Innovation in Digital Communication and Media

The academic profile recommended for students who wish to Access the Doctorate in Innovation in Digital Communication and Media is that of students graduated from a degree in the field of Communication: Journalism, Audiovisual Communication, Advertising and PR, Marketing and Digital Communication, and whose structure contains at least 16 ECTS credits in research subjects, including the Master's Final Research Project. However, students from master's degrees are not specialized in communication and whose curriculum structure does not contain at least 16 ECTS credits in research subjects, including the Master's FRP, will have to take the specific complementary training courses defined in section 3.4.

A second non-priority admissible profile will be that of those who, complying with the general admission requirements, and having carried out the studies indicated in the previous paragraph or similar to them, but without having completed a university master's degree whose structure contains at least 16 ECTS in subjects of research, including the Master's FRP, is willing to take the appropriate formative credits. If admitted, the student would have to complete the necessary complementary training courses in accordance with what is established by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program. To this end, the candidate will be offered complementary training courses in Communication research methodology.

In terms of skills, the recommended admission profile refers to students capable of understanding and solving problems in the field of communication; able to express knowledge and ideas with order and creativity; able to disseminate their knowledge to non-experts; able to analyze the problems identified with synthesis and self-criticism; able to communicate fluently orally and in writing in the languages of the program; able to plan and manage time; able to search and manage information; able to adapt flexibly to new situations and changes; able to appreciate multicultural diversity; and capable of committing to an ethical and deontological level and pursuing quality and rigor.

The student must prove to have a minimum B2 level in English in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages that allows them to perfectly understand the ideas expressed in scientific articles, interact with native speakers with a sufficient degree of fluency and naturalness, and produce scientific texts. Likewise, non-Spanish speaking students must accredit at least the same level (B2) of Spanish.

Pursuant to Royal Decree 576/2023, dated July 4, amending Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011, issued on January 28, which governs official doctoral studies, candidates are generally required to possess an official Spanish Bachelor's Degree, or its equivalent, and a Master’s Degree to gain admission to an official doctoral program. Additionally, admission is granted to individuals who meet any of the specified exceptional criteria:

• a) Candidates must either hold an official Spanish university degree, or an equivalent degree, having earned at least 300 ECTS credits and attained Level 3 of the Spanish Framework of Qualifications for Higher Education.
• b) Individuals with degrees from foreign educational systems within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the need for official approval, and that accredit a Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, provided the degree allows for doctoral study in the country of issuance. It should be noted that admission under this criterion does not equate to homologation of the applicant’s prior degree, nor its acknowledgment for any purposes beyond entry into doctoral education.
• c) Candidates with a degree from foreign educational systems outside of the EHEA can also be considered for admission without the need for formal approval. The university will verify that the degree certifies a level of education equivalent to an official Spanish university Master’s degree and allows for doctoral studies in the country where the degree was issued. Admission in this category does not constitute homologation or recognition of the prior degree for any purposes beyond doctoral education.
• d) Individuals with an additional Doctorate degree.
• e) Additionally, university graduates who have secured a position in specialized health training and have successfully completed at least two years in a program to obtain an official degree in any of the Health Sciences specialties are considered eligible for doctoral studies.

The following scale is established for access to said doctoral programs:

• Academic record of the degree that grants access to the doctoral program: 35%.
• Academic record of the master's degree that grants access to the doctoral program: 40%.
• Research experience or other merits linked to research: 20%.
• Accredited knowledge of a foreign language commonly used in the scientific community to which the doctoral program belongs: (5%). Language certification will be valued starting at the B2 level of the European Language Framework.

The academic committee of the degree is responsible for the admission procedure.

• Application completed and signed
• Updated Curriculum Vitae
• Certified copy of the bachelor's diploma (or undergraduate diploma) *
• Certified copy of the official Master's diploma*
• Certified copy of the Bachelor's (or undergraduate) academic transcript *
• Photocopy of DNI (Spanish) or passport (foreigners)
• A PDF copy of your Final Research Project or Diploma of Advanced Studies (if applicable)
• A letter of recommendation (from your FRP director or from any person who can refer research experience)
• Proof of work activity (in case of applying for part-time admission)
• An outline of the thesis project containing Objectives (and/or Research Questions) / Methodology / Expected results
• Accredit the equivalent of B2 level in English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Accredit the equivalent of B2 level in Spanish from the CEFR, in the case of non-Spanish speakers

* In the case of non-European diplomas: "apostille" in documents issued in countries that have signed the Hague Convention or legalization through diplomatic channels, in other cases.
** If the documentation has not been issued in Spanish, it must be accompanied by the corresponding official sworn translation.

