PhD in Gender Study: Cultures, Societies and Policies

Why do this PhD?

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona is co-founder of the Inter-University Programme in Gender Studies, the aim of which is to train people to carry out excellent research in the field of feminism, women, gender and sexuality through interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches. Promoted by the Inter-University Institute for Women's and Gender Studies, it was created in the 2014/2015 academic year. 

The research and advanced training community of our Interuniversity PhD Programme at the UAB is particularly outstanding for: 

• Having 7 leading and innovative research lines that cover the most essential areas of Gender Studies.  

• High-quality teaching staff who excel in high-level research activities, both nationally and internationally. 

• A wide range of consolidated research groups recognised by the Government of Catalonia.  

• The interdisciplinary and inter-university nature of the programme makes it unique and solid. 

• Accurate follow-up mechanisms for doctoral students that provide an annual assessment of their progress.  

• Individualised attention to doctoral students by the thesis supervisors, the technical administrative management, and the academic coordination of the programme.

Professional opportunities

• National and international research in subject areas related to gender and intersectional studies.
• Teaching in government-regulated education (university and secondary schools) and non-regulated education.
• Drawing up equality plans in public administration.
• Heading observatories on equality in academic and professional institutions.
• Designing cultural events and programmes in the area of gender and equality.

Coordinator

Enrico Mora
Department of Sociology
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
08193 Bellaterra
Phone: 935 812 493
e-mail: Enrico.Mora@uab.cat

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

Anna Villarroya (General Coordinator of the program, UB)
Enrico Mora (UAB Coordinator)
Dolors Comas d’Argemir (URV Coordinator)
Gerard Coll-Planas (UVic-Central de Catalunya Coordinator)
Teresa Cabruja (UdG Coordinator)

Administration

Secretary of the Sociology Department
B Building. B3b-141 Office
Campus Bellaterra
08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona
Phone 0034 935811152
Mail: coordinacio.doctorat.genere@uab.cat
Sociology Department website

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

• Territory, migration, globalisation
  This brings together the research into territory and the population in aspects such as mobility,  multiculturalism, community, wellbeing, the relation between the global and the local, from a critical and intersectional perspective.
  
  Teaching staff:
  Mireia Baylina (mireia.baylina@uab.cat)
  Maria Dolors Garcia Ramon, (mariadolors.garcia.ramon@uab.cat)
  Anna Ortiz (anna.ortiz@uab.cat)
  Maria Prats (maria.prats@uab.cat)
  Isabel Salamaña (isabel.salamana@udg.edu)
  Elisabet Almeda (elisabet.almeda@ub.edu)
  Susanna Tavera (tavera@ub.edu)
  Rosa Tello (rosa.tello@ub.edu)

• Work, time and markets
  Interdisciplinary reflections developed by historians, economists, specialists in business organisations, sociologists, geographers, social and cultural anthropologists, pedagogues, specialists in theory and history of communication and experts in public law and historical-legal sciences.
  
  Teaching staff:

  Cristina Borderías (cristina.borderias@ub.edu)
  Elisabet Almeda (elisabet.almeda@ub.edu)
  Encarna Bodelón (encarna.bodelon@uab.cat)
  Verena Stolke (verena.stolke@uab.cat)
  Mireia Baylina (mireia.baylina@uab.cat)
  Maria Dolors Garcia Ramon (mariadolors.garcia.ramon@uab.cat)
  Anna Ortiz (anna.ortiz@uab.cat)
  Maria Prats (maria.prats@uab.cat)
  Sara Moreno (sara.moreno@uab.cat)
  Isabel Salamaña (isabel.salamana@udg.edu)
  Susanna Tavera (tavera@ub.edu)
  Rosa Tello (rosa.tello@ub.edu)
  Pilar Carrasquer (pilar.carrasquer@uab.cat)
  Teresa Torns (teresa.torns@uab.cat)
  Imma Pastor (imma.pastor@urv.cat)
  Cristina Carrasco (cristina.carrasco@ub.edu)

• Identities, relations and groups: social constructions and rights
  This includes areas that involve different identities: corporal, personal, social. It deals with the emotional, family relationships and the politics that emerge around them, inequalities that they generate and the policies and legislation that attempts to regulate them.
  
