Academic progress regulations

BACHELOR'S DEGREES

Minimum academic progress during the first academic year

As a general rule, students who enrol in a bachelor’s degree must pass at least 12 ECTS credits in their first academic year at the UPC, regardless of the number of credits for which they enrol. Part-time students must also meet this requirement.

Students who do not meet this requirement fail the first year and cannot continue the degree at the School where they started or begin any other degree taught at the same School that shares the same initial stage.

Minimum academic progress in the initial stage of a degree

At the UPC, all official bachelor's degrees begin with an initial stage that corresponds to the 60 ECTS credits of the first academic year. Students must gain 60 ECTS credits in the initial stage of a degree within two academic years, if the degree is taken full-time, or within four academic years, if it is taken part-time. In either of these two modes, the time limit is calculated irrespective of the number of enrolments processed.

Students of the double bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering/bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Systems Engineering/Network Engineering must gain 72 ECTS credits in the initial stage of the degree within two academic years, if it is taken full-time, or within four academic years, if it is taken part-time. In either of these two modes, the time limit is calculated irrespective of the number of enrolments processed.

Students who do not meet this requirement fail the initial stage and cannot continue the degree at the School where they started or begin any other degree taught at the same School that shares the same initial stage. 

Requests for an extra semester to comply with the academic progress regulations (special dispensation on academic progress)

Students who do not pass the first year or the initial stage can ask the director of the School, with proper justification and prior to the deadline indicated each year in the enrolment rules, to extend the period for passing the minimum number of credits required for the first academic year and/or achieving the minimum academic progress in the initial stage of the degree.

Requests for a special dispensation on academic progress must be processed via the e-Secretaria, before the deadline for requesting a special dispensation on academic progress established in the enrolment calendars.

Minimum academic progress after passing the initial stage credits established by the School

Once students have passed the credits required in the initial stage of a degree, their academic progress parameter is calculated at the end of each teaching period. This parameter is the total number of credits passed divided by the total number of credits for which the student enrolled and ranges from 0 to 1; 0 indicates that the student has not passed any credits and 1 that they have passed 100% of the credits for which they enrolled. The School tracks its students’ progress using this parameter. In order to ensure that resources are being used properly, the School provides academic advice via tutorials.

Students who obtain two parameters below 0.5 in two consecutive semesters will receive notification by e-mail indicating that they must get in touch with their tutor to plan the next enrolment. Students who are affected by the Academic Progress Regulations will find at the end of their academic record a note with the text: MINIMUM ACADEMIC PROGRESS REQUIREMENTS - ASSIGN TUTOR. The name of the tutor can be consulted via NetArea. The tutor will guide and control the enrolment for the next semesters and monitor the student.

EETAC students who have obtained two performance parameters below 0.5 in two consecutive teaching periods will be restricted to taking a maximum of 24 credits in their next enrolment. The alpha parameter will not be calculated for students who have only 60 or fewer credits left to finish their degree.

Students will automatically be removed from the degree for a maximum period of one year if they obtain three consecutive parameters below 0.3. Students removed from a degree under the provisions of this section can reenrol again once the exclusion period has ended.

MASTER'S DEGREES

Minimum academic progress during the first academic year

Students must obtain at least 15 ECTS credits in their first academic year. (The time is computed independently of the enrolments that have been formalised.)

Students who do not meet the minimum academic progress requirements will not be allowed to continue the degree at the UPC.

Requests for an extra semester to comply with academic progress regulations (special dispensation on academic progress)

Students who do not pass can ask the director of the School, with proper justification and prior to the deadline indicated each year in the enrolment rules, to extend the period for passing the minimum number of credits required for the first academic year.

Requests for a special dispensation on academic progress must be processed via the e-Secretaria, before the deadline for requesting a special dispensation on academic progress established in the enrolment calendars.