International PhD Quality Assessment: Growing Awareness of Transnational Projection

The University of Burgos (UBU) offers eleven Programs of Doctorate and, the Doctorate School, as its managing office, has been evolving towards a space where knowledge, reflection, learning and innovation coexist from its creation in 2012, until this point in time. Derived benefits from it are multiple, such that students reach their maximum academic level with the Doctorate Title, and their research and impact publications contribute to improve the nearby socio-economic surroundings. Consequently, the relation of the institution with its social environment become stronger due to the impact attained by the scientific contributions of its community. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of PhD studies at UBU, specifically, the European Doctorate Mention (RD 778/1998) and International Mention (RD 99/2011) in such a way that is it possible to detect the key parameters that enhance international doctorate. EHEA (European Higher Education Area) statements run in these objectives, among others, and UBU needs to refer an excellence quality reference in PhD International Programs, as a real example of transnational education. The methodological approach consists in a qualitative evaluation (12 items in rubric format) that gather interest data in International PhD studies, such as the approach of learning, competences, level of participation, evaluation, transdisciplinary, impact and social projection, professional field, resources and multiculturalism. The concluding results allow to establish actions of progress and future work lines and, fundamentally, to open a dialogue on metrics of doctorate studies in the context of transnational education at UBU.