Driving Factors and Implementation Mechanisms for Quality Assurance in the Spanish PhD Adaptation to the Bologna Process – Experience in Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

The Bologna Process (BP) intends to create a European Higher Education area through the compatibility of degrees in the signatory countries, which has supposed that Universities adapt its studies programmes at all academic levels. In Spain, changes in doctoral studies are structured around five topics: the creation of doctoral schools, competences, tutoring and supervision, collaboration and internationalization, doctoral programmes and duration of studies. This paper analyses how this change have been dealt with in the department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Zaragoza and the implications in number of students and thesis presented. The results show that the adaptation to the BP has supposed a quality assurance of the doctoral programme as a consequence of the training activities requirements set by the Academic Committee. The main contribution of the research work is that it reflects how greater control over the drivers of doctoral programmes implies a substantial improvement in the quality of the research work and the thesis.