Permanence and leaves

Enrolment will, by default, be on a full-time basis. A change in dedication may be requested, provided that one of the two reasons outlined in Article 18 is justified. This request must be submitted during the common registration periods. If you wish to maintain this dedication for the following academic year, you must submit a new request for a change in dedication. Failure to do so will result in the default dedication being set to full-time for each academic year.

All requests for changes in dedication will be evaluated by the Doctoral Program Academic Committee (CAPD).

Part-time dedication may be requested outside of these common registration periods only in exceptional and well-founded circumstances, when the reason for the change arose after the last common enrolment period. Such requests should be sent directly to the program's Academic Committee.

The authorization granted by the relevant CAPD will be recorded in the student's academic file, indicating the new deadline established for the defense of the thesis.

The calculation of the time spent in doctoral studies will be based on the period from the first enrolment in the doctoral program until the submission of the application for the thesis defense.

Since a PhD student can be enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis, we distinguish between:

• Elapsed time, which refers to the calendar months since the first enrolment.
   
• Dedicated time = (elapsed time on a full-time basis) × 1 + (elapsed time on a part-time basis) × 0.6.

Dedicated time coincides with the elapsed time when the doctoral student is enrolled full-time, and is multiplied by 0.6 in the case of part-time enrolment.

Minimum Duration of Doctoral Studies

Regulations stipulate that the minimum duration of doctoral studies is 18 months of dedicated time. That is, 18 full-time calendar months or 30 part-time calendar months.

Maximum Duration of Doctoral Studies

Regulations stipulate that the maximum duration of doctoral studies is 36 months of dedicated time. That is, 36 full-time calendar months or 60 part-time calendar months.

Alternating Dedication Types

If you have periods of both full-time and part-time dedication within the first 36 months of dedicated time, the minimum and maximum duration will be calculated by applying the 0.6 correction factor to the months of part-time dedication.

The time spent in doctoral studies is calculated from the date of the student’s first enrollment in the doctoral program until the submission of the application for thesis defense.

Since doctoral students may pursue their studies on either a full-time or part-time basis, the following distinctions are made:

• Elapsed time: The total number of calendar months since the first enrollment.
   
• Dedication time = (full-time months) x 1 + (part-time months) x 0.57.
   
• Dedication Time for students with a recognized disability (≥ 33%) = (full-time months) x 1 + (part-time months) x 0.57.

If the student has always been full-time, the dedication time equals the elapsed time. If the student has always been part-time, the elapsed time is multiplied by 0.57 (or by 0.67 for students with a recognized disability equal to or greater than 33%).

Minimum duration of doctoral studies

According to the regulations, the minimum duration of doctoral studies is 18 months of dedication time, which corresponds to: 18 calendar months full-time, or 30 calendar months part-time.

Maximum duration of doctoral studies

The maximum duration of doctoral studies is 48 months of dedication time, which corresponds to: 48 calendar months full-time, or 84 calendar months part-time.

Alternating types of dedication

If the doctoral student has alternated between full-time and part-time dedication during the first 48 months of dedication time, the minimum and maximum periods will be calculated by applying the appropriate correction factor (0.57 for part-time, or 0.67 for part-time students with a recognized disability ≥ 33%) to the periods of part-time dedication.

Once the maximum dedication time has been reached, the doctoral student may request a first extension, which will be calculated in calendar months as follows:

Extension = 12/36 x full time + 24/60 x part time.

A doctoral student who has been entirely full-time will receive an extension of 12 calendar months.

A doctoral student who has been entirely part-time will receive 24 calendar months.

For students with mixed dedication during the initial 36 months of dedication time, the extension will correspond to the result of the above formula.

During the extension period, the type of dedication (full-time or part-time) will not affect the new deadline for completing the doctoral studies granted under the extension.

Once the first extension period has ended, there is an exceptional possibility of requesting a second extension, which will consist of 12 calendar months, regardless of the type of dedication (full-time or part-time), and even if a change of dedication occurs during that period.

You can check the deadlines for extension requests at this link

Once the maximum dedication time has been reached, the doctoral student may request a single extension of 12 calendar months.

