The duration of doctoral studies will be calculated from the doctoral student’s date of admission and enrolment in the programme until the application to have the thesis deposited.

The maximum duration will be:

• Full-time student: three years.
• Part-time student: five years.

In both cases, and provided that the academic committee of the doctoral programme authorises it, students can benefit from two consecutive extensions:

• Extension for one additional year if you are a full-time student, and two years if you are a part-time student.
• Exceptional extension for one additional year.

You can find the procedure to apply for these extensions below in the "Extensions" section.

The duration of doctoral studies will be calculated from the doctoral student’s date of first enrolment in the programme until the application to have the thesis deposited.

The maximum duration will be:

• Full-time student: four years.
• Part-time student: seven years.

When a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33% is justified: six years full-time and nine years part-time.

In all cases, you can benefit from an extension of one additional year, provided that the academic committee of the doctoral programme authorises it.

You can find the procedure to apply for these extensions below in the “Extensions” section.

Before the deadline of the maximum duration of doctoral studies, you can apply for an extension, which will be for one additional year if you are a full-time student and for two additional years if you are a part-time student.

Before this extension expires, you can apply for another exceptional extension of one additional year, regardless of your dedication regime.

Application for extension

1. The doctoral student will fill in the "Doctoral Extension" application form through the Catalogue for academic administration-DOCTORATE in "applications related to doctoral studies". You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the corresponding decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's record.

Application for an exceptional extension

1. The doctoral student will fill in the application for "Exceptional Doctoral Extension" through the Catalogue for academic administration-DOCTORATE in "applications related to doctoral studies", together with the supervisor-tutor’s report for the application for an exceptional extension. You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the corresponding decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's file.

Before the deadline of the maximum duration of doctoral studies, you can apply for an extension of one additional year.

Application for extension

1. The doctoral student will fill in the "Doctoral Extension" application form through the Catalogue for academic administration-DOCTORATE in "applications related to doctoral studies". You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the corresponding decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's record.

These situations will interrupt the calculation of the time limit for the duration of the doctoral studies.

Authorisation for this type of withdrawal does not exempt students from renewing their enrolment within the deadlines established in each academic year.

In any of these circumstances, the following procedure must be followed:

1. The doctoral student will complete the application for sick leave through the Catalogue for academic administration-DOCTORATE in "applications related to doctoral studies", together with the corresponding supporting documents (sick leave medical report, authorisation for maternity or paternity leave). You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the corresponding decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's file.

DURATION. The maximum duration of the leave shall be that established in the applicable rules. In any case, initial leave of absence from the doctoral programme shall be for a maximum of one year. However, sick leave that does not indicate a termination date will be considered to have ended on the last day of the academic year in which it was granted.

EVALUATION. During the period of sick leave, the doctoral student will not be able to include in the activities document any activity carried out during this period or update their research plan. Once they have returned to the programme, they will be able to include in their file those merits recognised during the sick leave that are the result of work done prior to the sick leave (acceptance of a paper in a conference, acceptance of an article in a journal, etc.).

At the corresponding moment, the academic committee will evaluate the doctoral student, taking into account the period of authorised leave, such that not having undertaken training activities and/or updating of the research plan will not imply the doctoral student being assessed negatively. If the leave of absence lasts for the whole academic year or for more than nine months, the academic committee may deem the student ineligible for assessment.

Doctoral students may request voluntary temporary withdrawal from the programme for a maximum period of one year, extendable up to one more year. This request must be addressed and justified to the academic committee of the doctoral programme, who will decide whether or not to grant the request.

Voluntary temporary withdrawals will not be taken into account for the purposes of calculating the deadline for remaining in doctoral studies.

These withdrawals may be requested:

A) For a full academic year.

B) For periods of less than one academic year

A) Temporary withdrawal for the next complete academic year.

1. The doctoral student will complete the application through the Catalogue for academic administration-Doctorate in "applications related to doctoral studies". You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the appropriate decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's file.

In this case, the doctoral student will not be required to enrol in doctoral studies in that academic year and, if enrolment has already been formalised, it will be cancelled. If they have already paid the registration fee, they will be entitled to a refund thereof.

During this period, the PhD student's record will remain closed and the academic committee will not carry out any assessment.

B) Temporary withdrawal for periods of less than the academic year.

If temporary withdrawals do not extend to a full academic year, withdrawals may be requested for periods of at least three months. Applications may be submitted at any time and will take effect from the moment they are granted by the academic committee, and in no case with retroactive effect.

1. The doctoral student will complete the application for "Temporary withdrawal for the next full academic year" through the Catalogue for academic administration-Doctorate in "applications related to doctoral studies". You can consult the procedure in the Guide to applications related to doctoral studies.
2. The administrative secretariat of the EsDUVa will approve the application so that it can be authorised by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.
3. Once the application has been approved, the coordinator will make a decision on the application and will sign the appropriate decision.
4. At this point, the decision will be recorded in the doctoral student's file.

This leave of absence does not exempt the student from the obligation to enrol each academic year. The student will be assessed by the academic committee of the programme within the established deadlines, except if the leave has lasted for more than nine months, in which case the academic committee may deem the student ineligible for assessment.

Permanent withdrawal from a doctoral programme will mean that the student will not continue studies in the same doctoral programme in which they were enrolled, and their doctoral record will be closed. However, the student may apply for admission to a different doctoral programme, in which case they will be considered as a new doctoral student.

A doctoral student shall be permanently withdrawn from a doctoral programme in the following cases:

1. When the student has not passed the further training courses within the established period.
2. When they exceed the maximum periods allowed to undertake doctoral studies, including the authorised extensions, in accordance with the provisions of the rules governing doctoral studies at the University of Valladolid.
3. For failure to request an extension or when the requested extension is refused.
4. When the academic committee of the programme issues a negative report as a result of significant shortcomings having been found in the evaluation of the research plan and the activities document, as established in Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January.

Dropping out of a doctoral programme will imply the loss of the status of researcher in training at the University of Valladolid and will make it impossible to continue on the programme in which the student was enrolled. This will lead to their record being closed.

A doctoral student is considered to have left a doctoral programme in the following cases:

• When they do not complete the enrolment process or annual renewal of enrolment within the established deadlines without having had temporary withdrawal therefrom authorised, or when they fail to pay the corresponding public fees.
• When they themselves request withdrawal.

As withdrawal implies the cancellation of your enrolment, you can request it at any time:

1. Through the enrolment cancellation/modification procedure in the Sede Electrónica (electronic office).
2. Through the Withdrawal notification form to be submitted to the academic committee of the programme, who will inform the administrative secretariat of the Doctoral School.

If the student gives notification of withdrawal from the programme within the following month from the day after the end of the corresponding enrolment period in which they enrolled or from the date of enrolment if this is later, they will be entitled to a refund of the tuition fees, if they have already been paid.

Exceptionally, in cases of withdrawal from the doctoral programme due to failure to renew the annual enrolment or due to a student’s own request to withdraw, the standing committee of the EsDUVa –having heard the academic committee of the doctoral programme– may authorise the doctoral student’s re-admission.

Re-admission may only be authorised once and will be carried out within the ordinary pre-enrolment deadlines established in the academic calendar and in competition with the other candidates.

Application for re-admission must be submitted through the electronic office (E-Office) accompanied by the report of the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Upon re-admission, the previous period in the programme will be taken into account in order to calculate how long the student may continue in the doctoral programme.

Application for authorisation for readmission.