Jump to the following sections on this page to learn more about requesting extensions in your graduate programs or coursework deadlines:
Departmental Policy on Coursework Extensions (PHL courses only)
- A departmental extension should be requested in case a student is unable to complete coursework by the instructor’s final deadline. The instructor must set a final deadline that will permit him or her to submit final grades by the Associate Chair, Graduate’s departmental grade submission deadline. This deadline is always several days before the SGS grades submission deadline. Thus, coursework deadline extensions require both the approval of the instructor and the Associate Chair, Graduate.
- Students may take no more than one departmental coursework deadline extension per term in the absence of significant and documented extenuating circumstances.
- The maximum departmental deadline extension will be for one month after the SGS grades submission deadline for the relevant term. For example, if fall grades are due to SGS by Jan 13, the maximum departmental extension of time to submit fall coursework will be Feb 13. The instructor may set an earlier date as he or she sees fit.
- Work submitted after the departmental deadline will receive a grade reduction of one increment (A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.) for each week (or portion thereof) past the deadline.
- Work submitted late without a departmental extension (i.e., work submitted after the instructor’s deadline in a course for which the student has not been granted a departmental extension) will receive a grade reduction of one increment (A, A-, B+, B, B-) for each week (or portion thereof) past the instructor’s deadline.
Please note that you must submit both the SGS Extension Request Form (PDF) and the Philosophy Department’s Course Extension Request Form to the Graduate Administrator.
It is the responsibility of students taking courses in other departments to inquire about those departments’ policies around extensions.
Program Extensions
The time limit for the four-year program is 6 years, and for the five-year program it is 7 years. This means that students in the four-year program must submit the final version of their thesis after the defense by August 31 of academic year 6, and students in the five-year program by August 31 of academic year 7.
A student who is unable to meet this submission deadline must submit the SGS Program Extension form to the Graduate Coordinator (Director of Graduate Studies) before August 31.
Extensions can be granted either for a full year or for part of a year; but it is recommended that first extensions be for a full year.
Doctoral students may apply for a maximum of four one-year extensions. The first two extension requests require the approval of the graduate unit; the second two require the approval of both the graduate unit and SGS. No registration beyond the four-year extension period will be permitted.
Tuition charged during this extension period will be calculated at the rate of 50% of the annual fee, for both domestic and international students (plus full incidental fees). In addition, tuition for the final extension year in which a student defends their thesis (Final-Year Fees) will be prorated by month, to cover only the months the student is registered before submitting the final version of their thesis after the defense (the cut off for paying tuition for a given month is the 15th of that month). The tuition amount per month is calculated by dividing the domestic tuition fee for the full year by 12. The student must pay full incidental fees for the term in which they defend.
PhD students who do not register after the time limit and who request an extension later, but within the four-year extension period, may be approved for extension. Students receiving approved extensions under these circumstances are subject to fee payment for extension years in which they did not register in addition to fees for the approved extension year.
Program Extension forms are available on the SGS Student Services website: