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PhD theses read. By universities

PhD theses read. By universities Catalonia
State university system University of Barcelona Autonomous University of Barcelona Polytechnic University of Catalonia Pompeu Fabra University University of Girona University of Lleida Rovira i Virgili University Private university system Ramon Llull University University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia International University of Catalonia Abat Oliba CEU University Open University of Catalonia Total
SY 2022/23 2,294 733 698 262 212 107 99 183 173 62 40 37 5 29 2,467
SY 2021/22 2,331 681 745 294 232 119 76 184 145 49 41 21 5 29 2,476
SY 2020/21 2,413 770 831 231 210 102 110 159 120 61 22 28 9 16 2,549
SY 2019/20 2,191 643 640 355 218 100 73 162 89 52 19 15 3 18 2,298
SY 2018/19 2,161 621 685 323 191 112 72 157 68 40 10 16 2 13 2,242
SY 2017/18 2,062 462 707 299 225 110 59 200 67 33 24 10 0 15 2,144
SY 2016/17 2,985 1,183 833 355 224 86 117 187 230 77 22 88 43 12 3,227
SY 2015/16 3,503 1,158 1,072 528 269 121 112 243 223 148 14 51 10 15 3,741
SY 2014/15 2,344 742 734 335 178 129 48 178 44 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 14 23 7 15 2,403
SY 2013/14 2,230 741 618 337 180 101 74 179 24 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 7 9 8 5 2,259
SY 2012/13 2,109 681 651 319 153 87 59 159 29 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 8 19 2 7 2,145
SY 2011/12 1,877 571 557 352 100 77 76 144 29 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 3 20 6 6 1,912
SY 2010/11 1,768 583 530 252 141 68 47 147 19 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 2 14 3 10 1,797
SY 2009/10 1,631 512 494 282 100 46 43 154 25 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 3 18 4 7 1,663
SY 2008/09 1,544 546 458 264 87 51 44 94 21 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 1 17 3 11 1,576
SY 2007/08 1,538 531 383 384 79 37 41 83 20 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 2 11 7 7 1,565
SY 2006/07 1,320 509 389 225 59 41 29 68 14 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 1 10 3 2 1,336
SY 2005/06 1,392 562 370 221 49 78 42 70 9 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 1 6 2 1 1,402
SY 2004/05 1,183 469 315 197 55 48 37 62 11 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 0 11 0 1 1,195
SY 2003/04 1,163 476 321 167 52 45 27 75 12 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 0 7 5 1 1,176
SY 2002/03 1,143 474 314 178 37 37 26 77 5 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 0 5 0 0 1,148
SY 2001/02 1,132 484 308 190 37 26 33 54 2 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 0 2 0 1 1,135
SY 2000/01 1,087 480 293 149 35 37 38 55 1 .. Confidential data, low reliability or not available 0 1 0 0 1,088
Source: Ministry of Research and Universities.
Note: Provisional data.
(..) Confidential data, low reliability or not available.

Last update: July 23, 2024.

Methodological note

Definition of concepts

Third cycle university studies
Studies that if passed entitle obtainment of a PhD certificate following the drafting and acceptance of a thesis. If they are homologated they are called PhD (doctorate) programmes. These can also be individual (unregulated) titles such as masters, postgraduate diplomas and university specialisation courses.
Doctoral thesis
The doctoral thesis is a new, unpublished piece of research produced by a candidate in any discipline. The thesis must enable the doctorand to work independently in the field of R&D&I.

Methodological aspects

We have used the information provided by the Generalitat de Catalunya's Ministry of Economy and Knowledge, obtained from the statistics services of Catalan universities. Data is offered on the number of teachers, and students enrolled at and qualified by the private and public universities that make up the Catalan university system. Data is also included in relation to the number of students taking third cycle (PhD and continuing education) courses. Since the Bologna Plan came into force (2010), information has been included on students enrolled for official degrees and masters. At the moment there are two coexisting systems until the expiry of the old plan. Data is also provided on PhD theses, and on students on the different student mobility programmes.

