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Leave of Absence Request

Students who cannot continue in the Continuous Enrollment phase of the Ph.D. program due to extenuating circumstances may request a Leave of Absence from his or her doctoral studies. (Continuous Enrollment refers to students in the Qualifying Paper, Proposal, and Dissertation stages of the program.) LOAs are approved on a session-to-session basis for up to a maximum overall leave period of one year. While there are many situations upon which a leave can be requested, such as the birth or adoption of a child or a serious medical condition, a leave will not be granted with the sole reason of financial hardship. Verification of circumstances should be included as part of the leave request.

The student is not permitted to utilize university resources, work with his or her committee, conduct any material work on the Qualifying Paper, Proposal, or Dissertation, or collect any data during leave. He or she may not use the services of faculty or administrative staff except for planning the transition back to registered status.

Any time spent on approved leave will not count toward the student’s six year completion deadline, and his or her deadline will be updated accordingly.

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  • Note that a Leave of Absence cannot exceed one year. Check the Ph.D. Academic Calendar for this year’s schedule.
  • Note that a Leave of Absence cannot exceed one year. Check the Ph.D. Academic Calendar for this year’s schedule.
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 25 MB.
      Depending on the nature of your extenuating circumstances, please provide documentation and/or verification. Examples might include an obituary, a general letter of verification from attending physician or therapist, a birth announcement, or a verification of military orders.
      The approval of a Leave of Absence does not excuse a student from past or current financial obligations to the university. However, students will not be charged tuition for semesters that fall within the approved leave time. A LOA may affect the student’s ability to receive financial aid or loans and/or to defer payments on loans. If leave is approved, students should contact the Financial Aid Office if they have questions regarding their financial aid or loan status.
    • By entering your first and last name, you confirm that the information you have entered is accurate.
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