PhD

1) The evaluation of degrees and transfer-credits is subject to the provisions of UCN. In the international evaluation of credits UCN applies the full study year transfer-factors on the credits.
2) Total autonomous UCN Universidad Central de Nicaragua offers the doctoral programme according to Nicaraguan study law. In evaluating degrees and transfer-credits UCN applies the standards in compliance with Article 9 Paragraph 2 of the Law no. 89 on the Autonomy of the Institutions of Higher Education.
3) 30 SUCA creditos (60 ECTS points) earned in postgraduate specialisations or Master programmes can be transferred by Applicants on admission into the curriculum of the Professional Doctorate, as far as they match the research topic of the chosen specialisation.
4) 30 SUCA creditos (60 ECTS points) earned in postgraduate specialisations or Master programmes must be transferred into the curriculum of the Research Doctorate, as far as they match the research topic of the chosen specialisation.
5) Credits can be accepted from coursework taken with recognised institutions of higher education, recognised degree programmes, or programmes validated by the University, or from course-work taken with the University at the postgraduate level, according to a study plan matching the chosen specialisation.

Duration of Programme

1) The thesis examination programme starts with the confirmed acceptance of the application form by the admission-commission of the University and is becoming effective upon the payment of the non-refundable study-tuitions by the Applicant with the receipt of the payment by the University.
2) The thesis examination programme ends:
a) by the act of granting and awarding the academic title by the university,
b) by the decision of the examining committee that the Applicant did not meet the requirements including the retake options,
c) by delivering the written request to the examining committee to terminate the thesis examination,
d) by failing to complete thesis examination programme within the allowed retake options in compliance with the Letter b.

Doctorate by Publication

A doctorate for scientific publications is possible in compliance with the exclusion clause of doctorate by thesis, as far as this procedure is provided in the particular plans and programmes of study and the conditions thereof are regulated by these plans and programmes.

This is not a short cut to a PhD, however offered to recognised busy researchers and full time professionals who have been publishing academic work or the equivalent. The PhD by Publication, Prior Output or Achievement is quite common among British Universities, having introduced this doctorate to academia.

The PhD by Prior Output aims to demonstrate that the work submitted is of high distinction, does constitute an original and significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge or to the application of knowledge or to both, and does establish that the applicant is a leading authority in the field or fields of study concerned, and that the work put forward is already ‘published’. 

The objective is not to review all of an applicant’s published output, but a selection that presents a substantial coherence and linked original contribution. The PhD by Prior Output should be as original and coherent as a conventional PhD degree. The work presented should be already ‘published’ work, open to critical academic peer scrutiny, including written publications in peer reviewed refereed journals and/or published under an academic or University Press, academic publisher, monographs from an academic press, official reports for organisations, portfolios of creative works, or alike. The submitted work presents an original contribution to knowledge and will include work that has been published recently. The submission should be conceived of as adding to a current debate. The publications should emphasise a common academic research area, with a reasonable core argument, and must be original, research-based, of doctoral thesis quality and embedded in an academic discourse.

Applicants can submit published work for examination only after a minimum period of six months from enrolment.

The doctoral degree of PhD by Prior Output is awarded by UCN after the successful presentation of prior output and a covering document of 10,000 to 15,000 words, and an examination. The covering document should contextualise the prior output, demonstrate that it constitutes a coherent entity, and underline the independent and original contribution to knowledge achieved.