Social Sciences

Student profile

The applicants must have thorough knowledge and understanding of advanced research methods and techniques in the social sciences. They should have the capacity to synthesize knowledge, analyse problems critically, present new lines of research, formulate a research design, and formulate hypotheses and test them empirically. Finally, advanced knowledge of English is essential. Academic activities are developed exclusively in English, and it is recommended that the candidates write their theses in English.

The recommended access profile is that of an applicant with postgraduate training in the different areas of knowledge specific to the program (Political and Administration Sciences, History of Thought and Social Movements, Economic History and Institutions, and Sociology) and who meets the requirement of having completed at least 18 ECTS credits in advanced social research techniques during said master's degree.

The main access route is the Master in Social Sciences organized by the Juan Linz Institute (IJL)  at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The PhD program in Social Sciences also welcome highly motivated students with a Master degree issued by a prestigious institution in an area of the Social Sciences.

Exceptionally, candidates with postgraduate training in fields other than those mentioned above may be admitted, provided that their master's degree training is in Social Anthropology, Public International Law and International Relations, Ecology, Applied Economics, Economics, Sociology and Agrarian Policy, Human Geography, Contemporary History, History of the Americas, History of Law and Institutions, Modern History, and Social Psychology, and they meet the requirements of having completed at least 18 ECTS credits in advanced social research techniques during the master's degree. The Academic Committee of the program may require a maximum of 30 ECTS credits in additional training in advanced substantive subjects or courses or research methods related to the line of research the candidate intends to pursue.

Access requirements

According to art. 6 of the PhD studies regulation (RD 99/2011), in order to access the Program it is required to have a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and a Master's degree (or equivalent), provided that at least 300 ECTS credits have been passed in these two cycles as a whole, or the equivalent degree qualifies for level 3 of MECES (Marco Español de Cualificaciones para la Educación Superior, Spanish Framework for Higher Education Qualifications). 

Likewise, access is available to candidates in possession of foreign degrees from countries integrated into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) when the degree can be accredited as level 7 in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition; and candidates with a degree which is equivalent to a Spanish Master's degree, obtained in foreign education systems outside the EHEA, as long as the aforementioned degree allows access to PhD level studies in the country of expedition.

As a general rule, the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree must belong to the area of Social Sciences (Sociology, Political Sciences, Administration Science, Economics, Demography or Economic History). Alternatively, they should have the equivalent Master’s degree in a country within the European Higher Education Area. Students who have a foreign degree equivalent to the Master's Degree in Social Sciences, from a notable institution, and that gives access to Ph.D. programs in the issuing country, can also access the program. In addition, all students must have the equivalent of 18 ETCS in advanced methods for social science research.

In exceptional cases, candidates with postgraduate training other than those mentioned above may also seek admission, as long as their Master's education is on the fields of Social Anthropology, Public International Law and International Relations, Ecology, Applied Economics, Economics, Sociology and Agricultural Policy, Human Geography, Contemporary History, American History, Modern History, Social Psychology, and History of Law and Institutions or their equivalent from countries integrated in the EHEA. 

These candidates must hold a foreign degree equivalent to a Research Master's in Social Sciences that provides access to doctoral studies in the issuing country. All applicants with a national or foreign degree must have completed the equivalent of 18 ECTS credits in advanced social research techniques for the master's degree. The program's Academic Committee may require a maximum of 30 ECTS credits in additional training in advanced substantive subjects or courses in research methods related to the research field the candidate intends to pursue.

Admission criteria

Interested candidates may apply on-line. Applicants should submit their academic credentials and titles (both Bachelor's and Master's degrees), CV, a research proposal and a statement of interest in the PhD. Program (using this template). Applicants must also include a sample of their written work (e.g., Master’s thesis, research publications, etc.) and have the endorsement (aval) from a UC3M professor who expresses their willingness to supervise their doctoral thesis (a doctor with at least 1 six-year research period from the UC3M Social Sciences PhD program or another prestigious academic institution equivalent to this one and in the priority branches of the PhD Program). Please, use the following template for the endorsement Modelo Carta de Aval (Endorsement Letter)

As an initial prerequisite for being considered as a candidate, applicants must demonstrate advanced English proficiency (C1 level) with an official certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Exempt from this requirement are a) applicants who have completed their secondary education at an English-speaking institution, and b) applicants who have completed a higher education degree with a duration of at least two years that was entirely taught in English.

Candidates must also include a statement confirming that they comply with the requirement of having completed at least 18 ECTS credits in advanced social research techniques during their Master's studies. You may download the template for this statement in the following link Statement 18 ECTS in advanced research techniques

Admission will be based on specific criteria established by the Academic Committee within the framework set out below, which will be applied by the Program Coordinator or Director, who will periodically report to the aforementioned Committee.

