Leave of Absence

Guidelines for a Leave of Absence

An approved Leave of Absence allows you to take a temporary break from graduate study and enrollment requirements while remaining in good standing with the University and your department. Leaves can last anywhere from one to three semesters (including the summer session).  Time during an approved leave does not count toward your time to degree and you do not have to reapply to the program when you returns. It is expected that you are temporarily ceasing work toward the degree and are in no way utilizing University resources during the period of leave. 

You must petition for a Leave of Absence, but leaves may be granted for a variety of reasons, including illness, emergency, family responsibilities, financial hardship, military deployment, or full-time activities related to long-range professional goals.

In order for a Leave of Absence to be approved, you must be withdrawn from all active and/or future enrollment. Withdrawal for the purposes of Leave of Absence is still subject to all Registrar deadlines, required forms, and applicable tuition and campus fees. 

You are automatically reactivated after you leave is over and are eligible to enroll for your intended semester back during the normal enrollment periods. See the KU Academic Calendar for exact dates that the enrollment periods begin.

If at any time plans change and you wish to return and enroll before the leave was supposed to end, you may contact your department to be reactivated early. 

If you are uncertain about your desire to return to the program, or if you are seeking to leave the program for longer periods of time, you may instead opt to voluntarily discontinue from the program. In such case, you may reapply for the program at a future date, should you decide to return.  In every case, you should discuss your options with your Graduate Coordinator.

Please reference Graduate Studies' Leave of Absence policy for more information.