  Teaching staff:
  Meri Torras (meri.torras@uab.cat)
  Elisabet Almeda (elisabet.almeda@ub.edu)
  Teresa Cabruja (teresa.cabruja@udg.edu)
  Encarna Bodelón (encarna.bodelon@uab.cat)
  Verena Stolke (verena.stolke@uab.cat)
  Gerard Coll-Planas (gerard.coll@uvic.cat)
  Eva Espasa (eva.espasa@uvic.cat)
  Mireia Baylina (mireia.baylina@uab.cat)
  Maria Dolors Garcia Ramon (mariadolors.garcia.ramon@uab.cat)
  Anna Ortiz (anna.ortiz@uab.cat)
  Maria Prats (maria.prats@uab.cat)
  Isabel Salamaña (isabel.salamana@udg.edu)
  Susanna Tavera (tavera@ub.edu)
  Rosa Tello (rosa.tello@ub.edu)
  Aurora Leal (aurora.leal@uab.cat)
  Montserrat Moreno (montserrat.moreno@ub.edu)
  Genoveva Sastre (genoveva.sastre@ub.edu)

• Social movements, activisms, gender politics
  The perspective of gender has enriched studies of social mobilisations, political institutions and cultures as well as the processes of social development in which women play a leading role in contemporary society. This reinforces the critical capacity of the history of women and gender, which played a pioneering role in establishing these studies in Spain.
  
  Teaching staff:

  Elisabet Almeda (elisabet.almeda@ub.edu)
  Cristina Borderías (cristina.borderias@ub.edu)
  Encarna Bodelón (encarna.bodelon@uab.cat)
  Verena Stolke (verena.stolke@uab.cat)
  Noelia Igareda (noelia.igareda@uab.cat)
  Susanna Tavera (tavera@ub.edu)
  Rosa Tello (rosa.tello@ub.edu)
  Gerard Coll-Planas (gerard.coll@uvic.cat)
  Montserrat Duch (montserrat.duch@urv.cat)
  Joana Zaragoza (majoana.zaragoza@urv.net)

• Power relations and patricarchal violence
  Due to its complexity this lines combines various focuses. From a  multidisciplinary perspective legal, sociological, educational and historical aspects are considered. It is centred on the physical, psychological, discursive and symbolic violence in interpersonal space and in the workplace and institutions. It also includes actions, movements and initiatives that offer support to the people affected following the situation of violence and its prevention and eradication.
  
  Teaching staff:

  Meri Torras (meri.torras@uab.cat)
  Teresa Cabruja (teresa.cabruja@udg.edu)
  Encarna Bodelón (encarna.bodelon@uab.cat)
  Verena Stolke (verena.stolke@uab.cat)
  Jenni Cubells (jenni.cubells@uab.cat)
  Enrico Mora (enrico.mora@uab.cat)
  Noelia Igareda (noelia.igareda@uab.cat)
  Barbara Biglia (barbara.biglia@urv.cat)

• Education and values
  This lines is designed to carry out research that will allow the establishment of a continuity between the private and academic life of the students, giving them values that will allows equal relationships between the sexes and in social environments. Research into the construction of new circuits that allow students to move from their own private spaces to acquire scientific and cultural knowledge. One of the main objectives is to highlight the knowledge of oneself and that of people in the same environment to create a universe of knowledge that is closer to real life experiences.
  
  Teaching staff:
  Barbara Biglia (barbara.biglia@urv.cat)
  Pilar Carrasquer (pilar.carrasquer@uab.cat)
  Teresa Torns (teresa.torns@uab.cat)
  Isabel Carrillo (isabel.carrillo@uvic.cat)

• Health: promotion, technologies and diversity
  This lines proposes the study of ideas about health, illness and dependencies treated from different perspectives: historical studies and beliefs in the notion of illness and the medical professions, especially in relation to women's bodies. Physical and psychological conditions which appear today, dependent people and the consequent need for care. The role of women and the institutions in these areas.
  
  Teaching staff:
  Dolors Juvinyà (dolors.juvinya@udg.edu)
  Gerard Coll-Planas (gerard.coll@uvic.cat)
  Teresa Cabruja (teresa.cabruja@udg.edu)

• Language, communication and artistic production
  This line covers female and male representations which are either explicitly or implicitly found in art in our society: literature, theatre, cinema and the media such as TV and the press, etc. It also refers to the different ways in which these media are taken on by the public from a gender perspective; sexist orientation of language, discourses and the literary figures that make up an important part of our culture. Finally, literature written by women which allows an understanding of the the external and internal world, culture and experiences as women.
  
