PhD in Surgery and Morphological Sciences

Why do this PhD?

Why do this PhD? 

The aim of our programme is for students to learn the scientific-experimental method to contribute to the progress and safety of healthcare, diagnostic and therapeutic strategy in the field of surgery and the morphological sciences selected. 

The objective is to train researchers to be able to initiate and complete original, innovative, and quality research. This research takes the form of a doctoral thesis. 

Researchers must show an in-depth knowledge of the specific bibliography on the subject, the ability to synthesise, interpret and understand the main scientific contributions. 

The PhD in Surgery and Morphological Sciences is accredited towards excellence by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU).

Professional opportunities

The doctorate is an added value in the merit scale for applying for medical positions in the different areas: care, teaching, research, and management. The incorporation of doctors in surgery and morphological sciences means working to increase safety and technological innovation in this area. It allows entry into the academic world, both in the secondary education sector (modules related to health sciences) and university education (especially in the fields of surgery, human anatomy, and pathological anatomy). 

Testimonials

PhD presentation video

Coordinator

Jose Maria Balibrea Del Castillo

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

• The coordinator of the PhD program in Surgery and Morphological Sciences.
• The directors of both departments of Surgery and Morphological Sciences.
• The academic secretaries of both departments of Surgery and Morphological Sciences.
• The third cycle coordinator of the Department of Morphological Sciences.
• A teacher representing each line of research in the PhD program.

Administration

Administrative Support Unit for Medicine and Surgery
Teaching Unit of the Vall d'Hebron
Teaching Pavilion Building
Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 119-129 - 08035 Barcelona
Office phone 93 428 25 19

• Doctorate admissions: 679 23 10 72
• Doctorate deposits: 689 38 67 19
• Doctorate follow-up and withdrawals: 699 36 42 54

Email: doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat

Office hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 13:00 am

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Thesis supervision

PhD thesis supervisor

At the time of making the admission proposal, the academic tribunal of the PhD programme assigns the PhD candidate a thesis supervisor, and this figure will be responsible for the coherence and appropriateness of the activities, impact and innovation in the subject field of the thesis and will guide the planning and adequacy of the research to other projects and activities.

The designation of a thesis supervisor may fall on any Spanish or Foreign PhD with accredited research experience independently of the university, centre or institution in which they work. At the same time, each PhD programme may establish additional criteria as necessary for the PhD thesis supervisor.

The supervisor's responsibilities are the following:

• Try to ensure that the project is original, innovative and viable, under the terms of the rules, and also that it is coherent with the group or line of the research to which it is linked.

• Agree to the plan for the supervision of research work and plan regular meetings. The supervisor informs what documents are required for each meeting (written reports, messages, minutes, handwritten papers etc) to be able to accredit the frequency of the meetings.

• Advise the PhD candidate on the research in general and the preparation of the thesis in particular.

• Indicate to the PhD candidate the most appropriate activities for their research when the PhD programme has been identified and sign the activities document.

• Facilitate the candidate's participation in the specific and transferrable training activities for the PhD programme in accordance with that established in the commitment document.

• Sign the commitment and activities document for the PhD candidate.

• Assist the PhD candidate in the definition of the PhD research project and the research that will eventually culminate in the PhD thesis.

• Revise and sign the research plan for the thesis.

• Undertake to regularly supervise in accordance with the commitment document, the research plan for the PhD candidate, and help them to focus the project while it is being carried out.

• Try to ensure that the PhD student takes the initiative and achieves increasing autonomy throughout the project.

• Assist the PhD candidate to find solutions for different aspects related to their research and establish the specific details and the means required and, where necessary, the experimental design.

• Let the PhD candidate know about all the means available to them at the University that are important for their research and help them to access them.

• Write the forms required for the annual review.

• Read, correct and comment on the draft thesis before it is deposited, on the conditions that the candidate has provided a copy a reasonable time beforehand.

• Ensure that the candidate understands the administrative and academic requirements for the assessment and defence of the thesis as well as the corresponding deadlines throughout the process.

• Communicate health and safety rules to the PhD candidate where necessary.

• Communicate any rule or ethical aspect that may be related to their research.

The designation of the thesis supervisor may be modified at any time during the PhD programme: whenever there are justified reasons the supervisor may reject supervision of the thesis (in which case the academic tribunal for the programme will suggest a replacement); on petition of the PhD candidate where there are justifications for doing so the academic tribunal of the PhD programme may change the designation of the PhD supervisor.

Thesis supervisors outside the PhD programme

Thesis supervisors who are not lecturers at the UAB or who have not been appointed as a thesis director must accredit their own PhD qualification and research experience, i.e. specific details of publications, research projects they have worked on and any other information relevant to the lines of research proposed on the PhD programme. Once the above supervisor has been approved, the academic tribunal for the PhD programme may authorise their incorporation into the programme as a possible thesis supervisor (or assign them to a single doctoral thesis).

Each PhD programme must establish which other lecturers, whatever their category as long as they are not included in the programme, are able to supervise the thesis.

Joint supervision of the PhD thesis

The PhD thesis may be supervised by other PhD holders where there are academic arguments for doing so (such as interdiscplinarity of the subject or national or international programmes) with the prior authorisation of the academic tribunal of the PhD programme. This authorisation may be withdrawn at a later date if, in the opinion of the academic tribunal, the joint supervision is not beneficial to the progress of the thesis.

A PhD thesis may be jointly supervised by up to three PhD holders.

Maximum number of theses per supervisor

Each supervisor may supervise a maximum of five PhD theses simultaneously. The supervision of the PhD thesis concludes at the time the thesis is presented and defended or if the PhD candidate withdraws. In terms of recognition of the teaching and research dedication in situations of joint supervision these should be divided equally.

Recognition of thesis supervision

One essential way to encourage thesis supervision is by ensuring that this task is recognised and valued: something that the UAB regulations achieve. The approval of the Academic Workload Model for UAB Teaching Staff by the Governing Council on 13 December 2017, significantly improved the system used to calculate and take account of supervision tasks. Article 10.3 stipulates that the supervisor of a doctoral thesis is to have 100 hours recognised per thesis supervised. If supervision is carried out by more than one person, this recognition is shared equally between them.
 

Thesis tutoring

At the time of application the academic tribunal of the programme will assign the candidate an academic tutor. The academic tutor must be a doctor with accredited research experience, linked to the programme in which has been admitted the doctoral student..

The academic tutor has the following responsibilities:

• Ensure coherence in the tasks of the PhD candidate and supervisor and the research group.

• Provide communication between the PhD student and the academic tribunal of the PhD programme.

• Ensure the appropriateness of the PhD training and research activity to the programme and the norms of the School for Doctoral Studies.

• Sign the commitment and activities document for the PhD candidate.

• Check and sign the PhD research plan.

• Write the reports required for the annual review.

The academic tribunal of the programme can establish, where possible, that the academic tutor can also be the thesis supervisor.

The designation of the academic tutor may be changed at any time during the PhD course: on the part of the PhD candidate, where there are justified reasons; on the part of the thesis supervisor, where there are justified reasons. In these cases the academic tribunal of the PhD programme has to propose a new tutor.

Research lines and specific information about the doctoral program on direction and mentoring

The doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences seeks to enable doctoral students to acquire the necessary skills as researchers in the different specialities of the surgical field, in the field of anatomy and embryology or in pathological anatomy, in its structural and molecular aspects, within the field of health sciences.

In order to implement the proposed objectives, a set of lines of research are presented that include the most important aspects in the care and research plan, of each of the major specialties that constitute it, from the field of chosen surgery or from the field of morphological sciences.

Training is carried out through research competencies. Depending on the line of research chosen, it is possible to investigate within clinical experimental surgery, with observational analytical studies of self-criticism, tests with drugs, materials and scientific products that have been successfully tested in laboratory animals, but have not yet been administered to people, or have not been studied comparatively to understand their indications and the impact on care. It is also possible to research on laboratory animals, which allow a faster contribution to scientific progress, to achieve the use of controlled products and procedures in surgical practice, minimizing problems and avoiding, as much as possible, unwanted effects and unnecessary expenses, deepening the knowledge of the pathophysiology of syndromes, diseases and surgical processes and developing innovations that improve the strategy Care.