The structure of university degree courses

Within the framework of the European Higher Education Area, university education is currently based on a three-cycle degree structure leading to students obtaining the corresponding official bachelor's and university master's degrees and doctorates.

Bachelor's degrees

These are the first degree courses studied when students are admitted to universities. The aim of these courses of study is to provide students with a general knowledge of their chosen field, to prepare them for their future professional careers. The syllabi correspond to 240 credits and consist of theoretical and practical training distributed as follows: basic degree knowledge, compulsory subjects, optional subjects, practical training in companies and a bachelor's degree final project. University bachelor's degrees fall under one of the following branches of knowledge: Arts & Humanities, Science, Health Sciences, Social and Legal Sciences, and Architecture and Engineering.

University master's degrees

These begin following completion of a bachelor's degree. Master's degrees are intended to provide the student with advanced specialist or multidisciplinary training aimed at academic or professional specialisation, or to enable the student to embark on research projects. The syllabus corresponds to 60 or 120 credits and contains all the theory and practice the student must acquire, distributed as follows: compulsory subjects, optional subjects, seminars, practical training in companies, supervised assignments and a university master's degree final project. University master's degrees fall under one of the following branches of knowledge: Arts & Humanities, Science, Health Sciences, Social and Legal Sciences, and Architecture and Engineering.

Doctorates

Official university doctorates enable the student to gain the skills and abilities required for quality scientific research. The aim of doctoral programmes is to develop the different aspects of the PhD candidate's training and to establish the procedures and the line of research to enable them to produce a doctoral thesis. Doctoral programmes last for a maximum of three years, full time, from the admission of the PhD candidate to the programme to presentation of the thesis, or five years if the doctorate is studied on a part-time basis. To gain admission to an official doctoral programme, students must have an official bachelor's degree from a Spanish university, or equivalent degree, and a university master's degree, although individual universities may apply additional entry criteria requiring specific training.

The structure of pre-EHEA studies

The official university courses that have been offered since before the implementation of the European Higher Education Area are also structured into cycles. In line with current legislation, these courses will end definitively on 30 September 2015.

First-cycle studies

Qualification on completion: three-year degree graduate, teacher, technical architect or technical engineer. Total credits: a minimum of 180 credits obtained over three academic years. There are currently no places available to start these courses of study.

First- and second-cycle studies

Qualification on completion: four-year degree graduate, architect or engineer. Total credits: a minimum of 300 credits obtained over four or five academic years. Places are currently only available on the second cycles of these courses of study.

Second-cycle studies

Admission: completion of a first-cycle university course, or holding a three-year degree or qualification as a technical architect, technical engineer or teacher. It is the universities themselves that govern admission to these second-cycle courses. Qualification on completion: four-year degree graduate, architect or engineer. Total credits: a minimum of 120 credits obtained over two academic years.

Third-cycle studies

These are known as doctoral programmes and are a necessary requirement for obtaining the official title of doctor. Admission: applicants must be four-year degree graduates, architects or engineers. The Doctoral Committee of each university is the body with authority over admission to doctoral programmes.

Total credits: a minimum of 32 credits

The research competence corresponds to the doctorates previous to the EHEA studies, which are no longer offered. Consequently, there are universities that no longer have any students.

Also, keep in mind that students that do competence research later left because these students are not required to enroll and universities do not collect this information.

Provisional data

Catalan universities are:

Name Year established
University of Barcelona (UB) 1837
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) 1968
Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) 1971
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) 1990
University of Lleida (UdL) 1991
University of Girona (UdG) 1991
Rovira i Virgili University (URV) 1991
Open University of Catalonia (UOC) 1995
Ramon Llull University (URL) 1991
University of Vic (UVic) the 2014 renamed University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) 1997
Internacional University of Catalonia (UIC) 1997
Abat Oliba CEU University (UAO) 2003