can you get an extension on your dissertation

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How to Get Dissertation Deadline Extension

Published by Grace Graffin at August 12th, 2021 , Revised On August 22, 2023

Are you struggling to complete your dissertation on time? Wish you had more time to write your dissertation paper to First Class standard? Thinking of writing your dissertation in a week?

There is no need to get panic at this stage – we all need help with dissertations and assignments , especially when we have so many other social and work responsibilities to take care of.

This article lists methods of getting a dissertation extension without having to compromise your relationship with your supervisor. Here we provide valuable and practical tips on how to get the dissertation deadline extension.

All students experience the feeling of being late for an assignment at some point during their academic careers. But if the assignment in question is your dissertation, then matters go from bad to worse. If you are facing such an issue, then you will have two options to work with.

You can either work day and night with the aid of energy drinks to get your paper completed to an acceptable level or obtain a deadline extension to give yourself more time to do the research work and write your paper to the highest quality standard.

This brief piece will help you get a dissertation extension and blow away your doubts.

Methods of Getting Dissertation Deadline Extension

Meet the challenge head on – deadline extension for dissertation.

Rather than running away from your problems, it will be best if you face the challenges head-on.

As soon as you realize that you will not be able to write your dissertation paper before the due deadline and need a deadline extension, you should present the work you have completed so far to your supervisor and also provide a detailed plan for how you will be able to make up for the lost time.

This will give the impression that you are a forward-thinking person and take your academic duties seriously.

Be Appropriate

Work out a plan to figure out exactly how much more time you will need before asking your supervisor for a deadline extension.

Do not give your tutor the impression that you have been wasting your time lately by asking for too long an extension. Briefly describe the reasons as to why you were unable to meet your deadline in the first place.

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Don’t Wait Until the Eleventh Hour to Ask for Deadline Extension.

If you know that you are running late and the circumstances are outside your control, then ask your supervisor for the dissertation deadline extension at the earliest possibility. Waiting until the eleventh hour will only create more problems for you.

It should be noted that there could be plenty of genuine reasons for being granted the extension, including but not limited to your health issues, financial stress, a part-time job, and family matters . Your timely action will allow you to gain your tutor’s support.

Heavy Amount of Work

At the university level, students generally have to take different modules and courses simultaneously, increasing the possibility of a deadline clash during the term time. The worst time for this situation to occur is when you are writing your dissertation paper .

If you are overwhelmed with your academic deadlines and start feeling really anxious, it will be best to meet with your tutor to inform him of your needs. The chances are that they will extend your deadline for your dissertation so you can cope with the excessive workload.

Be Honest When Requesting for Dissertation Deadline Extension

The most effective way of getting a deadline extension for your dissertation project is, to be honest with your supervisor. Avoid making up lame excuses for being late because this can land you in even more trouble.

Tell the truth and seek guidance from your supervisor. Honesty and integrity will help you to grab your supervisor’s sympathy. Make a list of points you would like to discuss with your supervisor before going to the meeting.

Knowing how to convince your tutor will make it easier for you to talk confidently in front of them. It will help to throw a couple of jokes to relieve the tension a bit.

Remember that a laughing tutor is more likely to grant you the extension. If you are struggling to cope with an unhelpful supervisor, here are some tips to help you get through the tough times .

Also Read: How to Choose Dissertation Topic

Other Articles: Is it Possible to Write a Dissertation in 10 Days or Less?

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At ResearchProspect, we have Masters and PhD qualified writers in all academic subjects. Fill out our simple order form, make the payment, and have your dissertation or essay paper delivered to your email address before your specified deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i extend my dissertation deadline.

Yes, you can often extend your dissertation deadline. Contact your advisor or department promptly, explaining valid reasons like health issues or unforeseen circumstances. Provide a reasonable new timeline. Respect policies and prioritize open communication.

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Tips and Strategy

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The Dissertation Dilemma: Strategies for Requesting a Deadline Extension

Meeting dissertation deadlines is a critical aspect of the academic journey, and it often marks the culmination of years of research and hard work. However, unexpected challenges can arise that may hinder your progress. In such cases, understanding how to navigate the process of obtaining a dissertation extension becomes invaluable. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of dissertation deadlines, shed light on the relevance of dissertation extensions, and provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to secure one when circumstances necessitate it.

The Importance of Dissertation Deadlines

Dissertation deadlines are not arbitrary dates; they hold significant importance for several reasons:

Academic Milestone: Your dissertation represents a significant academic milestone, and adhering to deadlines ensures the timely completion of your degree.
Commitment to Excellence: Meeting deadlines demonstrates your commitment to producing high-quality research and adhering to academic standards.
Academic Integrity: Upholding deadlines upholds the principles of academic integrity and fairness to all students.
Logistical Planning: Meeting deadlines helps institutions plan resources and faculty support effectively.
Career Opportunities: Completing your dissertation on time may open doors to career opportunities, including postgraduate studies, teaching positions, and research opportunities.

The Relevance of Dissertation Extensions

Dissertation extensions, or deadline extensions, are the provisions that universities and institutions offer to students when they encounter unforeseen challenges that hinder their ability to complete their dissertations on time. Understanding the relevance of these extensions is crucial:

Unforeseen Circumstances: Life is unpredictable, and unforeseen personal, health, or family emergencies can disrupt your research timeline.
Academic Challenges: You may encounter unexpected academic obstacles, such as difficulty accessing necessary resources or changes in research direction.
Quality Assurance: Rushing through a dissertation to meet a tight deadline can compromise the quality of your research. Extensions allow you to produce the best work possible.
Mental Health and Well-being: Balancing academic responsibilities with personal well-being is essential. Extensions provide the necessary flexibility to manage stress and ensure a healthier work-life balance.
Fairness: Extensions promote fairness by acknowledging that unexpected challenges can affect any student’s progress.

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Be Prepared

When it comes to successfully managing your dissertation timeline, being prepared is paramount. By adopting effective strategies and maintaining open communication, you can mitigate potential challenges and reduce the need for a dissertation extension.

Significance of Planning Ahead

Planning ahead is the cornerstone of meeting your dissertation deadlines:

Time Allocation: Allocate sufficient time for each stage of your research, writing, and revision process.
Research Calendar: Create a research calendar outlining key milestones, including data collection, analysis, and drafting chapters.
Contingency Planning: Anticipate potential setbacks and build in extra time for unforeseen circumstances.

Tips on Effective Time Management

Effective time management is crucial for maintaining dissertation deadlines:

Prioritize Tasks: Identify the most critical tasks and tackle them first.
Break It Down: Divide your dissertation into smaller, manageable tasks and set deadlines for each.
Use Tools: Utilize time management tools and techniques, such as to-do lists, the Pomodoro technique, or project management apps.

Importance of Setting Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals is essential to avoid overcommitting and ensure timely completion:

Evaluate Your Abilities: Assess your strengths and weaknesses realistically to set achievable goals.
Adapt as Needed: Be flexible and willing to adjust your goals based on your progress and evolving research.

Maintaining Open Communication with Advisors

Maintaining open communication with your advisors is key to navigating potential challenges:

Regular Updates: Keep your advisors informed about your progress, setbacks, and any challenges you encounter.
Seek Guidance: Don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance or feedback when needed.
Advisor Support: Advisors are there to support you; they can offer valuable insights and suggestions.

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Be Reasonable

While dissertation extensions are a valuable option when unforeseen challenges arise, it’s crucial to approach them with a valid and legitimate reason. Being reasonable and understanding the criteria for requesting an extension can make a significant difference in the outcome of your request.

Need for a Valid Reason for Extension

When requesting a dissertation extension, it’s essential to have a valid reason that justifies the need for additional time:

Academic Integrity: Uphold the principles of academic integrity by ensuring that your request aligns with genuine and unforeseen challenges.
Transparency: Be honest and transparent about the reasons behind your extension request. These fosters trust in your academic institution.

Common Acceptable Reasons for Extensions

Health Issues

Health problems that significantly affect your ability to work on your dissertation can be valid reasons for an extension.
Provide medical documentation or certificates as evidence.

Family Emergencies:

Unforeseen family emergencies, such as serious illnesses or crises, may necessitate additional time.
Document the situation as thoroughly as possible.

Unforeseen Personal Circumstances:

Unexpected personal challenges, like sudden job loss or housing issues, can hinder progress.
Clearly explain how these circumstances impact your ability to complete your dissertation on time.

Why Frivolous Requests Are Likely to Be Denied

Frivolous or unwarranted extension requests are unlikely to be approved for several reasons:

Fairness: Approving unwarranted extensions can be unfair to other students who adhere to deadlines and face their own challenges.
Academic Integrity: Upholding academic integrity means ensuring that extensions are genuinely necessary and not abused.
Resource Allocation: Academic institutions allocate resources based on established timelines; unnecessary extensions can disrupt resource planning.

can you get an extension on your dissertation

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Unavoidable Circumstances

When you’re faced with unforeseen personal circumstances that hinder your dissertation progress, understanding how to document and communicate these challenges is vital for requesting a dissertation extension.

The Unforeseen Personal Circumstances

Unforeseen personal circumstances can encompass a wide range of challenges:

Job Loss: Unexpected job loss can disrupt your financial stability and focus on your dissertation.
Housing Issues: Sudden housing problems, such as eviction or unsafe living conditions, can be highly disruptive.
Family Responsibilities: New family responsibilities, like caring for an ill family member, can demand your time and attention unexpectedly.
Personal Health: If you experience a significant health issue, it can affect your ability to work on your dissertation.

How to Document and Prove These Circumstances

To strengthen your request for a dissertation extension, document and provide evidence of these unforeseen personal circumstances:

Medical Records: If your situation involves a health issue, obtain medical records or certificates from healthcare professionals.
Employment Records: For job loss or work-related issues, secure documents like termination notices or layoff notices.
Housing Documentation: If housing is a concern, gather relevant documents, such as eviction notices or safety hazard reports.
Family Emergencies: In the case of family responsibilities, provide any documentation related to the situation, such as medical records or legal documents.

Approaching Your Academic Institution

When requesting a dissertation extension, initiate contact with the appropriate individuals at your academic institution:

Who to Contact:

Check your institution’s policies for specific contact information or designated individuals for extension requests.

What Documentation May Be Required:

Be prepared to provide comprehensive documentation that substantiates your circumstances.

Tips for Maintaining Professionalism During This Process

Maintaining professionalism throughout the extension request process is crucial:

Open Communication: Keep lines of communication open with your academic advisors and institution representatives. Respond promptly to inquiries and requests for information.
Respect Deadlines: While seeking an extension, continue to adhere to existing deadlines and responsibilities as closely as possible.
Express Gratitude: Show appreciation for the support and understanding of your advisors and institution staff.

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Heavy Workload

Managing a heavy workload while pursuing a dissertation can be demanding. It’s essential to understand the challenges associated with this situation, explore effective stress management strategies, and, when necessary, communicate the need for a dissertation extension.

Challenges of Managing a Heavy Workload

A heavy workload can pose various challenges during your dissertation journey.

Time Constraints: Balancing coursework, research, and other responsibilities can leave little time for in-depth dissertation work.
Stress and Burnout: The pressure to excel in all areas can lead to stress, anxiety, and even burnout.
Quality vs. Quantity: Juggling multiple tasks may compromise the quality of your research and writing.

Strategies for Managing Stress and Workload Effectively

Prioritizing Tasks:

Identify your most critical dissertation tasks and allocate dedicated time for them.
Use tools like to-do lists or project management apps to stay organized.

Seeking Help from Mentors or Peers:

Don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your academic advisor or mentors when facing a heavy workload.
Collaborate with peers for support and shared insights.

Avoiding Procrastination

Combat procrastination by setting small, achievable goals and deadlines.
Break your workload into manageable chunks to make progress steadily.

How to Communicate the Need for an Extension Due to Workload

If your heavy workload is impeding your dissertation progress , follow these steps to communicate the need for an extension:

Initiate the Conversation: Reach out to your academic advisor or dissertation committee chair to discuss your situation.
Provide Context: Explain the specifics of your workload and how it is impacting your dissertation timeline.
Request Extension: Politely request a dissertation extension, specifying the additional time you require.
Offer Solutions: If possible, propose a plan for how you will utilize the extension to catch up on your dissertation work.

How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Additional Strategies

In addition to effective workload management, there are several other strategies you can employ to enhance productivity, including considering short-term extensions and understanding the potential consequences of such requests.

Introduce Other Methods to Increase Productivity

Time Management Tools and Techniques:

Experiment with productivity apps and time-tracking tools to identify and eliminate time-wasting habits.

Seeking Additional Resources:

Consider participating in writing groups or workshops that offer guidance and support.

The Option of Requesting a Short-Term Extension

If your workload challenges are temporary, consider requesting a short-term extension:

Temporary Relief: A short-term extension can provide brief relief during particularly busy periods.
Planning Ahead: Use this time to plan your work more efficiently, ensuring you maximize productivity once the extension concludes.

The Potential Consequences of Requesting an Extension

Before finalizing your decision to request an extension, it’s essential to understand the potential consequences:

Impact on Graduation Timeline:

An extension may delay your graduation timeline, affecting post-graduation plans or career opportunities.
Weigh the benefits of additional time for quality research against the potential delay in your academic journey.

Academic Repercussions

Some institutions may have policies regarding the number and duration of extensions.
Ensure you are aware of any academic repercussions, such as changes in funding or academic standing.

Frequently Asked Questions about “How to Get a Dissertation Extension”

As you navigate the process of requesting a dissertation extension, you may have questions about the steps involved and what to expect. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to guide you:

What is a dissertation extension, and why might I need one?

A dissertation extension is an additional time granted by your academic institution to complete your dissertation. You may need one due to unforeseen challenges, heavy workloads, or other valid reasons that hinder your progress.

How can I prepare to request a dissertation extension proactively?

Proactive preparation involves managing your workload efficiently, seeking support from mentors and peers, and maintaining open communication with your advisors. Being prepared can minimize the need for extensions.

What constitutes a valid reason for a dissertation extension?

Valid reasons include unforeseen personal circumstances (e.g., health issues, family emergencies), heavy workloads due to temporary commitments, or challenges that significantly impede your research progress.

How should I document and prove unforeseen personal circumstances?

Document such circumstances with relevant evidence, such as medical records, employment termination notices, or housing-related documents. These documents provide credibility to your extension request.

Who should I contact at my academic institution to request an extension?

Reach out to your academic advisor, dissertation committee chair, or department chair to initiate the conversation about your extension request. Check your institution’s policies for specific contacts.

What are the potential consequences of requesting a dissertation extension?

Extensions may impact your graduation timeline, potentially delaying post-graduation plans. Familiarize yourself with your institution’s policies, including any academic repercussions or changes in funding.

Are short-term extensions an option, and how can they be beneficial?

Short-term extensions can offer temporary relief during busy periods. They allow you to plan to work more efficiently and make the most of the additional time granted.

