Doctoral studies in Psychology

Presentation

Become a qualified researcher in the field of Psychology under the supervision of world-wide acknowledged scientists

This doctoral programme is the result of adaptation to new educational rules and the self-demand of the Psychology Department of the University of Jaen in doctoral studies from the early beginning back in school year 1997-1998. The implementation of a doctoral programme in Psychology at the University of Jaen comes up after a series of preceding study plans in Psychology, starting at the former Jaen University College and followed by the first bachelor´s degree in Psychology started at University of Jaen in 1994-1995 and continued in the present Degree in Psychology. In addition, the University of Jaen offers official master studies with a relevant participation of psychologists and health science students such as the official masters in “Psychological intervention in clinical and health settings”, “Animal-assisted intervention”, “Dependence and equality in personal autonomy” or “Social gerontology: longevity, health and quality of life”. This doctoral programme offers additional training to the aforementioned studies and provides an opportunity for those willing to develop a high-standard research career in Psychology at the University of Jaen.

The number researchers and research teams actively working in the different research topics of Psychology at the University of Jaen make this research field one of the most productive within the university, achieving a stable financial support through open calls at local, autonomic and national levels. Accordingly, it is not only relevant but also necessary to offer doctoral studies which include all the research topics and teams working in Psychology at the University of Jaen. This, together with the stable international relationships of the research teams involved and the high number of graduate students in Psychology from the University of Jaen provides an opportunity for meeting the existing training demands with a high-quality offer aimed at releasing highly-skilled professionals able to contribute in the socioeconomic environment locally and worldwide, both in laboratories, institutions, as well as public or private companies.

You may also take advantage of complementary training activities offered by the University of Jaen aimed at improving your personal and professional qualification. The quality seal awarded to the University of Jaen by the European Commission "HR Excellence in Research” identifies universities and institutions that generate and support the existence of a stimulating and encouraging research environment. The University of Jaen supports the Recommendations of the European Commission containing the “European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers” and has a Code of Good Research Practices and a Guide to good research practices for Doctoral Programmes.

This doctoral programme aims at providing technical training and scientific knowledge for research in Psychology. Its main goal is promoting application of basic knowledge to clinical, educational and psycho-social interventions.

You may check the research topics covered by this programme and the complete list of competencies offered.

The ideal applicant profile is people like you, who are interested in developing research in psychology and are willing to take advantage of the opportunities offered in this field. Applicants should be motivated for making new discoveries through research, and have the capacity for critical thinking, comprehension, interpretation and application of research results, as well as basic skills in computer tools and English language.

General access requirements for Doctoral Programmes at the University of Jaen

In general, access to an official doctoral programme is available to persons in possession of a Spanish official bachelor's degree, or equivalent, and a university master's degree.

Access is also available to persons who meet one of the following conditions:

  1. Being in possession of an official Spanish university qualification, or one of another member country of the European Higher Education Area, which qualifies them for access to a master's degree in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of October 29, and having obtained a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
  2. Being in possession of an official Spanish degree whose duration, according to the rules of Community law, is at least 300 ECTS credits. These graduates must attend the mandatory bridging courses referred to in Article 7.2 of these regulations, unless the curriculum of said degree includes research training credits equivalent in educational value to the research credits obtained in master’s degree courses.
  3. Being in possession of a university degree and, after obtaining a training place in the entrance test to specialized medical training, having obtained a positive evaluation in at least two years of training in a programme to obtain an official degree in one of the Health Science specialties.
  4. Being in possession of a degree obtained under a foreign education system, without need for official recognition, after the University has verified that said degree accredits a level of education equivalent to the Spanish official master´s degree and allows admission to doctoral studies in the country issuing the qualification. In no case shall this admission imply the official recognition of the original qualification held by the individual or its recognition for purposes other than access to doctoral studies. Regardless of this, the doctoral degree obtained will be officially valid in Spain.
  5. Being in possession of a Bachelor, Architect or Engineer degree and also having achieved the Diploma de Estudios Avanzados in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/1998, of April 30, or the research proficiency stipulated in the Royal Decree 185/1985, of January 23.
  6. Being in possession of another Spanish doctoral degree obtained under earlier university regulations.

