Extending your submission date

MPhil by Advanced Study/MEd/MRes/CPGS

Submission deadline: your submission deadline will be set by your Department and will be within one year (full-time) or two years (part-time). Check with your Department what your deadline is.

If you need an extension to this deadline and have valid reasons, contact your programme administrator in your Department in the first instance.  Short deadlines which would not impact on the dates on which the marks would be considered by the Exam Board and Degree Committee can normally be considered locally.  For longer extensions, students should initiate an application for an extension via their CamSIS self-service account (Instructions can be found on the 'Applying for a change in your student status' page).

You should apply no earlier than 2 months before your submission deadline. Applications received any earlier than this will be declined and you will be asked to reapply at the appropriate time.

All requests for an extension must include the following information:

• Why has your submission been delayed?

  See sections below for valid and invalid reasons. You should give a clear explanation of the reason(s) why you cannot submit your dissertation on time. Include a summary of any action taken to try to mitigate the circumstances that have led to your extension request.

• Why is it essential that you remain registered beyond your current submission date?

  You must provide a brief, non-technical, summary outlining what work you still need to complete and why it is critical to your dissertation. You should explain why it is essential that you remain registered as a postgraduate student at this stage. For example, do you need access to particular resources? If so, please specify which resources.

• How much additional time is required?

  You should upload a timeline for your submission that clearly explains how you have determined the amount of additional time you need. 

  Extensions are normally limited to a maximum total length of three to four months full-time (or part-time equivalent), except for applications on medical grounds or for academic reasons which are normally limited to one month (or part-time equivalent). Applications for longer extensions are likely to be rejected or may be approved for a shorter time than you requested.

  Longer extensions may be considered as an adjustment for a disability.

• For extensions on medical grounds

  You must upload sufficient medical evidence to your application that explains the severity of the illness and how it has affected your ability to submit your dissertation on time.

• This means detailed contemporary evidence from a medically qualified practitioner, for example a doctor’s report. Where appropriate, evidence from an accredited counsellor may also be considered. The University cannot cover the cost of medical documents submitted in support of an application. Your evidence:
• should provide a clear diagnosis which includes the nature and severity of the illness
• should state when and how the condition is likely to affect your ability to submit your dissertation by your deadline
• should be precise and self-explanatory. The amount of evidence required will vary from case to case. For example, hospital admission will need a shorter explanation than a less obvious or less serious condition where background information and details of the candidate’s medical history may be required
• must be in English. If the documents are not originally in English, they must be translated by a professional translating service. In some cases, it is acceptable for documents to be translated by a member of your College
• should be on headed paper which includes the full address and role title of the practitioner, and is also dated and signed by the practitioner (or another appropriate professional).

• Disability related extensions:

  When applying for an extension on disability grounds, you must provide specialist evidence. This could be your Student Support Document or a statement from the Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre.  

• Extensions due to the impact of war/conflict, pandemic or natural disaster:

  You must provide a statement of the effects the war/conflict, pandemic or natural disaster has had on your ability to complete your thesis by the submission deadline. Acceptable reasons for making such an extension are:

• lack of access to facilities/resources, including University premises, premises of external partners, fieldwork sites
• lack of or limited supervision
• caring responsibilities where intermission is not appropriate (you would need to justify why intermission was not appropriate)
• impact on mental health where intermission is not appropriate (you would need to justify why intermission was not appropriate)
• international students who may be required to return to their home country for a period because of a pandemic, war, or natural disaster in the UK

• Unavoidable delay

  Examples might be a lab move, equipment failure or political unrest in a fieldwork area. The delay must be caused by something out of your own control.

• Medical issues or grave cause

  Students who find themselves unable to study because of illness or family emergencies should normally apply for intermission when the need arises. For this reason, extensions based on these grounds are normally limited to one month (or part-time equivalent). If your application is for medical reasons, you will need to include supporting medical documents.

• Disability

  You may apply for an extension to your thesis deadline before the 2 month limit if you know in advance that you will not be able to submit your dissertation by your deadline for disability-related reasons. The Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) can help support your application.  Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre. 

• The impact of pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster

  It is recognised that pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster may have a significant impact on some students' progress. You are required to provide a clear statement of the extent and nature of the impact to explain the amount of additional time needed. Acceptable reasons for an extension on grounds of pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster:

  • Lack of access to facilities/resources, including University premises, premises of external partners, fieldwork sites
  • Lack of or limited supervision
  • Caring responsibilities where intermission is not appropriate
  • Impact on mental health where intermission is not appropriate
  • International students who may be required to return to their home country for a period as a result of a pandemic, war, or natural disaster in the UK

• Visa issues
• Medical issues or family circumstances, where a period of intermission should have been requested or a break from study is currently needed
• Attending conferences
• Writing/publishing papers
• Undertaking further research, unless your supervisor, department or Degree Committee make a very strong academic case for this
• A safety net 'just in case' additional time is needed
• Taking up employment - this includes employment if you are working while completing corrections to your thesis after your viva
• Job applications
• Not wishing to leave Cambridge
• Continued funding
• Poor planning - it should be feasible to complete within the usual time-frame for your degree. Therefore reasons such as having collected too much data or a change of direction (unless due to circumstances outside your control) will not normally be considered valid.
• Wanting to incorporate new material at a late stage unless there is a very strong case for this material being essential to your dissertation rather than merely enhancing its quality
• Needing time for proofreading, editing or support with academic writing or wanting more time in order to improve the quality of your thesis - students are expected to produce a thesis to the required standard within the normal time-frame for submission. In planning your thesis you should factor in time for proofreading/editing. 

Students on taught Masters courses should contact their Department for information about the penalties applied for late or non-submission of work. 

It is advisable for MPhil students to contact the International Student Office to check the implications of a change to your submission deadline. Some considerations include:

• Graduate visa eligibility – you may no longer be eligible if your new deadline means that degree approval would not be considered on the same timeline as the rest of your cohort.
• Student visa extension –   Masters students are not normally eligible for a student visa extension.
• ATAS requirements – If ATAS is required for your course and nationality, a change in your course dates may mean that a new ATAS certificate is necessary.

The International Student Office can be contacted by emailing international.students@admin.cam.ac.uk.