In the field of morphological sciences, it is possible to do research in the field of organogenesis, in the normal and pathological development of various organs and systems, and in the methodology of learning human anatomy and embryology. In the field of pathological anatomy, the main lines of research deal with the molecular basis of cancer in its multiple expressions, especially with regard to signalling pathways, progression factors and prognostic and treatment response markers.

The objectives and context of each of these lines, in summary form, are described below:

Human Anatomy

The research group of the Anatomy and Embryology Unit carries out its work on the La Ráfaga campus, in the Faculty of Medicine (Basic Medical Sciences Teaching Unit). The research focuses on studies of clinical anatomy of different body systems and systems, microvascularization, embryonic and fetal development (both in human specimens and in experimental animals), congenital malformations, and teaching methodologies applied to the learning and evaluation of anatomy.

Pathology

The pathological anatomy research team is made up of several groups of researchers linked to each of the hospital teaching units and research centres linked to the UAB. These groups carry out translational research and share research in the field of cancer, especially in the development of knowledge related to the intracellular signalling pathways involved in its development and progression and, especially in recent years, in the role that various molecules can play as prognostic markers and as therapeutic targets. It is, therefore, applied basic research that is carried out in human tumour tissues in a crucial position between biology, the clinic and the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to this line of translational cancer research, some research teams work on solid organ transplant pathology, neurodegenerative diseases, myelodysclerotic syndromes, the infection-cancer relationship and fetal and developmental pathology.

General surgery

A team made up of research groups in general surgery and the different surgical specialties in the area of knowledge of Surgery: general and digestive surgery, cardiac surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, thoracic surgery, angiology and vascular surgery, neurotraumatology and neurosurgery, oral and maxillofacial surgical pathology and anesthesia, resuscitation and pain treatment. These groups carry out, on the one hand, a care and training work for specialists, interns and visitors in training throughout the area. On the other hand, a task of raising the different problems that must be the object of research to advance in the knowledge of the specialty. The work that answers the questions raised is carried out through applied, clinical or translational research with the aim of improving the care strategy. Evaluative research is also important to ensure quality and clinical safety in the surgical setting.

The researchers of the general surgery team carry out their work in the hospital teaching units and research centres attached to the UAB: Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Barcelona), Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona), Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Badalona), Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell).

Ophthalmology

The ophthalmology research team is made up of renowned researchers in ophthalmology who carry out, on the one hand, a healthcare task, on the other, training specialists, fellows and visitors in training, and, simultaneously, of approaching the different problems that must be the object of research in order to progress in the knowledge of the specialty. The main fields of study are the following: vitreoretinal surgery, intraocular tumours, retinal detachment and new techniques for the surgical treatment of ocular pathologies.

The researchers of the ophthalmology team carry out their work in the hospital teaching units and research centres attached to the UAB: Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Barcelona), Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona), Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Badalona), Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell). There are also researchers from the programme at the Barraquer Institute and the Institute of Ocular Microsurgery (IMO).

Otorhinolaryngology

The otorhinolaryngology research team is made up of renowned professors and researchers who carry out, on the one hand, care work, and on the other, training specialists, fellows and visitors in training, throughout the area and, simultaneously, addressing the different problems that must be the object of research in order to progress in the knowledge of the specialty. The main fields of study are the following: ENT cancers, head and neck cancer, endoscopic nasoinus surgery, inner ear, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, laryngology, otology and speech therapy.

The researchers of the otorhinolaryngology team carry out their work in the hospital teaching units and research centres attached to the UAB: Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Barcelona), Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona), Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Badalona), Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell).

Traumatology and orthopedics

The orthopaedic surgery and traumatology research line is made up of renowned researchers in orthopaedic surgery (osteoarthritis, arthritis, hand pathology, spine diseases, etc.), traumatology (osteoarticular injuries due to accidents) and sports medicine and traumatology.

It is made up of independent research groups focused on the study of the pathology of the different joints; shoulder, knee, ankle-foot, hip, hand and spine mainly. Each team has its own lines of research both in the field of clinical and surgical pathology, as well as in the area of experimental surgery applied in the clinic. There is also a specific multidisciplinary group dedicated to the study of the applicability of 3D printing technology in the field of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology.

The researchers of the orthopaedic surgery and traumatology team carry out their work in the hospital teaching units and research centres attached to the UAB: Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Barcelona), Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona), Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Badalona), Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell).

Urology

The research team is made up of renowned researchers in urology (translational research in bladder, prostate, renal cancer) who carry out, on the one hand, a care work, on the other, training specialists, fellows and visitors in training and, simultaneously, of approaching the different problems that must be the object of research to progress in the knowledge of the specialty.

The groups in this line of research carry out their research work in the teaching units and research centres attached to the UAB: Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Barcelona), Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona), Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Badalona) and Parc Taulí Hospital (Sabadell).

Specific information about the doctoral programme

- Proposal for the supervision and tutoring of doctoral theses

The doctoral student, when pre-registering online, must propose who will be his/her director(s), and his/her academic tutor. The Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences (CAPDCCM) will assess the doctoral student's proposal and, if it considers it appropriate, will accept the supervision and tutoring. The academic committee may establish that the academic tutor is also the director of the thesis.

The doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences recommends that doctoral theses have one supervisor, or at most two, justifying the need for this second direction. The existence of a third thesis supervisor will only be accepted in theses of multicenter studies, international studies or for reasons of an academic nature (such as thematic interdisciplinarity or programs developed in national or international collaboration).

The academic tutor must be a doctor with accredited research experience (University Professor, University Tenured, Contracted Professor, Associate Professor, Associate Professor, A33 or Medical Associate with accreditation from a quality agency), and who is part of the human resources of the doctoral program in Surgery, that is,  to appear as a tutor in the list that you can consult at this link.   

 - Requirements to be a doctoral thesis supervisor in the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences

A candidate who meets any of the following requirements may be a doctoral thesis supervisor:

a) All members of the human resources of the Doctoral Programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences. You can consult them in the Directors and tutors section  of this same tab. These candidates will not have to attach any documentation.

b) If you are not a member of the human resources of the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences, you will be required to accredit your research experience, that is, the specific information of your publications and the research projects in which you have collaborated, providing:

- If the candidate has a six-year search period (of the last 6 years), he or she must provide proof

- or the Directors' Publications Sheet, which you will find in the admission tab  in this same file, to prove that you have the equivalent of a six-year search period:

• Have 6 publications in the last 6 years. Publications accepted by the journal, with an email, would also count.
• Articles must be published in journals indexed in the Journal Montm report (JCR).
• Type of article: it must be an original article, systematic review, or meta-analysis.
• Junior co-director: these would be all those who have read their thesis for less than 6 years. They must submit a minimum of three publications that meet the above requirements.

In any case, you must present the doctoral degree if you are not:

1. Professor, university lecturer or university associate professor.

2. PhD from the UAB.

It is important that the candidate to supervise a doctoral thesis is in an active employment situation at the time of application, and that his/her active age coincides with the duration of the thesis project.

Contract and honorary emeritus professors may supervise doctoral theses as long as this activity is included in the program of activities presented annually and throughout the duration of the thesis. For new doctoral theses, a second supervisor will be requested.

- Requirements to be a doctoral thesis tutor in the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences

The CAPD of the programme has established the following criteria to be a tutor in this doctorate:

• In the theses of the Department of Surgery (areas of Surgery, Traumatology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Urology), the tutor must be a university professor, contract professor, university tenured, associate professor, interim associate professor, associate professor A3.3, or associate professor with ANECA or AQU accreditation in research from the Department of Surgery.

