The public defense of the doctoral thesis
The public defense of the doctoral thesis leads to the awarding of the title of doctor, which is the highest academic degree of the Spanish university. Therefore, this act must be properly conducted, in accordance with the manners and protocol of the institution.
General Information about the Doctoral Thesis Defense Act:
1. The defense of the thesis will take place in a public session on a school day at a UMA center. The defense can be in-person, semi-presential, or virtual. In the first two cases, it will be held in the Aula de Grados and, failing that, in the Aula Judicial or the Sala Doctor Honoris Causa.
2. The doctoral thesis defense will consist of the presentation of the research work, followed by the intervention of the tribunal members, the intervention of the doctors in the audience, including the thesis directors, responses to the questions posed by the tribunal, and the debate with it, the tribunal’s deliberation on the thesis grade, and the public announcement of the grade awarded.
3. The tribunal will determine when the room can be accessed and when it must be vacated. The audience must avoid any acts that may disturb the proceedings. Videotaping and photography during the defense must have the tribunal’s permission.
Functions of the Tribunal Members:
4. The president of the tribunal will direct the act and ensure its proper conduct.
5. The secretary of the tribunal will handle the administrative matters of the act, including the preparation, completion, and processing of all documentation, as well as any other tasks assigned by the president.
Constitution of the Tribunal:
6. Before the defense begins, the tribunal will be constituted in the Aula de Grados or wherever the act takes place.
7. At the table, the president will occupy the central position, the secretary to their left, and the vocal to their right unless the secretary has a higher rank than the vocal, or is more senior if the rank is the same.
Presentation of the Doctoral Thesis:
8. When the act begins, the president will invite the doctoral candidate to take their place. After requesting permission from the president, the candidate will present the research clearly and rigorously, using any audiovisual aids deemed appropriate. For the international mention, part of the oral presentation, at least the conclusions, must be in a language other than the official languages of Spain unless the international stay was in a country where Spanish is the official language. The secretary will certify compliance with these requirements. The presentation will last around 40 to 45 minutes unless the tribunal decides otherwise.
9. After the presentation, the tribunal members will intervene in the following order: the secretary, the vocal, and finally the president. The president will then invite the doctors in the audience to intervene. Once they have intervened, the candidate will respond to any questions raised.
Tribunal Deliberation to Award the Thesis Grade:
10. Once the candidate has answered all questions, the president will ask the audience to leave the room, and the tribunal will deliberate to award the thesis grade.
11. After the secret deliberation and the grade is agreed upon, the secretary will call the candidate and declare the audience public again so the audience can re-enter.
12. Once everyone is seated, the tribunal members will stand, and the president will announce the grade, which can be fail, pass, good, or excellent. If the overall grade is excellent, the tribunal may propose the “cum laude” mention if the unanimous secret vote is positive. The secret vote count will take place at the Doctoral School in a session after the defense.
13. Finally, the president will close the session.
