Institute of International Relations
University of São Paulo
When taking maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, the calculation of the student’s academic deadlines will be suspended.
Graduate students may take maternity or paternity leave for the following periods:
- 180 (one hundred and eighty) days, if the minimum credits for submitting the dissertation or thesis have already been obtained. The leave will count from the date of birth or adoption, and requests after this period will not be accepted (USP Postgraduate Regulations).
- 360 (three hundred and sixty) days, if the minimum credits for submitting the dissertation or thesis have not yet been obtained. The leave will be counted from the start date of the academic semester scheduled for the birth, according to the calendar of the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, and requests after this acquisition period will not be accepted (USP Postgraduate Regulations).
The leave is granted from the date of birth or adoption, and requests will not be accepted after this period (USP Graduate Program Bylaws).
The request must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee using the designated request form. The student must complete the form and send it by email to the Graduate Program Office, along with the child’s birth certificate or adoption document.
If a student enrolls in a course but decides not to complete it, they may cancel their enrollment through the Janus system, with the approval of their supervisor, provided the request is made within the official deadline.
Each course has a specific cancellation deadline, calculated based on the maximum number of absences allowed for passing the course (25%). This date can be checked in the Janus system under: Public Access - Offered Courses - Class. On this page, the student can find the deadline for course cancellation. Until the indicated date, the student may submit a cancellation request directly through the system. After this period, it will no longer be possible to remove the course from their schedule.
Notice on Procedures for Submission and Printed Copies of Dissertations and Theses:
The Graduate Studies Committee authorizes the submission of Dissertations or Theses and the delivery of accompanying documents via email to the Graduate Program Office at pospesq.iri@usp.br. Therefore, the requirement to submit a printed copy of the Dissertation or Thesis at the time of submission is suspended.
Master’s Dissertations:
- Guidelines for Submission
- Guidelines for Submitting the Revised Version
Doctoral Theses:
- Guidelines for Submission
- Guidelines for Submitting the Revised Version- Guidelines for Submitting the Revised Version
The Qualifying Exam is mandatory for students enrolled in the Master’s, PhD, and Direct PhD programs and aims to assess the student’s academic progress and maturity in their research field.
The exam serves as an opportunity for the student, supervisor, and faculty members of the program to discuss the direction of the dissertation or thesis. Unlike regular meetings with the supervisor, the Qualifying Exam is based on a written document that is submitted in advance by the Graduate Program Office (SPG) to the Examination Board. Therefore, the exam requires the student to critically reflect on the current stage of their research and how they plan to complete their work.
There is no minimum time requirement for registering for the Qualifying Exam, but there are maximum deadlines and minimum requirements, as described below. The Graduate Studies Committee (CPG-IRI) recommends that the exam serve as an opportunity for students to evaluate their work and progress, allowing them to eventually adjust or refine the course of their research before completing and defending their dissertation or thesis.
Page 9 of 14
Institute of International Relations - 2025
