As stated in Article 5 of Royal Decree 99/2011 of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral programmes, the competences PhD students must acquire are:

1. PhD studies must ensure, at least, the acquisition by PhD students of the following core competences and those included in the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education:

• Demonstrate systematic understanding of a field of a study and have a command of the skills and research methods related to the field.
• Demonstrate the capacity to conceive, design, implement and adopt solid research with academic rigour.
• Ability to contribute to expanding the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
• Carry out critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new complex ideas.
• Ability to communicate with the scholarly and scientific community and society in general about their areas of expertise in the ways and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.
• Foster technological, social or cultural progress in academic and professional contexts within a knowledge-based society.

2. Also, obtaining the degree of Doctor should provide a high professional training in various fields, especially in those requiring creativity and innovation. Doctors will have at least acquired the following capabilities and personal skills to:

• Deal with contexts where there is little specific information.
• Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
• Design, create, develop and launch new and innovative projects in their field of knowledge.
• Work both in a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
• Integrate knowledge, handle complexity and formulate judgements with limited information.
• Criticise and support solutions intellectually.