During the extension period, the type of dedication—whether full-time or part-time—will not affect the new deadline for remaining in the doctoral program as established by the extension.

There are two types of temporary leave, which are not counted towards the calculation of the minimum and maximum duration of doctoral studies:

1. Leave due to illness, pregnancy, or other reasons covered by current labor regulations: Requests must be submitted and properly documented via the Virtual Secretariat. The duration of the leave will depend on the reason provided.
    
2. Leave at the student’s own request: Doctoral students may request up to six periods of leave, with the total duration not exceeding 24 calendar months. The request must be supported by the thesis supervisor. It must be submitted during the academic supervision period, except in duly justified exceptional cases. For the purposes of voluntary temporary leave, the academic supervision period refers exclusively to the thesis development phase and does not include extension periods.
    

Requests for temporary leave must be submitted through the Virtual Secretariat, and all stated reasons must be properly documented. The CAPD must issue a report prior to any decision regarding the approval or rejection of the request. The effects of an approved leave will only be retroactive to the date of the request. Retroactive leaves based on earlier dates will not be accepted under any circumstances.

During an approved leave period: Activities undertaken by the doctoral student cannot be included in the Activities Document. The student will not be considered enrolled for the purposes of thesis supervision rights. The student will not have access to USC resources or the corresponding insurance coverage.

Doctoral Student Leave Application via the Virtual Secretariat

• Go to "Consulta Expediente Doutoramento RD 99/2011"
   
• Navigate to "Tramo de alta/baixa asociado"
   
• Click on “Prema aquí para xestionar as altas e baixas”
   
• Then click “Engadir solicitude”

In case of leave due to illness, pregnancy, or other reasons covered by current labor regulations

• After submitting your request through the Virtual Secretariat, you must send the corresponding supporting documentation via email to: doutoramento [at] usc.gal (doutoramento[at]usc[dot]gal).
   
• The application will be reviewed by the Academic Management Service, which will verify that all required information is correct. If any information is missing or incorrect, the doctoral student will be contacted to make the necessary amendments.
   
• The Academic Management Service will then issue the official resolution, either granting or denying the temporary leave.

In case of leave at one’s own request, the request must be endorsed by your thesis supervisor.

• After submitting the request through the Virtual Secretariat, you must send a formal request (using the official form) by email to your doctoral program’s mailbox, stating the reasons for requesting the leave.
   
• The Academic Committee of your doctoral program will evaluate the request and issue a decision within the electronic system.
   
• This type of leave cannot be granted retroactively to a date prior to the request.

Permanent withdrawal may be of either administrative or academic nature.

A doctoral student may be definitively withdrawn from the program for any of the following administrative reasons:

• Failure to complete annual enrollment for an academic year.
• Failure to re-enroll after a period of temporary leave.
• Failure to submit the Research Plan within the established deadlines.
• Failure to pass required training components (complementary training) within the set deadlines.
• Voluntary withdrawal requested by the doctoral student, without any academic cause for permanent withdrawal.
• Cancellation or annulment of registration.
   

A doctoral student may also be definitively withdrawn for academic reasons, such as:

• Receiving a final negative annual evaluation, including a negative outcome from the review process within the maximum six-month period.
• Having the Research and Training Plan definitively rejected, meaning both the original and revised versions (submitted within the CAPD’s deadline) were rejected.
• Failing to successfully defend the thesis within the established deadlines.

In the event of definitive withdrawal, the affected doctoral student may request, only once and in a subsequent academic year, admission to a different doctoral program at USC to develop a new research plan and thesis project, subject to authorization by EDIUS.

Re-enrollment in the same doctoral program will only be possible in cases of administrative withdrawal, and only once, and after a period of three academic years has passed since the withdrawal. This new enrollment will result in the cancellation of all prior academic records associated with the original file.

If the doctoral student wishes to transfer to a different doctoral program at USC or apply to another one, they must first submit a written request to the International Doctoral School of the USC (EDIUS).

The Rector will issue the official resolution of permanent withdrawal. Students may file an optional appeal for reinstatement through the Office for Complaints Analysis (OAR).