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Dissertation Extension Requests

It is expected that the vast majority of undergraduate and postgraduate students will be able to submit their dissertations on time, and will not require an extension.

How do I apply for a dissertation extension?

In the first instance, you should discuss your dissertation extension request with your dissertation supervisor.

A standard dissertation extension request should be applied for via Canvas, within the Faculty. A dissertation extension request of more than 14 days, or 21 days for students with an ARUAA, but no more than 3 months, should be applied for via Extenuating Circumstances, within the Faculty. See information about the Extenuating Circumstances policy and procedure, and the downloadable application form .

Only in exceptional circumstances will dissertation extension requests of more than 3 months be considered, as students are normally expected to be able to complete 60 credits of study within 3 months. A dissertation extension request of more than 3 months must be approved by the Academic Panel.

To apply for a dissertation extension of more than 3 months, your dissertation supervisor should email your completed Extenuating Circumstances form, independent supporting documentation, and their own supervisor statement, confirming that the request is reasonable in light of the circumstances being cited, to [email protected] , for the attention of the Academic Panel.

I am a part-time student, how does this impact my dissertation extension request?

Your mode of attendance does not impact your dissertation extension request. You will not be granted a longer dissertation extension as a result of your part-time status.

What information should my request include?

In your dissertation extension request you must:

Make your case, and provide independent supporting documentation of the circumstances that have caused you to request a dissertation extension, i.e. medical documentation or other relevant independent supporting documentation.
Confirm your original submission deadline.
Confirm the new submission deadline agreed with your dissertation supervisor should the extension request be granted. On agreeing a new submission deadline your supervisor needs to take into account the work done to date and the impact of the circumstances going forward, to ensure the date is reasonably achievable but does not give you an advantage over students who do submit on time

When will I know if my dissertation extension request has been granted?

If you are requesting a standard dissertation extension, or a dissertation extension of up to three months, your Faculty will notify you of the outcome once a decision has been made.

If you are requesting a dissertation extension of more than three months, requiring approval from the Academic Panel, you will be notified of the outcome in the days following the next Academic Panel meeting. The Academic Panel typically meets once a month.

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Extension to dissertation submission deadline - for postgraduate taught students

If you are unable to complete your dissertation by your current submission deadline, you can apply for an extension.

How do I apply?

Please complete Sections One, Two and Three of the below form, providing as much detail as possible, and submit to your School/Department office.

Following a consideration of the information (and documentary evidence provided - for more guidance on this, see below) a School/Department representative will either decide to approve or reject your application. In some circumstances, you may be asked to provice further information/documentary evidence before a final decision.

What are acceptable reasons for requesting an extension?

You should give as much detail as possible about your reasons for requesting an extension to your dissertation submission deadline.

Each School/Department have clear procedures for granting extensions, including guidance on circumstances that will and will not be considered acceptable. However examples of generally acceptable/unacceptable reasons are as follows:

Acceptable reasons

Major computer problems (eg failure of University networks)
Significant medical problems
Personal problems
Compassionate (eg family bereavement)

Unacceptable reasons

Minor computer problems (eg lost or damaged disks, printer breakdown)
Lost assignments
Desired books not in library
Unverifiable travel difficulties
Not realising deadline imminent

What supporting evidence do I need to provide?

You must include appropriate documentary evidence to support your reasons for requesting an extension. Some examples of appropriate supporting evidence are:

Medical certificate – if you were ill or had to take care of someone who was ill
Death certificate – if you have suffered a bereavement
Supporting letter from your employer – if you had work-related difficulties
Bank statements, payslips – if you had financial difficulties
Supporting letter from your School

What do I need to do if my dissertation extension deadline would take me over the maximum period of registration?

What if my application is rejected.

If your request for an extension is not approved, your original submission date will apply.

If you have not made sufficient progress with your dissertation to submit by this deadline, your School will need to make a recommendation for you at the next Board of Examiners meeting. If it is your first attempt at the dissertation, you will have the right to re-submit to a deadline agreed by the School, and your dissertation mark will then be capped at 50% for the purposes of classifying your final degree classification. If it is your second attempt at the dissertation, the Board of Examiners will make a recommendation based on the marks for modules that you have already completed. This will normally mean the award of an alternative qualification.

Extension to dissertation submission deadline application (DOCX-52kB)

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Please note that applications submitted after your submission deadline will be declined.

Doctoral, MSc and MLitt students please note that applications received any earlier than 3-6 months before the thesis submission deadline will be declined and you will be asked to reapply at the appropriate time.

Applications should only be submitted if you know that you need additional time and not 'just in case' you do.

Extension requests for coursework other than the thesis or dissertation (for example, essays, portfolio coursework, the First Year Assessment) should not be submitted via CamSIS - please contact your Department for advice on how to apply.

For taught courses, 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 - see below under 'Your submission date and how to apply'.

Note that a longer extension may result in you completing and graduating later than the rest of your cohort, so you should seek clarification on the impact of this from your Department, Faculty or Degree Committee, particularly if the timing of your degree completion will have an impact on your future plans, such as further study, employment or visa applications.

For all applications made via CamSIS self-service, each case is considered in line with the policy of the Postgraduate Committee, which is set out in the guidance on this page.

Instructions on how to submit an application can be found on the 'Applying for a change in your student status' page. Please check the guidance below before applying.

If you have any questions about applying for an extension, please submit a query here: University of Cambridge Student Registry Office (zendesk.com)

All requests for an extension must include the following information:

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
Employment
Job applications
Not wishing to leave Cambridge
Continued funding
Poor planning - it should be feasible to complete your research project within the maximum time-frame for your degree (for example, 4 years for a full-time PhD). 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 thesis 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.

Research students who do not submit their thesis by their submission date and do not have an extension approved, will be withdrawn from study. They may be able to apply for reinstatement when their thesis is ready for submission for examination but not to continue studying. Temporary withdrawal may not always be possible. You can find more information about the effects of withdrawal from study on the Withdrawal from Study page.

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

PhD students are advised to read the information outlined on the International Student Office webpage: https://www.internationalstudents.cam.ac.uk/immigration/student-visa/extending-your-visa-current-phd-student

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 [email protected] .

Your submission date (thesis/dissertation)

If applying for an extension to the deadline for submitting corrections to your doctoral thesis you need to apply in the same way.

If your course does not include a dissertation and you have an extension for other work approved by your Department which means your marks cannot be considered by the Exam Board and Degree Committee with those of your cohort, please forward the approval for your extension to [email protected] so that we can update your record to show why this is still active beyond your original completion date.

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GETTING STARTED
Introduction
FUNDAMENTALS

In many respects, extension is more than just replication because the changes you make to the original study's research design , constructs/variables and data analysis approach adds a great deal more originality and independent thought to the traditional replication routes (i.e., compared with Route A: Duplication and Route B: Generalisation ). This is why you often see journal articles that involve extension in addition to replication including both words in their titles (see below for examples):

Example titles How salespeople build quality relationships: A replication and extension (Boles et al., 2000) Behind make or buy decisions in export strategy: A replication and extension of Trabold (Peng et al., 2006) The effects of age at drinking onset and stressful life events on alcohol use in adulthood: A replication and extension using a population-based twin sample (Lee et al., 2011) Sociocultural adjustment among sojourning Malaysian students in Britain: A replication and path analytic extension (Swami et al., 2010)

Before we discuss the different types of extension that you can follow in your replication-based dissertation, it is important that you have a very basic understanding of constructs and variables. This is because (a) quantitative research involves the study of constructs and the measurement of variables, (b) the original study you choose to replicate will involve such constructs and variables, and (c) the different types of extension involve the addition, modification, or omission of constructs and variables compared with the original study.

Constructs and variables

Constructs are mental abstractions that we use to express the ideas , people , organisations , events and/or objects/things that we are interested in. The table below provides some examples of these different types of constructs:

We often refer to constructs as mental abstractions because seldom are constructs directly observable (e.g., we cannot directly observe depression , even though we may associate depression with signs such as a person that often cries, engages in self-harm, has mood swings, etc.). Instead, we use variables to operationalize (i.e., measure ) the constructs we are interested in. Sometimes a construct is measured using a single variable, such that the construct name and the variable name are the same (e.g., the construct and variable, sex ). In other cases, more complex constructs (e.g., normative commitment) are measured using multiple variables (e.g., you will see questionnaires used to measure normative commitment requiring respondents to answer multiple questions, each measuring a different aspect of normative commitment).

In the next section, you see how this basic knowledge of constructs and variables is important when it comes to making choices over the type of extension to make; that is, how you will choose to extend the original study are interested in.

Types of extension

There are many ways to extend an existing study, including adding constructs and variables, looking at new measures and methods, making changes to the research design, and even using new analysis techniques. We briefly discuss two types of extension in the sections that following: population and context-driven extensions and method and measurement-driven extensions .

Population and context-driven extension: The role of constructs and variables

There are a number of reasons why you may choose to add, modify or omit certain constructs and/or variables from the original study. To highlight some of these reasons, let's look at Study #2 below:

Study #2 How salespeople build quality relationships by Boles, Johnson, & Barksdale (2000) Boles et al. (2000) replicated a study by Crosby et al. (1990) that examined the factors that affected relationship quality between a business customer and a salesperson, as well as the impact of such relationship quality (i.e., the antecedents and consequences of the buyer-seller relationship quality). However, Crosby et al.'s (1990) original study focused on retailer customers, not business customers. Therefore, whilst replicating much of their study, Boles et al. (2000) added another construct, equity, which they felt would affect relationship quality in a business context, as opposed to a retail/consumer context. In the event, Boles et al. (2000) used three variables, previously developed by Oliver and Swan (1989) in another study to measure equity.

This highlights that if you are choosing to extend the original study by applying it to a new population or context/setting, you may need to add new constructs/variables. Sometimes you can draw on previous studies to do this. Other times you will have to create them from scratch ( NOTE: We show you how to do this later). Sometimes, it will not be a desire to apply the original study to a new population or context/setting, but the publication of new research that suggests that other constructs/variables play a role in explaining the phenomenon you are interested in. However, if no research has examined the role that these constructs/variables play within the context of the original study, you have a chance to extend the theoretical model that is being investigated by adding new constructs/variables.

Study #2 (continued) Bowles et al. (2000) also found that they needed to modify some of the existing variables that were used by Crosby et al. (1990) to measure the constructs that were being studied. In other words, the constructs were the same, but the variables used to measure these constructs had to be changed in order to they were applicable to the new audience (i.e., in practical terms, the questions in the survey had to be re-worded so that they were appropriate in a business context). Furthermore, the change in context meant that some variables were no longer relevant, so these were simply omitted from the survey (i.e., these questions were deleted from the survey).

In the case of Study #2 , variables were modified or omitted compared to the original study because they were no longer relevant in the next population/context to which the authors wanted to make generalisations. However, such modifications may also have to be made because constructs, and the variables that are used to measure them, are constantly changing. This is because new research regularly emerges that suggests, for example, that a single construct (e.g., organisational commitment) is now thought to be made up of three broader constructs (e.g., normative commitment, continuance commitment and affective commitment); or new research provides a better (i.e., more reliable) way to measure a given construct (i.e., more reliable variables to measure a given construct emerge from other research). As a result, whilst maintaining many aspects of the original study, you may need to change some of the constructs/variables that were originally used, even if these original constructs were thought to be reliable at the time.

The decision to add new constructs and variables to the original study, but also modify and delete them, can lead your replication-based dissertation to make a really interested contribution to the literature. In this sense, Route C: Extension , can be considered a more original contribution.

About Thesis and Dissertation Extension

Well, let us guess what brought you here. Actually, we have two possible answers:

You have technical problems with your thesis/dissertation, and this means you are not able to submit it by the deadline;
You lack sources to complete your thesis/dissertation on time.

Of course, there might be many other reasons why you fail to meet the deadline. The most important thing is that you desperately need to know whether you can get thesis or dissertation extension now.

Thesis extension is very difficult to get. However, sometimes situations are really serious, which means you have a chance to get dissertation or thesis extension .

The first step you need to take in order to get dissertation/thesis extension is to tell your thesis or dissertation advisor about the problem. Your advisor should send a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies. This letter should include the following information:

Current status of your dissertation/thesis In this part of the letter, your advisor should briefly tell what is completed and what is still to be done. Here, approximate time needed to finish the project should be specified.
Reasons why you cannot meet the deadline In this part of the letter, clear explanations why you fail to meet the deadline should be presented.
Letter informing on the expected date of submission This letter will be handed to the Dean of Graduate Studies. He/she will have to make the final decision whether to grant you thesis/dissertation extension or not. The Dean of Graduate Studies will also have to decide for how long to grant you dissertation/thesis extension.

The information presented above will help you get thesis/dissertation extension. Good luck!

After you get dissertation extension, you will probably have to think of preparing for your dissertation defense. Use our tips for preparing the dissertation defense.

Homework assignments: how to boost up your productivity at home.

Submission date and extension of time

This page outlines the final date by which your thesis should be submitted, the expected completion date and extensions of time.

Full-time students

Maximum submission date.

This is the final date by when your thesis should be submitted to the Examination Schools. Check whether you are required to submit sooner by any funding body supporting your studies.

The maximum submission date is usually 12 terms for DPhil students and nine terms for MLitt or MSc (by Research) students from the start date of your studies and is amended accordingly based on any suspension of status or extension of time. The Graduate Studies Assistant in your department / faculty will be able to tell you your maximum submission date.

Expected completion date

The expected completion date is the maximum submission date plus six months. This is to allow adequate time for your viva examination, and if requested by the examiners, to undertake any minor corrections required and to submit your revised thesis.

The extra six months is not additional time for you to complete your research as your maximum submission date remains the same.

Extension of time: DPhil students

You are expected to submit your thesis within 12 terms of starting your course. You will lose your DPhil status if you have failed to complete your thesis within 12 terms of being admitted as a research student, and will no longer be registered as a student of the University.

Extension of time: MLitt and MSc by Research students

You are expected to submit your thesis within nine terms of starting your course. You will lose your status as a MLitt or MSc by Research student if you have failed to complete your thesis within nine terms of being admitted as a research student, and will no longer be registered as a student of the University.

Applying for an extension: all students

In exceptional circumstances extensions of time can be given for up to six terms for DPhil students, and up to three terms for MLitt and MSc by Research students. Your department/faculty/division will normally only approve one term of extension at a time.

If you are funded by a research council or charity you may need to make a separate application to the funding body in parallel to that being made within the University. Your funding body’s regulations for extension of time will not necessarily be the same as those of the University. Ask your department for advice on extensions in the first instance.

If your application for an extension of time is declined by your department or faculty and you are dissatisfied with this decision, you can follow the University Student Complaints Procedure .

Part-time students

The maximum submission date is usually 24 terms (eight years) from the start date of your studies and is increased accordingly based on any suspension of status or extension. The Graduate Studies Assistant in your department / faculty will be able to tell you your maximum submission date.

