Universidad Politécnica de Cataluna

What you'll study

The focus is an applied doctoral thesis tied to an industrial, commercial, social or cultural need of an external partner. The work must produce a scientific-technical report that documents the direct relationship between the thesis and the tasks performed by the doctoral candidate in the partner entity; that report requires approval by the University. The programme emphasises applied research carried out substantially within the partner organisation.

Entry requirements

To obtain the Industrial Doctor mention the following conditions must be met:

• The thesis must develop a research project of industrial, commercial, social or cultural interest for an entity, company or public administration. Universities, national or regional public research organisations and university hospitals are excluded as eligible partner organisations, except in exceptional cases where the thesis content is eminently applied (and not carried out at universities).
• The direct relationship between the doctoral thesis and the candidate’s work in the partner entity must be formalised in a scientific-technical report approved by the University.
• A formal agreement (conveni) must exist between the partner entity and the University for the academic development of the thesis; the agreement must at minimum define the parties’ obligations and any industrial property rights that may arise.
• The doctoral candidate must have been employed by the partner entity for at least one year during the development of the thesis, and a substantial portion of the thesis must have been conducted within that entity.

Career prospects

Holders of the Industrial Doctor mention typically move into roles that bridge academia and practice: applied R&D positions within industry, research management in companies or public administrations, technology transfer and roles where expertise in solving organisation-specific problems is valued. The designation signals experience delivering research aligned to organisational needs and handling intellectual property issues.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Funding for Industrial Doctor projects commonly derives from employment or contracts with the partner entity rather than standard academic scholarships. The required convenio must address obligations and industrial property rights, so funding and IP conditions are negotiated between the University and the partner organisation and documented in the agreement.