• In the theses of the Department of Morphological Sciences (areas of Human Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy), the tutor must be a university professor, contract professor, university tenured, associate professor, interim associate professor, associate professor A3.3, or associate professor, preferably, with ANECA or AQU accreditation in research from the Department of Morphological Sciences of the UAB.

The task of tutor is compatible with that of director and it is recommended that the tutor be one of the directors.

This documentation must be sent by email to the address doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat.

Once it has been verified that the candidate meets the requirements, he/she will be proposed for the next modification of the human resources of the doctoral programme to be sent to the UAB Teaching Quality Office for processing at the Agency for University Quality (AQU).

Contracted and honorary emeritus lecturers may tutor doctoral theses as long as this activity is included in the programme of activities presented annually and throughout the duration of the thesis. It is recommended that they do not start new theses under a tutoring regime.

You can consult the updated list of tutors, with their contact details (Tutors List 2025).

- Maximum number of doctoral theses per supervisor

A supervisor can supervise a maximum of 5 doctoral theses. In the case of co-management, only the corresponding fraction will count for the purposes of calculating the total address.

Before choosing a thesis supervisor, you must check that the candidate with whom you have agreed to supervise the thesis does not exceed this maximum number of theses that can be supervised simultaneously. If you have any doubts, you can ask the supervisor to consult their theses addressed to sia.uab.cat. Detailed explanations of how to do this can be found in the document Instructions for managers to display listings supervised theses and tutored (tutorial).

- Retirement of a director or guardian

If any of the supervisors or tutors of the doctoral thesis retires (i.e. they do not carry out any activity with an employment contract or registration as a self-employed person), they must resign from the direction and/or tutoring. It will be the responsibility of the doctoral student to manage the change. You can consult how to manage this modification in the Specific information section  of the Monitoring and thesis tab of this file.

Retired supervisors or tutors may be listed in the copy of the thesis as supervisor and/or tutor until the date of retirement, but will not intervene in the validation of the deposit of the thesis. Exceptionally, they may maintain their status as director or tutor if the thesis is deposited within a period of no more than 3 months from the date of retirement.

Admission application

Admission

The UAB PhD programs are onsite.

Candidates who wish to access a PhD programme must apply to the academic committee for admissions using the online application form and follow the procedure established by the coordinators or administrative managers responsible for the PhD programme for the proposal of a tutor and thesis supervisor.

Before starting the application, please check in the section “Requirements and Criteria”, the access requirements, as well as the timetable for the application. In the section “Guidelines and direction” you will find information about academic tutors and thesis directors.

We recommend that you check this video before starting the application (video in Spanish; click on the CC button to display the English subtitles):

 

Summary fo the steps to follow in your application:

1. To acces the application form, you will need a university identificacion number (NIU) and a password. To obtain these:
   • If you are not a UAB student, enter identification details to register.
   • If you are currently a UAB student or have studied at the UAB before, you have a university ID number (NIU) and you remember your password, go straight to your application.
   • If you are already or have been a UAB student, but you cannot remember your NIU and/or your password, re-enter your identification details to recover them.
2. Enter your personal and academic data in the different sections of the application form. Your name and surname(s) must be the same as those shown on your ID card, passport, NIE.
3. Attach all the documents required by this program. The documents are attached in .pdf, .jpg or .doc format (maximum 4 MB). Failure to include the requested documents in each of the specific sections of the application may lead to the denial of your application.
4. In the application you must indicate

· the type of stay: full time or part time.

·If the program asks you to attach the proposal, you have to inform the screen Proposta doctorand/a the person you propose as tutor and for the direction the person/s who accept the direction of your thesis. If it is a program requirement, you must also include, filled out and signed, a document stating the approval of your thesis supervisor / academic tutor (if the director is external to the UAB, you will first have to check , when you do the pre-registration, if you already appear as an internal director -you have to search for the director by last name and if you find him/her with a code, you have to select him/her since already registered-). In case you do not find it and the director is external to the UAB, it is necessary that you send him/her the external director document, fill it in and sign it. This document must also be attached to the application. It is recommended to do this procedure in time before applying for admission. Check the documentation section of your program that you will find in the 'Admission' tab to see if the program has a specific document model. If the program does not ask for this proposal, you can leave the fields of tutoring and direction of the thesis without informing.

·You must also indicate the line of research.

·If you need an early admission due to the request or award of a grant, it is necessary to indicate it in the observations field and indicate the name of the grant. The coordination of the program, depending on the situation, will resolve your early admission, if necessary.

1. Connect to sia.uab.cat, make the application and attach all the required documentation.
2.  Save the application on the last screen of the process. If you want, you can download the proof of the application for admission. You will receive the resolution of the application via the e-mail address you indicated in the application.
3. You can check the status of your application by going to your application.

CONSULT SOME INDICATIONS THAT MAY BE USEFUL for you to pre-register online

CHECK THE DOCUMENTATION SECTION BELOW IN CASE YOUR PHD PROGRAMME REQUIRES YOU TO DO ANY OTHER MANAGEMENT BEFORE STARTING THE PRE-REGISTRATION AND YOU WILL ALREADY BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION

Once your application has been saved, you will enter the selection process. You will receive the result of the resolution in a personalized way in the email that you indicated in the application for admission, according to the schedule of the doctoral program. Check the spam tray to verify that it has not been treated as junk mail.

This PhD programme has, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following pre-registration periods: 

• From May 5^th – 23^rd 
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: June 20^th
• From September 15^th to October 3^rd
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: December 19^th

25 places are reserved for the first pre-registration period

Contact:

Department of Surgery (UD Vall d’Hebron) doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat

Documentation necessary for admission

Applicants must be able to accredit before the coordinators or academic managers of the PhD programme that their previous studies are sufficient for access to a PhD programme in accordance with prevailing legislation and must provide this obligatory documents relatet to previous studies (degree and academic certificates). In the section ‘General access requirements’ you can also consult all the access routes to the doctoral program that the current regulations allow.

The required documents may be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English. Any documents issued in French, Italian or Portuguese can be presented as translations carried out by the UAB Language Service - Idiomes UAB Campus. Applicants must organise their own translations and pay for them. For documents issued in any other language, they must be presented as translation into Catalan, Spanish or English by a sworn translator, working for any diplomatic or consular service of Spain abroad or the Spanish consular or diplomatic representation of the applicant’s national country.

To legalise the documentation accrediting studies carried out abroad, follow the procedure set out in the 'Legalisation' section on this website. Non-legalised documents may be presented for admission to the PhD programme even though legalisation will be required for the registration stage.

Compulsory Documents for admission

Documents	Format
Previus studies	Consult what documentation and how to attach it.
Authorization  to consult Spanish university degrees to Ministry	Authorization  Attach this document in order to avoid submitting the documentation of your previous Spanish studies for enrollment.
Picture of the face with a white background	Picture (.jpg) maximum 15Kb
DNI/NIE/PASSPORT	Scanned DNI/NIE card. If you are a foreign student, an authentic copy of the PASSAPORT, if you do not have a TIE/NIE card.
Specific program documents	See the following table of documents
Application form for part-time PhD studies (document in Spanish)	Part-time request
If you have a functional diversity equal to or greater than 33%, in order to apply to the permanence regime in the program	Attach the certificate this condition.

If you attach the documentation in other formats than the electronic one (without CVS or QR), you will have to submit the documentation before you can self-enroll for the 2025/26 course.

