Academic Services

How to Apply for a Leave of Absence

Leave may be granted only to students in good standing. Students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 or with excessive units of unfinished coursework must correct these deficiencies to be eligible for most types of leave. Leave is normally granted one quarter at a time (except for Research Leave Request), up to a maximum of three quarters of leave during a student's graduate career.

To apply for a Leave of Absence you must first download a Leave of Absence Request Form. There is a $20.00 petition fee that goes along with the Leave Request that must be paid at the Cashier's Office before being submitted to the Graduate Division.

Please mark down what type of Leave you are applying for and attach to the Petition the correct documentation required for your request.

Types of documentation needed:

• Medical/Health Leave: A doctor's note
• Pregnancy/Parenting Leave: Either a doctor's note, verification of birth, or verification for adoption from the adoption agency
• Family Emergency Leave: Written Explanation of the circumstances behind the request.
• Military Service: Documentation from the student's government

Both Research and Filing Quarter Leave Requests require the student's Research Advisor's signature. For a Research Leave request, the advisor must verify the academic purpose of the research leave and for how long. For the Filing Quarter Leave request, the advisor must verify that the student will finish during that quarter of leave.

All Leave Petitions must be signed the your Departmental Graduate Advisor. If you are an international student, OISS will also need to approve the petition.

After obtaining the appropriate signatures, return the petition to Graduate Division. The petition will be reviewed to ensure your request is acceptable under the Leave of Absence policy. Leave may be granted only to students in good academic standing. Students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 or with excessive units of unfinished coursework must correct these deficiencies to be eligible for most types of leave.

If approved, you will receive an email verification from the Graduate Division to your UMAIL account. If we have questions concerning your request, we will contact you for clarification.

Notes:

• A leave of absence is approved for a set period of time only. It is not necessary for students to notify the Graduate Division when they wish to return from an approved leave. The Registrar's Office will automatically assess fees and create a quarter of registration for the quarter immediately following an approved leave of absence. Students on an approved leave of absence during spring quarter and wishing to register in the Summer Session may do so by enrolling through Summer Sessions directly.
• When students take an approved leave of absence for medical, family emergency, military service, or pregnancy/parenting reasons, Graduate Division will extend the student's time limit for advancement to doctoral candidacy and for completion of the master's and/or doctorate by one quarter at a time up to a maximum of three quarters leave.