Maximum years of study
Maximum period of study
The general rule for first-time students beginning the first year of their Bachelor's degree is the obligation to complete a total of 30 credits in their first two academic years. No validated, adapted or recognised credits from other courses will be considered in the calculation of this minimum number of credits.
Students studying full time have a maximum of three additional years to complete their studies, beyond those stated in the degree syllabus. Students studying part time have a maximum of three additional years to complete their studies beyond those stated in the degree syllabus (slow route option). If the study mode is modified while the student is studying for the degree, the student will have two years to complete each of the courses in which they enrol in a part-time study mode, provided they do not surpass the overall maximum for part-time students.
Calendar years are used when calculating the years the students have to complete their studies, so even if students fail to register in any particular year, that year is still counted.
Transitional Provision: in accordance with Article 133 of the academic regulations, the calculation of the number of years the students have to complete their studies is applicable from the 2015-2016 academic year.
Depending on the number of credits corresponding to their degree, students have the following maximum number of academic years to complete their studies:
| Number of ECTS credits for the whole degree | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| 240 | 7 | 11 |
| 300 | 8 | 13 |
| 360 | 9 | 15 |
Students who make changes to their mode of study, combining full- and part‑time study, have the following maximum number of academic years to complete their studies:
| Number of part-time registrations during the degree studies | 240 ECTS | 300 ECTS | 360 ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 3 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 4 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 5 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
| 6 or more | 11 | 13 | 15 |
Students taking 60-credit master’s degrees are allowed three years to complete their studies, or four years if they register on bridging courses. In the case of master’s degrees of 90-120 credits, full-time students have four years to complete their studies and part-time students have five.
Royal decree 1393/2007 of 29 October 2007, which established the Planning of official university studies was abrogated by Royal decree 822/2021 of 28 September 2021, which established the organisation of university teaching and the procedure for quality control.