The background of this doctoral program is based on the previous existence of a generic programme in Communication that has been adapted to different legislations.

The doctoral program in Communication has been taught at the University of Navarra since the 1986-87 academic year, when it was set up as a single interdepartmental programme, at that time under the coordination of the department in Public Communication. The Programme was born as a response to Royal Decree 185/1985 of 23 January (B.O.E. 16 February 1985), which regulated the third cycle of university studies.

Subsequently, the "Doctorate in Communication" became governed by RD 778/1998, and was C as an Official Programme of postgraduate program by the Ministry of Education and Science, according to RD 56/2005. In 2005 the Programme obtained the Quality Mention granted by the Ministry of Education and Science, and its renewal in 2007 (Concession: Ref. BOE nº 167 14-07-2005; Renewal: BOE nº 245, Date 12-10-2007).

agreement In 2009, in accordance with R.D. 1393/2007 of 29 October 2007 and the Resolution of 29 December 2008 of the Directorate General for Universities, a new PhD in Communication was submitted for verification, based on the previous one, with a training period of 60 credits, which was favourably resolved.

The doctoral program in Communication from the University of Navarra, currently in force, agreement with the Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies, was positively verified by the National Agency for Assessment of Quality and Accreditation on 30 July 2012.

The Program received positive resolution for renewal from accreditation on October 31, 2018.

The following are taking part in development Departments and centres of the University of Navarra:

• department of Public Communication

• department for Culture and Audiovisual Communication

• department Marketing and Communication Companies

• department of Journalism

Professors and doctors from other national and foreign institutions can participate in the Programme, as they have been doing, either in co-directing doctoral theses, giving seminars, mobility actions (both of doctoral students and of the professors themselves), participating in thesis tribunals called to obtain the European/International Mention in the doctoral degree, etc.