You are expected to submit your thesis within seven or at most eight years of starting your doctoral course. You will lose your DPhil status if you have failed to complete your thesis within 24 terms of being admitted as a research student, and will no longer be registered as a student of the University.

In exceptional circumstances extensions of time can be given for up to three terms. Your department/faculty/division will normally only approve one term of extension at a time.

If your application for an extension of time is declined by your department or faculty and you are dissatisfied with this decision, you can follow the University Student Complaints Procedure .

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Dissertation Writing and Filing

The following guidelines are only for doctoral students. If you are pursuing a master’s degree, please see the Thesis Filing Guide .

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Research Protocols

Eligibility, fall and spring semesters, summer filing, formatting your manuscript, special page formats, organizing your manuscript, procedure for filing your dissertation, permission to include your own previously published or co-authored material, inclusion of your own publishable papers or article-length essays, copyright & your dissertation, copyright ownership and registration issues, inclusion of third-party content in your dissertation; copyright & fair use issues, publishing your dissertation; embargoes, publication requirement, embargo extensions, changes to a dissertation after filing, diploma, transcript, and certificate of completion, certificate of completion, appendix a: common mistakes, appendix b: mixed media guidelines, definitions and standards, electronic formats and risk categories, appendix c: frequently asked questions.

Filing your doctoral dissertation at the Graduate Division is one of the final steps leading to the award of your graduate degree. Your manuscript is a scholarly presentation of the results of the research you conducted. UC Berkeley upholds the tradition that you have an obligation to make your research available to other scholars. This is done when you submit your dissertation for publishing through the ProQuest online administration system and the Graduate Division forwards your manuscript to the University Library. Your dissertation is subsequently published online in the UC system’s scholarship repository ( eScholarship ) and made available within ProQuest/UMI after your doctoral degree is officially conferred by the Academic Senate.

Your faculty committee supervises the intellectual content of your manuscript and your committee chair will guide you on the arrangement within the text and reference sections of your manuscript. Consult with your committee chair early in the preparation of your manuscript.

The specifications in the following pages were developed in consultation with University Library. These standards assure uniformity in the degree candidates’ manuscripts to be archived in the University Library, and ensure as well the widest possible dissemination of student-authored knowledge.

If your research activities involve human or animal subjects, you must follow the guidelines and obtain an approved protocol before you begin your research. Visit our web page for more information or contact the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects ( http://cphs.berkeley.edu/ or 642-7461) or the Animal Care and Use Committee ( http://www.acuc.berkeley.edu/ or 642-8855).

In addition to the considerations explained below, your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) must match the term for which you intend to file. EGT can be updated at any time using an eForm available in CalCentral.

To be eligible to file for your degree, you must be registered or on approved Filing Fee status for the semester in which you file. We encourage you to file your dissertation as early in the semester as you can and to come in person to our office to submit your supporting documents. If you cannot come to our office, it is helpful if you have a friend bring your documents. The deadline to file your dissertation in its final form is the last day of the semester for your degree to be awarded as of that semester.

Filing during the summer has a slightly different set of eligibility requirements. If you were fully registered during the immediately preceding Spring semester, and have not used Filing Fee already, you may file your dissertation during the summer with no additional cost or application required. Summer is defined as the period from the day after the Spring semester ends (mid-May) until the last day of the Summer Sessions (mid-August).

International students completing a degree in the Summer should consult Berkeley International Office before finalizing plans, as in some cases lack of Summer enrollment could impact visa status or post-completion employment.

If you have already used Filing Fee previously, or were not registered the preceding Spring semester, you will need to register in at least 1.0 unit in Summer Sessions in order to file.

Dissertations filed during the summer will result in a summer degree conferral.

You must be advanced to candidacy, and in good standing (not lapsed), in order to file.

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically in a traditional PDF format.

Page Size : The standard for a document’s page size is 8.5 x 11 inches. If compelling reasons exist to use a larger page size, you must contact the Graduate Division for prior approval.
Basic manuscript text must be a non-italic type font and at a size of 12-point or larger. Whatever typeface and size you choose for the basic text, use it consistently throughout your entire manuscript. For footnotes, figures, captions, tables, charts, and graphs, a font size of 8-point or larger is to be used.
You may include color in your dissertation, but your basic manuscript text must be black.
For quotations, words in a foreign language, occasional emphasis, book titles, captions, and footnotes, you may use italics. A font different from that used for your basic manuscript may be used for appendices, charts, drawings, graphs, and tables.
Pagination: Your manuscript is composed of preliminary pages and the main body of text and references. Page numbers must be positioned either in the upper right corner, lower right corner, or the bottom center and must be at least ¾ of an inch from the edges. The placement of the page numbers in your document must be consistent throughout.

Be Careful! If you have any pages that are rotated to a landscape orientation, the page numbers still need to be in a consistent position throughout the document (as if it were printed and bound single-sided).

Do not count or number the title page or the copyright page. All other pages must have numbers. DO NOT SKIP PAGE ” 1 “. The remaining preliminary pages may include a table of contents, a dedication, a list of figures, tables, symbols, illustrations, or photographs, a preface, your introduction, acknowledgments, and curriculum vitae. You must number these preliminary pages using lower case Roman numerals beginning with the number “i” and continue in sequence to the end of the preliminary pages (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). Your abstract must have Arabic numeral page numbers. Start numbering your abstract with the number “1” and continue in sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.) The main body of your text and your references also use Arabic numerals. Start the numbering of the main body with the number “1” and continue in sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.), numbering consecutively throughout the rest of the text, including illustrative materials, bibliography, and appendices.

Yes! The first page of your abstract and the first page of your main text both start with ‘1’

Margins: For the manuscript material, including headers, footers, tables, illustrations, and photographs, all margins must be at least 1 inch from the edges of the paper. Page numbers must be ¾ of an inch from the edge.
Spacing: Your manuscript must be single-spaced throughout, including the abstract, dedication, acknowledgments, and introduction.
Tables, charts, and graphs may be presented horizontally or vertically and must fit within the required margins. Labels or symbols are preferred rather than colors for identifying lines on a graph.

You may choose to reduce the size of a page to fit within the required margins, but be sure that the resulting page is clear and legible.

Guidelines for Mixed Media: please see Appendix B for details.

Certain pages need to be formatted in a very specific way. Links are included here for examples of these pages.

Do not deviate from the wording and spacing in the examples, except for details applicable to you (e.g. name, major, committee, etc.)

As noted in the above section on pagination, the abstract must be numbered separately with Arabic numerals starting with ‘1’
If you have a Designated Emphasis, it must be listed on your abstract.
IMPORTANT: A physical signature page should no longer be included with your dissertation. Approvals by your committee members will be provided electronically using an eForm.
The title page does not contain page numbers.
Do not bold any text on your title page.
The term and year listed on the title page must be the term of your degree. If you filed during the summer, write Summer .
The yellow bubbles in the sample are included for explanatory purposes only. Do not include them in your submission.
If you have a Designated Emphasis, it must be listed on your title page ( DE Title Page Sample )
If you are receiving a joint degree, it must be listed on your title page ( Joint Title Page Sample )

The proper organization and page order for your manuscript is as follows:

Copyright page or a blank page
Dedication page
Table of contents
List of figures, list of tables, list of symbols
Preface or introduction
Acknowledgments
Curriculum Vitae
Bibliography

Please do not include an approval/signature page.

After you have written your dissertation, formatted it correctly, assembled the pages into the correct organization, and obtained verbal approval from your committee, you are ready to file it with UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division.

Step 0: Confirm your eligibility to file. Your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) must be current term (i.e. the term in which you expect to file your dissertation). If you need to update your EGT you can use the eForm available in CalCentral. Once your EGT is correct, you will see a number of checklist items (“Tasks”) created for you in CalCentral. You use these checklist items to proceed with filing.
Step 1: Convert your dissertation into a standard PDF file.
Step 2: Upload your PDF to ProQuest/UMI ( http://www.etdadmin.com ) Follow the instructions on the site. NOTE: DO NOT UPLOAD A DRAFT. Once your dissertation has been submitted, you will not be allowed to make changes. Be sure that it is in its final form!
Step 3: When you have successfully submitted the document, a message will be sent to the Graduate Degrees Office to review it on-line. After Degrees staff has reviewed it you will either receive a message that the manuscript has been accepted or that you need to make further changes. If you need to make more changes, you will need to edit your manuscript, create a new PDF, and resubmit it to ProQuest. Degrees staff will then need to review it again. An email approval will be sent to you once the manuscript is accepted.
Step 4: There are two surveys to be completed:the Survey of Earned Doctorates and the Graduate Division’s Survey of Doctoral Student Opinion. You will find these surveys as “Tasks”in your CalCentral dashboard (as long as you have a current-term EGT). Follow the instructions to complete the surveys and enter the verification codes. You should see the checklist items complete automatically.
Review the your committee and email addresses listed — the form will route to each of your committee members for approval.
If you chose to embargo your dissertation, you will not receive any copies you order from ProQuest until the embargo is lifted.
Once the form has been filed, you may not make any changes to your embargo selections
Attach a copy of the approval letter for your study protocol from the Committee for Protection of Human Subjects, or the Animal Care and Use Committee if your research involved human or animal subjects.

A Note on Deadlines

You must upload your electronic dissertation AND submit your final signature eform before 5 p.m. on the last day of the term. Both of these steps must be done before the deadline, regardless of whether your submission has been reviewed and approved. We can not provide a receipt of filing until your dissertation has been reviewed and accepted (which can take up to 4 business days), but you will get credit for the date of first submission.

If you plan use of your own previously published and/or co-authored material in your manuscript, your committee chair must attest that the resulting dissertation represents an original contribution of ideas to the field, even if previously published co – authored articles are included, and that major contributors of those articles have been informed.

Previously published material must be incorporated into a larger argument that binds together the whole dissertation. The common thread linking various parts of the research, represented by individual papers incorporated in the dissertation, must be made explicit, and you must join the papers into a coherent unit. You are required to prepare introductory, transitional, and concluding sections. Previously published material must be acknowledged appropriately, as established for your discipline or as requested in the original publication agreement (e.g. through a note in acknowledgments, a footnote, or the like).

If co-authored material is to be incorporated (whether published or unpublished), all major contributors should be informed of the inclusion in addition to being appropriately credited in the dissertation according to the norms of the field.

If you are incorporating co-authored material in your dissertation, it is your responsibility to inform major contributors. This documentation need not be submitted to the Graduate Division. The eform used by your committee chair to sign off on your dissertation will automatically include text indicating that by signing off they attest to the appropriateness and approval for inclusion of previously published and/or co-authored materials. No addition information or text needs to be added.

Publishable papers and article-length essays arising from your research project are acceptable only if you incorporate that text into a larger argument that binds together the whole dissertation or thesis. Include introductory, transitional, and concluding sections with the papers or essays.

You own copyright in your dissertation. Copyright is automatically created once your work is fixed in a tangible medium (such as saved on your computer hard drive or in cloud storage). Thus, you do not need to register copyright in your dissertation in order to be the copyright holder.

However, registering copyright in your dissertation has certain advantages: First, if your work is registered, you have evidence that you are indeed the author and owner. Second, registration allows greater enforcement of your copyright against an infringer or plagiarist, making available statutory damages set out in Title 17, Section 504 of the U.S. Code, which range from $750 – $150,000 plus attorney fees per copyright infraction. Accordingly, UC Berkeley recommends that you register copyright for your dissertation. You can register copyright through the Copyright Office’s website, www.copyright.gov , for a fee of $35, or through the ProQuest ETDAdmin system when you submit your PDF; doing so through ProQuest costs $55.

You continue to own copyright in your dissertation unless and until you transfer your copyright to another party. By complying with the UC Berkeley Graduate Division’s publishing policies, you are permitting the university to make available a copy of your dissertation online in eScholarship, but you are not transferring your copyright. You grant a similar permission to ProQuest/UMI, the exact terms of which are governed by the agreement with ProQuest you sign in the online submission process. You may request delays (i.e. embargoes) in the release of your dissertation both on eScholarship and in ProQuest. Please see “Publishing Your Dissertation; Embargoes”.

If you are including content in your dissertation not authored or created by you, be sure to consider copyright issues. The University Library can help guide you as you consider these questions. For more detail, please consult the Library’s helpful online guide, entitled Copyright and Publishing Your Dissertation .

To briefly summarize:

If the content is in the public domain, then you need not get any permission to use the material. For questions about the public domain, see http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/public-domain.html.
If the content you wish to use is subject to a Creative Commons license of some form, you need simply abide by the term of that license. For instance, a CC-BY license means you can use the work without seeking the author’s permission, but must attribute the work to the author. For more on Creative Commons licenses, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/.
If the content you wish to use is protected by copyright and no Creative Commons license governs its use, then you must consider whether your use constitutes Fair Use under 17 USC § 107. If your use of the content is a fair use within copyright law, then you need not seek the author’s permission before using it. See http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/fair-use.html.
If your use of the content would exceed fair use under the Copyright Act, then you will need to seek the copyright holder’s permission in order to use the material. Be sure to request the copyright owner’s permission in writing so that you can keep track of permissions granted. Your letter to the copyright holder should make clear that you seek permission to preserve and publish the content in your dissertation through UC Berkeley’s institutional repository, eScholarship, and ProQuest/UMI. For help seeking permission, see http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/obtaining-permission.html.

If you have additional questions about copyright and third party content in your dissertation, please contact the University Library .

UC Berkeley’s Graduate Council regulations stipulate that you have an obligation to make your research available to other scholars as part of the degree requirement. This obligation is consistent with the long-standing principle that doctoral students share their significant scholarly contributions to advance knowledge. This requirement is fulfilled when you submit your dissertation for publishing through the ProQuest online administration system and the Graduate Division forwards your manuscript to the University Library. Your dissertation is subsequently published online in the UC system’s scholarship repository ( eScholarship ) and made available within ProQuest/UMI after your doctoral degree is officially conferred by the Academic Senate.

Making your work available to be read online immediately in eScholarship or ProQuest has many advantages. First, it clearly establishes when your work was created and published, which are powerful resources in preventing or combatting plagiarism. Others will be able to discover your prior publication. Second, it can help support your scholarly profile because people can read and begin citing your work. Citation of your dissertation by others can be offered as evidence of research significance in employment reviews. Further, research available through searches on the Internet can promote contacts that are international in scope and interdisciplinary in reach.

Occasionally, there are circumstances in which you prefer that your dissertation not be published immediately. Such circumstances may include the disclosure of patentable rights in the work before a patent can be granted, similar disclosures detrimental to the rights of the author, or disclosures of facts about persons, institutions, or locations before professional ethics would permit.

The Dean of the Graduate Division may permit the dissertation to be withheld from full-text publication in eScholarship for a specified and limited period of time. An embargo of up to 2 years can be selected on the Final Signature eForm. Once you make a selection regarding an embargo, it may not be changed. Discuss the pros and cons of withholding your dissertation with your faculty committee and departmental advisors. For more information, see the memo Advising doctoral candidates on dissertation embargoes and eScholarship repository (PDF).

