Program Access Information

Information for prospective PhD students is available on the UPV Doctoral School website:

https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/

All information is published in Spanish, Valencian and English.

The following resources may be particularly useful for prospective applicants:

• Information on the pre-registration process and application deadlines: https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/presenta-tu-solicitud-2025/
• Information about the PhD programmes offered: https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/todos-los-programas-de-doctorado-ofertados-en-upv/
• Advice for new PhD students: https://www.upv.es/entidades/edoctorado/consejos-para-nuevos-estudiantes/

The pre-registration process for PhD studies is managed through the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s (UPV) online pre-registration system, allowing applicants to complete their application remotely, regardless of their location.

The online application system includes admission quota management, ensuring that the maximum number of places available for the PhD programme is not exceeded.

Each application undergoes a two-stage admission process. First, the UPV Doctoral School verifies that the applicant meets the minimum requirements established in Royal Decree 99/2011. Secondly, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme (CAPD) assesses the application to ensure that the applicant satisfies the admission criteria established in the programme’s verification report. This assessment is based on the established selection criteria and the applicant’s Evaluation Index (IV) score.

Applicants with a high degree of affinity

This is the recommended admission profile. It includes applicants who hold an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in a field related to Business Administration and Management. In particular, it covers graduates in Business Administration and Management who have completed a research-oriented or professionally oriented master’s degree directly related to business management or finance. These applicants have the competencies and conceptual foundation required to begin their PhD thesis within the programme and will not normally be required to complete additional training requirements. Applicants holding equivalent pre-Bologna degrees related to Business Administration and Management are also included in this profile.

Applicants with partial affinity

This profile includes applicants who do not fully meet the recommended admission profile but whose undergraduate or postgraduate education supports the viability of their PhD research. It is divided into two subgroups. B1. Applicants with a related master’s degree and an undergraduate degree in another field: this includes graduates from technical or scientific disciplines, such as Engineering or related Social Sciences, who have redirected their education through a specialised master’s degree in business. The postgraduate degree provides the management knowledge and tools required to undertake PhD research and compensates for their original academic background. These applicants will not normally be required to complete additional training requirements when the master’s degree provides the methodological skills required in the field. This subgroup also includes holders of pre-Bologna Engineering degrees with specialisations related to Business Organisation or Management. B2. Applicants with a related undergraduate degree and a master’s degree without direct affinity: this includes graduates in Business Administration and Management who have completed a master’s degree in a discipline unrelated to business management or research in Business Administration and Management. Their undergraduate degree is considered to provide the necessary conceptual foundation, although they may have specific gaps in research methods applied to business management. These needs may be addressed through the cross-disciplinary and specific training offered by the PhD programme.

Other admission profiles

This profile includes applicants with a low degree of affinity who hold an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree unrelated to Business Administration and Management. It covers applicants who meet the general admission requirements but whose undergraduate and postgraduate education is not directly connected to the programme’s research lines. Holders of pre-Bologna Licenciatura or Engineering degrees unrelated to Business Administration and Management are also included in this profile. The CAPD will assess each application in detail to determine the applicant’s research potential and knowledge of economics and business. Applicants in this category will generally be required to complete specific additional training requirements in order to acquire the competencies required by the programme.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements are those established in Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, as amended by Royal Decree 576/2023 of 4 July:

1. In general, admission to an official PhD programme requires applicants to hold official Spanish undergraduate and master’s degrees, or equivalent qualifications, provided that they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits across both qualifications.
2. Applicants who meet any of the following conditions are also eligible for admission: a) Hold official Spanish university degrees, or equivalent Spanish qualifications, provided that they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits and have attained Level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES). b) Hold a qualification awarded within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) corresponding to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) that grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission under this provision does not imply official recognition or equivalence of the qualification for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies. c) Hold a qualification awarded under an education system outside the EHEA, without the need for official recognition, provided that the University has verified that it is equivalent to an official Spanish master’s degree and grants access to PhD studies in the country in which it was awarded. Admission under this provision does not imply official recognition or equivalence of the qualification for any purpose other than admission to PhD studies. d) Hold another PhD. e) Hold a university degree and, after obtaining a place through the national entrance examination for specialised health training, have successfully completed at least two years of training in a programme leading to an official qualification in one of the Health Sciences specialities.

Admission Criteria

The programme-specific admission criteria include the endorsement of the academic staff who will supervise the PhD thesis. Applicants can consult the programme website for information on the research groups and their research lines. For each group, the website provides details of the academic staff, their research profiles and their contact information. Applicants must also submit a preliminary research proposal aligned with one of the programme’s research lines. The template available on the programme website must be completed and signed by the proposed thesis supervisor and tutor, where applicable. Applicants whose first language is neither Spanish nor English must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in one of these languages to undertake the proposed research and communicate effectively with the thesis supervisor.

The Academic Committee of the PhD Programme will assess the merits submitted using the following weightings: undergraduate academic record, 40%; master’s academic record, 50%; and additional merits, 10%. The academic records will be adjusted using an affinity coefficient determined by the applicant’s admission profile.

Affinity coefficient with the PhD programme:

• Profile 1. High affinity: 1.0
• Profile 2. Partial affinity: 0.9
• Profile 3. Low affinity: 0.8

Assessment of additional merits:

• Documented relevant professional experience in the field exceeding two years: 3 points
• Publications in indexed academic journals: 3 points. Certified English proficiency at C1 level or above: 2 points
• Documented research experience, including participation in research projects and conferences or other publications such as book chapters and articles in non-indexed journals: 2 points
• Final score: [(average undergraduate grade × 0.4) + (average master’s grade × 0.5)] × affinity coefficient + (additional merits × 0.1)
• Notes: Applicants will be ranked according to their final scores. All qualifications and merits must be duly documented. Applicants with special educational needs arising from a disability may indicate any requirements relating to possible curricular adaptations, alternative study pathways or alternative study arrangements so that the Academic Committee can take them into account.

There are two distinct admission profiles: the recommended admission profile, which does not require additional training requirements, and other admission profiles, which do require additional training requirements. In accordance with current regulations, these requirements must be completed during the initial stage of the PhD programme and, in all cases, within a maximum period of one academic year. The Academic Committee will determine the number and content of the additional training requirements on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the applicant’s academic background and proposed research area. These requirements may be selected from courses offered in the following UPV master’s degrees:

• Master’s Degree in Financial and Tax Management: designed to strengthen skills in quantitative analysis, financial markets and corporate taxation.
• Master’s Degree in Business, Product and Service Management: focused on developing an in-depth understanding of operations strategy, marketing and innovation management.
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA): designed to provide a comprehensive and strategic understanding of organisations, together with advanced management skills.

Successful completion of these courses is required to ensure that PhD students have the conceptual and methodological tools needed to undertake their PhD thesis in Business Administration and Management.