 

Mandatory documentation doctoral program
Document	How to attach it to the computer application
Application for approval of the Research Plan	Research Plan(2)
Letter of admission specifying  in which line of research of the doctoral programme you wish to be admitted	Admission letter(2)
Favourable resolution of the Health Centre where the thesis work to be developed must be submitted (a copy of the approval of the thesis project by the CEIC or a certification stating that the resolution is being processed must be submitted)	CEIC resolution(2)
Commitment document In the commitment document, you must indicate the dedication regime on page 3 (full-time or part-time) and accept the document by means of your signatures (doctoral student, thesis supervisor and academic tutor)	Commitment Document(2)
Annex to the commitment document. It will be necessary to inform you of the meetings you will hold with the thesis supervisor during the academic year, of the compulsory training activities, explaining the activity and the place where they will be carried out, and of the access regime you have for the preparation of the thesis	Annex commitment document(2)
Annex to the Code of Good Practice	Annex to the Code of Good Practice(2)
Additional documentation (if applicable)	How to attach it to the computer application
If the proposed director is not: Member of the doctoral programme (consult the information at lines and address), Professor, Associate Professor or Associate Professor (you can consult the UAB directory), or PhD from the UAB You will need to attach a copy of the director's doctoral degree	Copy of the doctoral degree certificate external to the Programme and to the UAB(2)
If the proposed supervisor is not a member of the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences (see the information at  lines and address) but has a six-year period in Spain, you will only need to attach the supporting document. If the external director does not have a living six-year period in Spain, it will be necessary to attach a publication file. If the supervisor does not have a contractual relationship with the UAB and is not listed in the HR annex of the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences (check it by clicking here), you must submit the External Director Registration Form to the UAB.	Proof of state living six-year period or Publications and/or project file(2) UAB external director registration file(2)

In addition to the documentation that each programme indicates, two documents (Other documents1 and Other documents2) that serve as a wildcard are attached for each programme so that the interested person can attach other documents that he or she considers appropriate or that the PhD programme indicates.

Admissions before the established period and pre-admissions

The Doctoral School, following the indications of the coordination of the PhD programme, can issue before the start of the term of admission of an academic course, or before the end of the term of resolution, letters of admission so that you can request a scholarship or to do the visa procedures in your country. It is only necessary that you enter your application in the computer application and that you indicate it in the Observations field, where you must indicate that you need a letter of admission and the scholarship to which you are opting. If the computer application is closed, you can contact the coordination of the programme.

If you need a preadmission, the coordination of the programme can issue it if it considers it appropriate. You must contact the coordination of the programme to inform you of the procedure.

On the International Support Service website you can see more information about future foreign students related to residencies in Catalonia, legal procedures and the UAB campus.

Monitoring your application

You can monitor your application using the same page as you made it. Below are the explanations of the different stages:

• Application made by student: your pre-registration has been saved.
• Incomplete application: there are documents missing from the application.
• Validated by the administrative office: the application and attached documents have been checked.
• Admitted: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and proposed an offer or admission.
• Offer of admission: the Doctoral School has considered the proposals for admission made by the coordinator and has made a definitive offer. The PhD student will also receive an e-mail informing them of this decision. The PhD student must wait to register.
• Waiting list: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and has agreed on admission but there are no places on the PhD course.
• Application rejected: the coordinator or the Doctoral School have considered the application but do not agree to admission as not all the requirements have been fulfilled.

If you need it, here you will find a complementary information document on PhD studies.

Requirements and selection criteria

General access requirements

In general, to gain access to an official PhD programme the candidate must hold a Spanish degree or equivalent and a Master's degree.

Access may be granted where the following cases apply:

• Hold an official Spanish university degrees or equivalent Spanish degrees provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in all of these courses and accredit level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.

• Hold a title obtained in accordance with foreign educational systems belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for its homologation, which accredits a level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework provided that said title authorizes access to studies of PhD in the issuing country. This admission will not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party or its recognition for purposes other than access to PhD studies.

• Hold a degree obtained in accordance with foreign educational systems outside the EHEA, without the need for its homologation, after verification by the university that it accredits a level of training equivalent to that of the official Spanish university Master's degree and that it authorizes in the country of issuance of the title for access to PhD studies. This admission will not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party or its recognition for purposes other than access to doctoral studies.

• Holder of of another title of Doctor.

• Likewise, university graduates who, after obtaining a place in training in the corresponding entrance test to specialized health training places, have passed with a positive evaluation of at least two years of training in a program to obtain the Official title of one of the specialties in Health Sciences.

Admission to the PhD programme is decided by the Rector and depends on having passed the bridging courses, where they exist.

Specific access requirements

To apply for admission to the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences, it is necessary to submit a written document of a maximum of five pages, in which the candidate specifies their previous training, in which line of research of the doctoral programme they wish to be admitted and a summary of the objectives to be developed. In addition, the candidate will propose, if deemed appropriate, a proposal for direction and tutoring.

The Academic Committee of the doctoral programme will take into account the information provided by the candidate for admission and the assignment of the supervision and tutoring of the thesis.

The criteria for assessing merits in the selection process are as follows:

• Academic record and affinity of the studies with the different areas of Surgery and Morphological Sciences: (50%)
• Personal interview: (30%)
• Obtaining research grants and grants: (15%)
• Academic stays abroad: (5%)

Registration and fees

Registration

Each academic year the PhD candidate must register for the annual review as part of the administrative process to form a contract between the PhD student and the university.

First year Registration

Registration in the first year should be done once the decision is made and no longer than one month after the date of admission. Check the information about procedure, calendar, documents and prices on this page.

Prior to registration, please check the additional information and indications on the registration procedure.

Here is a video to show you how to self-register:

(Video in Spanish with English subtitles)

When the doctoral student has been admitted, he/she must submit the following documents, duly completed and signed, to the administrative management of the doctorate, within a maximum period of 3 months:

1. Admission Letter

2. Research plan

3. Commitment document

4. Annex to the commitment document

5. Annex to the Code of Good Practice

6. External director registration form, if applicable

7. Application to take the doctoral programme part-time, if applicable

For more information, please contact the doctoral programme at doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat. The rest of the compulsory documentation must be submitted to the Doctoral School, you will find more information in Documentation in the following section.

Calendar and Registration documents

Calendar and registration documents

Calendar

When the PhD applicant is accepted onto a PhD programme they must formalise the PhD review registration document in a period of not more than one month after being accepted. The following courses must be registered for within the established registration period:

Registration calendar

• First year registration
• Registration for subsequent years

Registration documents

PhD applicants should bring the following obligatory documentation when registering at the School for Doctoral Studies. Check the documentation on this link.

The documents may be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English. For documentation in French, Italian or Portuguese, you can send it to the Language Service at the UAB. The applicant is responsible for the getting the documents translated and paying for the service. For other languages you need to provide a translation in to Catalan by a sworn translator, any diplomatic or consular service of Spain abroad or the Spanish consular or diplomatic representation of the applicant’s national country.

To legalise the documentation that accredits the courses taken abroad, please check the 'Legalisation' section (in Spanish). Nevertheless, at the time of pre-admission or admission the doctoral student may submit the non-legalised documentation although it must be legalised by the time the students registers.

After the registration

When PhD students have registered they need to use the UAB Intranet self-enrolment system or follow the instructions of the programme coordinator or administrator to produce the statement of commitment, the activities document and the research plan. This section describes the nature of these documents and the way in which they should be prepared.

There is also other information that should be taken into account when carrying out doctoral research, such as the annual review, part or full time study and cases of withdrawal from the programme.

• Statement of commitment

  The statement of commitment is a written agreement that establishes the relationship between the PhD candidate, the supervisor, the academic tutor and the UAB, and the rights and responsibilities of each.

  Within a maximum period of three months from the date of admission to the PhD programme, and when the coordinator has assigned the PhD student a supervisor, the conditions are negotiated between the student, the supervisor and the academic tutor, agreeing the conditions of collaboration between the student and the thesis supervisor, their obligations, the corresponding dedication of the student, supervisor and tutor, and systems of resolving conflicts etc. , through a statement of commitment which must be signed by the PhD student, the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor and programme coordinator.

  As far as the signing and custody of the document is concerned the indications established by the programme coordinator or administrator should be followed but, in any case, when the document is signed, the PhD student must digitize it into Sigma, in the "Research Plan" tab. In the tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system you will find instructions on how to attach it.

  Where the statement of commitment cannot be completed as a result the circumstances of the PhD student, the registration will be cancelled and there is no right to a refund of the fee.