Specific access requirements for Doctoral Studies inn Psichology

The preferred applicants are those in possession of a bachelor´s degree in Psychology and a master´s degree in the fields of Health Sciences or Social and Legal Sciences. Depending on the places available, applicants having a bachelor´s degree in disciplines of Health Sciences together with a master´s degree in Psychology may also be admitted. Applicants from other disciplines having previous experience or with specific interests in the field of Psychology may admitted by the Academic Commission provided that they meet the general access requirements and complete the corresponding complementary training. The ideal previous training of applicants in order to succeed in this doctoral programme can be summarized as follows:

  • Knowledge at bachelor´s level in the different areas of Psychology and its applications.
  • Competencies at master´s level in research techniques in Psychology.
  • Competencies at master´s level in the design and execution of research protocols in Psychology.
  • Competencies at master´s level in the analysis of data in some area of Psychology.
  • Competencies at master´s level in oral and written scientific communication.
  • Written English.

Admission criteria

The following criteria laid down in article 9.3.c of the Regulation of Doctoral Studies of the University of Jaen will apply for admission of applicants:

  1. The adequacy of the applicant background giving access to doctoral studies to the topic of the thesis. 1.0 point.
  2. The curriculum vitae of applicant. 2.5 points.
  3. The interest of the research line of the thesis for the Department, Research Centre and personnel involved in direction of the PhD thesis, as informed by the corresponding legal representative/scientific personnel involved. 1.5 points.
  4. Adequacy of the theme of the thesis to the research lines of the doctoral programme. 2.0 points.
  5. Applicant´s complementary training requirements and time availability for carrying out the thesis. 0.5 points.
  6. Availability of permanent research staff with accredited research experience at the corresponding research area solicited by applicant. 1.5 points.
  7. Available resources to carry out the research tasks proposed by applicant. 1.0 point.

In order to be admitted, the applicant must obtain a mark higher than 7 points. The applicant must also have written consent from a scientific researcher qualified according to University of Jaen rules who will act as the thesis supervisor. After admission, students must ask for a meeting with the program coordinator.

Students may enroll in doctoral studies at full dedication, or part-time if duly justified. The maximum period of permanence in PhD studies will be 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time. Students may ask for an ordinary extension for one year if enrolled full-time or two years if enrolled part-time. After this, all students may ask for an extraordinary extension period of one year. Applications for the extensions provided for in current legislation are to be duly reasoned and will be resolved by the Academic Committee for the PhD programme. Students may also apply for a temporary leave for a maximum period of one year, and extendible to one further year. Students may be excluded from the programme if they do not renew enrolments or if they obtain two negative overall assessments consecutively in the training and research activities in which they are enrolled for that year.

Students with special needs may visit the University Special Education Needs Service. You may get more information on general issues related to doctoral studies at the University Academic Service and the Doctoral School.

According to the rules for enrolment of the University of Jaen, application for doctoral studies is open during the complete year. Application and enrolment in doctoral studies can be done through the University Servicio de Gestión Académica.

There are three periods for application and registration during the year. Places not covered in one period will be added to next period´s offer.

School Year 2023/2024

  • First cohort (application open until September 30, 2023; admission and registration during October, 2023)
    • Nº of places offered: 10
  • Second cohort (application open until January 31, 2024; admission and registration during February, 2024)
    • Nº of places offered: 0
  • Third cohort (application open until May 31, 2024; admission and registration during June, 2024)
    • Nº of places offered: 0

Send us your application, and you will receive a personalized response in due time.

Yearly demand for places

If you are willing to apply for grants, please check the University International Relations website.

Academic Information

This doctoral programme is based on a research line carried out by teaching and research staff that will be in charge of supervising your research work. The mentor (who may also be your supervisor or a different member of the PhD programme) will guide you through the training activities of the programme.

While the mentor must belong to the university´s permanent staff that participates in the doctoral programme, the thesis supervision can be assigned to any person participating in the programme who is in possession of a PhD degree and has a qualified research experience, either from inside or from outside of the university.

  1. Research in Psychology.

The different research topics covered by this doctoral programme are supported by its research teams (you may check its scientific production). The teams have enough available resources to carry out the research and have established collaborations with other research staff from different institutions and research centers both at national and international levels. The University of Jaen offers different Services for doctoral students. The programme also benefits from specific agreements established between University of Jaen and other institutions. There is also a large number of foreign institutions and research centres related to the topic of this doctoral programme.

If you are willing to apply for this doctoral programme, you will need endorsement by a mentor from UJA.

Research topic: Research in Psychology.