Embargoes beyond the initial 2-year option must be requested pursuant to a petition process using the E mbargo Extension Petition Form . Extensions are granted at the discretion of the Graduate Division, and are based on substantiated circumstances of the kind indicated above and with the endorsement of and an explanatory letter from the chair of the dissertation committee (or, if the dissertation chair is unavailable, the current department chair). Be sure to submit the petition form with sufficient time (at least three months) prior to the expiration of your original embargo to ensure adequate processing time prior to your dissertation’s scheduled release. If a renewal request is submitted less than three months from when the original embargo is set to expire, the Graduate Division cannot guarantee that the request will be processed and granted in time to preclude your dissertation from being made publicly available. Please note that it is your responsibility to request an extension beyond the two-year maximum from both the University and separately through ProQuest/UMI if you would like to extend your embargo both on eScholarship and on ProQuest/UMI.

Changes are normally not allowed after a manuscript has been filed. In exceptional circumstances, changes may be requested by having the chair of your dissertation committee submit a memo to the Associate Dean and sent to Graduate Services: Degrees, 318 Sproul Hall. The memo must describe in detail the specific changes requested and must justify the reason for the request. Such requests will not be approved for typographical errors, acknowledgments, or other minor revisions. It is your responsibility to ensure that your manuscript is in its final form before submitting it. If such a request is approved, the changes must be made prior to the official awarding of the degree. Once your degree has been awarded, you may not make changes to the manuscript.

After your dissertation is accepted by Graduate Services: Degrees, it is held here until the official awarding of the degree by the Academic Senate has occurred. This occurs approximately two months after the end of the term. After the degree has officially been awarded, the manuscripts transmitted to the University Library and to ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Posting the Degree to Your Transcript

Your degree will be posted to your transcript approximately 10 weeks after the conferral date of your degree. You can order a transcript from the Office of the Registrar (https://registrar.berkeley.edu/academic-records/transcripts-diplomas/).

Your diploma will be available from the Office of the Registrar approximately 4 months after the conferral date of your degree. For more information on obtaining your diploma, visit the Registrar’s website. You can obtain your diploma in person at the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, or submit a form and pay the current mailing fees to have it mailed to you.

Unclaimed diplomas are retained for a period of five (5) years only, after which they are destroyed.

The most common mistake is following a fellow (or previous) student’s example. Read the current guidelines carefully!
An incorrect committee — the committee listed on your title page (and on the final signature eform you will submit) must match your currently approved committee. If you have made any changes to your committee since Advancement to Candidacy, you must request an official change from the Graduate Division. Consult your departmental adviser for details.
Do not use a different name than that which appears in the system (i.e. the name on your transcript and Cal Central Profile ). Students are allowed to use a Lived Name, which can be updated by self-service in CalCentral.
Page numbers — Read the section on pagination carefully. Many students do not paginate their document correctly.
Page rotation — some pages may be rotated to a landscape orientation. However, page numbers must appear in the same place throughout the document (as if it were bound like a book).
If you have an approved designated emphasis, it must be listed on your title page and your abstract.
Do not include the signature/approval page in your dissertation. The abstract must be unsigned .
Do not include previous degrees on your title page.
There should be no bold text on your title page.

In May 2005, the Graduate Council established new guidelines for the inclusion of mixed media content in dissertations. It was considered crucial that the guidelines allow dissertations to remain as accessible as possible and for the longest period possible while balancing the extraordinary academic potential of these new technologies.

The dissertation has three components: a core thesis, essential supporting material, and non-essential supplementary material.

Core Thesis. The core thesis must be a self-contained, narrative description of the argument, methods, and evidence used in the dissertation project. Despite the ability to present evidence more directly and with greater sophistication using mixed media, the core thesis must provide an accessible textual description of the whole project.

The core thesis must stand alone and be printable on paper, meeting the formatting requirements described in this document. The electronic version of the thesis must be provided in the most stable and universal format available — currently Portable Document Format (PDF) for textual materials. These files may also include embedded visual images in TIFF (.tif) or JPEG (.jpg) format.

Essential Supporting Material. Essential supporting material is defined as mixed media content that cannot be integrated into the core thesis, i.e., material that cannot be adequately expressed as text. Your faculty committee is responsible for deciding whether this material is essential to the thesis. Essential supporting material does not include the actual project data. Supporting material is essential if it is necessary for the actual argument of the thesis, and cannot be integrated into a traditional textual narrative.

Essential supporting material must be submitted in the most stable and least risky format consistent with its representation (see below), so as to allow the widest accessibility and greatest chance of preservation into the future.

Non-essential Supplementary Material. Supplementary material includes any supporting content that is useful for understanding the thesis, but is not essential to the argument. This might include, for example, electronic files of the works analyzed in the dissertation (films, musical works, etc.) or additional support for the argument (simulations, samples of experimental situations, etc.).

Supplementary material is to be submitted in the most stable and most accessible format, depending on the relative importance of the material (see below). Any supplemental material must be uploaded to the ProQuest website under the “Supplemental Files” section.

Note . ProQuest and the Library will require any necessary 3rd party software licenses and reprint permission letters for any copyrighted materials included in these electronic files.

The following is a list of file formats in descending order of stability and accessibility. This list is provisional, and will be updated as technologies change. Faculty and students should refer to the Graduate Division website for current information on formats and risk categories.

Category A:

TIFF (.tif) image files
WAV (.wav) audio files

Category B:

JPEG, JPEG 2000 (.jpg) image files
GIF (.gif) image files

Category C:

device independent audio files (e.g., AIFF, MIDI, SND, MP3, WMA, QTA)
note-based digital music composition files (e.g., XMA, SMF, RMID)

Category D:

other device independent video formats (e.g., QuickTime, AVI, WMV)
encoded animations (e.g., FLA or SWF Macromedia Flash, SVG)

For detailed guidelines on the use of these media, please refer to the Library of Congress website for digital formats at http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/index.shtml .

Q1: Can I file my dissertation during the summer?

A1: Yes. There are 2 ways to file during the summer:

Register for at least 1.0 unit through Berkeley Summer Sessions. With this option, you can file any time before the summer deadline .
Register the preceding spring semester. As long as you were registered in the spring, and have not used filing fee before, you will be allowed to file during the summer without additional fees or applications.

Q2: If I chose that option, does it matter which session I register in during the summer session?

A2: No. You can register for any of the sessions (at least 1.0 unit). The deadline will always be the last day of the last session.

Q3: If I file during the summer, will I receive a summer degree?

A3: Yes. If you file before the end of the summer sessions, you will receive a summer degree. Remember to write “Summer” on your title page!

Q1: I’ve seen other dissertations from former students that were / that had __________, should I follow that format?

A1: No. The formatting guidelines can be changed from time to time, so you should always consult the most current guidelines available on our website. This question is most frequently asked in regard to the issue of double vs. single spacing.

Q2: I want to make sure that my dissertation follows the formatting rules. What’s the best way to do this?

A2: If you’ve read and followed the current guidelines available on our website, there shouldn’t be any problems. You can upload your dissertation as soon as it is in its final form. If any changes are necessary, you will be given the opportunity to make them without penalties. If you’ve heard horror stories from other students about formatting changes in their manuscripts, you’ve likely been talking to past students who didn’t follow the directions and had to print out their dissertations on expensive, archival paper. Current students submit their dissertations electronically and, as such, it’s much easier and more painless to make changes!

You are also always welcome to bring sample pages into the Graduate Degrees Office at 318 Sproul Hall to have a staff member look over your manuscript.

Q3: Does my signature page need to be printed on some special paper?

A3: Signatures are now an eForm process. A physical signature page is no longer required.

Q1: I’m away from Berkeley. Is there any way to file my dissertation remotely?

A1: Yes! The whole process is done remotely.

Q2: Can I have a friend bring my dissertation materials for me?

A2: Yes. Please see the answer above regarding filing remotely.

Q3: I read something about needing to allow 4 days to review my dissertation. So what is the actual deadline?

A3: Two things must happen before the end of the business day on the stated deadline: 1) you must have uploaded your dissertation to the ProQuest website and 2) you must have submitted the remaining forms to the Graduate Degrees Office at 318 Sproul Hall. Though it is not recommended, you can do both of these things on the very last day.

Q4: So what’s this thing about the 4 days?

A4: As you might expect, the Degrees Office receives hundreds of dissertations near the end of the term (in fact, half of all dissertations are submitted during the final week). This means that it may take several days for us to review your dissertation. Don’t worry. You’ll get credit for the date that you uploaded your dissertation. However, it may take up to 4 business days to review your submission and, if everything is acceptable, provide you a Receipt of Filing.

Q5: Can I do the Final Signature eForm before I upload my dissertation?

A5: Yes. We won’t be able to finalize your filing until everything has been reviewed and approved, but you are welcome to do those in any order.

Q6: What’s a Receipt of Filing? Do I need one?

A6: The Receipt of Filing is an official document that we produce that certifies that you have successfully filed your dissertation on the specified day and that, if all other requirements are met, the date of the degree conferral.

Some students may need the receipt in order to prove to an outside agency that they have officially filed their dissertation. Many students simply keep the receipt as a memento. Picking up your receipt is not required.

Q7: What’s the difference between a Receipt of Filing and a Certificate of Completion?

A7: A Receipt of Filing is automatically produced for all students upon successful filing of their dissertation. However, it only certifies that the dissertation has been accepted. The Certificate of Degree Completion must be requested. It will state that all requirements have been met and notes the date that the degree will be conferred. This is a useful document for students who file early in the semester and need some verification of their degree in advance of its conferral (note: degrees are only conferred twice each year).

Q8: How do I know if I’m eligible for a Certificate of Completion?

A8: In order to be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion, you must:

Successfully file your dissertation (your online submission accepted as well as paperwork turned in)
Have a fully satisfied Academic Progress Report (APR). The APR all the degree requirements as noted by your department. If there are requirements showing as “unmet” but you believe you have completed, please contact your GSAO.
Pay all of your registration fees. While it may not necessarily hold up the production of your certificate, it is important that all fees are paid before the degree is conferred.

Q9: I’m supposed to bring in my approval letter for research with human subjects or vertebrate animals, but it turns out my research didn’t use this after all. What should I do?

A9: If your research protocol has changed since you advanced to candidacy for your degree, you’ll need to ask you dissertation chair to write a letter to the Graduate Division explaining the change. It would be best to submit this in advance of filing.

Q10: My dissertation uses copyrighted or previously published material. How do I get approval?

A10: The policy on this has recently changed. There is no need to for specific approval to be requested.

Q12: I uploaded my dissertation on the last day. What if I’m told I need to make changes?

A12: This won’t be a problem. If there are formatting issues that need to be resolved, you will be notified and be given the opportunity to make revisions – even if it is a few days after the deadline. As long as your dissertation was originally uploaded before the deadline. Obviously, we won’t be able to provide you a receipt (see Q above on Receipt of Filing) until everything has been finalized.

Q13: I found a typo in dissertation that has already been accepted! What do I do?

A13: Once a dissertation has been submitted and accepted, no further changes will be permitted. Proofread your document carefully. Do not upload a draft. In extreme circumstances, your dissertation chair may write a letter to the Graduate Division requesting additional changes to be made.

Q14: Oh no! A serious emergency has caused me to miss the filing deadline! What do I do? Are extensions ever granted?

A14: In general, no. In exceptional circumstances, the Head Graduate Advisor for your program may write to the Graduate Division requesting an extension. Requests of this type are considered on a case-by-case basis and, if granted, may allow you to file after the deadline. However, even if such an exception is granted you will receive the degree for the subsequent term. Your first step is to consult with your department if an emergency arises.

The Thesis Process

The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results. Many students have gone on to publish their research in academic or professional journals.

To ensure affordability, the per-credit tuition rate for the 8-credit thesis is the same as our regular course tuition. There are no additional fees (regular per-credit graduate tuition x 8 credits).

Below are the steps that you need to follow to fulfill the thesis requirement. Please know that through each step, you will receive guidance and mentorship.

1. Determine Your Thesis Topic and Tentative Question

When you have completed between 24 and 32 credits, you work with your assigned research advisor to narrow down your academic interests to a relevant and manageable thesis topic. Log in to MyDCE , then ALB/ALM Community to schedule an appointment with your assigned research advisor via the Degree Candidate Portal.

Thesis Topic Selection

We’ve put together this guide to help frame your thinking about thesis topic selection.

Every effort is made to support your research interests that are grounded in your ALM course work, but faculty guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of thesis topic may be necessary.

The point about topic selection is particularly pertinent to scientific research that is dependent upon laboratory space, project funding, and access to private databases. It is also critical for our candidates in ALM, liberal arts fields (English, government, history, international relations, psychology, etc.) who are required to have Harvard faculty direct their thesis projects. Review Harvard’s course catalog online ( my.harvard.edu ) to be sure that there are faculty teaching courses related to your thesis topic. If not, you’ll need to choose an alternative topic.
Your topic choice must be a new area of research for you. Thesis work represents thoughtful engagement in new academic scholarship. You cannot re-purpose prior research. If you want to draw or expand upon your own previous scholarship for a small portion of your thesis, you need to obtain the explicit permission of your research advisor and cite the work in both the proposal and thesis. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

2. Prepare Prework for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) Course or Tutorial

The next step in the process is to prepare and submit Prework in order to gain registration approval for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course. The Prework process ensures that you have done enough prior reading and thinking about your thesis topic to benefit from the CTP.

The CTP provides an essential onramp to the thesis, mapping critical issues of research design, such as scope, relevance to the field, prior scholarly debate, methodology, and perhaps, metrics for evaluating impact as well as bench-marking. The CTP identifies and works through potential hurdles to successful thesis completion, allowing the thesis project to get off to a good start.

In addition to preparing, submitting, and having your Prework approved, to be eligible for the CTP, you need to be in good standing, have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, including the statistics/research methods requirement (if pertinent to your field). You also need to have completed Engaging in Scholarly Conversation (if pertinent to your field). If you were admitted after 9/1/2023 Engaging in Scholarly Conversation (A and B) is required, if admitted before 9/1/2023 this series is encouraged.

Advising Note for Biology, Biotechnology, and Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Candidates : Thesis projects in these fields are designed to support ongoing scientific research happening in Harvard University, other academic institutions, or life science industry labs and usually these are done under the direction of a principal investigator (PI). Hence, you need to have a thesis director approved by your research advisor prior to submitting CTP prework. Your CTP prework is then framed by the lab’s research. Schedule an appointment with your research advisor a few months in advance of the CTP prework deadlines in order to discuss potential research projects and thesis director assignment.

CTP Prework is sent to our central email box: [email protected] between the following firm deadlines:

April 1 and June 1 for fall CTP
September 1 and November 1 for spring CTP.
August 1 and October 1 for the three-week January session (ALM sustainability candidates only)
International students who need a student visa to attend Harvard Summer School should submit their prework on January 1, so they can register for the CTP on March 1 and submit timely I-20 paperwork. See international students guidelines for more information.

