PhD Exams for UC Students

As from May 2022 the whole procedure is carried out at InforEstudante by means of the upload of files concerning the Thesis and other data necessary to the submission. In order to begin this procedure, you will have to comply with the undermentioned conditions. Otherwise, the system does not allow the submission of the Thesis:

1. you must have an ORCID Identifier.
2. you must be registered for a PhD Course at the UC in the academic year in which the request is made.
3. you must be in a position to conclude the PhD Course, which implies having, in the current academic year and date, the minimum number of ECTS credits of the PhD Course (e.g., a PhD Course with 180 ECTS credits, with a one-year course and 120 ECTS credits for the Thesis, implies that you must have completed all the curricular units and be registered for the Thesis for a minimum of 2 years or an equivalent period).
4. you must have all the payments to the UC already settled.

Note: You may begin your submission procedure and still have falling due instalments. However, when you try to seal your Thesis submission, the registration's fee concerning the academic year and the tuition fee instalments until, and including, the month in which the Thesis is submitted must be already settled.

[1] In the academic year in which the PhD Student submits the Thesis, and some time in advance, he/she must access InforEstudante and in the menu "Academic Service", select the option "Submit Dissertations/ Theses".

Then choose the curricular unit (thesis) of the PhD Degree Course for submission, by clicking "Submit Delivery" and with this option the following stages become available:

1. Define your ORCID Identifier;
2. Define details of the Delivery;
3. Submit the requested documents;
4. Pay the fee;
5. Seal the delivery.

[2] In order to proceed, you need to have the ORCID Identifier - Open Researcher and Contributor ID. The ORCID is a unique, global and free of charge digital identifier, aimed at all researchers, which has been created to facilitate the registration of their scientific publications and productions.

• For further information check at About ORCID - ORCID.

[3] Then, you must already have your Thesis and CV in a digital file.

• The Thesis is submitted in its final version, except for the small adjustments, corrections of mistakes and typos that may be undertaken after the defence, if it is successful. Only the final version is delivered in paper and will be used for the legal deposit in the National Library of Portugal (BNP).
• The Thesis must include an abstract in Portuguese and English with a length between 2500 and 5000 characters, and be elaborated in accordance with the rules of the Visual Identity of the University of Coimbra, available at: www.uc.pt/en/visual-identity-university-of-coimbra/.pt »

 The Curriculum Vitae is retrieved from the new platform Ciência Vitae » National scientific curriculum management system based on the former DeGóis technological platform. Note: The supervisor(s) report(s) is/are retrieved from InforEstudante after submitting the delivery of the Thesis. Therefore, the PhD Student does not need to do anything regarding this/these document(s).

[4] After submitting all the aforementioned information, you need to pay the fee in order to complete/seal the request.

In accordance with what is established by the Table of Fees and Other Charges of the UC, the payment of the fee concerning the admission to this exam for UC students is €50 [not exempt from checking the original table »]

[5] After sealing the request, it will be awaiting the Supervisor(s) report(s) concerning the acceptance of the Thesis submission. Then the SGA validates the request and sends it to the Scientific Council of the Organisational Unit that decides about the admission of the PhD Student to the PhD exam.

[6] If the request is accepted, the Examination Board/Jury is proposed by the Organisational Unit and appointed by the Rector or by the person who is delegated by the Rector, and published on the UC webpage Examination Boards and Dispatches of Academic Exams (dual language webpage PT/EN)

[7] The SGA communicates to the Organisational Unit, to the jury and to the PhD student the jury’s appointment.

The chairperson of the jury has to schedule the meeting in cooperation with the other members, in due course, in order to decide whether to accept the thesis or recommend its reformulation. [within 60 working days as from the Rector's Order concerning the appointment of the jury].

[8] If the jury’s dispatch requires a reformulation of the thesis, the SGA notifies the PhD student that he/she has 120 working days, from the date he/she receives the notification on, to deliver an electronic copy of his/her reformulated thesis or a declaration in which he/she intends to maintain the same thesis as it was delivered in the first place.

Note: We recommend the PhD Students to check the "Help" link at InforEstudante concerning this procedure.

[9] The PhD Student will receive, in due course, the convocation with the date, time and location of the PhD Exam. For additional information you should contact the respective Organisational Unit/Faculty.

[10] The PhD student accomplishes the PhD Exam.

[11.] Submission of a hardcopy/paper copy of the Thesis - for legal deposit.

Within 15 working days of the date of the defence on, the PhD Student must deliver or send to the SGA one (1) hard/paper copy of the final version of his/her Thesis for the purposes of legal deposit in the National Library of Portugal.

The copy may be delivered in person at the In-Person Assistance /Student Hub (https://www.uc.pt/en/studenthub/) or sent by regular mail to that location.

This copy must also comply with the Visual Identity Rules of the University of Coimbra, which is available at Academic Resources https://www.uc.pt/en/visual-identity-university-of-coimbra/academic-resources/ (cover planned for printing).

Note: on the cover you must write the month of delivery of the thesis as it appears in the version which has been assessed by the examination board/jury (in the case of an original or corrected version) or update to the month in which the reformulated Thesis has been submitted.

[12.] Submission of a reviewed copy of the Thesis (Final Version)

The day on which the PhD Student defends his/her Thesis (Public Defence), the examination board/jury may decide that final changes and reviews are convenient and authorises them.

In that case, the PhD Student has the same deadline of 15 working days, as from the date of the defence, to perform the reviews, and by means of InforEstudante to:

• upload the new version of the Thesis (final version, PDF file);
• upload the additional opinion report, and declaring that the changes/reviews have been made;
• seal again the submission of the Thesis (reviewed Thesis).

The additional opinion report to be included, will be the one written by the thesis supervisor (when he/she is a member of the examination board) or the one written by the Chairperson of the Examination Board/Jury (when none of the supervisors was member of the examination board).

last update on 10/10/2024