Leave of Absence
Graduate students are required to be continuously registered while pursuing their degree program. If you require a break from study, you may request a Leave of Absence (LOA) by submitting a Leave of Absence (LOA) Form to your department. Your request must be approved by both your department and the Associate Dean; if it is approved the CCAS Office of Graduate Studies will inform you and submit the required registration paperwork to the Office of the Registrar.
You will not have access to University facilities or resources, including the library and the faculty, during a LOA.
No more than two semesters of LOA are allowed over the total period of enrollment in the program. Exceptions are made for military service. A LOA will only be approved for family and medical emergencies, and not for reasons such as increased work commitments and overseas travel.
You are not required to pay any tuition while on LOA.
Continuous Enrollment vs Leave of Absence
It is important to note the differences between Continuous Enrollment (CE) and a Leave of Absence (LOA).
- CE implies that you are still studying and making progress towards your degree completion, while LOA means that you are not studying at all and are taking a "leave".
- Semesters of CE count towards your time to degree completion, while semesters of LOA do not count towards your time to degree completion.
- You are an "active" student while enrolled in CE, so you can access the library, gym, receive student loan deferrals, etc. You are an "inactive" student while on LOA, so you may not access the library or gym, and you may be required to start paying back your student loans.