Program Extension Information for Faculty and Staff

International students who are in the United States for the primary purpose of studying are expected to complete their degree within the average length of time for their particular program. ISSS does not set the average length of time; this is set by the programs themselves and communicated to the admissions office for that program. The international student is issued a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20/DS-2019) to support their visa, and this document contains the expected start and end date for that student's program. If an international student needs more time to complete their degree, they will need to apply for a program extension before the end date of their Certificate of Eligibility.

In order to apply for a program extension, the student will need to submit a Program Extension request in their MyISSS portal that requires their academic department’s approval. The department faculty or staff will receive an email with a link to complete the electronic approval form. When completing the form, the approver should be specific about the reason for the student’s delay in completion of their studies

ISSS treats all program extensions on a case-by-case basis. Since the university sets the length of time for the student's program of study, there should be very few students who need program extensions. Under reasonable circumstances, and even with minor set-backs, students should be able to complete their program in the time provided.