Departamento de Geología

Assignment of director

Within three months after being admitted and completing the registration process, the Academic Committee of the corresponding PhD Programme must assign a director to the new doctoral student. Director are selected among teachers of the PhD Programme, and once chosen they will also as researchers who will lead students during the preparation of their doctoral thesis, as well as provide them with access to the tools they need to carry out their work, ensure the dissemination of their results and promote their stay in other universities.

Submission of the Research Plan and the Supervision Agreement

Within six months after being admitted and completing the registration process, and once a director has been assigned, the doctoral student shall submit a Research Plan to the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme. This Research Plan will have to comprise at least the title of the doctoral thesis, the general objectives, the hypothesis and the work plan.

The Research Plan must be endorsed by the director and tutor, and must have been approved by the department to which the thesis director belongs.

If the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme approves the Research Plan, the doctoral student, the director, the tutor and the vice-rector in charge of PhD Studies will sign a Supervision Agreement containing the agreement of all parties to develop the doctoral thesis.

Monitoring of the Research Plan

The Research Plan will be subject to an annual monitoring process. In order to achieve this, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme will assess the development of the plan on the dates set by the International Graduate Centre. The doctoral student will have to explain to the Monitoring Committee the work that he/she has carried out in the corresponding academic year. Once the Monitoring Committee has hear the progress and has listened to the thesis director, they will submit an assessment report of the work carried out, and if deemed appropriate, they will recommend supplementary training activities to the doctoral student.

If the Committee issues a negative assessment, the doctoral student will be assessed again within six months. Two consecutive negative assessments will mean the dismissal of the doctoral student from the programme.

Renewal of academic tutelage

The student's registration in the PhD Programme must be renewed each academic year in the International Graduate Centre, until the submission of the doctoral thesis. To do this, it is necessary to submit the assessment report of the Research Plan issued by the Monitoring Committee.

Incidents

• Change of tutor or director: If there are justified reasons, students may issue a request to the Academic Committee to have their assigned tutor or director changed. The Academic Committee will make a decision once the parties involved have been heard.
• Change of PhD Programme: Students may, at any given time during the research period, request to change their PhD Programme. The request must be submitted to the PhD Committee and they will make a decision once the Academic Committees of the programmes involved have been heard.
• Temporary leave: Students can request a temporary leave from a PhD Programme during one o several academic years. They must submit said request to the Academic Committee and explain the reasons for such a request. If the Academic Committee agrees, students will not have to register in the Programme during their leave.