Name ORCID code Affiliation
Aranda López, María 0000-0003-1905-8379 UJA
Augusto Landa, José María 0000-0003-0350-3837 UJA
Berrios Martos, M. Pilar 0000-0003-0598-8436 UJA
Callejas Aguilera, José Enrique 0000-0003-2903-2578 UJA
Cano Lozano, Mª Carmen 0000-0002-5017-1591 UJA
Contreras Martínez, Lourdes 0000-0002-4713-671X UJA
de la Torre Vacas, Lourdes 0000-0002-2686-4953 UJA
Elipe Muñoz, Paz 0000-0001-5210-3747 UJA
Escarabajal Arrieta, Mª Dolores 0000-0002-7667-017X UJA
Gálvez Sánchez, Carmen María 0000-0002-1927-0292 UJA
García López, Luis Joaquín 0000-0003-0446-6740 UJA
Gómez Ariza, Carlos J. 0000-0001-5889-7533 UJA
Gutierrez Palma, Nicolás 0000-0003-2520-6630 UJA
Hernández López, Mónica 0000-0001-7626-2064 UJA
Ibáñez Molina, Antonio José 0000-0001-6673-0012 UJA
Justicia Galiano, Mª José 0000-0002-9503-5411 UJA
Lechuga García, Teresa 0000-0003-3511-0149 UJA
Linares Martínez, Rocío 0000-0002-9031-2176 UJA
López Zafra, Esther 0000-0003-4722-7467 UJA
Martín Puga, Mª Eva 0000-0002-5763-4069 UJA
Montes Berges, Beatriz 0000-0001-7945-1370 UJA
Montoro Aguilar, Casandra 0000-0003-4145-8600 UJA
Moyano Muñoz, Mª Nieves 0000-0002-5416-9464 UJA
Muela Martínez, José Antonio 0000-0003-4901-4916 UJA
Paredes Olay, Concepción 0000-0002-6538-0302 UJA
Pelegrina, Santiago 0000-0002-4441-8965 UJA
Pulido Martos, Manuel 0000-0002-9274-3682 UJA
Ramos Álvarez, Manuel Miguel 0000-0002-2900-7578 UJA
Reyes del Paso, Gustavo A. 0000-0002-2188-8673 UJA
Robles Bello, Auxiliadora 0000-0002-4317-177X UJA
Rodríguez Agüera, Antonio David 0000-0002-8608-5097 UJA
Rodríguez Valverde, Miguel 0000-0002-5386-0894 UJA
Rosas Santos, Juan Manuel 0000-0002-5383-9876 UJA
Ruiz Padial, Elisabeth 0000-0002-7052-5756 UJA
Torre Cruz, Manuel Jesús de la 0000-0002-8355-7239 UJA
Torres Bares, María del Carmen 0000-0001-8573-0990 UJA

During the course of your PhD thesis, you will be asked to take a set of training activities aimed at achieving the main competences that every PhD from the University of Jaen must develop by the end of doctoral studies:

Compulsory training activities

  • General: Framework of doctoral studies.
  • General: Framework of scientific research. Research policies.
  • General: Design and follow-up of research projects.
  • General: Knowledge transfer.
  • General: Dissemination of research results.
  • General: Employment and researcher career.
  • Specific: Relevant contribution from the PhD thesis.

In addition, the student may also get enrolled in other training activities (most of which are programme-specific), aimed at acquisition of specific competences of this doctoral programme.

Optional training activities:

  • General: Doctoral seminars.
  • Specific: Active participation in seminars, conferences, symposia, courses and workshops.
  • Specific: Short-term visit (minimum three months) to a foreign research institution (compulsory for students willing to achieve the International mention in their PhD degree).

You may check the calendar of training activities.

You can get more detailed information on the procedures for registration for the different activities and available grants.

All general training activities are in Spanish. Some specific training activities may be in English

PhD students must pass a yearly evaluation of their activities. This includes general compulsory activities of doctoral studies and specific optional activities offered by the programme. After enrolment, you will receive a link for completion of your Student´s record of training activitiesand Research plan. All the student´s activities will be registered and certified according to an established procedure.

Each year, students must present proof of participation in at least two training activities. Nonetheless, the Academic commission may issue a positive evaluation for students with only one activity if this is duly justified.

The studies are duly completed with the presentation of the PhD thesis and the student´s public dissertation.

After completion of the Research Plan and Training activities, students may proceed to the public defense of their PhD thesis once the thesis has received initial approval from the PhD thesis supervisor(s) and the Academic Committee of the PhD programme as well as final approval from the Steering Committee of the Doctoral School. In order to receive this approval, the thesis must have achieved a relevant contribution signed by the PhD student as first author. The adequacy of the contribution will be determined according to the criteria established by the Comisión Nacional Evaluadora de la Actividad Investigadora (CNEAI) for the main areas of research and knowledge.

The doctoral thesis may be developed and defended in any of the languages commonly used for scientific communication in its field of research. If the thesis is written in a foreign language, it must include a document written in Spanish and signed by the thesis supervisor(s) containing the following information: title of the thesis, table of contents, introduction, a meaningful summary and conclusions.