Your research advisor will provide feedback on your prework submission to gain CTP registration approval. If your prework is not approved after 3 submissions, your research advisor cannot approve your CTP registration. If not approved, you’ll need to take additional time for further revisions, and submit new prework during the next CTP prework submission time period for the following term (if your five-year degree completion deadline allows).

3. Register and Successfully Complete the Crafting the Thesis Proposal Tutorial or Course

Once CTP prework is approved, you register for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) course or tutorial as you would any other course. The goal of the CTP is to produce a complete, well-written draft of a proposal containing all of the sections required by your research advisor. Creating an academically strong thesis proposal sets the foundation for a high-quality thesis and helps garner the attention of a well-respected thesis director. The proposal is normally between 15 to 25 pages in length.

The CTP tutorial is not a course in the traditional sense. You work independently on your proposal with your research advisor by submitting multiple proposal drafts and scheduling individual appointments. You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the research advisor. You receive a final grade of SAT or UNSAT (failing grade).

The CTP for sustainability is a three-week course in the traditional sense and you receive a letter grade, and it must be B- or higher to receive degree credit for the course.

You are expected to incorporate all of your research advisor’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong proposal leading to a thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your research advisor, follow directions, or produce an acceptable proposal, you will not pass the CTP.

Successful CTP completion also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

Maximum of two attempts . If you don’t pass that CTP, you’ll have — if your five-year, degree-completion date allows — just one more attempt to complete the CTP before being required to withdraw from the program. If you fail the CTP just once and have no more time to complete the degree, your candidacy will automatically expire. Please note that a WD grade counts as an attempt.

If by not passing the CTP you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the CTP for your second and final time, only if your five-year, degree-completion date allows. If you have no more time on your five-year clock, you will be required to withdraw.

Human Subjects

If your thesis, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB LIFECYCLE GUIDE located on the CUHS website. Your research advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will need to send to CUHS. The vetting process needs to be started during the CTP tutorial, before a thesis director has been assigned.

4. Thesis Director Assignment and Thesis Registration

We expect you to be registered in thesis soon after CTP completion or within 3 months — no later. You cannot delay. It is critical that once a research project has been approved through the CTP process, the project must commence in a timely fashion to ensure the academic integrity of the thesis process.

Once you (1) successfully complete the CTP and (2) have your proposal officially approved by your research advisor (RA), you move to the thesis director assignment phase. Successful completion of the CTP is not the same as having an officially approved proposal. These are two distinct steps.

If you are a life science student (e.g., biology), your thesis director was identified prior to the CTP, and now you need the thesis director to approve the proposal.

The research advisor places you with a thesis director. Do not approach faculty to ask about directing your thesis. You may suggest names of any potential thesis directors to your research advisor, who will contact them, if they are eligible/available to direct your thesis, after you have an approved thesis proposal.

When a thesis director has been identified or the thesis proposal has been fully vetted by the preassigned life science thesis director, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs officially approving your thesis work and providing you with instructions on how to register for the eight-credit Master’s Thesis. The letter will also have a tentative graduation date as well as four mandatory thesis submission dates (see Thesis Timetable below).

Continuous Registration Tip: If you want to maintain continued registration from CTP to thesis, you should meet with your RA prior to prework to settle on a workable topic, submit well-documented prework, work diligently throughout the CTP to produce a high-quality proposal that is ready to be matched with a thesis director as soon as the CTP is complete.

Good academic standing. You must be good academic standing to register for the thesis. If not, you’ll need to complete additional courses to bring your GPA up to the 3.0 minimum prior to registration.

Thesis Timetable

The thesis is a 9 to 12 month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your research advisor has approved your proposal and identified a Thesis Director.

The date for the appointment of your Thesis Director determines the graduation cycle that will be automatically assigned to you:

Once registered in the thesis, we will do a 3-month check-in with you and your thesis director to ensure progress is being made. If your thesis director reports little to no progress, the Dean of Academic Programs reserves the right to issue a thesis not complete (TNC) grade (see Thesis Grading below).

As you can see above, you do not submit your thesis all at once at the end, but in four phases: (1) complete draft to TA, (2) final draft to RA for format review and academic integrity check, (3) format approved draft submitted to TA for grading, and (4) upload your 100% complete graded thesis to ETDs.

Due dates for all phases for your assigned graduation cycle cannot be missed. You must submit materials by the date indicated by 5 PM EST (even if the date falls on a weekend). If you are late, you will not be able to graduate during your assigned cycle.

If you need additional time to complete your thesis after the date it is due to the Thesis Director (phase 1), you need to formally request an extension (which needs to be approved by your Director) by emailing that petition to: [email protected] . The maximum allotted time to write your thesis, including any granted extensions of time is 12 months.

Timing Tip: If you want to graduate in May, you should complete the CTP in the fall term two years prior or, if a sustainability student, in the January session one year prior. For example, to graduate in May 2025:

Complete the CTP in fall 2023 (or in January 2024, if a sustainability student)
Be assigned a thesis director (TD) in March/April 2024
Begin the 9-12 month thesis project with TD
Submit a complete draft of your thesis to your TD by February 1, 2025
Follow through with all other submission deadlines (April 1, April 15 and May 1 — see table above)
Graduate in May 2025

5. Conduct Thesis Research

When registered in the thesis, you work diligently and independently, following the advice of your thesis director, in a consistent, regular manner equivalent to full-time academic work to complete the research by your required timeline.

You are required to produce at least 50 pages of text (not including front matter and appendices). Chapter topics (e.g., introduction, background, methods, findings, conclusion) vary by field.

6. Format Review — Required of all Harvard Graduate Students and Part of Your Graduation Requirements

All ALM thesis projects must written in Microsoft Word and follow a specific Harvard University format. A properly formatted thesis is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without it.

Your research advisor will complete the format review prior to submitting your thesis to your director for final grading according to the Thesis Timetable (see above).

You must use our Microsoft Word ALM Thesis Template or Microsoft ALM Thesis Template Creative Writing (just for creative writing degree candidates). It has all the mandatory thesis formatting built in. Besides saving you a considerable amount of time as you write your thesis, the preprogrammed form ensures that your submitted thesis meets the mandatory style guidelines for margins, font, title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. If you use the template, format review should go smoothly, if not, a delayed graduation is highly likely.

Format review also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred directly to the Administrative Board.

7. Mandatory Thesis Archiving — Required of all Harvard Graduate Students and Part of Your Graduation Requirements

Once your thesis is finalized, meaning that the required grade has been earned and all edits have been completed, you must upload your thesis to Harvard University’s electronic thesis and dissertation submission system (ETDs). Uploading your thesis ETDs is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without completing this step.

The thesis project will be sent to several downstream systems:

Your work will be preserved using Harvard’s digital repository DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).
Metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS (the Harvard Library catalog).
Your work will be preserved in Harvard Library’s DRS2 (digital preservation repository).

By submitting work through ETDs @ Harvard you will be signing the Harvard Author Agreement. This license does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. You retain all intellectual property rights.

For more information on Harvard’s open access initiatives, we recommend you view the Director of the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), Peter Suber’s brief introduction .

Thesis Grading

You need to earn a grade of B- or higher in the thesis. All standard course letter grades are available to your thesis director. If you fail to complete substantial work on the thesis, you will earn a grade of TNC (thesis not complete). If you have already earned two withdrawal grades, the TNC grade will count as a zero in your cumulative GPA.

If you earn a grade below B-, you will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to attempt the thesis for a second and final time. The petition process is only available if you are in good academic standing and your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the thesis by your required deadline.

If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to develop a new proposal on a different topic by re-enrolling in the CTP and being assigned a different thesis director. Tuition for the second attempt is calculated at the current year’s rate.

If by not passing the thesis you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before re-engaging with the thesis process for the second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion deadline allows for more time.

The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the thesis.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Doctoral Students

What You Need to Submit Online to LGS

Your dissertation should be submitted through the ETD Repository .

Aside from your dissertation, you will need to submit several distinct items.

A. You will need to collect two items that are not available in the LC Hub. You will need have these available when you complete the forms in the Hub.

When the form has been signed by all, save it as a pdf. You will need a completed approval page before you start the completion form in the Laney Connect Hub.
The link above takes you to the Exit Survey. When you complete the Exit Survey, there will be a link to the SED Survey. Certificates are available at the end of each survey; save them as pdf files or screen shots to attach to your Laney Connect form.

B. You will need to complete three or four items available in the Laney Connect Hub . Log in and click on “Degree Completion” to see links and instructions.

An Electronic Theses and Dissertations Repository Submission Agreement (ETD FORM) -- to confirm how your thesis or dissertation will be available in the ETD system. Your advisor will review and confirm this form in the Laney Connect system. You should discuss how you intend to complete it with your advisor before you submit it. To understand the decisions you need to make, you can look at { the old pdf version of the form }.
A Doctoral Completion Form -- for your program to affirm that you have completed all program degree requirements. Your Director of Graduate Studies will review this form in the Laney Connect system. Your completed Distribution Agreement and Approval Page will be uploaded here.
A Certificate Completion Form (if applicable) -- for a certificate director to affirm that you have completed all requirements for a certificate (if you are completing one). The certificate director will review this form in the Laney Connect system.
An Apply to Graduate Form . This is the form that ties all the items together and allows us to review and process your full set of documentation. Your completed Distribution Agreement and Approval Page will be uploaded here, as will the Survey of Earned Doctorate and Exit Survey.

All completion items are expected to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. of the Degree Completion Deadline. If you need an extension to submit your dissertation and forms after the posted deadline, see instructions below .

Guidelines, Checklist and Templates

Read this document, " Submitting Your Thesis or Dissertation. " It has a helpful submission checklist and details about each item to be submitted. You will also find templates for items such as the dissertation cover page, the approval sheet, and more.

Electronic Theses and Dissertation Repository

Before you submit your forms and related materials, you need to submit electronically to the Electronic Theses and Dissertations Repository, or ETD. Read more on our Electronic Theses and Dissertations Repository page .

Your ETD record should be submitted online before you turn in your forms and paperwork.

Required Surveys

The Laney Graduate School requires doctoral students to complete two online surveys: the PhD Graduation Education Exit Survey and the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). Both surveys are confidential and are essential for producing aggregate data that helps Emory and the national higher education community understand how graduate students progress through their programs and view their educational experiences.

Complete the surveys before you upload your forms to LGS.
Be sure to upload the required certificates to demonstrate that you have completed the surveys. Each certificate is available at the end of the survey.

Submission Deadline Extension

In certain circumstances students may need an extension to submit a dissertation or thesis and associated forms after the posted deadline. These request are reviewed by the Laney Graduate School, and must be for an approved reason:

advisor, committee member or DGS/Program Director is unavailable
illness or other personal emergency
I need more time for writing or corrections
defense date is on or near the posted submission deadline and I need more time
defense date is after the posted submission deadline

If you seek an extension for another reason, you can explain and the Dean may approve.

To request an extension, visit the Laney Connect Hub to submit the "Request for an Extension of the Deadline to submit Graduation Documents" form.

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Honors Program

Frequently asked questions about the thesis.

Thesis Supervisor
Online Submission Instructions
Online Approval Instructions
Thesis Extensions
Publishing in Open Commons

I don’t know what I’m doing.

I feel like i’m behind..

That’s still not a question.While it’s helpful to start on your thesis early—some people start research as early as their second year—it is not always necessary. The most important thing you can do is talk with your Honors advisor (and your thesis supervisor if you already have one) to make a plan. Remember that there are a lot of differences between majors. Don’t be concerned if, for example, you are in political science and feel behind compared to your friends in biology.

No, I mean I’m actually running behind. How can I get an extension?

The official due date for your thesis is the final day of the semester in which you will be graduating. If you need any extension beyond this date, you must first get the approval of your thesis supervisor and your Honors advisor.

Two-week extensions only require the approval of your thesis supervisor and your Honors advisor. You do not need to notify the Honors Program.
If you, your thesis supervisor, and your Honors advisor agree to an extension beyond two weeks, email [email protected] to learn your options. Extensions beyond a certain point will result in postponement of your degree conferral.

If you have any questions about submitting your thesis and graduating as an Honors Scholar, email [email protected] .

Why should I write a thesis? What is its value?

One of the goals of UConn Honors is for students to move from consumers of knowledge to producers. Your thesis is your opportunity to contribute something unique to your field.Along the way, you will learn knowledge and skills related to your field and thesis topic, far beyond what is normally included in classes. You also learn how to manage a large independent project; multiple people are involved, but you own the process. All of this adds value to your undergraduate experience, which translates to a stronger resume, graduate or professional school application, portfolio, or interview.Your thesis also gives you the opportunity to cultivate a mentoring relationship with a faculty in your field. This person’s guidance will be valuable in many ways, beyond simply completing your thesis, and you will gain experience in seeking out and maintaining professional relationships.Past Honors Scholars have talked about the feeling of accomplishment when they completed their theses. Before you start, the task may look overwhelming, but you can do it—and it will feel great!

What’s the required format for my thesis? How many pages does it have to be?

What if i have more than one major.

Many Honors Scholars have more than one undergraduate major. Most of them only pursue Honors in one of them. If you decide to complete Honors in more than one major, you will usually need to write a separate thesis for each of them. However, in some cases, all of your Honors advisors may agree to accept a single thesis as meeting their departments’ requirements. More information about how multiple majors affects your coursework selection, plans of study, and thesis .

How can I find funding for my thesis?

There are several opportunities through UConn’s Office of Undergraduate Research as well as external programs that may fund undergraduate research . Your department or school/college may also provide some funding support. Students who received a Presidential Scholarship when they were admitted to UConn may also use their enrichment award to support thesis research.

How do I earn academic credits toward my thesis?

Each department grants thesis credit in different ways. Speak with your Honors advisor and look at the courses offered for your major. Some majors have a dedicated senior thesis or Honors thesis course, which may or may not carry the W designation. This is usually your final thesis course, but you may also need independent study or research coursework in one or more previous semesters. In all cases, make sure you are receiving Honors credit for at least 3 credits of your thesis work, or as many as you intend to count on your Honors final plan of study . If the course is not listed for Honors credit when you register, file a conversion .

Can I have a thesis supervisor outside my department?

Can you send my survey for me it’s to collect data for my thesis..

We get a lot of requests to survey Honors students. If part of your research question involves Honors , we will help distribute your survey. In other words, are you specifically interested in some aspect of the Honors experience or Honors students, or are you trying to compare Honors and non-Honors student responses? If Honors is not part of your research question, we will not forward survey links to Honors students. This keeps everyone’s email from being bombarded with surveys.

If you think that your survey should be sent to some or all Honors students, email Dr. Chancey to discuss. We recommend doing this before completing your IRB protocol.

There are other ways to distribute your survey, including the UConn Daily Digest and your and your friends’ social media profiles. The #1 way we have found to increase your response rate ? Include your incentive in the subject line, not the topic of your research!

