Key points at a glance
- Identify the current regulation and decision maker promptly.
- Submit the required reason and evidence through the official channel.
- Continue to plan around the existing deadline until a decision is confirmed.
Find the rule and responsible office
Read the provisions on thesis duration, withdrawal and extension in your current examination regulations. The examination office, board or another body may decide. A supervisor may support your request but may not have the authority to change the deadline.
Gather relevant evidence
Explain what affected the work and when, using facts you can support. Provide the documents required by the procedure without disclosing unnecessary private detail. Illness, technical failure and other events may be treated differently; do not assume one generic rule applies to all.
Use the formal application channel
Submit the correct form or portal request within any specified period. If a supporting document is not yet available, ask the office immediately whether the issue can be reported first and the evidence supplied later. An informal message to an academic may not count as an application.
Save the decision and revised date
Keep proof of submission and the written decision. Until the responsible office confirms a change, organise your work around the existing deadline unless instructed otherwise. If approved, record the new date and update editing, PDF preparation and any print-delivery schedule.
Final submission context
Formal details can feel like a separate writing task, but they matter just as much for a printed submission. Anything missing, misplaced or inconsistently formatted in the document will also appear in the bound copy.
Use this guide together with your cover page, table of contents, page numbers, source notes and appendices. Prepare the final PDF for printing and binding only after the complete file has been checked.
Practical check before PDF export
- Do headings, chapter structure and page numbers match?
- Are sources, figures and tables included completely?
- Are required elements such as declarations, appendices or the cover page included where required?
- Did you open and check the final PDF after exporting it?
Checklist
- Located the current rule and authority.
- Clarified the necessary evidence.
- Filed the formal request on time.
- Saved the written outcome and deadline.
Common mistakes
- Relying only on a verbal conversation.
- Assuming approval before receiving it.
- Copying another programme’s evidence rules.
Prepare the finished thesis for submission
Once the content and university requirements are checked, review your PDF and the available printing and binding options.
Review printing optionsRelated content
Explore related guidance on thesis structure, sources, formatting and final submission.
Frequently asked questions
Am I automatically entitled to an extension?
No universal answer applies; your regulations and circumstances govern the decision.
Is emailing my supervisor enough?
It may not be. Confirm the formal process with the responsible office.
Should I keep working while waiting?
Plan against the current deadline until an authoritative change is confirmed.