Incoming profile
The recommended admission profile to study the PhD in Philosophy: Humanism and Transcendence is that of a person interested in research and the acquisition of advanced and in-depth knowledge on issues and problems that fall within the fields of knowledge of the human condition and transcendence.
Not only do the advances in the natural and human sciences place both the human and the divine in new perspectives, but so do the historical processes of the last century, the fanatical drifts of fundamentalism, the evolution of art, and the proliferation of new philosophical proposals that somehow break with Western traditions.
This program is based on the idea that the mediation of philosophy and knowledge of its history must be present at the very center of the cultural crisis we are now experiencing. Defend the singularity of what is human and explore the plural approach to its relations with the transcendence of today. And above all this, there is a perceived need for information, enlightenment, and meditation that philosophy can help enrich.
This doctorate, therefore, is aimed at people who want to develop the necessary research skills to carry out projects with autonomy and quality, and which extends motivated by the transfer of knowledge acquired in society in general, to their field of professional activity in and to the development of studies and research in their area of interest.
General access requirements in the doctoral programs in Philosophy: Humanism and transcendence
According to RD 99/2011, which has been modified according to RD 576/2023, to be admitted to a doctoral program, the candidate must meet one of the following requirements:
a) Possession of official Spanish university degrees or equivalent Spanish qualifications, provided that a minimum of 300 ECTS credits has been completed across the relevant academic programs, and that Level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES) is duly certified.
b) Possession of a degree awarded under foreign educational systems within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), without the requirement for formal recognition, provided that the qualification corresponds to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and grants eligibility for admission to doctoral studies in the country of issuance. Such admissions shall not, under any circumstances, imply the recognition or equivalence of the prior qualification for purposes other than access to doctoral programs.
c) Possession of a degree awarded under foreign educational systems outside the EHEA, without the requirement for formal recognition, subject to prior verification by the admitting university that the qualification demonstrates a level of academic training equivalent to that of an official Spanish Master's degree and confers eligibility for doctoral studies in the country of issuance. Such admission shall not, under any circumstances, imply the recognition or equivalence of the prior qualification for purposes other than access to doctoral programs.
d) Possession of a doctoral degree.
e) University graduates who, having obtained a training position through the corresponding competitive examination for access to specialised health training programs, have completed at least two years of training within a program leading to the award of an official qualification in one of the recognised specialties in Health Sciences, shall likewise be eligible for admission.
Specific requirements for admission to this doctoral program
a) Accredit a level of knowledge B1 according to the European Mark of reference, which allows, as a basic requirement, the handling of sources in English, French and/or German.
b) If all the knowledge is foreseen, applicants who have completed a previous official degree in Philosophy (Bachelor's degree, undergraduate degree, master's degree, or foreign degrees with similar characteristics) and who can accredit training in research in Philosophy and/or Humanities may have direct access to the doctoral program. Candidates who meet the general admission requirements do not have prior training in Philosophy and/or research in Philosophy or Humanities, and are admitted to the program to take the necessary training supplements. In the admission process, after the personal study of the academic record of the studies that have been carried out before the candidate, these training complements will be specified.
c) These studies can be accessed on different days depending on the itinerary before the candidate's training.
Criteria admission
Selection to the doctoral program will be carried out by the academic committee. To make the selection, the Academic Committee will use the following criteria:
- Assessment of the fulfillment of the legal requirements for access to the doctorate.
- Evaluation of the academic curriculum.
- Valuation of the formation in Philosophy of the previous official studies.
- Assessment of previous training in research in Philosophy or Humanities.
- Assessment of the seva training in English, French and/or German.
- Availability of time for the completion of the studies.
- Adequacy of the candidate to the profile of studies.
Once it is verified that the candidate meets the legal requirement for access to the doctorate and the required training in English, French and/or German, the rest of the admission criteria will be weighted as follows: 50% academic record; 30% CV, and 20% admission interview. The Academic Committee will assess whether the admitted student needs to take Training Complements and will specify what they are.
Admission with Training Supplements
After the personalized study of the academic record of the studies that the candidate has previously completed, the training complements will be specified to acquire (1) philosophical training and/or (2) research training in Philosophy or Humanities.
In the case of the students of the Ramon Llull University, they will consist of:
- Without philosophical training:
- Seminars (thematic cores):
- Conceptions of the human person; Religion and culture. (10 ECTS)
- Seminars (thematic cores):
- Without research training:
- Tutored research work. (10 ECTS)
These training complements will be taken in the first year of the program. The time used will not be considered for the maximum time to complete the doctoral thesis.
Schedules: The training complements will be given in the afternoons from Mondays to Thursdays.
Admission application deadline:
Course 2025-2026: Open all year. Enrollment: September and January.
Admission process and criteria
Fill out the application form.
Attach / send the requested documentation to the General Secretariat.
Once the complete documentation is received, the candidate will be summoned to a personal interview with the program coordinator.
The Academic Committee of the program must assess the applications according to the following criteria:
- 50% Academic record
- 30% Evaluation of CV
- 20% Admission Interview
Attention to students with special needs
Care program for students with disabilities
Start of classes
Doctoral Weeks at La Salle-URL (19 January - 23 January 2026; 29 June - 3 July 2026)
Program Timing
The Doctoral Program in Philosophy: Humanism and Transcendence is designed according to RD 99/2011 of January 28, modified according to RD 576/2023 of July 4, which regulates the structure of official doctoral studies.
The student can take this training full-time (4 years) or part-time (7 years).
Admission to the doctoral program may include the requirement of specific training supplements. In this case, the time necessary to carry it out will not count towards the established limit.
A student with full-time dedication will be considered one who can dedicate 8 hours of daily work to carry out the face-to-face training activities and autonomous work that have been established in their Doctoral Activities Document.
A student with part-time dedication will be one who can dedicate more than 4 hours and less than 8 hours of work daily to carry out face-to-face training activities and autonomous work that have been established in their Doctoral Activities Document. The condition of a student with part-time dedication must be authorized by the Academic Commission of the program.