The College requirement is that full-time students will have completed within a maximum period of 4 years (7 years in the case of part-time students).

It is expected that many students will have completed within three years, which is the period of study recommended and financed by the various funding bodies. In the case of those students who do not complete within three years, the category of 'writing-up' becomes relevant. Once you have completed at least 36 months of full-time research, and completed all the collection of data and other materials related to your thesis, are wholly engaged in the analysis, interpretation and presentation of the material, you may request permission from the Research Policy Committee to transfer to ‘writing-up status’. This implies:

• that you will in future make minimal use of departmental facilities, apart from occasional contacts with your supervisor for the purposes of comment on draft chapters of the thesis;

• that, as regulations currently stand, you will not have to pay tuition fees;

• that you will submit the thesis within an overall maximum period of registration of 4 calendar years (7 years part-time).

Whilst you are 'writing-up' you will continue to enrol and be subject to regular progress reviews by your department.

If you wish to request a transfer to writing-up status, you will need to complete a transfer request form, which must be approved by your supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies prior to obtaining College approval.

If you have not submitted your thesis after 12 months of writing-up the Dean of Research will consider your case and, unless there is clear evidence that your thesis is to be submitted in the immediate future, your registration will be terminated. The College will impose a submission charge of £250, for all theses submitted after the 12-month writing-up period.