Program Extension Policy and Procedures

Program completion is expected within the Time Limits to Program Completion as set out in the Graduate Calendar section 13.  Extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances to master’s and PhD students upon request, review, and approval.  In all cases, extension requests must be initiated within the student’s home Department.  Departmental Administrators must submit the completed form to Graduate Studies for processing by emailing the Department-assigned Graduate Services Officer (GSO) or email: graduate.studies@carleton.ca.

*Note that an extension fee is associated with approved extension requests per the Student Accounts fee schedule.

Master’s Student Extensions

Requirements For an Approved Extension:

1. A completed request for an extension must be submitted to the student’s Department at least one month before the student’s deadline to complete their program.
2. All extension requests must be reviewed and approved by the Department before review by Graduate Studies.
3. Graduate Studies will consider extensions for multiple consecutive terms for full-time master’s students until the end of their third year.
4. Extension requests beyond three years will only be approved for one term at a time, with a research plan that includes specific and enforceable research goals within that term.
5. For consideration of any further extension requests into their third year and beyond, the student must have completed the specific milestones that were listed on the previous extension request (see 3).
   (a) If the student fails to meet these previous milestones, they will be put on academic probation and will need to meet with the Associate Vice-Provost (Graduate Student Affairs) and their supervisor to discuss their progress before a further extension request will be considered.
   (b) The second time a student fails to meet these specific milestones, they will be withdrawn from the program.

PhD Student Extensions

For full-time PhD students at Carleton University, applications for extensions are only required after 6 years of study. Given that this exceeds the student’s funded time-to-completion, extension requests will be carefully reviewed by both the departmental graduate program and Graduate Studies to ensure that the student has a detailed, feasible, and enforceable plan for completion in a timely manner. If this plan is not provided or adhered to, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Requirements For an Approved PhD Extension:

1. A PhD student must have completed all required program elements other than their thesis, including their proposal and/or comprehensive exam, to be considered for an extension. If a student has not completed these elements by the end of their sixth year they will be withdrawn from the PhD program. If this criteria is met, an extension request must be submitted at least one month before the student’s deadline to complete their program
2. Extension requests will only be approved for one term at a time. That said, the student’s extension request must include both:
   (a) A detailed and specific timeline including all milestones and deliverables up until the anticipated defense date. This plan should be feasible and enforceable and can be multiple terms in duration if needed.
   (b) The specific milestones and deliverables (e.g. – completion and/or revisions of specific research chapter drafts) that will be achieved within the requested one-term extension.
3. For consideration of any further extension requests, the student must have completed the specific milestones that were listed on the previous extension request (see 2b).
   (a) If the student fails to meet these previous milestones, they will be put on academic probation and will need to meet with the Associate Vice-Provost (Graduate Student Affairs) and their supervisor to discuss their progress before a further extension request will be considered.
   (b) The second time a student fails to meet these specific milestones, they will be withdrawn from the PhD program.