Modification of the duration of doctoral studies

DURATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES

The maximum duration of doctoral studies is 3 years for full-time students or 5 years for part-time students. This period begins on the date of the student’s initial enrolment for academic supervision and ends of the date of submission of the thesis deposit request.

Enrolment for academic supervision must be completed each academic year, independently of the initial enrolment date.

Once the period for requesting thesis submission has elapsed, the Academic Committee may authorize an extension of the period of doctoral studies, as follows:

  • Full-time: 1 extension of one year, which may in exceptional circumstances be extended by a further year.
  • Part-time: 1 extension of two years, which may in exceptional circumstances be extended by a further year.

CHANGE OF TIME COMMITMENT
 

Temporary withdrawal from a Doctoral Programme

 

 If the student withdraws for a period of less than one academic year, under any of the circumstances set out above, in order to enrol the following academic year:

  • they must complete the full enrolment process
  • They must request approval of their research plan or register for annual supervision and assessment of the research plan.

If they fail to do so they will not be permitted to enrol.

IMPORTANT

  • If a student requests temporary withdrawal from the doctoral programme on personal grounds prior to approval of the research plan, they will be understood to have left the programme and will need to re-apply.
  • During a period of temporary withdrawal from the programme, the student loses their status as a trainee researcher.
  • If a student fails to pay the enrolment fee by the stated deadline, they will be understood to have withdrawn temporarily from the programme, leading to the automatic suspension of rights without prior notice by the University of Barcelona. The temporary suspension of rights may remain in place until the end of the academic year.

Requests for temporary withdrawal may be submitted directly to the General Registry of the UB or as a general request (generic instance ) via the Secretary’s Office for Students and Teaching Staff, together with the supporting documentation, in the following circumstances:

Illness:

Temporary termination communication (article 27.1 and 27.2 of the regulations)

This must be notified at the onset of the condition and accredited by the corresponding medical report issued by the Catalan public health service, the equivalent body in other autonomous regions of Spain, or the civil service insurer MUFACE, where applicable. This temporary period of withdrawal must be stated in the doctoral student’s academic record and will be not be taken into account when calculating the duration of the doctoral programme

Other circumstances provided for in the applicable regulations

Temporary termination communication (article 27.1 and 27.2 of the regulations)

Risk during pregnancy or breastfeeding, maternity, adoption, guardianship prior to adoption or fostering, paternity and, where protective measures are required, gender violence). Notification must be given at the onset of the condition and accredited as stated in the applicable regulations (consult the SED).  This temporary period of withdrawal must be stated in the doctoral student’s academic record and will be not be taken into account when calculating the duration of the doctoral programme.

Personal Reasons

Temporary termination for personal reasons

Students may not submit more than one request during their period of doctoral study and may not request more than one academic year, which can be extended for a further consecutive year. The request should be submitted BEFORE COMPLETING ENROLMENT.The period of withdrawal will be stated in the student’s academic record and subtracted from calculations pertaining to academic performance regulations. Requests will not be authorized during extensions of the doctoral programme granted under exceptional circumstances, except in exceptional cases, at the discretion of the Academic Committee.

Permanent withdrawal from a doctoral Programme La baixa definitiva impossibilita al doctorand a continuar en el programa on estava matriculat o i comporta el tancament del seu expedient.

Permanent withdrawal is final. As such, the student may not continue with the programme and their academic record is closed. Students may not request admission to the same programme until at least three academic years have passed. However, the student can apply for access and admission to another doctoral programme at the University of Barcelona.

The grounds for permanent withdrawal from a doctoral programme are as follows:

  • The student expressly requests to withdraw from the programme.
  • The periods applicable to academic performance requirements for doctoral studies, including any extensions, have expired.
  • A request to extend the duration of doctoral studies under the terms of Article 26 of these Regulations is denied.
  • A full academic year has elapsed during which time the student has neither enrolled nor requested temporary withdrawal from the doctoral programme.
  • The student has not applied for authorization of the research plan within the stated period.
  • The research plan has not been authorized by the academic committee, in accordance with articles 33 and 34 of these Regulations.
  • The student has not submitted the documents specified by the academic committee of the doctoral programme for the annual assessment and monitoring of research plans within the stated period.
  • The student has failed to complete any bridging courses set over the course of the first academic year.