The general rules for UNIFESP graduate program in sustainability science and technology are shown below:
General provisions
Article 63. - The Graduate Program is intended for students who hold B.A. and B.S. degrees awarded by accredited or recognized higher education institutions.
§ 1 - If the Higher Education Institution (IES) has not issued the undergraduate degree to the candidate, the statement by IES indicating the candidate’s graduation date will be accepted for the initial enrollment procedure.
§ 2 – To acknowledge the Master’s or Doctorate qualifications the B.S./B.A. degree has to be submitted to the Administrative Office for Graduate Studies and Research.
Article 64. - Admissions to the Graduate Program will be held according to the schedule and standards established by the respective Graduate Committee, contained in its rules, and published on physical and/or electronic media, as well as the Program’s general standards of these regulations.
Article 65. – All decisions of the committee are final. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to submit an appeal regarding the final decision by the Graduate Commission for not accepting the student into their UNIFESP program.
The initial registration and re-enrollments
Article 66. - At enrollment the student must submit a formal acceptance letter of his/her adviser.
Single Paragraph - In programs that allow entrance to the student without an adviser’s formal acceptance, a subcommittee will be formed among the advisors of the Program, which will be responsible for the student, according to its regulations.
Article 67. - For the initial enrollment, the student must provide the required documentation and issued by the Office for Graduate Studies and Research.
§ 1 - The student whose project involves biological experimentation shall submit the project for approval, at enrollment, to the Ethics Committee on Research.
§ 2 – In the absence of the approval by the Ethics Committee on Research, the student can provide documentary proof that the project was submitted to the Ethics Committee on Research, and the deadline to submit the project approval is 6 (six) months after the initial enrollment date. Failure to comply with this deadline will result in the student’s dismissal from the Program.
Article 68. - The student must re-enroll annually, with the adviser’s consent, to obtain a Master's or Doctorate Degree
§ 1 - The re-enrollment is held annually within the time stipulated by the Office for Graduate Studies and Research.
§ 2 - If the student is unable to re-enroll at the required time, he/she has two (2) months to put the enrollment procedure on hold.
§ 3 - If the student does not put enrollment on hold, he/she will automatically have his/her enrollment suspended.
Article 69. - It is forbidden to charge fees for initial enrollment and re-enrollment.
Article 70. - It is forbidden to enroll in more than one Graduate Program at the Federal University of São Paulo.
Article 71. - The standardization of the enrollment process is determined by the Administrative Graduate Office and made available to the Programs electronically.
Terms
Article 72. - The deadline for obtaining the Master’s or Doctorate titles is specified in the PostGraduate Regulations, subject to the following restrictions:
I. The Master’s program must be completed in at least one (1) year and a maximum of 4 years.
II. The PhD must be completed in at least two (2) years and a maximum of 7 years.
Single Paragraph – If the enrollment is put on hold this period will be calculated for these deadlines.
Article 73. - The periods referred to in Article 72 begin with the initial enrollment date and expire upon the deposit of the dissertation or thesis in the Graduate Office of the Program.
Enrollment on hold
Article 74. - Under exceptional circumstances, a student enrolled in the Graduate Program will be permitted to put his/her enrollment on hold for a period of no more than twelve (12) months. Single Paragraph - The Graduate student can make use of one hundred and eighty days of maternity leave, exceeding the deadline established in this article.
Article 75. - To grant the enrollment on hold the following requirements must be followed:
I. The enrollment application shall include the reasons for the request, valid documentation, and the period required;
II. The application, signed by the student and respective adviser, will be submitted to the Graduate Commission.
III. The enrollment on hold can retroact the date manifested for of his/her grant, if solicited during the appeal period. This period cannot overlap the initial enrollment or any other activity performed.
Disenrollment
Article 76. - The student can be disenrolled from the Graduate Program in the following situations:
I. If requested by the student;
II. If the student does not fully comply with the initial enrollment;
III. If the student does not submit his re-enrollment;
IV. If the student fails twice in the same course or fails in three course
V. If the student fails a second time in the Qualifying Examination for the Master’s Program,
VI. If the student fails a second time in the defense of the Master's thesis
VII. If the student does not meet the deadlines set by the Graduate Commission for completing the dissertation or thesis or exceeds the limits established by it.
VIII. If requested by the adviser to the Graduate Commission, due to poor academic performance, based on objective criteria, after the review and approval by the Board for Graduate Studies and Research. After the process has been analyzed, the student will have 45 days from the date of the meeting to appoint another adviser and to submit another research project in accordance with the new adviser.
IX. For disciplinary or ethical reasons, including plagiarism, falsification, fabrication of false data or results, at the request of the Graduate Commission or another higher court of the University, after the review and approval by the Office for Graduate Studies and Research.
X. For failure to submit the research project and activity reports within the deadlines set by the Graduate Commission, except in justified cases, in writing with the approval of the adviser. The Graduate Commission will give its opinion, accepted or not, in an explanatory memorandum within 20 days after the meeting.
XI. If the Graduate Commission refuses the research project and/or activity report for the second time. The decision to approve or not the project will be based on at least two formal opinions by ad hoc advisors.
Re-enrollment
Article 77. – Re-enrollment is when the student is disconnected without completing his/her Master’s or Doctorate and is selected again in the same program or another, on the same level or not.
§ 1 – Disenrollment, according to this article, is when one of the cases listed in Article 76 of UNIFESP’s General Regulations takes place.
§ 2 - In case of dismissal for disciplinary or ethical reasons, according to Section IX Article 76, the student will not be allowed to re-enroll.
§ 3 - The request for re-enrollment must be accompanied by the following documents:
I. Justification of the applicant;
II. Detailed explanation of the Graduate Commission;
III. Acceptance by the Adviser;
IV. The student’s full graduate transcript.
§ 4 - The applicant whose application is approved will be regarded as a new student and must therefore comply with all the requirements for freshman students, and can gain credits obtained prior to the judgment of the Graduate Commission, at which time the student can apply for a new registration.
§ 5 - The new registration mentioned in this article will be allowed only once.
§ 6 - Failure to comply with these rules will result in the cancellation of the new registration.
Level transfer
Article 78. – To transfer a level within the same program, either from Masters’ to Doctorate or from Doctorate to Masters, the use credits already obtained can be allowed, but is subject to the Adviser’s and the Graduate Commission’s approval.
§ 1 - For the deadline the initial enrollment carried out in the Office for Graduate Studies and Research shall be considered.
§ 2 – Only one transfer level will be allowed.
§ 3 – In the transfer from Doctorate to Maters, the process will only be considered provided they comply with the deadlines set by the Master’s program.
Change of adviser
Article 79. - The student is allowed to change adviser.
§ 1 – Changing advisors within the same program must be approved by the Graduate Commission.
§ 2 - The transfer of students between different programs must be approved by the Board of Graduate Studies and Research and validated by:
I. Request by the student with justification;
II. Forwarded to the adviser and Graduate Commission.
Article 80. - In the event of changing advisers, in the same program or not, for deadline purposes, the deadline will be counted from the initial enrollment date.
Article 81. - In the event of a transfer between programs, the credits earned in the first program can be counted for the second one, according to the Graduate Commission.
Article 82. - Only one transfer between programs will be accepted.