Leave of Absence and Withdrawal From the University
Students who wish to apply for a leave of absence must complete the Leave of Absence Request Form. Students should also contact ahd-dos@uchicago.eduand/or their department for questions/concerns.
The University policy can be found in the Student Manual. Leave of Absence status carries no tuition charges and confers no privileges such as registering for courses, accessing the libraries, borrowing money, deferring loans, access to health insurance or the Student Health and Counseling Service unless the student is on a medical or parental leave of absence. Access to University e-mail accounts is maintained in Leave of Absence status. Students who do not return from the Leave of Absence and enroll in courses by the add/drop deadline of their indicated return quarter as stated on their Leave of Absence Request Form will be withdrawn from the program.
A leave of absence is considered a temporary separation from the university. Students are therefore expected to focus on the purpose of their leave and are not expected to make academic progress during this time. Students who receive university funding while on a parental leave of absence are not permitted to hold an employment position at the university during their leave.
PhD programs at UChicago are full time commitments. Students are not permitted to enroll in additional degree programs at UChicago or other institutions while completing the PhD unless the additional degree is approved by the Dean of Students Office. Before a PhD student elects to enroll in another degree program that is not part of an approved joint degree, the student must inform their program of this intent and apply for a curricular leave of absence.
Please Note: For information on grading, financial responsibilities, and other considerations associated with a Leave of Absence, please review the attached document. For PhD students who matriculated post Summer 2016, all leaves stop the registration clock. For other students, we request that you contact the Dean of Students Office for information on how the leave request impacts registration clock and other milestone extensions.
Please Note: Any graduate student can also be administratively placed on a leave of absence. An administrative leave of absence will be applied to graduate students who are restricted from registering, and who do not clear their restrictions by the end of the third week of the quarter. Note that if a student has a hold placed on their account after the week of registration and is already registered for classes, they will be allowed to remain in the next quarter's coursework, however should work to resolve the hold as quickly as possible.
Pregnant students with a documented medical necessity have the option to request academic modifications for up to the equivalent of one quarter. In addition to requesting academic modifications during pregnancy, students may also request academic modifications for up to the equivalent of one quarter to care for a new child. Students in degree-granting graduate programs may also request a one-quarter extension for department, program, and university milestones and requirements due to pregnancy or the demands of parenting a new child, regardless of whether they receive academic modifications or take a parental leave of absence. The details of a particular student's academic modifications will vary and should be arranged in consultation with the Dean of Students' Office and the student's graduate program.
Students requesting parental relief should consult with their department chair and/or Director of Graduate Studies first. Once that occurs, students need to communicate with the Assistant Dean of Students in the Arts & Humanities Dean of Students Office at ahd-dos@uchicago.edu to inform them of their plans. Students then need to complete this written and signed agreement documenting the requested parental relief modifications and/or extensions. After the agreement is signed by all relevant parties, students should submit it to the Dean of Students Office via Parental Relief Request Form. Students should also upload a letter from a healthcare provider as supporting documentation.
Please note parental relief modification requests are different than a leave of absence. Pregnant graduate students with a documented medical necessity may choose to take a one-quarter leave of absence while pregnant, and students who become parents during their graduate studies may choose to take another one-quarter leave of absence to care for a new child within twelve months of the birth, adoption, or placement.
Parental relief milestone extensions and academic modifications do not extend a student's eligibility for full-time status beyond the maximum number of years they are permitted to enroll, regardless of when a student matriculated.
Students can read more about parental relief modifications and parental leaves of absence in the University’s Graduate Student Parent Policy.
Arts & Humanities students who wish to voluntarily withdraw from their program should complete a Withdrawal Form. All withdrawals are assumed to be permanent.
Ph.D. students who reach their registration limit (see also Registration for Students in PhD Programs) will not be allowed to register further in their degree programs and will be administratively withdrawn by the Dean of Students Office. Students who have been admitted to candidacy by the end of their registration limit can, however, still be allowed to petition and defend their dissertation and graduate with their department and school or division’s permission.
Additionally, students can be administratively withdrawn from the University via academic progress concerns/lack of good academic standing and/or be administratively withdrawn due to restricted registration holds. Graduate students who are restricted from registering must clear their restrictions by the end of the third week of the quarter or they will be put on an administrative leave of absence in that quarter. At the beginning of the next quarter, if the student has failed to clear all restrictions, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the University by their Dean of Students (unless the student is on a documented non-administrative leave of absence).
Individuals wishing to resume studies following a withdrawal must complete the Request for Resumption of Studies form. The Dean of Students and department will review the request, and the student will be notified of the decision. If the student is allowed to return, a reinstatement fee of $250 will be assessed to the student account. Within the Division of the Arts & Humanities, students are allowed two attempts at request for resumption. No further review will occur following the second attempt if the decision is a denial. Further information is available in the Student Manual.
Please note for Master's students - the Division will not consider petitions more than five years beyond matriculation per our divisional policy.
Please note for doctoral students - the Division will not consider petitions beyond the student's initial registration time limit based on the student's matriculation year as requirements and degree programs change over time. If resumption is approved, the student may need to adhere to new departmental policies and timelines, and a completion plan, including all outstanding milestones and applicable deadlines as well as appropriate registration time limits based on the date of return, will be provided.