Duration of the programme of study - Doctorate
Information for the 2024-25 academic year
Minimum length of the course
The minimum duration of the doctoral program is two years. Therefore, in order to start the procedures for the defense of the thesis, the student must be registered for at least two academic years and have received a favorable evaluation at least twice.
Exceptionally, in the case of doctoral students who have transferred from doctoral programs governed by previous regulations, students from other programs regulated by Royal Decree 99/2011 or students with a signed co-supervision agreement, the vice-rector can authorize that their previous registrations are also considered and that they only require a favorable assessment for their activities document, their research plan and their personal training plan document.
Full-time/part-time
For students who started their doctoral studies prior to or during the academic year 2022-23, the duration is as follows:
| Full-time | → Maximum duration of three years |
| Part-time* | → Maximum duration of five years |
For students who started their doctoral studies during or after the academic year 2023-24, the duration is as follows:
| Full-time | → Maximum duration of four years |
| Part-time | → Maximum duration of seven years |
Students who have accredited a minimum degree of disability of 33%, the duration is as follows:
| Part-time | → Maximum duration of six years |
| Full-time | → Maximum duration of nine years |
General aspects:
- Duration is calculated from the date of registration in the academic year in which students start their doctoral program until the day they apply to deposit their doctoral thesis.
- Students who, during the ordinary period of preparation of the thesis prior to the extension periods, have registered part-time for at least one academic year will have five years (in the case of courses started prior to and including the academic year 2022-23) or seven years (in the case of courses started in or after the academic year 2023-24) to deposit the doctoral thesis. This period is calculated the date of first registration for the doctoral program.
- First-time applicants for doctoral studies can submit their part-time application via the pre-registration form. In this case, the academic committee will decide whether to admit them and also whether to grant their request for part-time status.
Students must select part-time status during the self-registration process. - All doctoral students other than first-year students can request part-time status by completing the corresponding administrative procedure*.
For students who started their doctoral studies prior to or during the academic year 2022-23:
- If they request a change from full time to part-time during the first extension, it will be two years, but the period before the extension will not be recalculated and will remain three years.
- They cannot request a change from full time to part-time during the second extension, because it has no effect on the calculation of academic progress.
For students who started their doctoral studies during or after the academic year 2023-24:
- The change to part-time status can only be requested during the ordinary period prior to the extension. If the change is authorized, the duration of the course will increase from four to seven years.
- During the extension period, students cannot request a change in full/part-time status because it has no corresponding effect on their course load status.
Extensions for submitting the thesis
For students who started their doctoral studies prior to or during the academic year 2022-23:
| Full-time doctoral students | → One more year → In exceptional circumstances, one additional year |
| Part-time doctoral students | → Two more years → In exceptional circumstances, one additional year |
Students who started their doctoral studies during or after the academic year 2023-24 can request an extension regardless of whether they are full or part-time.
Temporary leave of absence for personal reasons
Doctoral students can interrupt their studies for a maximum of 1 year, which can be extended for 1 more year (see the corresponding administrative procedure).
During the period that doctoral students are on voluntary leave:
- The calculation of the time to complete their theses will be kept on hold.
- The students must still register. If they do not, they will be regarded as having permanently withdrawn.
- Doctoral students who are on voluntary leave will receive an email before the end of the leave period asking them if they wish to extend their leave or continue their studies as normal. Regardless of whether they continue the period of temporary withdrawal or not, they must register for their courses. If the doctoral candidate has already completed the two-year maximum period of the voluntary withdrawal, they must rejoin the doctoral program or they will be permanently removed.
Temporary leave of absence due to:
- Illness or risk during pregnancy.
- Birth, risk during pregnancy, adopting a child, care with a view to adoption, care with a view to fostering, or concentration of working hours reduction for breastfeeding into one period.
- Gender violence or any other situation envisaged in the current legislation.
Doctoral students can interrupt their program of study for the reasons mentioned by presenting the corresponding justification (see the corresponding administrative process).
During the period that doctoral students are on voluntary leave:
→ The calculation of the time to complete their theses will be kept on hold.
→ The students must still register. If they do not, they will be regarded as having permanently withdrawn.
Permanent withdrawals
The following are grounds for permanent withdrawal from the doctoral program:
- Not completing the registration process during a given academic year.
- Failing to submit a research proposal and the doctoral activities document within the established deadline, or being assessed negatively or as absent after the second exam period. During the annual examination period, new students starting in or after the academic year 2023-24 must submit a document that describes their research plan, their personal training plan, and the training activities they have taken.
- Exceeding the established maximum duration of studies and any extensions without having applied to deposit a doctoral thesis .
Permanent withdrawal from the program means:
→ The doctoral student will no longer continue in the doctoral program in which they are registered.
→ The student's file will be closed.
Nevertheless, students may subsequently apply for access and admission to another doctoral program.
Resumption of studies
- Second-year doctoral students who have had their registration for the immediately preceding year cancelled cannot apply to continue their studies on the same doctoral program because they will have lost their place. If this is the case, they may re-register.
- Doctoral students in their third year or subsequent years who have had their registration for the immediately preceding year cancelled may apply to continue their studies on the same doctoral program.
- For students who will resume their studies in the academic year 2024-25, in the following cases:
- If the student has not registered for one academic year only and wishes to continue in the doctoral program in the academic year immediately following.
- If the student has submitted an application for voluntary withdrawal for personal reasons with a duration of one year prior to the end of the registration period, they are not required to complete registration for the academic year that they have withdrawn from. Once the period of leave has ended, the student may apply to resume studies and register in the same doctoral program in the immediately following academic year.
- If the student has submitted an application for voluntary leave for personal reasons for a period of one year and has requested an extension for an additional year, they may apply to resume their studies and register in the same doctoral program in the following academic year at the end of the extension.
- If their registration for the second or subsequent years has been cancelled and they wish to continue their doctoral studies in the immediately following academic year.
- If the student has been graded as 'absent' due to temporary leave during the second assessment of the second or subsequent years and they wish to continue their doctoral studies in the immediately following year.
