Students are responsible for knowing their time limits:

6.8 Requirements for Graduate Certificates
- Six (6) calendar years from admit term.
6.9 Requirements for Master's Degrees
- Six (6) calendar years from admit term.
6.10 Requirements for Doctoral Degrees
- Six (6) calendar years from admit term to advance to candidacy.
- Nine (9) calendar years from admit term to confer.

Students wishing to request an extension have until the last day of class of their time limit term to submit a Time Limit Exception Request. Students who fail to submit a time limit exception request before the last day of class of their time limit term, will be terminated by the College of Engineering and Computing Office of Graduate Studies (CECGS). After termination, there are no further opportunities to appeal.

Initial Appeals: CECGS has the ability to provide an initial one-time, one-year, time limit extension. Student's must submit the Time Limit Extension form available from the Registrar's website to initiate a request. CEC evaluation of initial exception requests will be based on:

Extenuating circumstances
Advisor, Dissertation/Thesis Chair and/or Program Director support
Feasibility of proposed completion timeline
Academic Record
Approved Leaves of Absence (AP.6.4.5., AP.6.4.6., AP.6.4.7.)

If a student’s initial time limit exception request is approved by CECGS:

The student will be notified and their time limit term updated accordingly.
Students must adhere to their revised time limit term.

If a student’s initial time limit exception request is denied by CECGS:

The student has an opportunity to appeal to the Graduate Division. Please consult the Graduate Education website for specific information.
If a student appeals to the Graduate Division, the decision of the Senior Associate Provost for Graduate Education is final.
An unsuccessful exception request results in termination.

Subsequent Appeals: Students who have been granted an initial time limit exception by CECGS may request subsequent exceptions. However, subsequent time limit extension requests require substantially higher levels of scrutiny, including additional levels of approval, documentation, and an extraordinary rationale. Student's must submit the Time Limit Extension form available from the Registrar's website to initiate a request. CEC evaluation of subsequent exception requests will be based on:

Any/all previously approved time limit exception requests
New, extraordinary extenuating circumstances, substantiated by student-provided documentation
Advisor, Dissertation/Thesis Chair and/or Program Director/Departmental Chair support with no overlap from their initial appeal letter
Feasibility of proposed completion timeline, which will be cross referenced with the initial appeal timeline
Academic Record
Approved Leaves of Absence (AP.6.4.5., AP.6.4.6., AP.6.4.7.)

If a student’s subsequent time limit exception request is approved by CECGS, the request will then be forwarded to the Graduate Division for a final decision.

If the Senior Associate Provost for Graduate Education approves a student’s time limit exception request:
- The student will be notified and their time limit term updated accordingly.
- Students must adhere to their revised time limit term.
If the Senior Associate Provost for Graduate Education denies a student’s time limit exception request:
- The student may appeal to the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee (GAAC). Please consult the Graduate Education website for specific information regarding appealing to GAAC.
- If the student appeals to the GAAC, the GAAC’s decision is
- An unsuccessful exception request results in termination.

If a student’s subsequent time limit exception request is denied by CECGS:

The student may appeal to the Graduate Division. Please consult the Graduate Education website for specific information.
If the student appeals to the Graduate Division, the decision of the Senior Associate Provost for Graduate Education is final.
- An unsuccessful exception request results in termination.