Where can I get help on my thesis?

Your thesis supervisor can assist with your research and writing process, including your thesis subject matter.
Your Honors advisor can answer questions about graduating with Honors in your major, including thesis formatting and coursework.
The Honors Program staff can provide general support and assistance with the thesis process and answer questions about deadlines and submitting your thesis.
UConn Library : Honors Toolbox links to useful resources
Research Carrels : Dedicated space at Homer Babbidge Library ( Honors and/or University Scholars are the only undergraduates eligible for carrels!)
Writing Center : Guidance with the organization and writing of your thesis
Statistical Consulting Services : Assistance with research design, statistical analysis, and interpretation

English and Comparative Literary Studies

Applying for an extension, can i request an extension to my period of registration.

If you are unable to submit your thesis by your end of registration you may be able to request an extension, depending on the course on which you are registered and the date on which you enrolled. Please see the relevant link below for specific information.

MPhil/PhD Student enrolled on or after 1 August 2011

What information do I need to include in my extension request?

Your personal details

University ID number
Funding body

Extension details

New submission deadline sought and reason(s) for request

Documentation required

Overview of work completed to-date
Detailed work plan
Evidence - covering letter, medical evidence (as appropriate), etc.
Supervisor's statement of support (email/letter)
Statement of support from the Director of Graduate Studies

Can I apply for a retrospective extension?

Retrospective requests for extension will only be considered in very exceptional circumstances. Students who do not submit their thesis by the end of their extension period (or do not apply for a further period of extension) will be contacted by Student Records Management in due course and, if no submission is forthcoming, steps will be taken for the student to be permanently withdrawn from the University.

What happens if my request for an extension is granted?

If approved, your University record will be amended to reflect the new end date. Student Records Management may approach you or your department with a request for further information if your submission is incomplete or if additional information/evidence is required.

What happens if my request for an extension is refused?

If the Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies is not persuaded by the evidence provided, or is not satisfied that your situation is conducive to effective study/work on your thesis, the extension will not be granted. Student Records Management will notify your department and provide reasons for declining the request. In such a case, you will be required to submit your thesis by the existing deadline.

I can't submit my thesis by the original deadline, what can I do?

If you are not in a position to submit your thesis by the deadline, you would be advised to request to be permanently withdrawn from the University, but when your thesis is ready for examination at a later stage submit it with a ‘leave to submit’ request with support from your department. Requests for ‘leave to submit’ will be considered on merit - submitting your thesis late with the request does not automatically guarantee that your thesis will be accepted for examination. The Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies, who will consider your request, will need to be satisfied that there were good reasons for you to submit late.

If I don't submit or withdraw from the University, what happens next?

If you do not submit your thesis by the deadline and do not request to be withdrawn from the University, Student Records Management will take steps to withdraw you permanently from your course of study for non-submission of your thesis.

What else do I need to know?

Overseas students should be advised to seek advice regarding immigration matters before assuming an extension will have no effect on their leave to remain. They should contact either the International Office ( [email protected] ) or the Students’ Union Advice Centre ( [email protected] ). Students funded by a Research Council (as part of a 1+3 scholarship) should consult the Doctoral College , since the Research Council may not accept a request for an extension. Students sponsored by other bodies should be informed they will need to consult their sponsor about their extension request. The University will not be liable for any costs the student incurs as a result of an extension being approved. Students should also be aware that they may be required to pay Council Tax during their extension period.

Science and Engineering Doctoral Academy

Apply for an extension

You can apply for an extension if you experience a change to your circumstances that means you require additional time on your programme or to arrange submission of your thesis or dissertation.

Before applying for an extension, you should discuss your situation with the Doctoral Academy. This will help you determine if an extension is the most suitable arrangement for you. Once your application and supporting documents are received it will then be reviewed by the Department, following this it will be considered by Faculty Chair/ Panel for a decision. This can take up to 5 weeks to complete and for you to be notified of the decision. It is recommended you submit your application at least two months before the end of your programme. Extensions are unfunded unless your funder or supervisor has specific funding available that may be applied.

Extending your studies or submission deadline can affect:

your finances, including existing loans, tuition fee agreements and sponsorship arrangements;
your accommodation, for example if you are living in halls of residence;
your visa and ATAS status (if you are an international student). Further guidance is available from the Student Immigration Team .

As part of your application, you will be asked to include any relevant documents and correspondence.

Types of extension

Extension to your programme.

An extension to your programme will extend your research time at the end of your programme and your submission deadline. Tuition fees will be charged on a pro rata basis for the period of extension.

The total period(s) of an extension to your programme must not normally exceed 12 months during the full period of your degree. Any further extensions beyond 12 months will only be permitted under the most exceptional circumstances.

Requests for an extension to your programme must be submitted within six months of your programme end date.

Tuition fees will be charged on a pro rata basis for the period of extension. Extensions are unfunded unless your funder or supervisor has specific funding available that may be applied.

Extension to your Submission Pending period

The purpose of the submission pending period is to write up your thesis, not to undertake further research.

You must be registered in the submission pending period to apply for an extension to this period.

Only issues which occur in the submission pending period can be considered (any delays or problems which occurred during the period of study cannot be taken in consideration).

Applications for an extension to the submission pending period must be submitted at least two months before the final deadline for submission.

Extension to your minor corrections deadline

An extension to the minor corrections deadline will extend your final submission deadline.

Only delays, issues or problems which occur in the minor corrections period can be considered.

Extension to your re-submission deadline

An extension to the re-submission deadline will extend the time you have to submit a revised thesis.

Only delays, issues or problems which occur in the re-submission period can be considered.

Completing the form

Before completing the form, you should have:.

read and understood implications for your tuition fees and your financial situation ;
read and understood the Change of Circumstances Policy for Postgraduate Research Students ;
discussed the interruption with the Doctoral Academy and with your supervisor(s);
discussed any ATAS and visa implications with the Student Immigration Team if you are an international PGR;
discussed the extension with your sponsor if you are on a funded studentship. If the terms and conditions of your funding require confirmation from your funder that you are eligible to apply for this extension, you will need to attach evidence of this approval as part of your application (this evidence should also confirm if the funder is willing to pay additional tuition fees and/or living costs if appropriate).

What you'll need to complete the form

To complete your application for an extension you will need to upload your supporting evidence, a completion plan, and a letter of support from your supervisor. Without these documents, your application will not be considered.

You will need a letter of support from your supervisor. The letter can be a copy of an email sent by your supervisor, or a Word or PDF document written by them. Where applicable, the letter should contain the following:

A note, if appropriate, on the current status of the research/project and thesis
Confirmation all interested parties (e.g. research sponsors, research collaborators, and the Visa Team) have been consulted and agree to support the interruption.

The completion plan should contain a summary of work completed to date and a timeline for work still to be completed. A completion plan is not required for an application for an extension to minor corrections.

You will need any relevant supporting evidence as part of your application. Examples of evidence we accept include:

extracts from your medical notes (you can request these from your GP practice);
letters from a doctor or medical professional about a change in your health or the health of someone close to you;
internal confirmation of existing engagement with our Counselling Service or Advice and Response Service.

Please note that for medical conditions we do not require a specific letter from your GP or healthcare provider, and in cases of bereavement we do not require a death certificate.

Applications related to equipment breakdown and research delays must include details of the dates and the duration of the breakdown and/or delay.

We need the evidence you provide to:

be written in English, or translated to English by an official transcription service;
relate to the time your circumstances changed.

Your application will be reviewed by your department and then by the FSE Degrees Panel. It can take up to 5 weeks for a decision on your application to be reached.

If the application was submitted without the required supporting documentation, it will be considered incomplete and it will not be processed.

If you require any additional support regarding your application, please email the FSE DA Progression and Welfare team .

Extension form

Submit the extension application form via MS Forms.

Complete the online form >>

School of Social and Political Science

Reasons for requesting an extension, suitable reasons for requesting extensions.

Good reasons for coursework extensions are unexpected short-term circumstances which are exceptional for the individual student, beyond that student’s control, and which could reasonably be expected to have had an adverse impact on the student’s ability to complete the assessment on time.

These may include:

Recent short-term physical illness or injury;
Recent short-term mental ill-health;
A long-term or chronic physical health condition, which has recently worsened temporarily or permanently;
A long-term or chronic mental health condition, which has recently worsened temporarily or permanently;
The recent bereavement or serious illness of a person with whom the student has a close relationship;
The recent breakdown in a long-term relationship, such as a marriage;
Emergencies involving dependents;
Job or internship interview at short notice that requires significant time, e.g. due to travel;
Victim of a crime which is likely to have significant emotional impact;
Military conflict, natural disaster, or extreme weather conditions.

In addition to these unexpected circumstances, Schools will also consider requests for coursework extensions in relation to:

A student’s disability where the student’s Learning Profile includes relevant provisions (please note aLearning Profile will be treated sympathetically as part of the case for an extension. A Learning Profile itself does not guarantee an extension.
Representation in performance sport at an international or national championship level, in line with the University’s Performance Sport Policy.

Unsuitable reasons

The following are examples of circumstances which would not be considered good reasons for coursework extensions:

A long-term or chronic health condition (including mental ill-health or similar ill-health) which has not worsened recently or for which the University has already made a reasonable adjustment;
A minor short-term illness or injury (e.g. a common cold), which would not reasonably have had a significant adverse impact on the student’s ability to complete the assessment on time;
Occasional low mood, stress or anxiety;
Circumstances which were foreseeable or preventable;
Pressure of academic work (unless this contributes to ill-health);
Poor time-management;
Proximity to other assessments;
Lack of awareness of dates or times of assessment submission;
Failure, loss or theft of data, a computer or other equipment;
Commitments to paid or voluntary employment.

Where a student has good reason for requiring a coursework extension of more than seven calendar days , the student should submit the coursework when able to do so and apply via the Special Circumstances process for the Board of Examiners.

Dissertations, Doctoral Projects, and Theses: Embargoes

Should i request an embargo for my dissertation.

If you are concerned that public release of your research may be inadvisable, you may request an embargo, which will restrict access to your work for a limited period of time. Reasons for an embargo include: making public information about a pending patent application, violating privacy rights; disclosing sensitive data or information; and adversely affecting your chances of publishing a revised dissertation. In these cases, you should consult with your advisor and dissertation committee to determine whether an embargo would be appropriate.

In 2013, the American Historical Association released its Statement on Policies Regarding the Embargoing of Completed History PhD Dissertations suggesting that doctoral students should be permitted to embargo online access to their dissertation for up to six years, with access being provided only for those on campus or with the student’s explicit permission off campus. If you are concerned that the availability of your dissertation in an open access repository will negatively affect your future publication prospects, you may find our Revising Your Dissertation for Publication page and the articles below of interest.

Cohen, Philip N. " Sociologists: Don’t Embargo your Dissertation ." Family Inequality. 2021.
" Can't Find It, Can't Sign It: On Dissertation Embargoes ." Harvard University Press Blog. 2013.
Gilliam, Christian and Christine Daoutis. " Can Openly Accessible E- Theses Be Published as Monographs? A Short Survey of Academic Publishers ." Serials Librarian no. 1–4 (July 2018): 5–12.
Gold, Alexandra. " The Great Embargo Debate ." Inside Higher Ed. 2018.
McCutcheon, Angela M. Impact of Publishers' Policy on Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (EDT) Distribution Options within the United States . 2010
Ramirez, M. L., J. T. Dalton, G. Mcmillan, M. Read, and N. H. Seamans. " Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities? Findings from a 2011 Survey of Academic Publishers ." College & Research Libraries 74.4 (2013): 368-80.
Ramirez, M. L., G. Mcmillan, J. T. Dalton, A. Hanlon, H. S. Smith, and C. Kern. " Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Sciences ?" College & Research Libraries 75.6 (2014): 808-21.
Rosen, Rebecca J. " You've Spent Years on Your Ph.D.: Should You Publish It Online for Free? " The Atlantic . 2018.
Dissertation Embargoes and Publishing Fears
Open Access and Dissertation Embargoes
Publishing a Revised Dissertation
To Embargo Your Dissertation, or Not?
Dr. Audrey Truschke's follow-up tweets on this subject (2019)
Weinberg, Justin. Should PhD Students Embargo Their Dissertations? Daily Nous. 2018.

If my work is embargoed, what information will be available?

The Graduate School allows two types of embargoes:

Common Embargo

The citation and abstract will appear in DigitalGeorgetown and ProQuest. The full text of your dissertation, doctoral project, or thesis will be withheld from public distribution but will be available to the Georgetown community (current faculty, student, and staff). Your work will also be available to any researcher who contacts the Georgetown University Library in advance and comes to campus to read it. Visiting readers are not permitted to print or download your work.

Restrictive Embargo

The citation and abstract will appear in DigitalGeorgetown and ProQuest. The full text of your dissertation, doctoral project, or thesis will not be available to anyone. This most restrictive option could be requested for a patent pending application and must be supported by a letter from your mentor or Director of Graduate Studies.

How do I request an embargo?

The Graduate School's embargo policy is set out in Part V.B. of the Graduate Bulletin, " Publication of Theses, Doctoral Projects, and Dissertations ." Additional information about requesting an embargo is on the Graduate School's Embargo Policy page. For questions about how to place an embargo, email [email protected] .

Is there a time limit on the embargo?

Both ProQuest and DigitalGeorgetown allow an embargo for up to two years. In rare circumstances, an extension beyond two years might be granted. Such request must be made before the expiration of any previously granted embargo and must be addressed in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School, accompanied by a letter of support from your mentor or the Director of Graduate Studies. The decision whether or not to grant such an extension will rest with the Dean.

Requests to extend your embargo in ProQuest should be made directly to ProQuest by emailing [email protected] .

If you submit your thesis or dissertation through the ProQuest submission portal without requesting an embargo, your work will be made available openly in DigitalGeorgetown within a few weeks after graduation.

Can I embargo my work after it has already been submitted to ProQuest and DigitalGeorgetown?

Requests to embargo a dissertation that has already been publicly available will not generally be approved. Even if an embargo is allowed, it is important to note that if your work has already been freely available in DigitalGeorgetown, and any copies made by others won't be affected by a later embargo.

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Late submission of coursework

Meeting your deadlines, plan your workload.

You'll be given a deadline by which work is to be completed and handed in. You should always aim to submit work before the deadline. This ensures you should never have any problems with a late submission. A simple tactic is to set your own deadline, perhaps several days in advance of the last possible date for submission and to organise your work around that.

You should familiarise yourself with the primary submission methods for coursework and online examinations of each department that you are taking a module with. Each assessment must be submitted by the deadline published in order to gain a mark. If you are concerned that you cannot complete an assessment by the deadline you should contact your department before the deadline or consider making a late submission claim.

If you have difficulty in managing your workload, you can seek advice from a number of sources, including from staff in your department including your personal tutor, SU Advice and your Student Services Hub .

