Doctoral Programme in Economics and Law from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Type of programme
Ph. Degrees
Duration
between 01-09-2025 and 31-08-2026
Price
Annual enrolment on the programme: 915€
Thesis deposit rights: €850
Thesis reading and defence rights: €1500
Application for the PhD title: €315
Places
30
Campus
Campus Barcelona
  • Home
  • Academic Doctoral Committee (CAD)
  • Research lines and team
  • General Information
  • Organisation and planning
  • Admissions procedure
  • Financial Information
  • Defended Theses
  • General regulations and links of interest

The Doctoral Degree in Economics and Law promotes competitive research one an international level focused on contributions of high scientific impact and the generation of socially useful knowledge in the areas of Business Management and Economics and Law.  The objective of the programme is for doctoral students to present a thesis in the field of business, economy or law, which significantly contributes to the advancement of knowledge in these areas. Therefore, the theses defended analyse a topic at the frontier of knowledge, rigorously analysing innovative and stimulating research questions, using appropriate methodologies. In most cases, theses are accompanied by indexed publications or other research outlets, which guarantee the quality required by the degree programme

The focus of the research lines of the doctoral degree programme is based on an experienced mix of theoretical foundations and an orientation towards the treatment of relevant problems. The different areas covered range from economics applied to different fields (health, labour, sport, industry, education, etc.), business economics, international law, law and society and even administrative law. The programme provides PhD-level training in research methodology in business administration and management, economics and law.

The doctoral candidate will acquire a new and enriching vision in the field of his thesis, which allows for a holistic and systematic analysis of their environment (be it business, economic environment or legal framework). The doctoral candidate acquires the ability to work with other scientists and stakeholders in the system by analysing, to present new research questions, and to present an agile way to approach research efficiently.

Doctoral candidates who complete the programme are qualified to lead research in their field. At the same time, it equips them to work in the professional world by providing a robust and consistent analytical capacity of their environment.

Doctoral School

Academic Doctoral Committee (CAD)

The Doctoral Academic Committee has the general objective of ensuring the quality of doctoral theses and the general education of all doctoral students.

In order to do this, they assess the Doctoral Activities Document (DAD) on an annual basis, as well as any progress doctoral students have made on their Research Plan. Similarly, the committee is responsible for the final approval of the doctoral thesis so that it can be defended before the examining board.

Doctoral Academic Committee for Economics and Law

President

Dr Frederic Marimon. Department of Economy and Business Organization.
fmarimon@uic.es

Vocals

Dra. María Martín. Department Economics and Business Organisation
mmartinr@uic.es 

Dr. Salvador Durany. Department of Law.
sdurany@uic.es

Dr. Josep Serrano. Department of Law.
jserrano@uic.es 

Research lines and team

1. Research in Applied Economics

Leader

  Dr. Toni Mora Corral (Health economics, Evaluation of public policies)

Research areas

Health economics. We study the nexus between health and socioeconomic outcomes, the so-called SES-health gradient, using microeconometric techniques and individual-level survey or administrative data. Recent examples within this research area include studies on the interrelations between individuals' health and labour market outcomes in adulthood, the effects of different early-life health dimensions on health and SES over the life course, the role of mothers and fathers in children’s health care use, the impact of pollution on child health, and the presence of an educational gradient in health care use and health outcomes.

Evaluation of public policies. We use randomised controlled trials and natural experiments to evaluate the impact of public policies, mainly on individuals’ health status and healthcare use. Recent examples within this research area include studies on school-based nutrition interventions on teenagers' food and drink choices and the impact of unemployment insurance generosity on individuals’ health status.

Industrial organisation. Industrial organisation applies microeconomic and game theoretical tools to specific markets where competition is imperfect. Topics addressed include the effects of incomplete information in entry/exit contexts and how mechanisms like piracy can indeed alleviate allocation problems. Networks refer to the structures formed when a set of agents, represented as nodes, interact, which is represented through links. We apply this framework to study how the surplus is split across agents based on their characteristics and the linking costs.

