[Procedure adapted to the new regulations published in the BOPV on 7 June 2024: CHAPTER X: CO-SUPERVISED THESES].

• In order to conduct a co-supervised thesis and sign the corresponding agreement, authorisation must be given by the Postgraduate Commission, generally within the first year of research work. Said time period shall start from the date the student enrols on the doctoral programme. 
• A thesis may be co-supervised between 2 or 3 universities (just one Spanish university) (it is not allowed to sign co-tutelle agreements with research centres). 
• Doctoral students who conduct their thesis under a co-supervision agreement must study for their doctorate full time, except where the call, the contract or the corresponding regulating agreement expressly allow for part-time studies (CHAPTER IV: Doctoral studies). 
• The co-supervision stay does not count for an international distinction. Co-supervised theses may lead to an "International Doctorate" mention on the PhD qualification if research stays are carried out at different institutions from those included in the signed agreement, as established in section a) and providing that the circumstances listed in article 39 are met (CHAPTER X: Co-supervised theses). 
• Research stays (totally or partially) can be carried out before the co-tutelle agreement is signed.
• The co-supervision agreement is usually signed before enrolling at the second (and/or third) university, but it is not compulsory. 

--> Should you have any queries regarding co-supervised theses, please write to international.doke@ehu.eus

The PhD qualification will include the statement "Thesis under a co-supervision agreement with University U" on the back, providing the following circumstances are met: 

AGREEMENT AND SUPERVISION FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSITY 

- The doctoral thesis supervisors must be Doctors from two or more universities, one of which must be the UPV/EHU and the other(s) from overseas, who must sign a co-supervision agreement. 

DOCTORAL DEGREE FROM THE PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES 

- Through their work on their doctoral thesis, the PhD student shall obtain two or more qualifications, one for each of the higher education institutions supervising the thesis. 

STAYS 

- During the necessary period of study to obtain the qualification of Doctor, the PhD student must have completed a minimum stay of six months at each of the institutions that form part of the co-supervision agreement, carrying out research work, either in one period or in several. All stays and activities must be shown in the co-supervision agreement. 

DATES 

- In order to conduct a co-supervised thesis and sign the corresponding agreement, authorisation must be given by the UPV/EHU Postgraduate Commission, generally within the first year of research work. Said time period shall start from the date the student enrols on the doctoral programme. 
- When the foreign university establishes a training period prior to the start of the research work itself, the deadline for signing the co-supervision agreement will be calculated from the end of said period. 

DURATION OF THE DOCTORATE 

- Co-supervised theses must be conducted with full-time commitment (at the UPV/EHU, this would be a maximum period of 4 years, with the option of an additional one-year extension and two years of temporary leave). 

- The duration of doctoral studies under a co-supervision agreement shall be as indicated in the agreement signed by both universities. The limits established in the regulations of each university involved in the process must not be exceeded (duration of the doctorate at the UPV/EHU in this link). The agreement shall include the deadline for submitting the thesis. 

STEP 1: ENROLMENT ON A DOCTORAL PROGRAMME and CO-SUPERVISORS 

1. In order to start processing an agreement, the doctoral student must be enrolled on a doctoral programme in at least one of the universities where they are going to conduct their co-supervised thesis (information about the enrolment process at the UPV/EHU is available here). 

Clarifications regarding the payment of enrolment and fees at both universities: 
Payment of fees depends on each agreement and university, although it usually proceeds as follows: 

• Students under a co-supervision agreement must pay the first yearly enrolment fees at both universities. Once the co-supervision agreement has been approved, one of the above fees will be refunded. 

• From the second year onwards, payment of the fees shall be alternated (one year at each university, including extensions). If there is a funded research contract, this process normally starts at the university funding said contract. Furthermore, at the UPV/EHU, a fixed administrative fee (approximately 31€ per year) must be paid on a yearly basis, and payment of this amount cannot be exonerated. 

Clarifications about dates: 
As an exception, and on justified grounds (pre-doctoral contract, co-supervision or similar circumstances), a student may request to be admitted on a doctoral programme after the established general deadlines, providing that the access and admission requirements are met (CHAPTER II: Access, admission and enrolment, article 7). 

2. The doctoral student finds a thesis co-supervisor from the second university. 
In order for a teacher from the UPV/EHU to be able to supervise a thesis under a co-supervision agreement, they must be part of a doctoral programme. 

3. The doctoral student needs permission from all their thesis supervisors. 

STEP 2: SIGNING THE CO-SUPERVISION AGREEMENT 

4. The doctoral student must fill in and sign the co-supervision application (download above, in the documents section), which must also be signed by their thesis supervisors, and by the Academic Commission of the UPV/EHU doctoral programme on which they are enrolled. 
Once the application has been filled in and signed, it must be sent to the DOKe internationalisation officer: international.doke@ehu.eus (the rest of the signatures will be added by the DOKe at a later date). 

5. The DOKe checks that all the academic and procedural requirements are met. 

6. The DOKe writes up a draft agreement and sends it to the university with which the co-supervision will be signed, who in turn gives its approval. 

