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Graduate students to request time off from their academic studies for necessary medical care for a physical or emotional/psychological illness, to care for a family member, bereavement for an immediate family member, or other reason supported by official documentation and approved by the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning.
Students who find it necessary to take a temporary break in their academic studies for a documented reason can request a Leave of Absence by petition through their Program Coordinator. The student must provide appropriate documentation to accompany the request. Once a student receives approval for the leave of absence from the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning, their time-to-degree will be suspended until they return to their program. Leaves of absence can be granted for up to one year at a time. If additional time is needed, it must be requested prior to the end of the approved leave.
Please note, the student is responsible for notifying the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning prior to the expiration of their leave if they plan to return or extend their leave. Failure to do so will result in the hold on their time-to-degree limit being lifted and resumed.
Graduate students are not required to register for courses, thesis/dissertation credit, or extended thesis/dissertation credits during the established period of the leave of absence. All current university policies will be enforced regarding university total withdrawal as it relates to tuition and fee billing, financial aid, etc. Retroactive leave requests are not allowed and will not be considered.
Medical Leave of Absence
A Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) allows a graduate student to request time off and/or withdraw from all courses in which they are currently enrolled in order to receive necessary medical care for a physical or emotional/psychological illness. Supporting medical documentation is required from a medical or mental health provider, indicating the anticipated amount of time off and date of return. This information should be provided to the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning.
Family Leave of Absence
Family Leave of Absence (FLOA) allows a graduate student to request time off or withdraw from all courses in which they are currently enrolled in order to provide care and support for a family member. Supporting documentation is required from the family member’s care provider, indicating the anticipated amount of time off and date of return. In the case of the bereavement time for a spouse or child, documentation that verifies the death (e.g., a funeral program, death notice, obituary, etc.) and the nature of the student’s relationship to the deceased will be required. This information should be provided to the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning.
Other types of leaves of absence
A graduate student can request tim eoff and/or withdraw from all courses in which they are currently enrolled for a reason accompanied by official documentation and approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning.
Process to request a leave of absence
Graduate students needing to request a leave of absence must do so through their Program Coordinator. The student must communicate with the Program Coordinator the reason for the request, the anticipated amount of time off, and the plan for return. The Program Coordinator must notify the Office of the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning in writing that the student is requesting a leave of absence, including the anticipated period of time away from their studies, and that they support the leave request. Once the leave request and accompanying documentation are received and reviewed by the Assistant/Associate Provost of Graduate Education and Academic Planning, the student will receive official notification of the decision from the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning.
The student is responsible for notifying the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning prior to the expiration of their leave if they plan to return or extend their leave and for how long. Updated medical documentation from the care provider is required. Failure to notify the Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning after the expiration of the anticipated return date will result in the hold on the student’s time-to-degree limit being lifted and resumed.
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