In certain cases, students may be permitted to take a temporary Approved Leave of Absence. Three types of temporary leave exist at the graduate level: medical, military, and personal.
A Medical Leave of Absence is defined as a leave that is granted based upon a recommendation from a licensed healthcare provider who is not a close family member (e.g., parent). Students may request a Medical Leave of Absence by submitting to the academic dean, or his or her designee, a written request accompanied by a corroborating recommendation from said healthcare provider. An initial Medical Leave of Absence may be granted for up to one academic year. A student may request one-semester additions by supplying authorized corroboation. Students who are registered at the time they seek a Medical Leave of Absence may also seek a Medical Withdrawal and should consult the Catalog of Graduate and Professional Programs for the required procedure. Graduate students who are covered under the University's medical insurance plan must consult with the insurance provider to determine remaining semesters of eligibility while on Medical Leave.
A Military Leave of Absence is defined as a leave that is granted based upon a student's call to duty or training in the Armed Services or a Reserve Component. Students who are called to active duty or training of any type, whether voluntary or involuntary, may request a Military Leave of Absence by submitting to the dean, or his or her designee, a written request along with copies of official military orders. Students who are registered at the time they seek a Military Leave of Absence should consult the Catalog of Graduate and Professional Programs for the required procedure to file a Notice of Complete Withdrawal for the term. Requests for a Military Withdrawal should be filed prior to departure but must be filed no later than 60 days following the termination of military orders. Spouses of service members called to active duty may also request a Military Leave of Absence and should follow the same procedure to request the leave.
A Personal Leave of Absence is defined as a leave that is granted based upon considerations other than medical reasons or military service. Requests for Personal Leaves of Absence are submitted to the relevant or designated school committee or office, which forwards a recommendation to the school's academic dean. The dean makes the decision about the leave and his/her decision is final. A maximum of three semesters of Personal Leave may be granted. Students should request a Personal Leave at the time when it is determined the leave is needed, since it will not be granted retroactively. Students who are registered at the time they seek a Personal Leave of Absence should consult the Catalog of Graduate and Professional Programs for the required procedure to file a Notice of Complete Withdrawal for the term.
Approved Leaves of Absence do not count toward a student's Statute of Limitations. Students granted an Approved Leave of Absence will have their time-to-degree extended by the amount of time granted by the leave. However, a Personal Leave of Absence will not be granted for the sole purpose of extending a student's Statute of Limitations.
Readmission of a student following an Approved Leave of Absence is granted automatically if the student was in good standing when the leave was granted.
During an Approved Leave of Absence, students are not enrolled nor do they have "active student" status. Students taking an Approved Leave of Absence should make every effort to resolve any grades of incomplete that are due to convert to failing grades prior to beginning the leave or should negotiate with the course instructor(s) a time line for the completion of remaining work. Any extensions of the I-to-F deadline must be approved by the course instructor(s) and communicated to the University Registrar.
International students should consult with the Center for Global Engagement before
requesting an Approved Leave of Absence, since visa status and other related issues
could be affected.
Stipends, grants, financial aid, insurance and/or other funding may be impacted by federal law and/or university policy when taking an Approved Leave of Absence and should be investigated prior to leave.