Missing a deadline

It is your responsibility to inform your department of any circumstances affecting your ability to submit on time. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the deadlines for formative feedback only (ie. no formal marks will be awarded).

Please contact your department for support and advice if you are concerned about your deadlines.

Late submission policy

There is a single policy for the late submission of coursework and online examinations (.pdf) for both undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes of study.

The policy states that all assessments submitted after the deadline will receive a mark of zero, unless there are valid circumstances resulting in your late submission.

Reasons you can't meet a deadline

There may be times when you are unable to undertake, complete or submit a piece of coursework or an online examination on time due to circumstances beyond your control. You can still submit work late if you have submitted a valid late submission claim alongside evidence of your circumstances.

These guidance notes cover circumstances which affect your ability to submit coursework or online examinations by the deadline.

There are separate policies and guidance on extenuating circumstances concerning performance in coursework or online examination and your ability to submit at all .

Reasons accepted

These circumstances are defined as the inability to submit work by the deadline due to reasons beyond your control. Accepted circumstances include:

medical reasons
practical reasons
reasons of a personal nature
genuine emergencies which could not reasonably have been expected

This is not an exhaustive list of ‘accepted’ circumstances and our departments will consider all claims.

Reasons not accepted

The following are examples of circumstances which are not normally considered to be relevant for the instatement of marks due to failure to meet a deadline:

minor ailments and illnesses on the day of coursework, such as colds, coughs, sprains, headaches
personal disruptions or events which could have been anticipated, such as holidays, weddings, changing address or employment, religious holidays or festivals which are usually known in advance
general pressure of work is not taken to be circumstances beyond your control, as you are expected to plan your work schedule
excessive demands on time or pressure of employment which could have been anticipated
financial constraints commonly experienced by students
misreading/confusing the coursework or online examination deadline
oversleeping on the day of the deadline
transport problems, such as car breaking down or delayed public transport

It is not appropriate, nor possible, to list all of the potential circumstances that a student may encounter which would be accepted by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee. The list above should give you an indication of the types of circumstance that are not normally accepted by the Committee.

You should note that extenuating circumstances claims for marks instatement of work submitted after the relevant Late Submission deadline can only be considered under the Extenuating Circumstances Policy. This covers cases where you were unable to complete an assessment by the original deadline/the relevant Late Submission deadline due to a circumstance or event that could not reasonably have been anticipated and includes coursework, submitting an online examination or attendance at a coursework test/presentation.

If you miss your coursework deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit on time, then you should submit an extenuating circumstances form within seven calendar days (including weekends and/or holidays) of the deadline explaining those circumstances and providing any relevant evidence. You should also submit your coursework so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted.

Online examinations over 23 hours 59 minutes or take-home exams

If you miss submitting your online examination, which is over 23 hours 59 minutes in length, or your take-home exam by the deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit by the deadline, then you should submit an extenuating circumstances form within 24 hours detailing those circumstances and any relevant evidence. You also need to submit your work within 24 hours so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted.

Online examinations under 23 hours 59 minutes

If you miss submitting your online examination which is less than 23 hours 59 minutes in length by the deadline, this will be treated as a missed assessment, for which you will be given a 0. You will need to submit an extenuating circumstances claim if circumstances outside of your control prevented you from submitting on time.

Absence from in-class tests, practical assignment and presentations

If you have been unable to attend a coursework test, such as a timed in-class test, a presentation or a practical class, you should inform your department as soon as possible.

Some types of assessment, such as certain in-class tests, practical assignments or presentations, may not be covered by this policy. Where it is deemed impossible to accept a late submission request due to the nature of the assessment, this information will be available from the school/department (eg. in the module outline or departmental handbook). In such cases, a student who is unable to undertake the assessment by the deadline due to extenuating circumstances should submit an Extenuating Circumstances claim instead of Late Submission.

Postgraduate dissertations

Postgraduate taught dissertations or equivalent are not counted as coursework and are therefore not covered by the standard policy on the late submission of coursework. Students can request an extension for their postgraduate dissertation if they find that, due to extenuating circumstances, they will be unable to submit the dissertation by the published deadline.

You can only request an extension before the current deadline for your dissertation and should speak to your supervisor as soon as you begin to have concerns about the deadline.

Informal extensions

You can request an informal extension from your department or school of up to four weeks.

Please write to your Department explaining the reasons for needing an extension and when you hope to submit your dissertation by. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis and your Department or School will notify you of their decision.

There are no registration fees for an informal extension.

Formal extensions

You will need to submit a formal extension request if:

You require a longer extension than four weeks.
You have had a formal extension granted to you previously.
You have been given the opportunity to resubmit your dissertation by the Board of Examiners and need an extension to the resubmission deadline.

Formal extensions can be submitted via the online form . Requests are will be considered by your Department or School, and final approval is granted by the Faculty Dean.

When an extension is approved, a registration fee of £100 for each term is payable.

Due to the time that it takes for a formal extension to be considered for approval, we recommend submitting your request as soon as you can, and preferably no later than 14 calendar days (including weekends and bank holidays) ahead of the deadline. A request submitted after your deadline has passed will not normally be approved.

What to do if you have missed the deadline

If the deadline for your dissertation has already passed and you have not been able to submit your work, you may be eligible to submit an extenuating circumstances claim .

Dissertation marks and other results

If you are granted an extension, this date will be used to determine when your marks will be considered by Board of Examiners. If you submit your dissertation before the extended deadline, your results will still go to the next Board of Examiners based on the extension deadline given, not your submission date.

Your Department or School can let you know when this will be but you should note that there could be a delay of several months between when you submit your dissertation and when your results are available.

What to include on your form

You should include on the extenuating circumstances form details of the specific piece(s) of coursework or online examination examinations that you are submitting late and describe the circumstances that prevented timely submission of the work. Make sure you explain the impact these circumstances had on your ability to submit your coursework or online examination by the deadline.

Documentary evidence

Where you are able, it is in your interest to submit independent and reliable supporting evidence as part of your extenuating circumstances application. Supporting evidence should be relevant to the circumstances described in both nature and timeframe. Without supporting evidence, the Extenuating Circumstances Committee/Board of Examiners may not be able to take action on your claim.

See our guidance on documentary evidence .

Longer-term extenuating circumstances or non-submission of work

If you have experienced significant (longer term) extenuating circumstances that prevent you from either submitting your work at all, or submitting within the relevant late submission timeframe, you should submit an extenuating circumstances form . You should clearly explain how your extenuating circumstances affected your ability to submit your work on the form.

Processing your application

Late submission requests for coursework will be accepted for consideration by the relevant departmental Extenuating Circumstances Committee in line with the deadlines stated above, unless model answers have been released. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the applicable late submission deadline for formative feedback only (that is, no formal marks will be awarded).

Each department has an Extenuating Circumstances Committee which will normally meet at least twice during the year. The Committee will decide whether your work should be marked and whether that mark will count towards your formal assessment (i.e. no formal marks will be instated). The department will advise you of the outcome.

Further information

If you need any further help and advice, please contact or visit the Student Services Hub or SU Advice who will be happy to assist you.

For enquiries contact your Student Services Hub
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Watch CBS News

Haven't filed your taxes yet? Here's how to get an extension from the IRS.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

April 12, 2024 / 2:06 PM EDT / CBS News

If you're one of the millions of Americans who have procrastinated filing their taxes ahead of the April 15 deadline, there is a way to get some breathing room: File for an extension.

The step gives taxpayers until October 15 to file their federal tax returns, and the process is fairly quick — and also free. About 90 million people have filed their 1040s with the IRS as of March 29, the tax agency says . But as it expects about 128.7 million tax returns this year, that means almost 40 million people have pushed off filing until the last two weeks of the regular tax season.

Almost half of Americans delay working on their taxes, a new survey from tax prep company TaxAct found. Many are stressed by the task, but more than 1 in 4 is worried about owing money to the IRS, the study found.

"Some people don't want to pay the balance due, and say, 'I'll let the government come after me,'" Mark Jaeger, vice president of Tax Operations, at TaxAct, told CBS MoneyWatch.

But other taxpayers may have had a major life event, like the birth of a child, that prompted them to put off their taxes, he noted. Sometimes an individual's tax forms can be delayed, which then causes the taxpayer to scramble, once the forms arrive, to get their 1040s filed by April 15.

The good news is that getting an extension "is actually pretty simple," Jaeger said.

How to request an extension

The IRS will give taxpayers an automatic extension if they file Form 4868 . This one-page document asks for basic information such as your name, address and Social Security number.

There's another way to request an extension that's even easier, Jaeger said.

"The simplest way is to go through a do-it-yourself tax software or go to the IRS website and make a payment," he said. "Simply by making a payment, you are filing an extension."

Indeed, the IRS says it automatically counts payments made by the April 15 deadline as an extension, and by taking that step, you won't even need to file a separate Form 4868.

You can make a payment via the IRS' Direct Pay , the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or with a credit or debit card or digital wallet .

If I get an extension, can I delay paying the IRS?

Nope. That's because receiving an extension to file isn't an extension to pay what you owe the IRS.

"Taxpayers who owe should pay their entire obligation, or as much as they can, by the April 15 deadline to avoid penalties and interest," the IRS said on Thursday.

Knowing how much to pay the IRS can be tricky for people who haven't yet filed their taxes, but Jaeger recommends looking at your federal tax payment in the prior year. If you paid, for example, $5,000 in the prior tax year, but have only paid $4,000 in the 2023 tax year, you should send the IRS a payment for the $1,000 difference, he noted.

What is the penalty for failing to pay?

The IRS charges a penalty if you don't pay what you owe the government, the amount if which is based on the percentage of the taxes you didn't pay.

For instance, if you file an extension and owe the IRS but don't pay by April 15, you'll face the penalty. The IRS charges 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month, with a cap of 25% of the unpaid taxes.

What is the fine for failing to file?

The IRS also levies a fine if you don't file or ask for an extension by April 15.

The failure-to-file penalty is 5% of unpaid taxes for each month or part of the month that the tax return is late. The fine is capped at 25% of your unpaid taxes.

People who both neglect to file and fail to pay what they owe won't have to pay both fines, however. The IRS said it reduces the failure-to-file penalty by the amount of the failure-to-pay penalty for that month, so that the taxpayer will face a combined total penalty of 5% for each month their return is late.

What if I can't pay what I owe the IRS?

The IRS will set up a payment plan with taxpayers who can't afford to pay the full amount they owe the tax agency.

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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Tax return extensions: Why you should (or shouldn't) do it and how to request one

Sometimes, you just need more time.

The deadline to file a tax return with the Internal Revenue Service is drawing near and there are options for people who don't think they will make the April 15 deadline .

The average tax refund issued by the IRS as of March 1 is $3,182, a 5.1% increase compared to the similar filling period in 2023. The trend may not hold as refund amounts dropped 13% between March and April in 2023, according to Barron's .

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

It is not recommended to delay filing with the IRS, however, circumstances may impact a filer's ability to meet the deadline.

An extension, if approved, provides filers a six-month grace period to file, though it does not provide an extension to pay. If a filer does not pay they will face penalties and interest charges.

“Even if you cannot finish your tax return, make a payment. That can help reduce the penalties and interest.” Larry Pon, a certified public accountant and tax professor at the College of San Mateo, told USA TODAY Blueprint .

Here's what to know about filing an extension for your tax return .

What is the deadline to file an extension?

The deadline to file an extension is April 15.

The IRS says you may qualify for an extension and do not need to submit a request electronically or on paper if you live in certain disaster areas .

When is the deadline if I file an extension?

If you file an extension for your tax return, you'll have until Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 to file.

Why might someone ask for an extension?

According to Intuit TurboTax , reasons a person might ask for an extension on their tax return include:

Unexpected life events
Incomplete documentation
Discovering errors on a filing
Running out of time

How to request an extension for a tax return

You can request an extension through the IRS , which is free.

You'll need basic information, like your name, address, Social Security number, estimated tax liability, and payment if you owe anything.

Regardless of income, individual tax filers can use IRS Free File to request an extension electronically. If you prefer to mail a paper version of the extension, called form 4868, make sure it's postmarked no later than April 15.

Contributing: John Egan, Ashley Barnett and Jenn Jones

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tax return extensions: Why you should (or shouldn't) do it and how to request one

A photo illustration shows tax forms as the period to file returns or extensions with the IRS comes closer to the end.

How to file an extension if you can’t finish your tax return by the deadline

Published: Apr. 10, 2024, 11:12 a.m.
Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The April 15 tax filing deadline is days away.

What happens if you can’t file in time? You need to file an extension.

But importantly, an extension to file your return is not an extension to pay any taxes you owe.

“You must estimate and pay the tax you owe and file by the April deadline,” the IRS said.

If you don’t pay, you will be subject to penalties and interest.

You must file the extension no later than April 15, the regular tax deadline.

No matter your income, you can use IRS Free File to electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension, the IRS said. It will give you until Oct. 15 to file the return.

For Free File, the IRS has partnered with eight companies for the 2023 tax season:

ezTaxReturn
FileYourTaxes.com
OLT (OnLine Taxes)

“You can also get an extension by electronically paying all or part of your estimated income tax due and indicating the payment is for an extension,” the IRS said. “You can make a same day payment or schedule a payment by accessing your IRS Individual Online Account , using Direct Pay , using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or with a credit or debit card .”

“If extension is selected when making your payment, you won’t have to file a separate extension form and you’ll receive a confirmation number for your records,” the IRS said.

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Taxpayers: Remember, an extension to file is not an extension to pay taxes

Requesting an extension when making a payment for a return with taxes due

Taxpayers can choose to submit an electronic payment and select Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File, or extension, as the payment type. The IRS will process it as an extension automatically, and taxpayers won't need to file Form 4868.

Requesting a free extension to file for a return with no tax due

Individual taxpayers, regardless of income, can request an automatic six-month tax-filing extension two ways:

Use IRS Free File at IRS.gov/freefile .
File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File.

Taxpayers in FEMA disaster areas may have an automatic extension to file and pay

The IRS may offer an automatic extension to areas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Taxpayers in the affected areas don’t need to file any extension paperwork, and they don’t need to call the IRS to qualify for the extended time.

To check whether an area has been offered tax relief, see Tax relief in disaster situations .

U.S. citizens, resident aliens abroad and military members in combat zones may have more time to file and pay

Taxpayers living overseas , including members of the military and eligible support personnel serving in combat zones , may also have extra time to file their tax returns and pay any taxes due.

More information:

What is the due date of my federal tax return or am I eligible to request an extension?

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Taxes are due by April 15. If you can't make the deadline, here's how to get an extension

Taxes are due soon, but if there’s a reason you can’t meet the deadline, you can apply to file later instead.

Here’s how to do so.

When are 2023 taxes due?

The Internal Revenue Service began accepting and processing 2023 tax returns on Jan. 29.

In Delaware, the Division of Revenue began processing 2023 individual state income tax returns on Jan. 23 and issuing refunds on Feb. 15, said Melissa Marlin, deputy principal assistant with the Department of Finance.