  Teaching staff:
  Meri Torras (meri.torras@uab.cat)
  Montserrat Palau (montserrat.palau@urv.cat)
  Iolanda Tortajada (iolanda.tortajada@urv.cat)
  Elisabet Rusell (elisabet.rusell@urv.cat)
  Coral Cuadrada (coral.cuadrada@urv.cat)

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

The applicant must contact the Coordination of the PhD Programme, through the mail coordinacio.doctorat.genere@uab.cat, BEFORE pre-registering online.

This PhD programme has, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following pre-registration periods:

• From June 24th to June 30th
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October 3rd
• From July 15th to July 21st - CLOSED (PLACES SOLD OUT)
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: October 3rd

Documentation necessary for admission

Check the internal registration circuit (in Spanish) for the PhD programme in Gender Study: Cultures, Societies and Policies.

In addition to the documentation that each programme indicates, two documents (Other documents1 and Other documents2) that serve as a wildcard are attached for each programme so that the interested person can attach other documents that he or she considers appropriate or that the PhD programme indicates.

Admissions before the established period and pre-admissions

The Doctoral School, following the indications of the coordination of the PhD programme, can issue before the start of the term of admission of an academic course, or before the end of the term of resolution, letters of admission so that you can request a scholarship or to do the visa procedures in your country. It is only necessary that you enter your application in the computer application and that you indicate it in the Observations field, where you must indicate that you need a letter of admission and the scholarship to which you are opting. If the computer application is closed, you can contact the coordination of the programme.

If you need a preadmission, the coordination of the programme can issue it if it considers it appropriate. You must contact the coordination of the programme to inform you of the procedure.

On the International Support Service website you can see more information about future foreign students related to residencies in Catalonia, legal procedures and the UAB campus.

Monitoring your application

You can monitor your application using the same page as you made it. Below are the explanations of the different stages:

• Application made by student: your pre-registration has been saved.
• Incomplete application: there are documents missing from the application.
• Validated by the administrative office: the application and attached documents have been checked.
• Admitted: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and proposed an offer or admission.
• Offer of admission: the Doctoral School has considered the proposals for admission made by the coordinator and has made a definitive offer. The PhD student will also receive an e-mail informing them of this decision. The PhD student must wait to register.
• Waiting list: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and has agreed on admission but there are no places on the PhD course.
• Application rejected: the coordinator or the Doctoral School have considered the application but do not agree to admission as not all the requirements have been fulfilled.

If you need it, here you will find a complementary information document on PhD studies.

Requirements and selection criteria

General access requirements

Specific access requirements

In addition to the general entry requirements, the Academic committee of the programme has established the following requirements and criteria:

1. Entry from the following Masters degrees: Official masters Degree in Women's Studies, Gender and Citizenship and from the Masters degrees belonging to the branches of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences of the participating universities (UB, UAB, UdG, UVIC-UCC, URV).
2. From other national and international masters degrees related to the content of the PhD programme and in accordance with the specificness of the the studies or the candidate and their adaptation to the lines of research of the programme.
3. For foreign students, a level of understanding of Catalan and/or Spanish equivalent to the Spanish Diploma (intermediate level) B1 (Catalan)
4. B1 level of comprehension of one of the other foreign languages used in the programme, especially English or French
5. Have the endorsement of a director of the PhD Program (director's commiment). If you do not have the guarantee, you must contact the coordinator of the program

Selection criteria

Selection and admission of students will be carried out by the Academic Committee of the PhD in Gender Studies: Cultures, Societies and Politics, in accordance with the following table:

