To be eligible for the UOC Doctoral Grants Programme, students must be full time and physically present at the University's premises.

The grants normally cover three years, but in some cases they can be extended to a fourth year of postdoctoral work. The grants require annual renewal, which is contingent on the students achieving the training and research objectives established in each case. One of these objectives is to complete the doctoral thesis within a maximum of three years, after which the students can apply for a further one-year postdoctoral grant.

The programmes offer the chance to study for an industrial doctoral degree, with grants for the best applicants including agreements with companies. Doctoral students studying for an industrial doctoral degree will have a university supervisor and a tutor at the company.

The UOC is a fully accredited online university based in Barcelona and serving over 60,000 students worldwide. The University welcomes doctoral students who want to develop their research in a top-level international setting and in a doctoral programme that forms part of the Bologna process.

Prospective applicants can find information on the application process and on the content and organisation of each doctoral programme on the UOC website. The University recommends that interested individuals contact the researcher to be in charge of the thesis proposal and ask for advice (e.g. by sending a draft of the application letter).