The graduate school expects students who enter the Master's program to complete their work for the degree within five years of when they entered. Getting an official leave of absence approved by the Graduate Program Director and submitted to the Graduate Admissions and Records office has the effect of stopping the clock on the official time limits (as noted above, students with a leave of absence still must submit the program fee form and pay the program fee to maintain active status).
Students who have not finished the program by the fifth year will be notified by the graduate school that they are facing the official time limit. Ordinarily, in order to have time limits approved, students must have an approved final project proposal on file, be in touch with an advisor and working actively on a final project.
To gain additional time in which
to finish work for the degree, students must write a letter to the Graduate
Program Director outlining a plan for finishing, estimating the additional amount
of time they will require, and resting a extension of the time limit. If approved
by the Graduate Program Director, the Graduate Program Director will submit
this letter and plan with a required form to the Graduate Admissions and Records,
who will then notify students if the time limit extension has been approved.
Given legitimate needs for extension, and with the approval of the Graduate
Program Director, the Graduate School has been generally willing to extend time
limits up to an additional two years.