Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year have two periods:

• First period: From March 16 to March 26, 2026. Resolutions on May 7, 2026.
• Second period: From March 27 to April 30, 2026. Resolutions on June 2, 2026.

Important: To apply for the doctoral programme in Economics at the University of Barcelona, the candidate must follow two steps: Application Form and References Form. For further information about the process and the application platform use, please refer to this Application Handbook.

Academic requirements:

• Master’s degree in Economics with a satisfactory average grade, a solid foundation in economics and analytical skills (advanced Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics and Mathematics), field courses and a research Master Thesis.
• Proficiency in English

Administrative requirements:

To access any doctoral studies at the University of Barcelona, it is generally necessary to have completed a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. However, the requirements vary greatly depending on the type of studies completed and the country where the degrees were issued. For more information about the possible pathways to doctoral admission, please refer to the following links:

• Access for students with international studies
• Access with Spanish university qualifications

Complete the online application form (the programme appears on the list during the application period) by filling in the necessary information and submitting the required documents in each section:

1. ID/Passport
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Academic documents to support your administrative pathway: More information in the Application Handbook.
4. Academic certificates – Transcripts of grades: Bachelor’s degree transcript of grades and Master’s degree/s transcript/s of grades. You will need one single pdf (merged).
5. Research proposal: This document needs to include both your motivation and a detailed description of your interests and goals. If you have contacted a potential advisor/s and you have their pre-acceptance (not required), please also state so in this document. Max. 3 pages excl. references. No template available. Free structure.
6. Master thesis: If your master thesis was written in a Ianguage different from Catalan, Spanish or English, merge it with an extended abstract in English at the beginning. If you are currently working on your master thesis, please send an extended abstract in English — typically around 3 pages.
7. English certificate: Cambridge English, IELTS, TOEFL (Code C085 for all UBSE programmes), TOEIC, Linguaskill, Duolingo Test, etc. A level test is not considered an English Certificate. Not compulsory if you are a native speaker or if you hold a university degree completely taught in English.
8. Grade equivalency declarations: If you have studied your bachelor’s degree and/or master’s degree outside the Spanish university system, you need to issue the grade equivalency declaration document/s for each of your degrees. It is done online here, free of charge and can be downloaded right away. You will need one single pdf (merged). Instructions in English.
9. GRE (optional): Please merge them in a single pdf along with your grade equivalency declarations.

To provide us with your references, fill in this form and include the names and contact emails of two former professors who endorse your application.

They will be automatically contacted by us and will have two options:

• Either reply to three short questions about your profile.
• Or attach a recommendation letter, if they already have it.

Please, contact your referees to make sure they’ll be able to respond in a maximum of seven days after the end of the corresponding application period deadline. No changes in the stated referees will be accepted and this form must be completed just once.

Once you have completed steps 1 and 2, our admissions team will review your application. You will receive an email notifying you whether everything is in order or if any additional documents or information are required.

Please note that only complete applications will be assessed by the Academic Committee.

On the announced date, you will receive your resolution via email. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit the requested documents for an administrative review in order to obtain final approval and formally complete your enrolment. Applicants whose academic documents were issued outside Spain will be required to pay an administrative review fee of 218.15 euros. Further information will be provided to admitted students. This payment is made only once and corresponds to the administrative access review of your academic documentation prior to your first enrolment in the programme.