To access a doctoral programme regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011 you must:
Hold an official undergraduate degree issued in Spain or an equivalent qualification (if issued outside Spain), and an official master’s degree.
Hold an official university degree that is equivalent to level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES level 3).
Additionally, applicants in the following situations can also apply for a doctoral programme:
Those who hold an official university degree issued in Spain or the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that provides access to master's degree programmes and who have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 must be at master's degree level.
Those who hold an official undergraduate degree issued in Spain, comprising at least 300 ECTS. In this case, candidates will have to complete complementary training, except if the curriculum of the completed degree includes credits in research training that are equivalent to master's degree level.
University graduates who, after obtaining a place in a specialised healthcare programme, have successfully passed at least two years of training in the programme of specialisation in Health Sciences.
Those who hold a degree from a foreign education system (not necessarily recognised [homologado]), provided the University verifies that (i) the degree accredits a level of training equivalent to that of an official master's degree in Spain, and (ii) the degree entitles the holder to enrol on a doctoral programme in the country in which it was issued. Admission does not entail the granting of official recognition (homologación) of the completed degree or its recognition for other purposes.
Those who hold another doctoral degree.
Those who are considered as doctoral students in accordance with previous university regulations, following admission by the corresponding university, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 99/2011 and the regulations of the university in question (training period of 60 ECTS in doctoral programmes pertaining to Royal Decree 1393/2007).
Licenciados (full undergraduate degree holders), arquitectos (full undergraduate degree holders in Architecture) or ingenieros (full undergraduate degree holders in Engineering), provided that they hold a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) obtained in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/1998, or that they have achieved research proficiency as regulated by Royal Decree 185/1985.
Applicants who meet the entry requirements before the end of the registration period may apply for admission to a doctoral programme regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011. However, if the entry requirements are accredited after the publication of the provisional list of successful applicants, admission will be subject to the availability of vacant places on the chosen doctoral programme.
If applicants only accredit one of the following qualifications:
Arquitecta (full undergraduate degree holder in Architecture), ingeniera (full undergraduate degree holder in Engineering) or licenciada (full undergraduate degree holder) from a Spanish university.
Arquitecta técnica (3-year undergraduate degree holder in Architecture), ingeniera técnica (3-year undergraduate degree holder in Engineering) or diplomada (3-year undergraduate degree holder).
Please note: MECES is the acronym for “Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education”, provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Certificates of equivalence are issued by this Ministry online on this website:
Through this service, you can request a certificate of equivalence to MECES levels for the following qualifications: arquitecta (full undergraduate degree holder in Architecture), ingeniera (full undergraduate degree holder in Engineering), licenciada (full undergraduate degree holder), arquitecta técnica (3-year undergraduate degree holder in Architecture), ingeniera técnica (3-year undergraduate degree holder in Engineering) or diplomada (3-year undergraduate degree holder).
In addition to the entry requirements set out above, the Academic Committee of each doctoral programme may establish specific entry requirements, which may include the mandatory completion of specific complementary training. You can consult these requirements on the website of each doctoral programme.