1. Entry qualification (0 to 2 points according to the following criteria):
   1. From the following Masters degrees. Official Masters Degree in Women's Studies, Gender and Citizenship (EDGC) and from the Masters degrees belonging to the branches of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences of the participating universities (UB, UAB, UdG, UVIC-UCC, URV). (UB, UAB, UdG, UVIC-UCC, URV) (2 points)
   2. Other national and international masters degree related to the content of the programme, valued between 0 to 2 points depending on the  specificness of the the studies or the candidate and their adaptation to the lines of research of the PhD in Gender Studies: Culture, Societies and Politics.
2. Academic transcript of Bachelor's degree (up to 4 points depending on grade averages). The average grade will be scored between 0 and 4 points divided by 2 or between 0 and 10 points divided by 5. Correction criteria will be applied for foreign qualification in accordance with the ANECA programme.
3. Masters degree academic transcript (up to 4 points according to grade average). The average grade will be scored between 0 and 4 points divided by 2 or between 0 and 10 points divided by 5. Correction criteria will be applied for foreign qualification in accordance with the ANECA programme.
4. Letter of motivation, research proposal and letter of recommendation (up to 2 points)
5. Curriculum vitae (up to 4 points), taking into account:
   1. Previous research experience in any of the areas targeted by the theoretical and practical parts of the PhD programme (up to 1 point).
   2. Previous work experience in any of the areas targeted by the theoretical and practical parts of the PhD programme (up to 1 point).
   3. Previous publications, attendance at conferences and other activities related to the PhD programme such as participation in excavations, artistic activities, activities related to the management of culture and heritage, field work, etc.  (up to 1 point)
   4. Have been awarded a competitive grant (not mobility or general grants) for the Masters degree (up to 1 point)
6. Have held a previous PhD grant (3 points) or have applied for one at the time of admission (1 point).
   These are grants such as FI or FPU or equivalent, or competitive grants from other countries. Evaluation of the economic viability of the research.
7. Other academic merits (periods abroad, languages such as English, French, Portuguese, Italian or German (up to 1 point).

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

This PhD programme includes the following training activities:

Obligatory:

• Preparation of at least one scientific article or one book chapter approved for publication (compulsory activity of the Programme at the interuniversity level).
• Attendance at a scientific congress (compulsory activity at the UAB level).
• Presentation of a communication in a scientific congress different from the one attended (compulsory activity at the UAB level).

Optional:

• Attendance at courses (seminars, summer schools) specifically designed for the thesis (20 hours)
• Participation in conferences and academic meetings (30 hours)
• Research periods at other universities and research institutions (480 hours)

Typologies and Research Ethics

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

International Doctoral Research Component

Evaluation and annual review

Thesis deposit

If you want to deposit the doctoral thesis in this PhD programme, remember that you must confirm the complete application (status DI), at least 2 months before the maximum thesis completion date that appears in your file.

You must check the official calendar to adjust your deposit (pay attention to non-working periods). Likewise, we recommend that you check before that the information in Sigma is updated, complete and validated by your thesis supervisor. 

Look out! If you want to deposit before the end of this academic year and thus not have to pay the fees for the next course, you must confirm your deposit request before June, 30 th. 2025.

At the time of making your online deposit, you must attach these documents to your application, in the section "Attach documentation":
 

All PhD students

• External expert 1: Eligibility Document (thesis data deposit tab)
• External expert 2: suitability document (thesis data deposit tab)
• Court proposal (no need to sign) (deposit attached documents tab)
• Turnitin report (deposit tab attached documents)
• Sworn declaration of the Turnitin report (deposit tab attached documents)
• Accredited research experience (research six-year period or equivalent) and CVs of the members of the tribunal and of the appraisers externs

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD (thesis data deposit tab)

Writing a thesis in a language other than Catalan, Spanish and English: Mandatory documentation if requested

• Resolution if the thesis is written in a language other than Catalan, Spanish or English (attachment documents deposit tab)

Information related to the thesis

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Verification

Evaluation process previous to the implementation of the degree: presentation of a proposal for a new PhD programme for AQU-Catalunya (Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia) to issue the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities (Ministry of Universities), which is the responsible agent for verification.

• Report on the PhD programme
• Resolution on verification by the Spanish Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

AQU VSMA Framework

Internal Quality Assurance System of the faculty

Set of processes to manage and monitor the different aspects of degrees, with the strategic objective of ensuring continuous improvement

• Internal Quality Assurance System
• Tutoring Action Plan (PAT)
• Standing Committee

Opina UAB

A channel for suggestions, complaints and praise regarding the functioning of the UAB

PhD data

• Satisfaction surveys of Doctors
• Satisfaction surveys of thesis supervisors
• Check here the results of the doctor's job placement survey
• The PhD figures

Recognition and awards

In this link you will find the doctors who have obtained the Special Prize Award in this PhD programme. Consult in this document (in Spanish) the criteria for granting Special Prize Awards for this PhD programme.