Thesis supervisors

Thesis supervisors are doctoral degree holders that the University assigns to doctoral candidates to supervise their progress on the doctoral thesis and facilitate their relations with the academic committee. At the UPC, we strive to ensure that there is a good match between doctoral candidates and supervisors and that relations between them are satisfactory and lead to the acquisition of research skills and the successful development of the thesis.

At the UPC, we give great importance to the relationship that is established between our doctoral candidates and thesis supervisors; we therefore provide specific training for supervisors and doctoral candidates that is designed to help them get the most out of the relationship.

The functions of the thesis supervisor

The thesis supervisor ensures that the doctoral candidate's training is coherent and suitable and that the topic of the doctoral thesis will have an impact and make a novel contribution to knowledge in the field. The thesis supervisor also guides the doctoral candidate in planning and, if necessary, tailoring the thesis to any other projects or activities undertaken.

Who can supervise a thesis?

Any doctoral degree holder with accredited research experience, regardless of the university or institution and country in which they work, can supervise a thesis.

Article 27 of the Internal Regulations of the Doctoral School defines the role of thesis supervisors at the UPC and their rights and obligations.

In the section on teaching staff and research lines in the file on each programme, you can consult the list of teaching and research staff linked to each doctoral programme and who therefore supervise and can supervise doctoral theses.

How and when is a thesis supervisor assigned to a doctoral candidate?

The academic committee of the doctoral programme assigns a thesis supervisor to each doctoral candidate when they are admitted or enrol for the first time, taking account of the thesis supervision commitment referred to in the admission decision.

Once the doctoral candidate has been assigned a thesis supervisor, and before the research plan can be submitted, a commitment agreement is signed by the director of the Doctoral School, the doctoral candidate, the chair of the academic committee of the programme, the thesis supervisor, the thesis co-supervisor and the tutor (if there is one). The agreement includes a conflict resolution procedure and covers aspects of intellectual and industrial property rights and confidentiality.