UPCT 2026 Access Competition: Associate Professor and Full Professor Positions

Key data

The Polytechnic University of Cartagena convenes vacant positions in university teaching bodies through an access competition published in the BOE on May 13, 2026 (BOE-A-2026-10397). The process allows accredited or habilitated doctors to access two differentiated bodies: Associate Professor of University or Full Professor of University, depending on the level of accreditation demonstrated by each candidate.

This type of call is the legal mechanism established for the stabilization of teaching staff in the Spanish public university system. For those responsible for planning teaching staff, it represents the formal opening of the process for filling vacancies at UPCT.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution regulates the complete procedure for access to vacant positions in university teaching bodies at UPCT. The key elements of the competition are as follows:

The procedure is regulated by the current university teaching staff regulations in Spain. Prior accreditation by ANECA or an equivalent regional agency is an essential requirement: without it, the candidate cannot participate, regardless of their research or teaching trajectory.

Economic and operational impact

For UPCT itself, the call implies the activation of the administrative process for filling vacancies in its permanent teaching staff. Filling these positions means incorporating full-time civil servant faculty, which has a direct impact on the university's personnel cost structure.

For candidates, accessing a position as Associate Professor or Full Professor of University represents job stabilization in the public system, with the remuneration conditions and academic career associated with each body. The difference between both bodies (Associate and Full Professor) determines the remuneration level, position supplements, and assigned academic responsibilities.

From an operational perspective, the affected university departments must coordinate the participation of their members in the selection committees and ensure the availability of the necessary documentation for the process.

Who does it affect?

• Doctors accredited by ANECA who aspire to an Associate Professor of University position at UPCT.
• Doctors with Full Professor accreditation seeking to access that body at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena.
• Doctors accredited by equivalent regional agencies recognized at the national level.
• UPCT teaching staff planning managers, who must manage the process of filling vacancies.
• Researchers in the stabilization process who have current accreditation and are seeking a position in the public university system.
• UPCT university departments that participate in selection committees or whose areas of knowledge are affected by the convened positions.

Practical example

A doctor in Industrial Engineering with Associate Professor of University accreditation issued by ANECA, who has been working for several years as a contracted doctor professor at UPCT, can apply for this access competition to obtain the status of civil servant in the Associate Professor of University body.

To do so, they must gather the documentation required in the resolution, submit their application within the established deadline, and submit to the evaluation of the corresponding specialized committee, which will assess their curriculum merits and teaching and research capacity. If the committee awards them the position, they access the status of career civil servant with the remuneration and rights inherent to the Associate Professor of University body.

If instead they have Full Professor accreditation, the process is the same but aimed at positions in that higher body, with the corresponding remuneration conditions and academic responsibility.

What should candidates do now?

1. Verify current accreditation: Confirm that you have national accreditation issued by ANECA or by an equivalent recognized regional agency, and that it corresponds to the body of the position you aspire to (Associate or Full Professor).
2. Consult the complete resolution in the BOE: Review the official resolution (BOE-A-2026-10397) to identify the specific positions convened, the exact deadlines for submitting applications, and the required documentation.
3. Prepare the required documentation: Gather the complete file according to what is established in the resolution, including curriculum, teaching and research merits, and the corresponding accreditation.
4. Submit the application on time: Register your candidacy within the deadline established in the call. Submission outside the deadline implies automatic exclusion from the process.
5. Follow the procedure before the committee: Once your candidacy is admitted, attend the communications from the specialized committee and prepare the defense of your merits according to the procedure established in the university teaching staff regulations.