PG-EAM - Graduate Program in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering
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2. Your Journey in the Program

This section details the milestones and processes that define a student’s academic life at PG-EAM.

From Special Student to Regular Student

Students who enter as “special” (in a preparatory program) can request to transition to “regular” status to continue their course, with more details and a form to be filled out by the advisor: http://www.ita.br/posgrad/migracaodeespecialpararegular.

Application Process:

  1. The student formalizes the request to their advisor through a detailed technical report.
  2. The advisor evaluates the report and provides an opinion, forwarding the request to the area representative.
  3. The area representative analyzes the request and, if favorable, communicates the decision to the program’s council (CPPG-EAM) and the IP’s secretariat for implementation.

Contents of the Technical Report: The report is the centerpiece of the application and must contain:

  • Courses taken and academic performance.
  • Definition of the research topic and objectives.
  • Literature review.
  • Current status of the work, with results already obtained.
  • Scientific production (articles in preparation).
  • Planning and a timeline for completion.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Master’s (MSc): The transition can be approved when the body of evidence (credits, topic definition, partial results) indicates adequate maturity and the feasibility of completion within the deadline. Fulfilling all credits is not strictly mandatory at this stage.
  • Doctorate (PhD): Simply fulfilling credits is not enough. A substantial advancement of the thesis is expected, with consolidated results and clarity of contributions. The existence of scientific production in preparation or under submission is an important differentiator.

Source: PG-EAM Internal Regulations, Section 6.

Course Enrollment Adjustments

A student can request adjustments to their course enrollment, such as adding, substituting, or canceling a course. Deadlines for these changes are defined in the academic calendar.

Course Cancellation: According to ICA 37-356 (item 3.3.3), a student may request to cancel their enrollment in a course within the deadline established in the Postgraduate calendar. A canceled course is not recorded on the academic transcript.

Canceling a course after the deadline is an exceptional measure and requires approval from the Head of the Postgraduate and Research Division.

Guidelines and Forms: The forms and guidelines for the different types of adjustments are available at the following links:

Source: ICA 37-356, Section 3.3.3.

Course Deadlines

The maximum deadlines for course completion are defined by ICA 37-356.

  • Academic Master’s: 5 academic terms (2.5 years).
  • Academic Doctorate: 9 academic terms (4.5 years).
  • Direct Doctorate: 10 academic terms (5 years).

Source: ICA 37-356, Section 6.1.

Request for Deadline Extension

Students must follow the guidelines and fill out the form available at: http://www.ita.br/posgrad/extensaodeprazo.

Requesting a deadline extension is an exceptional measure, limited to a maximum of one academic term.

  • Conditions: The request must be very well justified and proven. Decisions of a professional nature (such as a new job) are not considered valid justifications.
  • Criterion for Doctorate: The extension may be positively evaluated for PhD candidates whose only pending requirement is obtaining publication credits. For this, the student must prove they have an article submitted to a qualified journal and that it has already received a review opinion of at least major review. Merely submitted articles are not sufficient.

Source: PG-EAM Internal Regulations, Section 10.1.

Enrollment Suspension

Guidelines and forms are available at:

A student may request a temporary suspension of their enrollment.

  • Limit: The suspension can be granted for a maximum of 2 (two) consecutive terms.
  • Counting: The suspension period is not counted towards the maximum course deadlines if requested for medical reasons or an exceptional motive, at the discretion of the program’s council.

Source: ICA 37-356, Section 3.6.