• Activities document

  During the preparation of the doctoral thesis the student must carry out a series of activities that will help their academic development, and which have been previously identified by the academic committee of the PhD programme. There are two kinds of activity: Compulsory and optional.

  The activities document is the individual register for controlling the PhD activities.

  Within three months from the date of admission to the PhD programme, the PhD students must agree with the programme coordinator the activities they will undertake during the preparation of the thesis. The compulsory activities are already included in the activities document; however, the optional activities must be registered for according to the procedure indicated by the programme coordinator or administrator.

  The type and number of activities may be modified later using the same procedure, but they must be approved by the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor and also have the approval of the PhD programme coordinator, and recorded in the activities document.

  To justify that the activities have been successfully completed the PhD student must hand over a certificate to the supervisor and, where necessary, follow the indication of the coordinator or administrative staff to include the certificates in the activities document.

  Since in order to deposit the PhD thesis, the academic tribunal requires the PhD candidate, among other things, to have done all the activities included in the activities document, it is a good idea for the PhD student to ensure that they are duly recorded and marked as having been completed in the activities document.

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to introduce activities in the activities document. It can be accessed through the UAB Intranet self-enrolment scheme.

   

  If you did not find in these pages the information you need, you can contact the Doctoral School at ed.matricula@uab.cat.

• Research plan and doctoral training plan

  The PhD academic coordinator establishes the content of the research plan for the PhD programme, including at least the methodology and objectives to be achieved by the PhD candidate and the means and timescale planning for the research.

  Once it has been written it must be attached to the PhD transcript through the UAB Intranet system for approval by the thesis supervisor and the academic tutor. In the tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system you will find instructions on how to attach it.

  Finally it must be presented jointly with the research plan approval and doctoral training plan request form (you will find the document model at the bottom of this page), filled in and signed, to the academic tribunal of the programme which will undertake to evaluate and, where appropriate, approve it.

  The research plan may be improved, have details added or be corrected during the PhD programme. Where this is the case the same procedure must be followed but using the research plan and doctoral training plan modification request form (you will find the document model at the bottom of this page).

• Annual monitoring

  Every academic year, the academic tribunal of the programme organises a review in which s panel of three PhD lecturers evaluates the progress of the PhD candidate in their research plan, the activities document and a report by the supervisor of the PhD thesis and the academic tutor.

  Information about the annual review for this PhD programme is available in the "Review" section of this programme website.

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to access the system and manage your PhD transcript.

• Other aspects to be taken into account: 

  Full or part time

  The PhD programme is a minimum of two years full time and a maximum of three years full time counted from the date of admission to the programme to the deposit of the thesis in the School for Doctoral Studies.

  However, the academic tribunal for the PhD programme may authorise the student to undertake the PhD on a part-time basis, which means a maximum duration of five years from the date of admission to the deposit of the PhD thesis.

  During the first two years of the PhD, counted from the date of admission, the PhD student may request a modification of the dedication to the programme from the academic tribunal, as long as this can be justified. If authorisation is granted, the academic committee will inform the School for Doctoral Studies of this change.

  However, in exceptional and documented cases the Doctoral Committee may approve a change outside that time period.

  Whether the PhD candidate participates in the programme on a full time or part time basis is approved and recorded when registering, in the statement of commitment and in the research plan, and any variation thereof must be made in accordance with the procedure established in the research plan.

  
  Code of good practice

  The UAB is committed to the objective of achieving excellence in teaching, research and knowledge transfer, and supports the development and use of learning methodologies adapted to each stage.

  The School for Doctoral Studies, as an integral part of the UAB, subscribes to that commitment and sets it out in the code of good practice, which is understood as a code of values and principles that inspire its activities and adhered to by all those taking part in them. It should therefore be understood that the School for Doctoral Studies has an internal set of rules including the rights and responsibilities of the supervisors, academic tutors and PhD candidates.

  Download here the signature form of the code of good practice.
   

  Non-continuation and withdrawals

  Regardless of whether the PhD programme is followed on a full or part-time basis, the calculation of research activity does not include sick leave, maternity leave or any other cause contemplated in the current rules for doctoral studies. Where PhD students find themselves in any of these situations they must communicate this to the academic tribunal of the PhD programme, which will inform the School for Doctoral Studies so that the total time spent on the programme may be calculated.

  Additionally, the PhD student may request temporary leave for a maximum period of one year, extendable to two years. The request must be justified and sent to the academic tribunal of the PhD programme which will decide whether or not to grant the leave. Each PhD programme has its own conditions regarding the reincorporation of the student to the programme.

  
  Tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system

  The tutorial for the UAB self-enrolment system explains how to access the system and manage your PhD transcript

Training activities

Transversal training activities

The PhD programmes include research training that is both transversal and specific to the area of each programme and consists of both compulsory and optional activities.

All the activities that the PhD student must complete are recorded in an activities document, but in any case there are compulsory activities that must be completed in the first academic years. It may also include transferrable activities offered by the same university.

Other professional who are not PhD holders may participate in these activities as long as they hold a relevant qualification in the corresponding area.

Erasmus
You can also do other mobility, under the Erasmus programme, both studies and internships. Check the information in the corresponding links.

To include these activities in your academic record, please check this video (click on the subtitle icon at the bottom right corner).

Mandatory and optional specific activities

For this PhD programme the following training activities are scheduled.
 

Mandatory activities:

• Hospital sessions
  Participation in the sessions for discussion and scientific presentation of clinical and experimental activity, and reviews of the literature and methodology that are held in hospitals, research centres, foundations, etc., with the participation of medical staff and resident interns (MIR).

• Research paper sent to a high-impact scientific journal
  Research paper related to the current doctoral thesis. This includes publication of a book chapter on this research. Papers must have been written after the start of the programme and, as a minimum, must have been sent for publication. They should preferably be written in English.

 

Optional activities:

 

• Attendance at seminars or lectures given by experts in the subject area
  This includes the following activities. National or regional activities held by scientific societies specialising in surgery. Seminars or lectures by the Department of Surgery or by other experts in the field. Seminars or lectures given by other institutions working in areas related to this PhD programme's lines of research.

• Giving a seminar on the research project
  Presentations given at internal seminars and activities scheduled by the research group within which the doctoral thesis is being developed and in the sessions on research methodology held by the department's different specialist areas.

• Participation in internal seminars organised by the research group or the department
  Presentations given at internal seminars and activities scheduled by the research group within which the doctoral thesis is being developed and in the sessions on research methodology held by the department's different specialist areas.

• Oral presentations or posters at national or international conferences
  Oral presentations or posters at national or international conferences.

• Presentation of a paper at a departmental symposium
  Presentation of a paper on the research being conducted towards the doctoral thesis at departmental symposiums focusing on the thesis subject area.

• Training activities to improve comprehension of the field of study
  Courses organised by the Unit for PhD Training and Guidance of the School of Doctoral Studies of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

• Teaching duties (interns and clinical adjuncts)
  Teaching duties (interns and clinical adjuncts)

• Course on language competence for scientific communication
  To gain greater proficiency in the language or in certain skills involved in communicating knowledge: writing scientific papers, etc.

• Participation in workshops or courses on methodological specialisation
  Specialist courses and workshops in the field of research. The recommended course is "Tools for bibliographic research" offered by the UAB's Library Service. This course is aiming at training PhD students in the use of the different sources of information available in the field of health sciences. Initial training is also offered in Open Access publishing.

Typologies and Research Ethics

The aim of this set of good research practices is to get an idea of the regulatory framework for activities linked to research and which follow the directives set out in the Statutes of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, based on principles of freedom, democracy, justice, equality and solidarity. This commitment therefore involves orientating the teaching, research and other university activities towards a culture of peace, respect for human rights, social progress, respect for the environment and sustainable development, and the explicit renouncement of research for military ends.

• Good Research Practices: this is a set of points for action, recommendation and commitments when carrying out research.

