Doctorate

To be accepted into the third cycle, students mustalready possess a License in Institutional Communications. In their previousstudies they must have obtained a minimum grade point average of Magnum cumlaude (9.0), as well as a minimum grade of 9.4 on their License Thesis.

As a pre-requisite, the doctoral program requires theimplementation of a preliminary research project connected to the project thatdoctoral work hopes to develop. For students already within our CommunicationsSchool, this work normally coincides with their License thesis.

a) Students must submit a request concerning the topic of their doctoraldissertation to the Academic Registrar. The title of the research project(already approved by their thesis director), information concerning objectivesand methods, as well and a basic bibliography should be indicated. The topic ofthe intended research, apart from the suggestionsof the Director, must take into account the research guidelines periodically established by the School. Thesis topics remain valid for five years, afterwhich time it is necessary to ask for an annual renewal and pay the relevantfee.

b) Before May 31 of each year, students in the thirdcycle must present the Academic Registrar with a report about the current stateof their thesis and the way in which research will proceed. It must be signedby their thesis Director.

c) Every chapter of the thesis must also be examinedby a co-Director, who will be appointed by the Dean at the moment of thetopic's approval. The co-Director has 20 working days at his disposition togive his observations concerning each chapter to the student, by means of thethesis Director. Once an entire draft of the thesis has been completed, andbefore printing and binding a definitive copy, students must turn in a copy oftheir work to the Academic Registrar. A few days later, the Coordinator ofStudies will offer clearance for the thesis' discussion.

d) Students must turn in five bound copies of theirthesis to the Academic Registrar, with the signature of their Director on thefirst page. They must also turn in the receipt indicating payment of theestablished fee. The Academic Registrar will place the University's seal on thetitle page of the thesis, and give one copy back to the student. Besides therequested printed copies, students must turn in their work in digital form (CD,DVD, etc.)

e) Discussion of the Doctoral thesis takes place in apublic session before a commission of professors, in the time period between September and June. The date (never less than fifteen days after the thesis hasbeen turned in) and the hour are communicated by the Academic Registrar.

f) For publication of the thesis, please see thegeneral Norms in the Academic Guide.

A definitive list of the doctoral courses, as well as the classschedule, will be available during the first academic semester. Generally, doctoral courses take place at the beginning of the second semester.

Doctoral students who participate in the School's Conference are able to receive two credits by filing a validation request with the School's Academic Registrar.