Joint_PhD_ Applied_Psychology

Overview of study plan

The study plan includes theoretical and scientific work, data collection and analysis (3,625 hours), and methodological learning (500 hours), as well as practical work on things such as scientific writing (375 hours), all aimed at the completion of an original research project in order to obtain the title of Ph.D. The student will join a research group and develop a thesis within the framework of one of the research areas described in the programme. Each student will work on his or her thesis with a supervisory team consisting of three supervisors. In the first semester, students will focus on the development of their research projects, which will be presented for approval at the end of the semester. All student activities have to be filed by the student in the Doctoral Student’s Activities Document (DAD) and signed by the supervisor.

Mobility

The programme includes an international research internship (mobility) with the following conditions:

• Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal) + Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain) Students spend a total of 12 months at Nottingham Trent University (England)
• Nottingham Trent University (England) students spend a total of 12 months in one or in both Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal) / Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain)
• The timing of the research internships is decided based on the student’s PhD work.
• Additionally, students may have another 1-6 months internship, depending on the needs of their research project.

Monitoring and assessment

All activities carried out by students will be recorded in the Doctoral Student’s Activity Document (DAD), an electronic document administered by the coordinating University (URL) but accessible to the students and their supervisors. Typically, the student reports all the academic activities which will then be validated electronically by the main supervisor.

Thus, the DAD represents the basic document that records all of the doctoral activities which will include all educational activities, such as supervisory meetings, seminars and workshops, attendance at scientific conferences, attendance at research group seminars and meetings, individual tutorials as well as scientific production (presentation of communications or posters in conferences, publication of articles or other academic texts), and mobility. Many of these activities will require documentary evidence to be registered in the DAD (where electronic documents can be attached), which will be the basis for the annual evaluation of the doctoral student by the StC.

Student progress, in one way or another, is monitored every 6 months - either via project approval, project transfer, interim monitoring or annual monitoring as indicated in Table 1b. Failure to make satisfactory progress at any of these time points can lead to a period of probation (see Appeals, Complaints, and Irregularities section).

Presentation and defence (Viva) of the thesis

The PhD thesis will consist of a compendium of scientific publications or a 60,000-80,000 word doctoral thesis, depending on the regulations of the home university. The submitted thesis manuscript will be presented and examined in the viva according to the regulations of the home University and the corresponding legislation of the country. The Examination Team in URL and UCP must include one member of NTU. Upon successful examination at the home institution, the PhD degree will be acknowledged by the other institutions. One degree document is issued by the home institution on behalf of all three.