• Good PhD Practices: is a set of recommendations and commitments that should serve a guide for PhD candidates in their dual role of students and trainee researchers.

• Institutional Biosafety Committee: technical committee made up of experts in evaluating the safety of facilities and activities conducted with biological agents, in identifying any type of potential risk and in ensuring that all regulations relevant to biosafety are met.

• Ethics Committee on Animal and Human Experimentation (CEEAH), establishes mechanisms and procedures to ensure experimentation is complies with prevailing legislation.

• Good Open Acces Practices, good practices of Catalan universities to meet the Open Acces's mandates about publications, as specified on the 'Ley de la ciencia española' and the European Union's Horizon Europe.

•  is a European initiative providing access to a complete range of information and support services to researchers wishing to pursue their research careers in Europe or remain connected to research activities in Europe. 

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD students can progress further in their area of research through stays abroad, which may, when appropriate, come within the framework of bilateral joint-supervision agreements with a foreign university (thesis under joint international supervision) and within the International Doctoral Research Component. Stays abroad can also be made under Erasmus agreements.

Stays with Erasmus

You can make stays abroad (mainly in Europe) with both Erasmus Studies and Erasmus Internships. In the following links you will find the call and the calendars to request them:

• Erasmus Studies
• Erasmus Internships

International Doctoral Research Component

The PhD qualification may also include the International Doctoral Research Component, as long as the following conditions are fulfilled:

• During the training period necessary to obtain the qualification of PhD, the candidate must have been outside Spain for a minimum of three months in a or more higher education institutions or research centers of prestige, and have carried out research or study there. The period and the activities must be assessed by the supervisor and approved by the academic tribunal, and must be included in the students' PhD activities report. The period may be divided as long and the total is not less than three months (90 days) and one of the stays has a minimum of 1 month..

• Part of the PhD thesis, at least the abstract and conclusions, must be written in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in that field of knowledge, different from any of the official languages in Spain. This regulation does not apply when the periods abroad, the reports and the experts involve a Spanish-speaking country.

• That at least two PhD holding experts from a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre have submitted their reports on the PhD thesis.

• That at least one of the experts belongs to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research centre, holds a PhD, and is different from the person responsible for the period abroad, formed part of the PhD examination panel.

• The defence of the PhD thesis must take place at the Spanish university where the candidate is registered or, in the case of joint doctoral programmes, in any of the participating universities or under the terms stated in the collaboration agreements.

See the detailed application procedure for the International Doctoral Research Component (in Spanish).

Evaluation and annual review

Annual PhD review

Once the PhD student is accepted on the programme, they must register every academic year (including the year when the thesis is deposited) in order to confirm their status. The subject registered for is called review, and it is an evaluation of the training received during the year and progress on the writing of the PhD thesis.

Each academic year the academic committee arranges a review, in which three PhD holding lecturers assess the progress made by the candidate in their research plan and activities document and the report by the thesis supervisor and academic tutor. In the report, the director and the academic tutor state, at least, that the candidate has fulfilled the number of meetings arranged between themselves and the thesis supervisor and has carried out the activities planned for that academic year.

In exceptional cases (research stays or work camps), and with a previous report from the thesis supervisor and from the academic tutor, the Academic Committee of the PhD programme may authorise substitute the oral and face-to-face presentation of the annual review by another format.

In accordance with current PhD regulations, the positive evaluation during the review is an essential requirement for continuing on the programme and registering for the following year. Failure to present an annual review with no justification will lead to the PhD candidates definitive withdrawal from the programme. If the annual review is negative the candidate may re-register for the same review within the registration calendar, make a new research plan and present for a new review in a maximum period of six months. However, if the new review is negative the candidate must withdraw from the PhD programme.

How is the follow-up done in the Doctoral Programme in Medicine

To carry out this monitoring, the Doctorate in Medicine has an online platform (https://gestiodoctoratcirurgia.uab.cat/), where doctoral students, directors and tutors can access by entering their UAB account (NIU@uab.cat and password).

The doctoral student will describe and assess the thesis work that has been carried out during the course, explaining the status of the project, the objectives achieved and the degree of progress of the thesis, and will report on the meetings they have held with their supervisors and the status of the presentation of the compulsory training activities.

Finally, doctoral students will also answer whether there have been changes in ethical aspects during doctoral research during the course and whether the development of a doctoral research data management plan has been assessed.

The thesis supervisor and tutor will be able to make their assessments regarding whether all the tasks have been carried out throughout the last academic year, whether the objectives and activities planned according to the student's annual work plan have been achieved and whether they are satisfied with the degree of progress of the work carried out by the doctoral student. Finally, they give an overall assessment of the monitoring report.

Once all the information has been filled in, the doctoral student must click on the "Send follow-up" button and an automatic message will be sent to the supervisor(s) and tutor so that they can access the online platform through the link https://gestiodoctoratcirurgia.uab.cat/, entering their UAB account (NIU@uab.cat and password). They will have to review the information entered by the doctoral student, fill in their report and give their consent. The director(s) and tutor will be able to access the monitoring report at any time through the url https://gestiodoctoratcirurgia.uab.cat/.

In the event that the supervisor(s) or tutor does not give their consent, the doctoral student will receive an email of disagreement with an explanation of the reasons so that he/she can modify the incorrect information, record it and send it again. Finally, a new automatic message will be generated again to the director and tutor so that they can review again and give their assessment of favorable or unfavorable.

Only in the event that there is an unfavourable assessment by all the directors and tutor, the monitoring committee will summon the doctoral student to make an oral presentation.

 

Follow-up start date for the 2024/2025 academic year: June 2025

The deadline for managing the follow-up report for each academic year, including the validation of the director(s) and the tutor, will be the one published on this page.

Deadline for the 2024/2025 academic year: 7 September 2025

Thesis deposit

Online Deposit

In this section you will find the indications and the specific documentation of the programme, if applicable, that you must incorporate in your online deposit application. Check in advance what is the procedure to make the deposit online.

Once your application has been recorded and validated by the coordination of the PhD programme, you will be able to monitorise the deposited theses and the theses for which the examining board has been approved, as well as the agenda where the theses defenses are published.

The first thing you have to do to start the deposit process is to send  the following documentation to doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat:

• the final thesis in PDF format
• the panel proposal (panel proposal sheet)
• if you apply for the International PhD Mention, here is the panel proposal form: Panel proposal form for theses with an International PhD Mention
• If you are doing your thesis under joint supervision with another university, here is the panel proposal form: Board proposal sheet for joint supervision thesis
• and the documentation necessary to accredit the members of the panel you propose, if applicable (check the criteria regarding the proposal for a panel in the Specific information section of this tab).

Once we receive it, we will carry out an initial formal review and indicate the necessary corrections. Then, we will send your deposit documentation to the program coordinator so that they can also review it and give their approval. We will then send you the revised documents (which are the ones you will have to upload to the online deposit application) and we will expressly indicate that you can now proceed to record it. With this procedure we avoid returning incorrect deposits that would delay the process.

If you want to deposit your doctoral thesis in this doctoral programme, remember that you must send the documentation to be reviewed at least 2 months before the deadline for the completion of the thesis that appears in your file, or the date you have contemplated to have the thesis deposit completed.

Attention! If you want to deposit before the end of this academic year and not have to pay the fees for the next academic year, you must confirm your deposit request before September 15, 2024, this implies that you send us the documentation to review no later than June 30, 2024.

Remember, before starting the online deposit, review the specific criteria of the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences (you will find them in the Specific information section of this same tab).

