise and healthy lifestyles in the university community, as well as promoting the university in society through the organization of sporting events. All the resources it offers can be viewed at: ucodeporte/instalaciones/
In the event of any problems, the Technical Unit carries out quick assistance interventions to define malfunctions, possible improvements, and to answer questions raised, to proceed later with their execution. Like the other services mentioned, its functions and services can be viewed on its website web.
Waste generated in research done by doctoral student is handled by the Environmental Prevention and Protection Service whose basic objective is the promotion and coordination of activities aimed at protecting workers' safety and health, defending the environment, and the preservation of the University's natural resources.
The Rabanales Campus has other services such as bank offices, ATMs, labour information offices, copy services, cafeterias, a photography classroom, and university dorm, among others
All the infrastructure at the Rabanales Campus (classrooms, laboratories, library, bars, services, etc.) is adapted for accessibility by people with disabilities.
Doctoral students also have the support of the Student Information Office and the International Relations Office available to them.
The infrastructure, provisioning of resources and common services available at the University of Córdoba can be specifically viewed via the following link.
In relation to external and internal resources that may finance attendance at congresses and seminars, the acquisition of international or industrial" mentions", carrying out theses under joint tutelage regimes, or completing any other training activities that result in obtaining research competencies and capacities, doctoral students have different routes, which are listed in the following section.
Finally, many research teams have agreements with different institutions and companies to access funds to finance their research and to allow doctoral students to engage in activities aimed at enhancing their training as researchers.
Frequent Questions
Where can I apply for admission to the Legal and Social Sciences Doctoral Programme?
You must do so at the University of Córdoba, through its website: http://www.uco.es/idep/doctorado
When should I apply for admission to the Doctoral Programme?
By the deadlines set by the Doctoral School; normally, between September and October, and, in some cases, in January-February. Regardless of the enrolment deadline, it is valid until the following September or October.
What are the basic requirements for access to the Doctoral Programme?
You must have completed an official research-oriented Master's degree related to the Programme's research lines.
Can I get into the Programme if I have not completed an official research-oriented Master's?
If you have completed a different type of Master's degree, you may be able to get into the Programme if you complete complementary training.
What complementary training should I complete if I do not have a research-oriented Master's degree?
The number of credits varies depending on the university where one does the complementary training. In general terms, you need to earn official research-oriented Master's degree credits, including credits for methodological subjects, content credits and a Final Master’s Thesis (TFM) in accordance with the research line you have chosen.
Who is responsible for the decision to approve or deny my application for admission to the Programme?
After submitting your application to the University's Doctoral School, the body responsible for student admission is the Programme's Academic Committee (CAPD). After your application has been approved by the CAPD, you can proceed to enrol according to the procedures established by the Doctoral School.
Must I have a thesis advisor when applying for admission to the Programme?
Not necessarily, though you must have a "tutor", who may or may not be your thesis advisor as well.
For my thesis advisor, I would like to work with someone who is not on the Doctoral Programme's list. Would that be possible?
Yes, but he or she will not be able to advise you alone: you must have a professor from the Programme co-advise you on your thesis.
What is co-tutelage? (co-tutela) Is it the same as co-advisorship? (co-dirección)
Not exactly, since co-tutelage (co-tutela) entails that one's advisor belongs to an academic institution outside the programme. Co-tutelage leads to the awarding of a doctorate from both institutions, and normally means that the doctoral student will divide the years of their training stage between two academic institutions (at least 6 months, continuous or in two periods, at each of the two Universities).
How do I apply for co-tutelege (co-tutela)?
The approval of the co-tutelage depends on each doctoral school and entails the signing of a specific agreement between the two universities involved. You must contact the Doctoral School to initiate the relevant procedures.
How long do I have to complete my doctoral thesis?
It depends on the plan you choose. If you enrol full time, it is 3-5 years; part time, 5-8 years.
Is it necessary to present my Doctoral Thesis Project or Research Plan when applying for admission to the programme?
No. You must submit your research plan at the end of the first year.
What is a Research Plan?
It is a report that you must file based on the form made available to you. It is very important that you complete it thoroughly, detailing all its points, because you will need to produce annual follow-up reports based on them, accounting for their realisation.
What are the points that I must include in my Research Plan?
