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Overtime (writing-up) period

The overtime period (commonly referred to as writing-up) is the period when you are expected to focus solely on completing your thesis – no new research should be conducted during this time. 

Your offer letter and GRAD record will specify two key dates: 

  • The end of your standard period of study 
  • The maximum time limit for submission 

The overtime period begins after the end of your standard period of study and lasts until the final submission deadline. 

Masters by Research students and visiting researchers are not eligible for overtime. 

Overtime duration

  • Full-time PGRs: typically 1 year of overtime (12 months). 
  • Part-time and split-site PGRs: typically 2 years (24 months) for PGRs on 0.5 or 0.6 FTE programmes. PGRs on 0.75 FTE programmes have 1 year of overtime (12 months). 

Overtime fee

You are still expected to complete registration for your overtime period as you would normally, and there is a reduced fee to pay which is non-refundable and changes annually.

The current overtime registration fee amount is published on the Research degrees fees webpage. 

The fee is charged on the anniversary of your start date as part of annual re-registration. 

You do not need to register or pay the overtime fee if: 

  • You submit your thesis before the end of your standard study period, or 
  • You submit within one month of the start of your overtime period. 

Suspension of studies and overtime fee timing 

If you’ve had a suspension of studies during your research degree, your re-registration date may not align with the actual start of your overtime period. 

The overtime fee will still be applied based on the anniversary of your start date, which could be months before your writing-up period begins. 

You are eligible for a refund if you have had a suspension of your studies, already paid the overtime fee but submit your thesis either: 

  • before the end of your standard study period, or 
  • within one month of the start of the overtime period.

To request a refund, email the Postgraduate Fees Team at pgfees@leeds.ac.uk. 

Studies