When making your online deposit, you must attach these documents to your application, in the "Attach documentation" section:

All doctoral students

• External expert 1: Suitability document
• External expert 2: Suitability document
• 01- Proposal for a panel (no need to sign)
• 44 - Turnitin Report (attachment deposit tab)
• 45- Affidavit of the Turnitin Report

International PhD Mention: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 09 - International PhD Mention: 1 report by the external expert
• 10 - International Doctor Mention: 2 external expert report

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 08 - Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

Writing a thesis in a language other than Catalan, Spanish and English: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 11 - Resolution if the thesis is written in a language other than Catalan, Spanish or English

And the documentation established by the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences to its specific considerations

Information related to the thesis

Information related to the thesis

In this section you can find indications and / or regulatory aspects of your PhD programme, if applicable.
There are PhD programmes that have regulated the presentation of the thesis as a compendium of publications, how the constitution of the examining board should be, etc.

Information related to the theses

In this section you will find indications and/or regulatory aspects of our doctoral programme.

• Internal regulations of the doctoral programme for the preparation of the thesis.
• Internal regulations of the doctoral programme with respect to the proposal of a panel.
• Modification of the registration data of the doctoral thesis.
• Deadline for completion of the thesis.
• Travel of the members of the doctoral thesis committee.
• Modification of the dedication regime.
• Leaves.

___________________________________________________________________________

Internal regulations of the doctoral programme

Copies of theses deposited at the Doctoral School must meet the conditions set out in Article 358 of the 'Academic regulations of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona applicable to university studies regulated in accordance with Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, modified by Royal Decree 861/2010, of 2 July'. Also those approved by the Academic Committee of our doctoral program, such as the internal regulations for the presentation of the thesis of Surgery and Morphological Sciences.

Thesis infographic: cover, structure and sections

 

Internal regulations of the doctoral programme with respect to the proposal of a selection board:

In addition to the regulations established by the Doctoral School for the composition of the thesis committees, the following requirements will also apply to this doctoral programme:

Composition of the thesis committee:

• In the theses of the Department of Surgery (areas of Surgery, Traumatology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Urology), it is mandatory that the president and the first alternate of the panel are permanent professors: full professors, contract professors, university professors, associate professors or associate professors A3.3 of the Department of Surgery or the Department of Morphological Sciences of the UAB (including interim,  emeritus, honorary and retired).
• In the case of theses of the Department of Morphological Sciences (areas of Human Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy), it is recommended that the chair and the first alternate of the panel are permanent lecturers: full professors, contract professors, university professors, associate professors or associate professors A3.3 of the Department of Surgery or the Department of Morphological Sciences of the UAB (including interim,  emeritus, honorary and retired).
• In the event that there is a guest lecturer on the panel, of great international prestige, not from the UAB, he/she may act as president of the panel. In this circumstance, the secretary and first alternate will be full professors, contract professors, university professors or associate professors from the Department of Surgery or the Department of Morphological Sciences of the UAB (including interim, emeritus, honorary and retired).
• It is advisable that the supervisor is from the area of the subject of the thesis, but it is not mandatory.
• Of the rest of the members of the panel there can be no other member of the UAB.
• If the mention of International Doctor is requested, at least, an expert belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research center with a doctoral degree (PhD), and different from the person responsible for the stay, must be part of the evaluation committee of the doctoral thesis.

Modification of the registration data of the doctoral thesis

Below you will find information on how to make modifications to some aspects of your doctoral thesis.

If the documents we request in each case have been signed by everyone with a valid electronic certificate, you will only need to send the documentation by e-mail to doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat

If someone does not have an electronic signature, everyone will have to sign manually and, in addition to advancing the scanned documentation by e-mail to doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat, they will have to deliver the documents (with original signatures) to the Integrated Administrative Support Unit of Medicine and Surgery (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.), without an appointment. You can also submit the documents to the academic secretary's office of the Vall d'Hebron Teaching Unit (Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.). If you are in another teaching unit, it can also be sent by internal mail from the corresponding academic secretary's office. Finally, you can also send documents by courier to:

Administrative Support Unit for Medicine and Surgery

Teaching Unit of the Vall d'Hebron

Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 119-129 - 08035 Barcelona

 

Change of thesis title

You can change the title of your doctoral thesis at any time as long as there are justified reasons and that you do not modify the essence of your initial project (in this case you will have to process a change of project).

It will be the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme that will assess the change of degree and resolve your request.

To make a modification of the registration data of your thesis you can use the document Request for modification of registration data of the thesis. The application must be signed by the interested party, the directors and the tutor.

Change of doctoral thesis project

In the event that you wish to modify, improve, detail or correct your doctoral thesis project, you will have to submit to us  the Application for modification of the thesis registration data, plus the New proposal of the research project (where you detail the changes with respect to the initial project delivered at the time of your admission) and the Modification of the Research Plan.

It will be the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme that will assess your new project and resolve your request.

Change of thesis direction

You can change the supervision of a doctoral thesis as long as there are justified reasons and you request it within six months of the deadline for the completion of the thesis that is established in your academic record (you can consult it here). You must bear in mind that this maximum end date may vary depending on the cancellations and/or extensions pending application, which you must notify us of so that we can accept this change for processing.

The appointment of the thesis supervisor may fall on any Spanish or foreign PhD with accredited research experience, and regardless of the university, centre or institution where he/she provides his/her services. You can consult all the requirements that supervisors must meet in the section Thesis supervision.

You can consult all the requirements that supervisors must meet in the section Thesis supervision.

In the event of a change in the direction of the thesis, the following documents must be provided:

• Application for change of director and/or tutor, signed by the directors and current tutor, those who leave and those who join, if applicable.
• Publication file, of the director who joins, if applicable.
• New commitment document, signed by the doctoral student and by the management and tutoring that you propose to have with this change.
• New Annex to the Code of Good Practices, signed by the donctorand/a and by the management and tutoring that you propose to have with this change.

In the event that you incorporate an external supervisor with this change, you must also attach this file of the external director to the UAB, the publication file of the new director and his/her doctoral degree (except if he/she has obtained it at the UAB).

ATTENTION! Changes in the direction of the thesis will not be processed during the period of follow-up of the course.

Change of thesis tutor

Your thesis must have a single tutor. The tutor can be changed at any time as long as there are justified reasons. The tutor must be appointed by one of the members of the human resources programme of the doctoral programme in Surgery and Morphological Sciences, which you can consult in the Lines and Management section. You can consult all the requirements that tutors must meet in the specific information of the doctoral programme in the section Thesis tutoring.

To make this modification, you must fill in the Application for change of supervisor and/or tutor (signed by the doctoral student, the supervisors and the tutors (for the new student and the one who renounces the tutorship) and the commitment document signed by the doctoral student, the supervisors and the new tutor.

Deadline for the end of the thesis

In this link, in the option of 'Research Plan and activities of doctoral students', you can consult the registered data of your doctoral thesis and see the minimum and maximum deposit date, which counts from the date of enrolment (or 1 October if you have enrolled before the start of the course). The information appears in the header of the page.

You should bear in mind that the maximum deposit date may vary if you request cancellations, changes of permanence regime or ordinary or extraordinary extension.

Once you have the extraordinary extension, this maximum date will not be extendable. If your online deposit application is not recorded and validated by the thesis management and tutoring and the programme coordinator before this date, you will not be able to continue in the doctoral programme. To continue your doctoral studies, you will need to apply for admission to another doctoral programme at the UAB (if your research can be included in any of the research lines of this programme), or to another university.

In order to guarantee that you deposit your doctoral thesis before the deadline, you must start the process at least two months before this date. If you have to request the presentation of the thesis by compendium of publications, you must start the procedure at least three months before.

Travel of the members of the doctoral thesis panel

If a member of the doctoral thesis panel comes from an institution outside the province of Barcelona, he/she is entitled to be paid the travel expenses. These expenses must comply with criteria of proportionality and containment of public spending, and comply with the UAB's travel regulations, which establish the following requirements:

Displacement

Priority will be given to public transport and fares corresponding to the economy class (unless there is an offer in a higher class that is lower than the economy class price). This service must be requested from one of the travel agencies that the UAB has an agreement with.

When there are no regular and collective means of transport or these are inadequate, the use of private vehicles will be authorised, paying the mileage according to the rates in force, and may not exceed the total price of public transport for the same route.

