Student Monitoring

Research Plan and Thesis Project 

All PhD students must draft a Research Plan before the end of the first year. This project must be endorsed by the tutor and the supervisor of the Doctoral Thesis and be approved by the Program’s Academic Committee. The specific format and content of the research plan can be consulted here. The Doctoral Program Academic Committee will then assess the Research Plan, which (if approved) will be incorporated to the PhD student’s DAD.

 

Monitoring Training and Progress of Thesis Work 

The Academic Committee will establish Monitoring Committees to monitor the work of every student. Every year, the Program’s Monitoring Committees will assess each PhD student’s DAD (Doctoral Document of Activities) and the tutor’s and the thesis supervisor’s, as well as the general progress of the thesis. The Committees will mark the student with either a positive or a negative assessment. Two negative assessments will entail the student’s explusion from the Program. Therefore, approval by the Committee is a requirement to stay in the Program. The Committee’s decision can be appealed. There will (generally) be two sessions for student assessment every year.

The criteria used to assess the students are defined by the Doctoral Program Academic Committee. They are designed to guarantee the adequate progress of students in order to succeed at every step of the Doctoral Program leading towards the defense of the thesis. The assessment (from 0 to 10, with 5 or higher being a positive assessment) will take into account, as a minimum, the following items:

• Progress of the thesis compared to the Research Plan
• Scientific production (results, publications, etc.)
• Research fellowships, visits to other institutions, conference attendance, meetings, etc.
• Activities and compulsory courses
• Any other activity or matter considered relevant
• General evaluation

The Monitoring Committee will not only assess PhD students’ progress, but will also make recommendations and suggestions on how to proceed to improve the quality of the thesis work. The assessment will be included in a report.

 

Mobility and Doctoral Visits 

Mobility and international research appointments are key for the University of Malaga PhD students. Every PhD program has to promote these activities, particularly when students are pursuing an international mention in the thesis or ones that benefit from international co-tutoring. In order to obtain the International Mention [“Mención Internacional”] the Doctoral Program in Economics and Business requires, full time PhD students to complete a continuous three month stay at an international institution, and part-time students to complete at least two stays of one or one and half months each at an international research center. The University provides a number of scholarships for mobility initiatives. Additionally, the University of Malaga collaborates actively with many international institutions, such as AUIP or Universia. Attending conferences and workshops is also promoted for PhD students with consistent financial aid funding by the University.