Federal 2023 tax returns are due by Monday, April 15.

The filing deadline in Delaware for personal income tax returns is Tuesday, April 30.

Delaware does not maintain reciprocity agreements with other states, so taxpayers who work in Delaware but are not Delaware residents need to file a Delaware tax return. Delaware residents who work out of state are required to file returns with Delaware in addition to the state where they worked, said Marlin.

How to file an extension on your taxes

If you can’t file by the deadline, you can file for an extension by filling out Form 4868 by April 15.

This gives you an additional six months, to Tuesday, Oct. 15, to complete your tax return, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Tax returns can still be filed after April 15 without filing for an extension, but you may be subject to a penalty if you owe taxes.

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Tax filing assistance

You can file your taxes yourself or have them done for you, either by a paid preparer or from a free service provider.

If you need a filing extension, be sure to check which filing assistance programs will remain open past the April 15 deadline.

If you generally make $60,000 a year or less, have a disability, have limited English skills or speak English as a second language or are 60 years of age or older, you may be eligible for in-person, full-service tax preparation for free through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance , the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Individuals with an income of $73,000 or less may be eligible to prepare and file federal income tax returns for free through IRS Free File, which opened on Jan. 12. Free File allows tax returns to be completed in advance and then held by participating software companies until they can be filed electronically with the IRS.

Free File Fillable forms, part of the Free File efforts, will provide free electronic forms to tax filers at any income level, allowing them to fill out and e-file their taxes independently at no cost.

Service members may be able to prepare and file their tax returns for free through MilTax if they meet certain criteria.

The agency also announced a new pilot program, IRS Direct File , that allows taxpayers the option to file their 2023 federal tax returns for free online, directly with the IRS. It will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be widely available in mid-March.

It is available on desktop or mobile devices and walks users through step-by-step instructions to fill out their tax returns. Delaware is not currently involved with the pilot program, but many states have indicated interest to enroll in the service in the future, according to the IRS.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at [email protected] .

How to file an extension for your 2023 income tax return

So you know, absolutely know, there's no way you're going to make the April 15 income tax filing deadline . What do you do now? How do you file for an extension?

Fortunately, filing for a six-month extension is a fairly easy process. The IRS even has a free hack for doing so.

In some cases, you could be looking at an automatic extension and not even realize it. The Internal Revenue Service website spells these cases out in great, specific detail. For example, individuals and businesses that were hit by the severe storms and tornadoes in parts of Michigan last August now have until June 17 to file their income tax returns. Taxpayers do not need to contact the IRS to ask for this relief. This extended June 17 deadline applies to both income tax returns and payments that normally would be due on April 15.

The tax relief applies to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne counties. Individuals and households that reside or have a business in these localities qualify for tax relief and the deadline extension.

You do not have to wait, though, if you have your paperwork in order and know you are getting a tax refund.

See the IRS disaster relief page on IRS.gov for more information and notices on other states with extended deadlines.

And if you're in the military stationed abroad or are in a combat zone during the tax filing season, the IRS notes, you may qualify for certain automatic extensions related to the filing and paying of your federal income taxes. The IRS has a dedicated web page called "Tax Information for Members of the Military."

How do you ask for an extension?

Otherwise, no matter how wealthy you are, you can request a six-month extension with free software offered through a "Free File" partner. Simply go to IRS.gov. Then, click on the "File an Extension" link. You do not need to mail in a Form 4868 if you file a request electronically.

More: How some Michigan families are getting a bigger Michigan income tax refund

More: Earned income tax credit: What kind of income counts, who is eligible for 2023 returns

More: Tax refunds from Michigan, IRS: How to check status of state, federal returns in 2024

You can also request an extension by mail — though the IRS prefers doing things electronically — by filling out Form 4868 and mailing it into the IRS. Generally, the IRS cannot extend the due date of your return for more than six months — or what happens to be Oct. 15 this year. "However," the IRS notes, "there may be an exception if you’re living out of the country."

Filing an extension gives you extra time to e-file the return. You'd also avoid one penalty, the "failure to file" penalty, which is 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late, according to the IRS. The penalty won't exceed 25% of your unpaid taxes.

Why you should try to pay what you owe by April 15

Even if you get an extension, you'd typically need to estimate how much money you owe and pay it or most of it by April 15.

Filing online for an extension or mailing in Form 4868 will give you more time to file. But tax experts note that the filer still must pay a sizable amount of the tax owed by the original filing deadline to avoid interest and late-payment penalties.

The IRS will not charge you an underpayment penalty if: You pay at least 90% of the tax you owe for the current year, or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the previous tax year, whichever is smaller. The IRS also states that most taxpayers will avoid an underpayment penalty if they owe less than $1,000 in tax after subtracting their withholding and refundable credits, as well.

Nothing is simple, of course, when it comes to tax rules.

So, it's important to note that higher-income taxpayers face a different threshold to avoid a penalty for underpayment, according to Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

You must pay the lesser of 110% of last year's tax or 90% of this year's tax if your adjusted gross income for last year exceeded $150,000.

The IRS notes: "Taxpayers who pay as much as they can by the due date reduce the overall amount subject to penalty and interest charges."

The interest rate for an individual's unpaid taxes is currently 7%, compounded daily, according to the IRS. The late-filing penalty is generally 5% per month and the late-payment penalty is normally 0.5% per month, both of which max out at 25%.

How many people file extensions?

The IRS estimates that 18.95 million extension requests were made in 2023 and projects that about 19.4 million taxpayers will request extensions this year.

Luis Garcia, a spokesperson for the IRS in Detroit, said it's important to understand that taxpayers can also get an extension automatically when making a payment to the federal government by indicating the payment is related to an extension.

In that case, Garcia said, you don't need to file a separate extension form and you’ll receive a confirmation number for your records.

"File, file, file. File even if you can’t pay, we will work with you on a payment plan or you can just do it yourself on IRS.gov," Garcia said.

Why file an extension?

Make sure you understand that it doesn't make sense to put off filing a return — or seeking an extension for six months — just because you know you have a balance due. You're just delaying the inevitable and building some interest along the way if you drag your feet and don't file a return until six months from now and do nothing to pay what you owe soon.

"In my over three decades of working in the tax industry I’ve not found too many 'everyday' reasons to file an extension, but there are exceptions," Steber said.

"Like you’re missing a wage-related document or you’re dealing with something in your personal life that takes away the ability to meet Monday’s deadline — like a death in the family or a natural disaster."

Steber said a six-month extension does give a taxpayer until October to deal with completing a tax return. But he doesn't recommend taking the full six months to finish the return and file it.

"Rather, file your tax return as soon as you’re able," Steber said.

Can you get an extension on state income tax returns?

For state income tax returns, Michigan taxpayers would need to file Form 4, which is an application for extension, or submit a copy of the U.S. Form 4868 to the state, according to Ron Leix, a Michigan Treasury spokesperson.

Michigan will accept a federal extension and then grant a state extension. But the state doesn't use an automated system to handle it and encourages you to take action to request a state extension. All 2023 state income tax forms can be accessed via the web. See www.michigan.gov/taxes and "Search for all forms.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected] . Follow her on X (Twitter) @ tompor .

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COMMENTS

How to Get Dissertation Deadline Extension
The most effective way of getting a deadline extension for your dissertation project is, to be honest with your supervisor. Avoid making up lame excuses for being late because this can land you in even more trouble. Tell the truth and seek guidance from your supervisor. Honesty and integrity will help you to grab your supervisor's sympathy.
How to Get a Dissertation Extension: Tips and Strategy
Provide Context: Explain the specifics of your workload and how it is impacting your dissertation timeline. Request Extension: Politely request a dissertation extension, specifying the additional time you require. Offer Solutions: If possible, propose a plan for how you will utilize the extension to catch up on your dissertation work.
Dissertation extension advice : r/AskAcademia
Dissertation extension advice. I'm desperate for advice from people who know. I'm in the middle of completing my MSc dissertation and it's been a bit of a disaster; I was slow in getting going and I have family issues - my nerves are shot and anxiety is eating me alive. I struggle with dyslexia and I wasn't receiving any help at all.
PDF Dissertation Extensions
If you are having problems completing your dissertation due to extenuating circumstances you must apply for an extension using the Dissertation Extension Request Form. Claims will not be considered without independent evidence. You must meet with your supervisor to discuss your circumstances Your supervisor will have to complete one section of ...
Dissertation Extension Requests
In the first instance, you should discuss your dissertation extension request with your dissertation supervisor. A standard dissertation extension request should be applied for via Canvas, within the Faculty. A dissertation extension request of more than 14 days, or 21 days for students with an ARUAA, but no more than 3 months, should be ...
Can one's PhD work be an extension of their Masters research?
It makes sense when the PhD is somehow an extension of the Master thesis, that is, the Master thesis is used to study a particular aspect of the PhD research problem. That being said, the better for you is probably to check some PhD dissertations coming from your department, and check the intersection with the corresponding Master thesis. Share.
How to Ask for an Extension on a Paper
Check Circle. Reach out via email with a specific request. Check Circle. Ask for a shorter extension if possible. Check Circle. Demonstrate your commitment to the class. Be sure to show your professor that you aren't asking for an extension simply because you ran out of time — even if that's partly true.
Extension to dissertation submission deadline
If it is your first attempt at the dissertation, you will have the right to re-submit to a deadline agreed by the School, and your dissertation mark will then be capped at 50% for the purposes of classifying your final degree classification. If it is your second attempt at the dissertation, the Board of Examiners will make a recommendation ...
Extending your submission date
Extension due to disability: If you will be unable to submit your thesis by your submission deadline for disability-related reasons, you may apply, in advance, for an extension. You may find it helpful to discuss the timing of this and the impact of your disability on your academic work, with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre ...
Extension as a route in replication-based dissertations
Before we discuss the different types of extension that you can follow in your replication-based dissertation, it is important that you have a very basic understanding of constructs and variables. This is because (a) quantitative research involves the study of constructs and the measurement of variables, (b) the original study you choose to ...
About Thesis and Dissertation Extension
The first step you need to take in order to get dissertation/thesis extension is to tell your thesis or dissertation advisor about the problem. Your advisor should send a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies. This letter should include the following information: Current status of your dissertation/thesis.
Submission date and extension of time
You are expected to submit your thesis within 12 terms of starting your course. You will lose your DPhil status if you have failed to complete your thesis within 12 terms of being admitted as a research student, and will no longer be registered as a student of the University. Extension of time: MLitt and MSc by Research students. You are ...
Dissertation Writing and Filing
Filing your doctoral dissertation at the Graduate Division is one of the final steps leading to the award of your graduate degree. Your manuscript is a scholarly presentation of the results of the research you conducted. UC Berkeley upholds the tradition that you have an obligation to make your research available to other scholars.
The Thesis Process
The Thesis Process. The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results.
Doctoral Students
All completion items are expected to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. of the Degree Completion Deadline. If you need an extension to submit your dissertation and forms after the posted deadline, see instructions below. Guidelines, Checklist and Templates. Read this document, "Submitting Your Thesis or Dissertation.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Thesis
The official due date for your thesis is the final day of the semester in which you will be graduating. If you need any extension beyond this date, you must first get the approval of your thesis supervisor and your Honors advisor. Two-week extensions only require the approval of your thesis supervisor and your Honors advisor.
Applying for an extension
Retrospective requests for extension will only be considered in very exceptional circumstances. Students who do not submit their thesis by the end of their extension period (or do not apply for a further period of extension) will be contacted by Student Records Management in due course and, if no submission is forthcoming, steps will be taken ...
Extensions
You can apply for an extension if you experience a change to your circumstances that means you require additional time on your programme or to arrange submission of your thesis or dissertation. Before applying for an extension, you should discuss your situation with the Doctoral Academy. This will help you determine if an extension is the most ...
Reasons for requesting an extension
Poor time-management; Proximity to other assessments; Lack of awareness of dates or times of assessment submission; Failure, loss or theft of data, a computer or other equipment; Commitments to paid or voluntary employment. Where a student has good reason for requiring a coursework extension of more than seven calendar days, the student should ...
Extensions Procedure for Postgraduate Research Students March 2021
research student can apply for an extension to their degree programme, an extension to the submission pending period or an extension to the resubmission period. 2. Extensions to a Degree Programme a. Both full and part-time PGRs can submit a request for an extension to degree programme within 6 months of their programme end date. b.
Dissertations, Doctoral Projects, and Theses: Embargoes
If you are concerned that the availability of your dissertation in an open access repository will negatively affect your future publication prospects, you may find our Revising Your Dissertation for Publication page and the articles below of interest. Cohen, Philip N. "Sociologists: Don't Embargo your Dissertation." Family Inequality. 2021.
Late submission of coursework
You can only request an extension before the current deadline for your dissertation and should speak to your supervisor as soon as you begin to have concerns about the deadline. Informal extensions. ... If you submit your dissertation before the extended deadline, your results will still go to the next Board of Examiners based on the extension ...
Dissertation extension ideas?
21. Sorry but if you have had a year to do it and don't have actual mitigating circumstances, you don't need an extension. Reply 2. 5 years ago. A. Axiomasher. 16. Original post by Anonymous. I need good ideas on what excuse i should use to get an extension come on TSR's i know you've got some good ones up your sleeve!
Haven't filed your taxes yet? Here's how to get an extension from the
For instance, if you file an extension and owe the IRS but don't pay by April 15, you'll face the penalty. The IRS charges 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month, with a cap of 25% of the unpaid ...
IRS.gov offers last-minute filing tips, resources to help taxpayers who
For taxpayers who need an extension of time to file their taxes, there are several options to get an automatic extension through Oct. 15. Although an extension grants extra time to file, it does not extend the obligation to pay taxes due on April 15, 2024. To avoid penalties and late fees, taxpayers who owe should pay either their full tax bill ...
Tax return extensions: Why you should (or shouldn't) do it and ...
You can request an extension through the IRS, which is free. You'll need basic information, like your name, address, Social Security number, estimated tax liability, and payment if you owe anything.
How to file an extension if you can't finish your tax return by the
No matter your income, you can use IRS Free File to electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension, the IRS said. It will give you until Oct. 15 to file the return.
Taxpayers: Remember, an extension to file is not an extension to pay
IRS Tax Tip 2024-30, April 9, 2024. Taxpayers who can't file by the deadline of April 15, 2024, should request an extension before that deadline. Remember, however, that an extension to file is not an extension to pay taxes.If they owe taxes, they should pay them before the due date to avoid potential penalties and interest on the amount owed.. Taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts have until ...
How to get an extension on filing your taxes before April 15 deadline
Tax returns can still be filed after April 15 without filing for an extension, but you may be subject to a penalty if you owe taxes. New baseball eats: The best and worst new food at the Phillies ...
How to file an extension for your 2023 income tax return
Filing an extension gives you extra time to e-file the return. You'd also avoid one penalty, the "failure to file" penalty, which is 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a ...

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