Procedure for depositing and defending a co-supervised thesis

Thesis deposit and registration procedure

In addition to completing this procedure in accordance with the regulations in effect at the university at which the candidate plans to defend their thesis, they also need to register the thesis at the UPV/EHU. To this end, the candidate must submit the following documents through the UPV/EHU’s Electronic Hub.

• The doctoral thesis in digital format.
• Document of activities.
• Copy of the communique requesting reports from experts outside the UPV/EHU, with the approval of the Academic Commission of the doctoral programme and the agreement of said Commission with said reports.
• Reports from external experts and, where necessary, the doctoral candidate’s response. In the event of the other university also requesting reports, the reports submitted at said university are deemed valid.
• Favourable reports authorising the registration of the thesis by the supervisor(s), tutor and Department to which the PhD candidate is affiliated.
• Proposal for appointing members of the viva panel, made by the Department to which the PhD candidate is affiliated.
• Authorisation by the Academic Commission of the doctoral programme.
• PhD candidate file and thesis abstract.

When necessary, the PhD candidate will also be required to submit the following documents:

• Request for the 'International Doctorate' distinction.
• Request for the 'Industrial Doctorate' distinction.
• Request for the 'Thesis in collaboration with an external entity' distinction.
• Request for a certificate exempting the PhD candidate from accrediting level C2 in Basque.

All documents cited are available on the following website: https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/doktoregoa/doctoral-thesis/forms

Once the documents listed above have been received, the University of the Basque Country Postgraduate Commission will assess them and inform the Department, the PhD candidate, the thesis supervisor and the Doctoral Programme of their approval so that the approved viva panel proposal can be submitted at the university in which the thesis is to be defended.

Viva

In addition to the documents generated in accordance with the regulations of the university at which the viva is to be held, and in accordance with both state regulations and those in place at the UPV/EHU [1] the representative of the UPV/EHU who sits on the viva panel must take the following documents with them on the day of the viva, in addition to those required by the other university:

• Envelopes for the Cum Laude distinction and the Extraordinary Prize [2].
• Form for the Graduation Certificate (two copies).
• Form for the Reports by the members of the Viva Panel.

[1] University of the Basque Country Marking System. Once the viva has been completed, the Viva Panel shall issue the mark awarded in accordance with the following scale: fail, pass, merit, distinction. If distinction is awarded unanimously, the panel members may propose the thesis be granted a Cum Laude distinction. This is decided by secret ballot (Cum Laude envelopes) and subsequently, also in a secret ballot, the candidate may be proposed as a candidate for the Extraordinary Doctorate Prize when the call for said prize is issued (Extraordinary Prize envelopes). To this end, the documents provided to this effect on the University of the Basque Country's website should be completed and sent individually in sealed envelopes with the Viva Panel secretary's signature on the back.

[2] All the forms required by the UPV/EHU are available on the following website: https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/doktoregoa/doctoral-thesis/forms

Documents to be presented at the UPV/EHU after the viva

• Graduation Certificate (two copies).
• Reports by the members of the Viva Panel.
• Envelopes for the Cum Laude distinction and Extraordinary Prize (if appropriate).
• Thesis publication form (ADDI).
• PhD candidate file and thesis abstract.

Deposit and registration

To be carried out in accordance with the UPV/EHU regulations. See the thesis deposit and registration procedure protocol on the following website: https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/doktoregoa/doctoral-thesis/protocol-for-thesis-vivas

In addition to the documents indicated in the protocol, the agreement with the other university must also be submitted, along with the proposal for viva panel members.

Viva

The viva will be carried out in accordance with the UPV/EHU regulations. Once the documents have been received by the Master's and Doctoral Department, the following will be sent to the other university:

• Graduation certificate.
• Reports by the members of the Viva Panel.
• Envelopes for the Cum Laude distinction.
• Envelopes for the Extraordinary Prize.
• Letter attesting to no changes in the thesis (issued by the Master's and Doctoral Department).

The PhD candidate and their supervisor should ascertain whether the other signatory university requires any further documents, so that they can be sent along with those listed above.

The documents shall be sent to the other university by the Master's and Doctoral Department, to the contact address provided by the thesis supervisor or PhD candidate.