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This guidance explains how to register for completing research status if you are ready to write up your thesis or apply for an extension to your existing CRS.
If you are eligible you may register as a completing research status (CRS) student while you write up your thesis. You will only be permitted to move to CRS status with the approval of your supervisor or other departmental authority. If you have already been granted completing research status you may apply for an extension under certain circumstances.
If you do not submit your thesis before the end of your CRS period your registration as a student will be closed. It is therefore essential that you do not take up CRS unless you are ready to write up your thesis and are confident that you will meet the deadline.
Automatic Covid-19 Extension
If you were registered on (or before) the 27 September 2020 you will automatically be given 18 months (FT) or 36 months (PT) of CRS. Please note, this extension will not show in your Portico record until you are moved to CRS.
Eligibility
To register for CRS you must:
- met the minimum period of enrolment as indicated in the academic regulations
- have upgraded to PhD status (in the case of the MPhil/PhD programme) or have confirmed you are entering for an MPhil only
- be in a position to submit your thesis within 12 months (for full-time students) and 24 months (for part-time students)
- be eligible under the rules of your funding body, as advised by your departmental research administrator or DTC/CDT administrator
- have met any other departmental or divisional conditions
While on CRS you will have continued access to UCL facilities and are not required to pay fees.
You must read the Academic Regulations and the Code of Practice for Graduate Students before applying for CRS status.
Read the Code of Practice for Graduate Research Degrees
How to apply for CRS
Please contact your Departmental Research Administrator to check on your eligibility. They will then contact the Research Degrees team to confirm the date your CRS is authorised to start
Extension to CRS status
We understand that you may experience unexpected difficulties during your CRS period. You may apply for an extension to the completing research status (CRS) in exceptional circumstances. You must read the Academic Regulations before applying for an extension to CRS.
You will need to log in to Portico to apply for a CRS extension. You should do this before the expiry or your CRS period.
You will find the task in the 'My Studies' section of your Portico page, under the 'Research Student Administration' container. A user guide is available with step-by-step instructions for submitting an application.
Once you have completed the online task your application will pass to your supervisor and then to your Departmental Graduate Tutor for consideration.
You will receive an email to confirm the outcome of your application.
You may also need to apply to your funding body for an extension. Please seek further advice from your Departmental Research Administrator if you think this is the case.
Many of the funding bodies apply sanctions to the department if students do not submit their thesis within 4 years from the start of registration. You should discuss this with both your supervisor and your Departmental Graduate Tutor before submitting this application.
If you have any queries about the task, please log in to AskUCL and search the FAQs or raise a ticket.
