Concessions for Research Students
Concessions are variations to your degree progression such as an authorised interruption of study or concessions for exceptional circumstances. Staff requiring guidance on how to submit a PG concession request for a student please contact your school postgraduate office.
Authorised Interruption of Studies
A student may apply for an Interruption of Study and it may be authorised by the College if there is a good reason for approving the interruption. Students must provide evidence to support their applications. Interruptions of study may not be applied retrospectively. Any one period of authorised interruption of study will not exceed one year, unless authorised by the College. The total period of authorised interruption of study is the same for full-time and part-time students and will not exceed 100% of the prescribed period of full-time study. To start the process of applying for an interruption you should begin by discussing it with your supervisor and then submitting a completed student interruption application form.
It is expected during an interruption that you are not able to work on your research or thesis at all. Interruptions cannot be used in place of extensions to grant more time.
Please ensure you keep your Supervisors fully informed of any significant impact or disruption on your research. Interruption requests cannot be retrospective so must be submitted in the same month!
If you are not a Home student there could also be visa implications if the interruption exceeds 60 days. The 60 day rule relates to interruptions of study not days out of the UK. Therefore, if a student does require an Interruption over this limit the usual Concession application process should be followed but please contact Student Immigration Service before applying to check the impact on your current visa.
Extensions for PGR students
Extensions for research students may be granted only where significant, unforeseeable circumstances have prevented you from completing your research and writing of your thesis by your final submission date (including submission period). These circumstances may include long-term illness (where an interruption or part-time study would not be more suitable), unforeseeable disruptions to your research timetable (such as availability of interviewees) or unforeseeable loss of access to facilities and resources (such as an archive becoming unexpectedly inaccessible).
We are also aware COVID may have had an adverse affect on your studies and you may require a period of extension - please ensure you have notified your Supervisors and keep them fully informed of the impact of this disruption on your research. This disruption must be recorded in previous engagements otherwise an extension may not be supported.
Leave of Absence Guidance for PGR Students - Permission to be off campus
Students who are not on distance learning programmes will normally carry out their research in or near the University. At times, however, it may be desirable or necessary for students to conduct some of their research elsewhere.
** UPDATED INFORMATION**
With effect from September 2021 students are expected to return to Edinburgh therefore, following DRPS (Reg 30), all students will require a Leave of Absence for study away from Edinburgh.
Other Concessions
A concession is required where an exemption from a University regulation or policy is needed, for example, if you wanted to submit your thesis significantly earlier than the standard submission date, or if you were going to exceed the standard 100,000 word limit for a doctoral thesis (some programmes have different requirements - please check DRPS). These are applied for the same way - through your supervisor or postgraduate director. If you are unsure whether a concession might be needed, your supervisor or Graduate School office should be able to provide advice. Please note all content except material in the appendices, bibliography, abstract or lay summary is included in the word count.
Concessions and student funding
If you receive funding for your studies, be sure to notify the relevant offices of your plans so that future payments can be suspended or adjusted.
Information about concessions for AHRC funded students
Information about concessions for ESRC funded students
For those students from the United States utilizing student loan funds it is recommended you contact Scholarships and Student Funding to discuss your plans and avoid any pitfalls with your funding eligibility.