7. The co-supervision agreement is processed and signed in accordance with the provisions established in Chapter XIV Collaboration agreements with external entities, including, at least, these contents: 

• University and enrolment periods. 
• Enrolment fees and other charges. 
• Thesis supervisors. 
• The stays and activities to be carried out at the universities in question. 
• Criteria for appointing the panel. 
• University where the thesis will be defended. 
• Conditions for issuing the qualification. 

8. The DOKe sends the final version of the agreement to the Postgraduate Commission for approval. 

STEP 3: ENROLMENT AT THE SECOND UNIVERSITY 

9. Once the agreement has been signed, the doctoral student formalises their enrolment at the rest of the participating universities (the enrolment fees must be paid at the university for the relevant courses and following the deadlines, as specified in the agreement). 

STEP 4: RESEARCH WORK AND STAYS 

10. STAYS: 
The PhD student shall complete a minimum stay of six months at each of the institutions that form part of the co-supervision agreement, carrying out research work, either in one period or in several stays. All stays and activities must be shown in the co-supervision agreement. 

For said stays to take place, they must be processed at the DOKe, following the procedure for outgoing stays. 

Please, note that these research stays may take place (totally or partially) before the cotutelle agreement is signed.

If, in addition to the co-supervised thesis, the student wishes to have the option of an "International Doctorate" mention on the PhD qualification, they must carry out stays at different institutions from those forming part of the co-supervision agreement. Furthermore, all the requirements for an "International Doctorate" mention must also be met, which are available here. 

11. LANGUAGE: The doctoral thesis may be written in the usual language for scientific communication in the relevant field of knowledge, or in one of the official languages of the universities forming part of the agreement. 

STEP 5: PRESENTATION AND DEFENCE OF THE THESIS 

PLACE FOR DEFENDING THE THESIS 

12. The doctoral thesis shall be defended at the university specified in the agreement. 
- The doctoral student must pay the fees for defending the doctoral thesis at the university where the defence will take place, and said university must assume any costs incurred by the examination panel. 
- The presentation, submission and defence of the doctoral thesis shall be carried out according to the provisions established in current regulations at the university where the thesis will be defended. 
- The publication, use and protection of the results of the research that has been carried out shall be secured by the doctoral student's host institutions, in keeping with the specific procedures in each university's country, although compliance with state regulations must always be respected. 

DEFENCE AT THE UPV/EHU 

13. When the doctoral thesis is defended at the UPV/EHU, the processes of thesis admission, appointing the panel and the defence itself shall be in keeping with the provisions established in chapters VI and VII, and the UPV/EHU protocol for defending the co-supervised thesis shall be followed. 

14. When registering the thesis, the student must also present the official certificate of the stays they have carried out at the other participating university or universities. 

DEFENCE AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY 

15. If the defence takes place at another university that is not the UPV/EHU, the processes must be carried out in line with current legislation at that university. Likewise, the processes established in the UPV/EHU protocol for defending co-supervised theses must also be followed. 

16. Said university will send an official certificate of the thesis defence to the UPV/EHU Postgraduate Studies Service which must include the date of the defence, the grade obtained, the composition of the evaluation panel and a digital copy of the doctoral thesis, as a minimum, and the votes for a cum laude distinction, and, where applicable, the option of an extraordinary award. 

THESIS FORMAT: 

17. In the case of co-supervised doctoral theses, the symbol of the participating universities in the co-supervision can be included on the cover, alongside the symbol of the UPV/EHU. The symbols of any bodies, companies or institutions other than the UPV/EHU may be included on the back cover or inside, but not on the cover (CHAPTER VI: DOCTORAL THESES: CHARACTERISTICS, DEPOSITION AND DEFENCE). 

PANEL: 

18. In the theses that are presented within the framework of a co-supervision agreement with foreign universities that have envisaged this circumstance, the doctoral thesis supervisor and the tutor may form part of the thesis examination panel (CHAPTER VII: DOCTORAL THESIS EXAMINATION PANELS). 

19. The panel entrusted with examining the doctoral thesis shall be appointed by mutual agreement between the participating universities, and its composition must be in keeping with the current regulations at the university where the thesis is to be defended, and respecting the criteria established in the co-supervision agreement. 

20. The designation of the panel must include the certificate from the participating universities, certifying the doctoral student's stay period at said universities. 

ISSUING THE PHD QUALIFICATION: 

21. Once the doctoral thesis has been defended, the doctoral student may request the PhD qualification be issued by the participating universities, in accordance with their current regulation and the provisions established in the agreement. 

22. The PhD qualification issued by the UPV/EHU shall include the statement "Thesis under a co-supervision agreement with the University of...".

If you are a doctoral student enrolled in another university (different from UPV/EHU) and want to sign a co-tutelle agreement with University of the Basque country, you must follow the following procedure: 

1. Confirm that a professor from a UPV/EHU doctoral programme agrees on co-supervising your thesis and that you will be accepted in his/her doctoral programme (check all programmes and professors on the Doctoral Programmes' websites).
2. Confirm that your the supervisor of your home insitution and your doctoral programme allows to sign a co-tutelle agreement. 
3. Your home university's Doctoral School will contact UPV/EHU's doctoral School (international.dok@ehu.eus), in order to sign an agreement.

Procedure available at the Postgraduate service website.