Duration of doctoral studies

The maximum duration of doctoral studies is four years for full-time students, starting from the date of enrolment in the programme until the date of deposit of the doctoral thesis (after the external evaluation).

However, with the prior authorisation of the Academic Committee of the corresponding programme, doctoral studies may be carried out on a part-time basis. In this case, the doctoral studies will have a maximum duration of seven years from the date of enrolment in the programme until the date of deposit of the doctoral thesis (after the external evaluation).

When the doctoral student is a person with a disability equal to or greater than 33 percent (certified by the Spanish Government), the maximum duration of the doctoral studies will be six years for full-time students and nine years for part-time.

If the thesis will not be deposited before the deadline, at least two months prior to the deadline, the doctoral student may request a 1-year extension. This request must be approved by the Director and the Academic Committee, under the conditions established by the doctoral programme.

For the purposes of calculating the above period, leaves of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other cause provided for by current regulations will not be taken into account. Proof of these situations must be sent to the administrative services of the Doctoral School for processing.

Doctoral students may also request temporary withdrawal from the programme for a maximum period of two years. This request, which must include the justifiable circumstances that temporarily impede the completion of the thesis, must be submitted to the corresponding Academic Committee, which will decide whether the student’s request can be granted.

For the purposes of calculating the duration of the studies, in cases in which both full-time and part-time dedications have been registered, the following will be considered:

a) If the dedication during the first year is full-time and then changes to part-time, the maximum period to complete the thesis is 6 years, with the option of requesting an extension for 1 additional year.

b) If the dedication during the first year is part-time and then changed to full-time, the maximum period to complete the thesis is 5 years, with the option of requesting an extension for 1 additional year.

c) In any other case, the maximum period to complete the thesis is 5 years, with the option to apply for an extension of 1 additional year.

ALL EXTENSIONS SHOULD BE REQUESTED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE

Theses carried out with funding from pre-doctoral grants must be full-time from the time the grant is awarded. Under no circumstances will a change of dedication to part-time be admitted (not during the granting period, nor after the grant has been completed).

At the following link, you can find specific information and the application process related to changes in dedication, extensions and withdrawals.

The duration of doctoral studies will be a maximum of three years, on a full-time basis, beginning from the date of admission to the programme until the date of deposit of the doctoral thesis (after the external evaluation).

However, with the prior authorisation of the corresponding academic committee, doctoral studies may be carried out on a part-time basis. In this case, doctoral studies will have a maximum duration of five years from the date of enrolment until the date of deposit of the doctoral thesis (after the external evaluation).

If the thesis will not be deposited before the deadline, at least two months prior to the deadline, the doctoral student may request a 1-year extension, which may exceptionally be extended for one additional year. In the case of part-time dedication, the extension may be authorised for two years, which may also, exceptionally, be extended for 1 additional year. These requests must be approved by the Director and the Academic Committee, under the conditions established by the doctoral programme.

For the purposes of calculating the above period, leaves of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other cause provided for in the regulations in force shall not be taken into account.

Doctoral students may also request a temporary leave of absence from the programme for a maximum period of one year, extendable for up to one more year. This request, which must include the justifiable circumstances that temporarily impede the completion of the thesis, must be submitted to the Academic Committee of the programme, which will decide whether the student’s request can be granted.

For the purposes of calculating the duration of the studies, in cases in which both full-time and part-time dedications have been registered, the following will be considered:

a) The initial period for the presentation of the thesis is 4 years.

b) If you are unable complete the deposit of the thesis before the indicated deadline (deposit after the external evaluations), a first extension may be requested for 1 or 2 years, depending on the dedication at the time of the request.

c) If, after the first extension, you are unable complete the deposit of the thesis before the deadline (deposit after the external evaluations), a second extension may exceptionally be requested, which, in any case, will be for a period of 1 year.

ALL EXTENSIONS SHOULD BE REQUESTED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE

Theses carried out with funding from pre-doctoral grants must be full-time from the time the grant is awarded. Under no circumstances will a change of dedication to part-time be admitted (not during the granting period, nor after the grant has been completed).

At the following link, you can find specific information and the application process related to changes in dedication, extensions and withdrawals.