Each doctoral programme of the Universidad Católica shall be organised, designed and coordinated by the corresponding Academic Committee and shall be constituted by the training specified in article 8 of this regulation and by the research areas recognised in the verification report of each programme. Annually, the Vice-rectorate for Research will open a call for the inclusion of new areas in the aforementioned record, as regulated in the University's research groups regulations.

The following aspects will be clearly defined in each doctoral programme:

• Research areas, in which the research plans for the doctoral theses will be included. These lines must have adequate research activity, confirmed through research projects, scientific production and technology transfer.
• List of doctors proposed as tutors and supervisors of doctoral theses, linked to each of the research areas, according to the criteria defined in article 7 of these regulations.
• Maximum number of doctoral students (and, therefore, of theses) admitted in each research area. The doctoral programmes of the Universidad Católica may include the collaboration, expressed by means of an agreement, of other bodies, centres, institutions and entities with RDI activities, whether public or private, national or foreign.

PhD Programmes