At the time of finishing your thesis you may need to check the rules that apply for anti-plagiarism policies, deposit and thesis defense. The following link provides detailed information on the different processes related to the doctoral thesis.

Broadening your experience in other universities now becomes essential in a scenario where information, enterprise and society are globalized. Short-term visits (of at least 3 months) to a foreing institution allow doctoral students to achieve the International mention in their diploma. In addition, the option of Joint Supervision allows you to achieve a PhD degree issued simultaneously by University of Jaen and by a foreign university. Under this modality of study, you will be assigned a thesis supervisor in each of the participating universities under the conditions laid down in the corresponding cotutelle agreement.

PhD students may also spend part or most of their training period in a company. The mention of Industrial Doctorate can be obtained provided that the topic of the thesis is embedded in the research strategy of a company to which the doctoral student is bound by a contractual agreement.

There are different sources of short-term mobility grants for doctoral students: FPU, FPI, PAIDI, Plan Operativo de Apoyo a la Investigación from the University of Jaen, Doctoral School, Erasmus mobility grants, and the Campuses of International Excellence.

Complementary Study Programs

The University of Jaén is committed to an integral training of its students. On this page you will find complementary training activities that will allow you to configure a comprehensive curriculum that favors your employability and your professional and personal development. Check this page regularly because the information is continuously updated.

There are no programs of complementary studies that match the specified filter criteria.

Career Guidance

Internship Training in Companies

The University of Jaen is aware that internships in companies can be essential to your professional career. For that reason, it offers a range of options for you to get enrolled in extracurricular internships, including the University programmes for entrepreneurial activities and Icaro programme. The calls from University of Jaen´s Plan de Apoyo a la Transferencia del Conocimiento, el Emprendimiento y la Empleabilidad may offer you multiple options to facilitate your incorporation to the world of work.

Career Prospects

Through this doctoral programme, students may acquire and improve competencies (critical thinking, planning, data analysis, task analysis, generation of knowledge, communication) which are essential in the professional careers of psychologists such as human resources professionals, school counselors, or clinical psychologists. Furthermore, the acquired training will provide a specific qualification for development of research tasks in public and private institutions (such as research and development departments), providing assessment to companies and administrations, design of training plans or teaching in higher education.

Coordination and Quality

The academic coordination commission is the collegiate body in charge of direction and academic management of the title. It interacts directly with the students and is in charge of programming the academic activities offered to the students, preparing the calendar, as well as other academic aspects necessary for an optimal development of the title. It will also be in charge of introducing the modifications included in the improvement process proposed by the title´s Quality Assurance System.

Composition

  • Mª del Carmen Torres Bares (Coordinator)
  • Mª Nieves Moyano Muñoz ( Secretary)
  • Manuel Pulido Martos
  • Elisabeth Ruiz Padial

The Internal Quality Assurance Commission of the Doctoral programme performs the function of promoting and facilitating the continued improvement of the different activities (teaching, research, transfer of results, administrative issues) concerning the title. It also analyses the academic results and the level of satisfaction the title and prepares the improvement plan that the Academic commission will then put in practice.

Composition

  • José Enrique Callejas Aguilera (Coordinator)
  • Manuel Jesús de la Torre Cruz (Secretary)
  • Mª del Carmen Torres Bares
  • Juan Manuel Rosas Santos
  • Ana Mª Contreras Merino (PhD student)

The quality assurance system of Jaen University has a two-tiered structure of responsibility. On one side, the corresponding Vice-Rectorate coordinates the quality evaluation process for the different titles, departments and university services and, on the other, the Academic Centre in charge of the title, which applies its Quality Assurance System. The Internal Quality Assurance System of this doctoral programme is available at the following link: Quality Assurance System of the Doctoral School.

All official titles given by Jaen University undergo different evaluation processes by the Directorate of Evaluation and Accreditation (DEVA) of the Agencia Andaluza del Conocimiento. The different evaluation reports of this title (verification, modification, follow-up and renewal of accreditation) are available through the following link: Evaluation Reports of University Degrees.

The relevant information for this title concerning number of new enrolments, academic results and student´s level of satisfaction with the title is available at the University Statistical Yearbook under the headings “Estudiantes” and “Satisfacción de los grupos de interés”.

You may also check the dropout rates for the titles given by Jaen University.

Employability is one of the most important elements of the quality of the title. You can take a look at the report on employability for the different titles at the University report on employability where you will find the most common professional careers of people who took this doctorate before you.