A hypothesis, with a brief description of the object or corpus of the work, and what you intend to demonstrate in it; its background, indicating the lines of work to which it is related and the research ir draws on; its objectives, or research questions, expressed in a very concrete and verifiable way (it is recommended that they be limited to three or four. To "study" or "analyze" should not be included as objectives, because these are procedures); its methodology, with some prominent publication on the advisor's CV and the critical or theoretical current of which it forms part; and a bibliography.
Apart from the Research Plan, is there anything else that I should do at the end of the first year?
You must also present the Doctoral Commitment, signed, in accordance with the form of the Doctoral School and the Training Plan.
What is the Training Plan?
The Training Plan consists of participating in a series of academic activities that bolster your training as a researcher. It must include participation in two methodological workshops, aimed at the acquisition of generic instrumental skills; a course or seminar on content directly related to the subject of your thesis; two talks at scientific congresses or meetings; an article in a scientific journal; and an international stay or experience. These activities are the minimum required, and must be indicated on the Training Plan form in the years when the student plans to complete them.
Is the Training Plan the same for all students in the programme?
No, because each plan is designed in accordance with one’s Research Plan. However, some activities are standard, such as the Doctoral Workshops (jornadas), which are offered each year at each location, and are suitable for all doctoral students in the Programme.
How do I draw up my Training Plan?
You must prepare your Training Plan with the help of your advisor, since it will be specific and tailored to your methodological and scientific preparation and the development of your skills as a PhD.
How can I choose the activities for my Training Plan?
On the Doctoral Programme's website you will find all the information on the available activities approved by the CAPD each year. These activities are held at the different locations and are organized by different research groups. You can also choose other activities organized by other academic bodies, as long as they meet the requisites established for recognition.
In order for an activity organized by another entity to be recognized, what should I do?
You must request recognition of the activity by the CAPD. In this application, you must describe the activity in detail (contents, faculty and duration), along with a report endorsed by your director vouching for the activity's appropriateness and relevance to your thesis. This recognition may be requested before or after the activity is completed.
Can I request recognition of activities done before enrolling in the Doctoral Programme?
If you hail from a different Doctoral Programme, or one subject to pre-2011 rules, you can ask the CAPD to validate courses approved and recognize activities completed.
Does the Doctoral Program offer all the activities that I must do to complete my Training Plan?
Not necessarily. You may have to (or it may behove you to) turn to entities outside the Programme for at least three training elements: publication in a scientific journal, the presentation of at least one talk at a conference, and an international experience.
What happens after the first year? Is there follow-up on my Training Plan and my Research Plan?
Yes. In the second and following years you must present a report on your fulfilment of your Research and Training Plans, in which you will indicate, in detail, the degree to which you have realised them, as set forth in the documents presented in the first year; or, where necessary, the reasons that have impeded you from completing them in full in the year in question, as well as your forecasts for progress in the upcoming years.
To whom should I send the report on my progress on the Training and Research Plans?
Each Doctoral School determines the form of presentation and the functioning of the Committee in charge of monitoring and evaluating Training and Research Plans. In any case, you must include (1) the doctoral student's report; (2) advisor's report and (3) supporting documentation of the activities carried out.
What happens if I don't follow through on the plan described?
Each Doctoral School has two submission/review periods (convocatorias) per year. If you opt for the first, and do not receive a favourable report, you can try again in the second. If you receive a negative response the second time, you will be excluded from the Programme. In the event of problems that justify a failure to realise the plan, you can request an extension prior to the second submission/review period.
What relationship exists between the fulfilment of the Training Plan and the presentation of the doctoral thesis?
You will not be able to present your doctoral thesis if you have not complied with the requisites explicitly set forth in your Training Plan.
Is the Training Plan different if I want to apply for the "International Mention" distinction?
Yes, because in that case you must complete a stay of at least three months at a research centre outside of Spain.
Should I opt for the "International Mention" distinction?
Yes. It bolsters the value of your thesis, because the contribution made by your research will be endorsed by experts from other countries.
In addition to a stay at a research centre abroad, are there other requirements to obtain the "International Mention?"
Yes. Before defending your thesis, in addition to justifying your stay, you must provide favourable reports from at least two specialists at foreign institutions. In addition, the Committee must include a member of a non-Spanish scientific institution. You must also complete - partially or fully - the oral defence, as well as the writing of the thesis, in a foreign language.
I am enrolled in the Doctoral Program part time because I am working. How can I do a three-month stay at a research centre abroad?
In the case of students enrolled part time, the stay can be done in one-month periods, provided that they add up to three months.
