It is recommended that students entering the programme have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in the field of Sports Science. When the Academic Committee of the programme detects any training deficiency, students may be required to complete additional training such as the Research Methodology Module proposed in this programme. Alternatively, some of the modules of the master's degrees related to this programme, depending on the research area in which the student intends to take part, may be required.

The requirements for access to Doctoral programmes are established by Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, regulating official doctoral studies, which establishes that, in order to access said studies, it will be necessary to hold an official bachelor's degree or equivalent, and a university master's degree.

Doctoral programmes can also be accessed if any of these other conditions are met:

• Hold either an official Spanish university degree, or from another country of the EHEA, that qualifies for access to a master's degree. Also you need to have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
• Hold an official Spanish bachelor's degree, the duration of which is at least 300 ECTS in accordance with the regulations in the European law. Said graduates are required to take compulsory complementary training courses, unless the syllabus of the corresponding bachelor's degree includes research training credits, which are equivalent in training value to the research credits from master's degree studies.
• Hold a degree obtained from a foreign education system, which does not require official recognition, subject to verification by the university confirming that the degree certifies a level of education equivalent to that of the official Spanish university master's degree which allows access to Doctoral studies in the country issuing the degree.
• Already hold a Spanish Doctoral degree obtained in accordance with previous university regulations.
• Hold a Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (Diploma of Advanced Studies) obtained in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/98, of 30 April, or have passed the Suficiencia Investigadora (Research Aptitude) as regulated by Royal Decree 185/85, of 23 January, through Doctoral programmes linked to the field of Sports Sciences.
• Students who meet the above requirements may be admitted to the Doctoral programme, with the Academic Committee of the programme being responsible for verifying compliance with the above requirements for the admission of the Doctoral student.

In order to fulfil the mandate given by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in November 2013, through the clarifying notification sent to the universities for the correct interpretation of the provisions of section a) of article 6.2. of Royal Decree 99/2011, with regards to regulating the equivalences between LRY and ECTS credits, as well as the assessment criteria for the 60 ECTS credits that must be assessed at master's level for access to Doctoral studies.

The UCAM International Doctoral School (EIDUCAM) in order to assess applications for admission to official doctoral studies made by those who hold Spanish degrees of segundo ciclo o ciclo largo (graduate level) or prior to those regulated by Royal Decree 1393/2007 (Bachelor, Engineer or Architect degrees) determines, through the agreement approved on 18 June 2014, that the Academic Committees of the Doctoral Programmes belonging to the EIDUCAM, will apply the following criteria:

1. All bachelor, engineer/ and/or architect degrees issued in Spain will be considered -only for the purpose of access to doctoral studies- as 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 are at Master level.
2. In the official university degrees regulated by Royal Decree 1497/1987 of 27 November 1987, the equivalence of each LRU credit is considered to be equal to one ECTS credit.

All of the above notwithstanding the fact that the Academic Committees of the Doctoral Programmes may assign specific training complements to these graduates as they deem appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of article 7 of Royal Decree 99/2011.

The body that will carry out the admission process is the Academic Committee of the Programme.

In the event that a shortcoming is detected in the candidate's previous training, the programme's Academic Committee will propose the necessary training complements for the candidate's admission.

Students who meet the access requirements will be admitted to the Doctoral programme, taking into account the following merits and grading:

• Candidate's academic record (50%): Qualifications obtained by the candidate in both his/her bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and master's degree studies.
• Updated curriculum vitae (20%), where teaching experience, relevant work experience in management positions in the field of sports and/or previous research experience will be valued so that:
  • Participation, coordination and/or organisation of activities in the field of sports management and teaching (5%).
  • Participation in previous research activities (research grants and contracts (not of the university or collaborating institutions), projects, publications, conferences) (10%).
  • Training courses (other than the master's degree) related to the research lines of the Doctoral programme (5%).
• Link through a scholarship or contract with the University or other collaborating institution (10%).
• English language skills. Certification of a B2 level of English or equivalent (5%).
• Submission of an endorsement (signed letter) from a lecturer belonging to the Doctoral programme or of recognised prestige who is available to take on the direction or co-direction of the thesis that is to be undertaken (10%).
• Cover letter in which the student explains, providing a justified explanation, his/her interest in being admitted to the programme (5%).

The admission criteria shall be the same for full-time and part-time students. In the latter case, adequate justification must be provided in the application for admission, as detailed below.

Once the documentation has been submitted, the Academic Committee of the Programme will proceed to the selection of candidates applying the criteria stated above.

The admission procedure and criteria of the programme comply with the provisions of Article 6 of Royal Decree 99/2011. Thus, the programme's Academic Committee will ensure that students with special educational needs, derived from disability, have the appropriate support and counselling services and will assess the need for possible curricular adaptations, itineraries or alternative studies.

The Doctoral Programme in Sports Sciences allows for part-time Doctoral studies, in accordance with Royal Decree 99/2011. In these cases, the programme admission criteria will be the same as for full-time students. The criteria for the admission of part-time students to this Doctoral programme are as follows:

• Be employed and provide documentary proof of the employment relationship.
• Be affected by a degree of physical, sensory or mental disability.
• Be undertaking other specialised training on a part-time basis.
• Be considered the main caregiver of a dependent person and justify it through supporting documentation.
• Have dependent children under the age of 3.
• Be a high-level competitive athlete.
• Other duly justified reasons (e.g. victim of gender violence, victim of terrorism, etc.).

Students who wish to study this Doctoral programme on a part-time basis must apply to the programme's Academic Committee when they submit their application for admission to the programme or, once admitted, when they meet any of the aforementioned circumstances.

Students may change modality upon request and approval by the Academic Committee.

Students who, having begun their Doctoral studies on a full-time basis, apply for part-time status, will have a maximum period of time of no more than 5 years from the granting of this status until the Doctoral thesis is deposited, which together (with the time already transpired) will not exceed 5 years.

Part-time students who lose the condition for which they were admitted and recognised as such, will automatically become full-time students of the programme. From this moment onwards, they will have 3 years to deposit their Doctoral thesis, provided that no more than 2 years have transpired as part-time students.