Applications of Machine Learning methods (ML). Our research focuses on applications of ML involving the development of ML models that leverage population-level data, such as electronic health records and demographic information, to predict the occurrence of specific diseases or health outcomes. By analysing large datasets, we aim to identify patterns, risk factors, and early markers that can aid in disease prevention and early diagnosis. We also use ML methods to explore treatment effect heterogeneity, that is, the variability in treatment effects among different individuals or subpopulations.

Cryptoeconomics and the blockchain. We focus on this thriving sector from a time-series perspective while employing VAR and structural VAR methodologies and relying on impulse-response and variance decomposition analyses. Moreover, we are particularly interested in how cryptos and blockchain technology shape the economy from sectors as different as sports or the metals industry.

International trade. We study the impact of trade on the composition of employment and welfare broadly understood. In particular, we are interested in the effects of offshoring strategies on both the sending and receiving ends of the business spectrum.
 

Researchers

2. Line of research Business Economics

Leader

Dr Frederic Marimon Viadiu

Objectives

The area of business economics focuses on the study of companies as complex organisations. To do this, companies are analysed from multiple perspectives, including those fundamental disciplines that help understand how they are created, how they operate and how they interact with the environment.

This research will be carried out using qualitative and quantitative methods taken from the social sciences, from engineering management and statistics.

The main lines of research are:

  • Organisational structures and behaviour
  • Entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Operations management and quality
  • Internationalisation
  • Knowledge management and the company mission

Team of research professors

3. Line of research Law and Society

Leader

Dr. Montserrat Gas

Objectives

The aim of this line of research is to analyse the relationship between law and society, from its double public and private dimensions. The law is an integral part of social organisation, providing protection for its members through the State, its constituent institutions and the legal system itself.

It is imperative that law in society be focused on people. From this perspective, the law must guarantee the public and private legal protection of the individual, for the achievement of his or her integral wellbeing, within the framework of fundamental rights and the legal system as a whole.

From a practical point of view, the aim is also to study, using a multidisciplinary approach, how the justice system works and the agents involved in it, with special emphasis on the means of evidence and auxiliary sciences in relation to the justice system.

Areas of research

Team of research professors

4. Line of research. The grounding of international law: new European and Mediterranean actors in the 21st century’s international society

Leader

Dr María Mut Bosque

Objectives

A team consisting of lawyers who specialise in the field of international law, both private and public, and political experts in order to achieve the following objectives:

  • To analyse the current situation of the State as a par excellence subject in international law, in the Euro-Mediterranean field.
  • To examine the international subjectivity of international organisation and state associations, in the Euro-Mediterranean field.
  • To study the subjectivity of the individual and their participation in the Euro-Mediterranean field.
  • To examine the new actors who have entered the Euro-Mediterranean field.

The methodology will be eminently legal, and therefore an in-depth examination of the groundings of international law, although other elements of private international law will also be incorporated into this examination. In that sense, in relation to the field of the individual, it will become necessary to incorporate elements of private international law.

Likewise, and in relation to the subject area of the doctorate, it becomes necessary, especially when dealing with the subject of new international actors, such as for example civil society, to incorporate elements of political science into our methodology.

As for the expected results, apart from the teaching work characteristic of the doctoral degree itself, a research team will follow the same line of research as that proposed in this report and, furthermore, this team will be made up of the same members. It is therefore expected that the group will publish articles in indexed journals and hold a conference on international subjectivity (within two years). Each of the members of the group will have their own individual line of research, which will also lead to the publication of results.

5. Line of research Administrative and Regulatory Law

Leader

Dr Montserrat Nebrera González

Objectives

In the medium term the aim is to look more in-depth into the analysis of regulatory law in Spain, with a special focus on the main regulated sectors: telecommunications, the electricity market, energy and the financial markets. The aim therefore is to study the legal system of these sectors in detail, contributing to profiling those common elements which they share and unravelling the main dilemmas derived from the way they function in the communitarian and international environment. Within this field, we will focus our research on the sanctioning framework and, in particular, the extremes of legal interest linked to the actions of the regulating body or the state supervisor.