Send the application with all the documentation by email to escueladoctorado@nebrija.es

Provisional admission resolution

Send the completed application for admission and any claims to doctorado.icdm@nebrija.es

• September 1-23
  Send the completed and signed admission application by email, along with the required documentation of the program.
• September 26-29
  Notification by email of the provisional decision of those admitted to the doctorate.
• September 26-29
  Provision of a period of three days, from the notification of the provisional decision of those admitted, to submit any claim by email.
• Until October 2
  Resolution of claims.
  Email notification of the final list of admitted students.
• September 26 to October 13
  If you are admitted, send the completed and signed application along with the documentation sent earlier in the admission process, by mail to:

  Universidad Nebrija – Escuela de Doctorado
  Campus de La Berzosa
  28240 Hoyo de Manzanares (Madrid).

  If the required documentation is not provided within the established period, the Doctoral School will proceed to cancel the enrollment application.
• October 3-28
  Self-enrollment through the Universitas XXI application.
  Send by email (admincp@nebrija.es and escueladoctorado@nebrija.es) proof of payment corresponding to the registration fees and annual tutelage fees in the doctorate.
  Students who are admitted and do not formalize their enrollment within the period indicated by the Doctoral School will lose their place in the program.

Students who meet the general admission requirements, and have completed the studies indicated in the "admission profile" paragraph or similar to them, but do not have a university Master's degree whose structure contains at least 16 ECTS credits in research subjects, including the Final Research Project, are willing to take the appropriate formative credits. If admitted, the student would have to complete the necessary complementary training courses in accordance with what is established by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program. To this end, the candidate will be offered complementary training courses in Communication research methodology. Students who access the doctoral program from the master's degrees that grant direct access will not have to take any additional training courses, unless they wish to take them voluntarily. In the event that students lack the prior training required in the program, after admission and enrollment, they will need to take specific training courses. The Academic Committee of the program, in response to the degree of admission, must decide -after a report from the tutor- which training courses are appropriate for each student, for which subjects from the Master's degrees that grant direct access to this doctorate program may be used. In any case, these training courses will be compulsory for students who access the program while only having a bachelor's degree of 300 ECTS credits or more, which does not include research credits in their curriculum. In order for the complementary training courses to be adequate and consistent with the admission profile, the scientific field and the objectives of the program, the offer of subjects to be taken as complementary courses must meet the needs of the program. In the case of this program, the student must take the subject Research Methodology in Communication from the Master's Degree in Political, Crisis and Emergency Communication (6 ECTS credits). In the case of students not coming from Bachelor's or Master's degrees in Communication, training in the following subjects will be recommended: Informative and entertainment writing on the Web (4 ECTS credits), Transmedia Journalism (4 ECTS credits) and Data Journalism: digital tools for visualization and presentation of data (4 ECTS credits) of the Master's Degree in Digital and Data Journalism. The completion of these training courses will be simultaneous to the enrollment in academic tuition in the program. In this case, students must enroll in these training courses and, in addition, formalize the enrollment of academic tuition in the program. However, the training courses must be passed in the first year of enrollment. If not, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

• Procedures and assignment of tutor and thesis director
• Documentary commitment to supervise doctoral thesis

Each academic year, until the thesis is read, the student must renew enrollment within the established period.

• In the first year, the doctoral student must pay the registration fees and the annual tuition fee:
  • Full time: €450 of Registration Fees and €1,100 of annual tuition fees.
  • Part-time: €980 of Registration Fees and €570 of annual tuition fees.
• Starting the second year and until the end of the thesis, the student must pay the tuition fees annually, full time €1,100 or part time €570
• In order to defend the thesis, the doctoral student must pay the thesis deposit: €1,600.
• Issuance of the doctoral diploma: €311
• Partial exemptions from doctoral fees can also be requested annually from the Doctoral Commission for doctoral students who actively collaborate in Nebrija research groups, among others.