In the student selection and admission process, the Academic Committee will take into account the following aspects:

1. Applicant's academic record. This criterion will be weighted at 40%.

2. Applicant's educational background (subjects taken, grades obtained, and language skills) will be appropriate for the doctoral program's research areas (weighting 30%).

3. Potential research experience (publications, conference presentations, etc.) will be considered (weighting 10%).

4. The candidate's motivation, commitment to the program, and research interests will be assessed based on the candidate's research proposal, which will detail their interest in the Program and the research areas pursued, as well as their willingness to work on them. The candidate must provide, in support of their proposal, one or more letters of recommendation from a researcher at any university and the commitment of a doctor with experience in the research area—at least six years of research experience or equivalent—to supervise the doctoral research. This criterion will be weighted 20%.

The Academic Committee may request a personal interview with the applicant to obtain clarification on the information provided. The interview is not included as a new evaluation criterion with a specific scale, but rather as an additional tool to clarify the suitability of the student's profile and motivation. Interviews may be conducted by videoconference.

Seats available for the academic year: 10

• Apply for admission

In addition to the elaboration of the doctoral thesis, students must take some training aimed at improving their research skills as well as ensuring the scientific quality of their research work. This is structured in the following types of training.

Specific training

Specialized seminars organized by the Department of Social Sciences and the Carlos III-Juan March Institute of Social Sciences, such as the Max Weber Seminars, the IC3JM Permanent Seminar and the Economic History Seminars. All seminars are given in English, by internationally esteemed experts and scholars, predominantly from foreign institutions. There are approximately 10 seminars per semester. A Ph.D. students have to attend 70% of the seminars, which corresponds to about 25 hours of training.

Advanced Research Courses organized by the Juan Linz Institute: Short courses on research topics specific to the different areas of the program (Economic History, Political Science and Sociology). These courses are given in English by internationally prestigious professors from other institutions and universities. The courses have a maximum duration of one week and are partially financed with the mobility aids granted by the Spanish Ministry of Education. The program’s Ph.D. students have to attend all courses within their area of specialization.

Research Seminars by the Social Science Department’s faculty, with the presence of visiting professors at Carlos III University and professors from other departments. All students enrolled in the Ph.D. program must do at least two presentations of their work at these research meetings during their doctoral training. The first within 12-18 months into the program and the second 6 months ahead of the defence of the thesis.

Attendance at congresses, symposia, etc. All Ph.D. students are required to participate as speakers in at least one international conference or symposium of recognized prestige in their area of specialization. Funding for this activity is the responsibility of the Department of Social Sciences. This activity should be carried out in English.

Formative activities in foreign institutions and universities. The Ph.D. program actively promotes the mobility of its students to benefit from the training activities in prestigious foreign centres world-wide. The stay must have a minimum duration of 3 months. These stays are recommended not mandatory.

Research skills training

Research skills training is focused on abilities common to all disciplines for the development of scientific and educational skills and the improvement of the professional career. This training consists of different activities (short courses, seminars, etc.), which can be recommended by the Academic Committee of the program.

Further information:

• How to earn research skills training credits
• Research skills courses at the Doctoral School

Preparation of the thesis

Please check the Guide with recommendations that the University Library has accessible on its website.

• Thesis step by step

You must always follow the guidelines of your thesis advisor, the guidelines of your doctoral program, and the regulations of the Doctoral School.

Thesis defense

The doctoral thesis consists of an original work of research developed independently by the Ph.D. candidate. The work is planned in consultation with a supervisor/director assigned to the student. The doctoral thesis should embrace one of the lines of research included in the Ph.D. program in Social Science.

The Doctoral School at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has implemented follow-up procedures to ensure high quality standards regarding the training and supervision of our students, as well as their thesis defense.

Further information:

• Doctoral thesis defense
• Theses completed in the program

Requirements

A thesis in the Social Science Ph.D. Program can either be a monograph or a compilation of separate papers. The requirements for quality and scope are the same for the two forms.  A monograph should not exceed 80.000 words. A compiled dissertation shall typically contain an introductory chapter and three or more papers, each with a quality and scope corresponding to an article that might be accepted for publication in an international refereed scientific journal. In cases where other authors have contributed to one or several papers, the workshare of the author of the thesis must amount to that of a single authored compiled thesis.

The Academic Committee authorizes the presentation of the thesis in consultation with the candidate's tutor and the thesis director, and after the student’s second presentation at the Department of Social Science Workshop. The Academic Committee may use an external evaluator to assess the quality of the thesis before authorizing the presentation of the thesis. 

Doctoral School Office | Getafe Campus

Carmen Martín Gaite Building, Office 18.0.A15
C/ Madrid, 135
28903 Getafe (Madrid)

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