PhD in Philosophy

Why do this PhD?

Do you want to write an innovative doctoral thesis, while consolidating and expanding your knowledge of the theoretical principles and methodologies of the various fields of philosophy? The aim of our programme is to offer you high-quality, diverse training that you can apply to your research.  

Are you interested in more theoretical and conceptual research? Or more practical and applied research? On our programme you will find a wide range of possibilities, prestigious research groups and training activities that will help you carry out first-rate research. 

If you believe that one of the main characteristics of our society and our times is the complexity and interrelatedness of its challenges and problems, on our PhD programme you will find the right tools to develop truly interdisciplinary research.  

The training activities of the PhD in Philosophy are designed as a process of initiation into the academic world (participation in seminars and conferences, writing articles, etc.), from a markedly international perspective, and with personal accompaniment. 

Are you a reflective, critical, creative person?  Don't think twice, you'll find your place on the PhD in Philosophy programme.

Professional opportunities

Teaching in secondary and higher education and post-doctoral research in this country or abroad. Other possibilities are: editing, publishing (including in the Press), cultural production and management, scientific consultancies, specialist criticism.

Testimonials

As a result of the professionalism and knowledge of the academic team at the UAB, from the first conversation I felt that it was the ideal place to develop my project in the best possible way.

Alberto Castillo-Hódar

My thesis combines museums, art and aesthetics, through a part of conceptual research and another more practical and performative part. Philosophy is a living tool for thinking and also for creating our world together.

Bárbara Bayarri

Immediate information and quality professional guidance offered by the UAB were the main incentives for choosing this PhD programme.

Einer Tocto Oblitas

A voyage of exploration in an ocean of knowledge that is transformed into a search for meaning that gives a better sense to our current life.

Nadia Harhash

Coordinator

Jordi Riba Miralles

Administration

Place: Department of Philosophy at UAB
Location: Faculty of Philosophy and Arts
Phone: 0034 93 581 23 84
Contact:
Secretary of the Department of Philosophy (d.filosofia@uab.cat)

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

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

• From April 5 to May 30

                            Maximum PROPOSAL by the coordinator: June 10

                            Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: 25 June

•  From 1 September to 15 October

                            Maximum PROPOSAL by the coordinator: October 25

                            Maximum RESOLUTION by the Doctoral School: November 5

Documentation necessary for admission

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

This PhD programme has the following specific admission requirements.

• Statement of interest.
• Provisional doctoral research project.
• Approval from a lecturer in the department, who would act as thesis supervisor or tutor, and from the coordinators of the PhD programme.

Selection criteria

• Academic transcript (75%)
• Previous academic studies (10%)
• Foreign language skills: English and French. Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (10%)
• Real possibilities of completing the proposed research project in a maximum of three years (5%).

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

Obligatory:

• Attendance at seminars or conferences given by experts in the area of knowledge
  At least once each academic year. Organised either within or outside the Department of Philosophy to open up the research and establish new significant and specialised contacts.

• Production of a research article sent to a high impact scientific journal
  Highlight activity to contribute to the establishment of true research capacity by the PhD student, to observe criteria for quality and selection of the most appropriate publications, to evaluate the degree of difficulty in gaining access to maximum level international discussion and to establish formal, valid strategies for contributing to that discussion.

• Giving a seminar on the research project
  Organisation of departmental seminars with other PhD students to present the progress and results of the research being undertaken in which the lines of research of the current research projects are discussed.

• Participation in collaboration meetings among research groups
  Active participation in working meetings and collaboration both within the research group to which the investigation has been assigned and other related groups.

• Participation in internal research group seminar
  Presentation of the doctoral research within the research group to which the investigation has been assigned.

• Participation in symposia of young researchers
  Presentation of papers in national and international congresses on contemporary philosophy. At least one presentation is required per academic year.

• Presentation of a paper or poster at a national or international congress
  Participation in specialised congresses that enable the results and progress of the research to be tested in an international forum, ensuring a diverse response that allows methodological and thematic approaches to other research contexts and traditions and promotes the use of other languages.

• Presentation of a paper in a department scientific journal
  Presentation of a paper in journals regularly organised by the Department of Philosophy.

• Collaboration in teaching tasks (grant holders)
  Teaching of related subjects.

Optional:

• Attendance at doctoral working groups
  Participation in doctoral working groups at least once during the year of great social and teaching value

• Research periods in public or private national or foreign centres
  This activity is optional only for students who do not hold a training grant.

• Language courses or courses for improving teaching in English
  This activity is optional only for students to do not want to dedicate their career to international research.

• Teaching innovation course or activity
  Activity recommended for students with teaching hours in the Department of Philosophy. It consists of courses or workshops for teaching innovation offered by the IDES (Unit for Teaching Innovation in Higher Education).

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) 15 dies before the maximum thesis completion date that appears in your file.

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 15 September 2023.

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

All PhD students

• 01 - Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)

International Doctoral Research Component: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 09 - International Doctoral Research Component: 1 report of the external member
• 10 - International Doctoral Research Component: 2 report of the external member

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 08 - Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

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

• 11 - Resolution if the thesis is written in other language than Catalan, Spanish or English

Information related to the thesis

Consult in the documents below the regulations approved by the Academic Commitee of the PhD programme in Philosophy en Filosofia on aspects related to the doctoral thesis:

• Regulations on PhD special prize awards

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)

Monitoring

Periodic monitoring process of the development and results of the PhD programme: self-evaluation carried out, every 3 years, by themselves.

• Monitoring report on the programme

Accreditation

Degree implementation renewal process: presentation, every 6 years from the implementation of the programme, of a self-report so that AQU-Catalunya issues the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities, which is the body responsible for accreditation.

• Accreditation self-report
• Accreditation report
• Resolution of accreditation of the Council of Universities
• Register of Universities, centers 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.

Of the 16 PhD theses defended in the last 5 years, 13 obtained a grade of Summa cum laude.