Accommodation

In exceptional cases, in which it is not possible to make the trip on the same day by public transport, a hotel reservation can be processed, with an amount in accordance with the regulations in force at the UAB, and it must necessarily be contracted through one of the travel agencies agreed by the UAB.

Information on how to process these expenses is sent to all the members of the committee, with a copy to the doctoral student, once the panel has been approved by the Doctoral School.

For any clarification, you can contact us at the following address: uisad.medicina.cirurgia@uab.cat

Modification of the dedication regime

You will find information about this procedure through the following link. The documentation must be sent by email to doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat. In the event that the signatures are not electronic, you must send the documents with original signatures to the UISAD of Medicine and Surgery (in person without an appointment, by internal mail from any teaching unit or through courier). The doctoral study committee will send the resolution to the doctoral student and a copy to the Doctoral School.

Leaves

You will find information about this procedure through the following link. The documentation must be sent by email to doctorat.cirurgia@uab.cat. If the signatures are not electronic, in addition to forwarding the scanned documents by email, you must send the documents with original signatures to the UISAD of Medicine and Surgery (in person without an appointment, by internal mail from any teaching unit, or via courier). Documents cannot be hybrid: they must have either all electronic signatures or all handwritten signatures.

The Administrative Management of the Doctoral Program in Surgery and Morphological Sciences will send you the resolution and a copy to the Doctoral School so that you can update your file online, if approved.

In the case of absences of one year or more, in addition to the documentation requested in this link, you will also need to send us the following documents:

• Modifications to the research plan and training plan, where you indicate that the modification of the research plan is due to the request for withdrawal.
• New work plan proposal, where you detail the new research planning once you return from leave.

If your withdrawal coincides with the monitoring period (academic year 2024-2025: from 16/06/2025 to 7/9/2025) you will have to start the withdrawal request process before the start of the monitoring period, you will not be able to take the monitoring, you will be evaluated as a "doctoral student on leave" and you will have to enrol in the same monitoring in the following year.

Criteria for granting voluntary withdrawals during the second extension

In relation to the voluntary withdrawals that can be requested during the doctorate, in order to grant voluntary withdrawals during the extension of doctoral studies, the following requirements must be met in order to be granted by the academic committee of the doctoral programme:

- The report to be made by the thesis supervisor must state the status of the thesis, if it is advanced, what exact situation it is in.

- They must always be justified and the reasons why they can be granted are:

· work reasons, a new job that implies a lack of time in the dedication to the research of the thesis and generates difficulties in combining working life with the preparation of the thesis. A change of job in the last 6 months prior to the request for leave must be documented.

. care of children and the elderly, which must be justified by documentation.

. illness of the director, which must be justified with the corresponding medical leave.

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

The process-based management system used by the UAB faculties and schools stems from a commitment to offering degrees with their own policy on quality and measures in place to evaluate and improve performance continuously, according to the European quality standards. These elements together make up this university's Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIQ).

This system involves all the following:

• Establishing and monitoring the faculty's policy and objectives regarding teaching standards, in accordance with the university’s strategic lines
• Establishing and renewing the offer of PhD programmes.
• Processes directly linked to teaching activity: tutoring, assessment, mobility, etc.
• Processes to gauge the level of satisfaction of the different groups.
• Processes linked to the people and resources needed: lecturers, administrative and service staff (PAS), infrastructure and services, course scheduling, academic organisation, etc.
• Processes linked to the life cycles of degrees: verification (evaluation before implementation), regular monitoring, modification (continuous improvement) and accreditation (evaluation of performance and renewal of the authorisation to continue offering the programme), which seek to organise, renew and improve the offer of PhD programmes.

Verification

Evaluation process previous to the implementation of the degree: presentation of a proposal for a new PhD programme for AQU-Catalunya (Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia) to issue the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities (Ministry of Universities), which is the responsible agent for verification.

• Report on the PhD programme
• Resolution on verification by the Spanish Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

 

Monitoring

Periodic monitoring process of the development and results of the PhD programme: self-evaluation carried out, every 3 years, by themselves.

• Monitoring report on the programme

Modification (from the las accreditation of the programme)

Process of substantial modification of the PhD programme for its improvement.

• 2020-2023 - Modification proposal  [document in Catalan]

 

Accreditation

Degree implementation renewal process: presentation, every 6 years from the implementation of the programme, of a self-report so that AQU-Catalunya issues the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities, which is the body responsible for accreditation.

• Accreditation self-report
• Accreditation report
• Resolution of accreditation of the Council of Universities
• Register of Universities, centers and degrees (RUCT)

 

 

AQU VSMA Framework

 

Internal Quality Assurance System of the faculty

Set of processes to manage and monitor the different aspects of degrees, with the strategic objective of ensuring continuous improvement

• Internal Quality Assurance System
• Tutoring Action Plan (PAT)
• Standing Committee

 

Opina UAB

A channel for suggestions, complaints and praise regarding the functioning of the UAB

 

PhD data

• Satisfaction surveys of Doctors
• Satisfaction surveys of thesis supervisors
• Check here the results of the doctor's job placement survey
• The PhD figures

Recognition and awards

Special Prize Awards

The Special Prize Awards are awarded for each PhD programme among all the theses defended in an academic year, at the rate of one prize for every five theses or fraction thereof, without the need for the doctor to request it. The winners are entitled to a refund of the fee they paid for the application for the degree certificate and to an accrediting certificate..

The procedure is as follows:

1. A pannel appointed by the Academic Commission of each PhD programme makes the proposal of candidates for the Special Prize Award, following the criteria previously established by the same commission. You can do it up to three courses after the defenses.
2. The PhD Commission awards the prizes according to the proposals made by the PhD programmes.
3. The Doctoral School contacts the winners to refund the fee.
4. The certificates of the Special Prizes awarded in the previous PhD Commission are delivered in the PhD special prize award ceremony.

Check the prizes that have already awarded by the PhD Comission, ordered by defense course.

In this link you will find the doctors who have won the Extraordinary Prize in this doctoral programme.

The Extraordinary Doctoral Prizes are awarded for each doctoral programme among all the theses defended in an academic year, at the rate of one prize for every five theses or fraction, without the need for the doctor to request it. The winners are entitled to a refund of the fee they paid for the application for the degree and to a certificate accrediting it.

Specific criteria approved by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme in Surgery Morphological Sciences for the awarding of the extraordinary prizes

The quality of the thesis will be taken into account, based on the methodology used and the results obtained reflected in publications in journals of impact of the specialty.

They will be distributed according to the percentage of theses enrolled by areas (Morphological Sciences and Surgery). Within the Surgery by areas and specialties.

• Inclusion criteria:

- Grade of Excellent with mention "laude".

- Achieve a minimum of 1 point in the following scale:

Scale:

• An order by score will be created:

- International Mention: 10 points

- Industrial Mention: 10 points

- Each article presented will add a score based on the following scale:

Prospective design: 0.5 points

Controlled Design: : 0.5 points

Randomized Design: : 0.5 points

Multicenter design: 0.5 points

Experimental design in animals: 1 point

The position of the journal by area will be added to the score (the area will be taken as the best classified) according to the Journal Citation Report:

D1 (decile): 4 points

Q1 (quartile) and not located in D1: 3 points

Q2: 2 points

Q3: 1 points

Q4: 0.5 points

Points for the Impact Factor score

The final score will be the sum of the possible mention plus the sum of the score of each article presentedPublications may be submitted until the date that the Academic Committee that awards the Extraordinary Prizes meets.

Doctoral students who meet these conditions will receive a message from the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Programme, asking them to provide the following information to participate in the selection process:

1. Your ORCID number.
2. PDF copy of the derived article or formal writing from the publisher informing that the work is definitively accepted.
3. In the event that the work has resulted in a patent, provide a registered document from the Spanish or international patent and trademark office.
4. In the event that the work has resulted in new lines of research and/or research projects, provide the data of the new line or project.