The following will be the primordial object of study:

  • The common principles of regulated activity
  • The sanctioning framework of regulated sectors
  • The dynamic and functioning of the regulator
  • The inter-relationship between the operator and the supervisor. Regime conflict

In the general field of Public Law, the aim is to focus, from the perspective of Constitutional Law, on the study of those Institutions and bodies that deal with the control of security and citizen political participation, with special emphasis on the concept of "governance", and will therefore also include the analysis and eventual evaluation of public policies applied to achieve this.

In this respect, the line of research will prioritise the following areas:

  • Public freedoms and security
  • Legal security and institutional efficiency
  • Political participation, democracy and ICTs
  • Good governance and public policies for its management
  • Political leadership

General Information

Everything you need to know about the doctoral candidates and students, the thesis supervision, the duration of the programme and the conditions of the Doctorate.

Organisation and planning

Specific doctoral information

Doctoral Degree in Economics and Law training

ECONOMIA I DRET

Compulsory / Year 1 - Seminar on the ethical criteria of scientific research, and other possible ethical issues related to the field of research, science, technology and professional practice

Compulsory / Year 1 - Research methodology

Open choice - Course on databases, indicators and the assessment of scientific output

Compulsory / Year 3 - Course-workshop on writing articles for specialised and general publications

Compulsory / Year 2 - Advanced course in the protection of intellectual property and technology transfer

Elective / Year 3 - Course-workshop in writing a research project and applying for funding

Obligatori / Year 3 - Research seminars

Open choice - Public speaking. Building on oral communication skills

Specific Doctoral Committee (CED)

Before the end of the first year, the doctoral student must submit their Research Plan to a committee of experts outside the UIC, the specific doctoral committee (CED), for further approval by the DAC.

The aspects to be considered for the oral presentation and which will be evaluated are as follows:

  1. To demonstrate the scholarly objective of the research plan: current status, contribution of work in current period, relevance of the topic.
  2. Present the methodology and the proposed work plan to achieve the project's scholarly objective.
  3. Show that the project's proposed objectives can be reasonably achieved within the stipulated timeframe.
  4. Doctoral candidate’s communicative skills.
  5. The ability to provide a critical and reasoned response to the questions posed by the Committee.
  6. Present other relevant data during the current period of the research plan: incorporation of the doctoral candidate into a research team (if appropriate).

Development and approval  

  • The specific committee must evaluate the quality and feasibility of the Research Plan, and it may reject it if it does not seem appropriate.
  • Each member of the CED shall evaluate the aspects indicated in the template and, if desired, indicate the optional recommendations, mandatory modifications, or any other comments it may consider in relation to the evaluated research plan.
  • At the end, the president of the CED shall fill in the evaluation report

Assessment of your research plan:

  • PASS (project and presentation are correct)
  • PASS BUT WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT (CED recommends that the doctoral student make some changes that do not substantially affect the research plan, but can improve the thesis project)
  • PROJECT WITH compulsory MODIFICATIONS (the project must be reviewed, to incorporate the changes indicated by the CED that modify the research plan presented to a significant extent (objectives, methodology, capacity to carry out...) The doctoral candidate must submit the project again, in writing or in oral presentation to the CED, as directed.
  • FAIL (The doctoral candidate will be advised to submit a new project to the CED)

Admissions procedure

Everything you need to know about the procedure for general admission, the documentation for admission and the general academic requirements. 

Income profile and admission criteria for the Doctorate in Economics and Law

a) The recommended profile for doctoral students is as follows:

  • Holder of an official qualification related to the field of Social Sciences.
  • Motivation for knowledge and research
  • Knowledge of languages

b) Candidates will be selected based on the following weightings:

  • CV and previous research experience: 40%
  • Research topic and strategic relevance of research in relation to publications and research projects in the lines of the doctoral programme: 30%
  • Interview and motivation: 20%
  • Language level: 10%

Financial Information

Grants and financial aid

The UIC Vice-rector for Research offers predoctoral contracts for doctoral studies. There are also several different grants awarded by different public and private institutions to carry out doctoral studies.

General regulations and links of interest