Explanatory Guide to Curricular Units (PDEIC)


Introduction


This guide explains how curricular units (UCs) work in the PhD Programme in Computer Science and Engineering (PDEIC), both from an academic and a procedural perspective.

Its purpose is to help students and supervisors understand:

  • the different types of UCs available in PDEIC,

  • how these UCs support different PhD trajectories, and

  • how enrolment, approval, evaluation, and grading work in practice.


Roadmap

Depending on your question, you may want to consult different parts of this guide:

  • Want to understand the different types of UCs and when they make sense? Section 1.

  • Want to know how regular doctoral courses are taken and graded? Section 2

  • Want to understand the workflow for Topics or Internships? Section 3

  • Have questions about the transition between curricular plans? Section 4


Contacts

1. Types of Curricular Units in PDEIC


PDEIC offers several types of curricular units to support advanced scientific training, research development, and professional growth throughout the PhD. The curriculum provides complementary instruments that students can combine according to their background, research needs, and stage of the PhD.

This section focuses on the academic purpose of each UC type: what it is meant for, and when it typically makes sense to use it.


Specialization Courses

Specialization courses are regular PhD-level courses offered by DEI or related academic units. They have a predefined syllabus, learning objectives, assessment methods, and academic calendar.

Their role is to provide structured and in-depth training in a specific scientific area. They are particularly well-suited to the early phase of the PhD, when students are consolidating foundations, acquiring advanced technical skills, and refining their research direction.

Students typically use specialization courses to deepen expertise in their core research area or to address gaps in their prior academic background.


Optional Courses

Optional courses provide flexibility to broaden doctoral training beyond the main specialization. They are formal doctoral-level courses offered at IST or within the Universidade de Lisboa and may contribute to different curricular groups.

Their academic role is to support interdisciplinary exploration and complementary skill development, for example in adjacent scientific areas or transversal topics. They are especially useful for PhD projects that benefit from perspectives outside a single specialization.
Teaching Skills

Teaching Skills is a curricular unit dedicated to pedagogical training. It allows PhD students to gain supervised experience in teaching and academic communication, typically through involvement in undergraduate or master’s courses.

This UC is intended for students interested in developing teaching competence, whether for an academic career or for broader communication and mentoring skills.


Internships

Internship UCs allow students to engage in professional or research activities outside their usual academic environment, either in industry, public institutions, or research organizations abroad.

These include Non-Academic Internship I / II and Research Internship Abroad. Internships are meant to complement the PhD research, not replace it, by exposing students to real-world contexts, applied research, or international research environments that strengthen their doctoral training.

They are particularly appropriate when external experience directly contributes to the student’s research agenda or professional development.


Topics in Computer Science and Engineering I / II

Topics I / II are flexible curricular units designed to credit advanced activities that do not correspond to standard doctoral courses.

They serve as a container for high-level training that is clearly relevant to the PhD but lacks a predefined syllabus, such as advanced workshops, summer schools, external doctoral courses, or specialized training offered by recognized institutions.

Topics UCs provide the flexibility needed to support non-standard but academically valuable learning opportunities.


2. Curricular Units Evaluated by Course Coordinators


Most PDEIC curricular units correspond to regular doctoral courses with a predefined syllabus and evaluation scheme. These UCs follow standard academic workflows and are not evaluated by the PDEIC Coordinator.

This category includes: specialization courses, optional courses, and Teaching Skills.

For these UCs:

  • enrolment is done directly by the student in the Fénix system, following the rules and deadlines defined by the offering unit;

  • assessment is carried out by the course teaching staff according to the course’s evaluation scheme;

  • grades are recorded in Fénix by the course coordinator.

The PDEIC Coordinator does not approve activities, evaluate performance, or assign grades for these UCs. Questions regarding enrolment conditions, assessment methods, or schedules should be addressed directly to the course coordinator or teaching staff.

For UCs with two versions (I/II), version II may only be taken after successful completion of version I, allowing students to repeat the UC with distinct activities.


3. Curricular Units Under the Responsibility of the PDEIC Coordinator


Some PDEIC curricular units do not correspond to predefined courses. Instead, they are used to credit activities carried out by the student and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the PDEIC Coordinator.

This applies to:

  • Topics in Computer Science and Engineering I / II,

  • Non-Academic Internship I / II,

  • Research Internship Abroad.

For these UCs, the PDEIC Coordinator is responsible for approving activities (when prior approval is requested), evaluating the activity report, assigning a Pass / Fail grade, and recording the grade in Fénix.

All UCs under the responsibility of the PDEIC Coordinator follow the same general process:

  1. optional prior approval of the activity,

  2. execution of the activity and enrolment in Fénix,

  3. submission of an activity report,

  4. assessment and grading.

Document templates:


1. Activity Proposal (before the activity)

Before carrying out an activity, students are encouraged to request prior approval by submitting an Activity Proposal. Prior approval confirms that the planned activity is, in principle, appropriate for the selected UC and helps avoid issues at grading time.

To request approval, the student submits a completed Activity Proposal Template, endorsed by one PhD supervisor, by email to the PDEIC coordination mailing list. If approved, the proposal is endorsed and returned.

Prior approval is recommended but not mandatory. Activities without prior approval may still be reported and assessed later.

2. Activity execution and enrolment

After optional approval, the student carries out the activity. In parallel, the student must enrol in the corresponding UC in the Fénix system.

Enrolment in Fénix is the student’s responsibility and is independent of PDEIC approval. The student may choose the academic year or semester of enrolment, provided that enrolment is completed before grading.

3. Activity Report (after the activity)

Once the activity is completed and the student is enrolled in Fénix, the student must submit an Activity Report. The report is the formal basis for assessment and grading.

The report documents the work performed, outcomes achieved, relevance to the PhD, workload, and supporting evidence. If the activity was previously approved, the approved proposal must be attached.

The signed Activity Report is submitted by email to the PDEIC coordination mailing list.


4. Assessment and grading

Based on the Activity Report, the PDEIC Coordinator evaluates whether the activity satisfies the requirements of the selected UC and assigns a Pass / Fail grade, which is then recorded in Fénix.

Activities with or without prior approval may be graded. Deviations from an approved proposal are allowed, provided they are clearly explained in the report.


4. Transition Between Curricular Plans


Curricular plan transitions and equivalences between older and newer PDEIC study plans are handled centrally by the Doctoral School and Academic Services.

These transitions are:

  • applied automatically,

  • reflected directly in the Fénix system, and

  • outside the responsibility of the PDEIC Coordinator.

Students can consult their academic record in Fénix to verify how completed or enrolled UCs were mapped. Questions regarding equivalences or discrepancies should be addressed directly to the Postgraduate Academic Services (APG).

Issues related to curricular plan transitions should not be addressed to the PDEIC coordination, as this process is outside its control and supervision.


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