Students sometimes experience situations in which they cannot be continuously enrolled (e.g., health, family emergency, change in parental status, military service, financial hardship, personal or academic reasons, or other reasons). A student may request a timelimited leave of absence to address these situations and suspend activities associated with course work or thesis/dissertation research without the need to reapply to the program. Students on leave of absence are not entitled to use University resources not normally available to the public or alumni (e.g., may not consult with advisors or work on courses or research).
Students anticipating a need to interrupt their studies should consult with their academic advisor and the Graduate Chair to discuss their options and develop a plan for the leave as well as subsequent reenrollment or readmission. The Leave of Absence Request form must be submitted two weeks before the beginning of the semester for which the leave is requested. The leave of absence must be approved by the student’s advisor and the Graduate Chair for the Department of Building Construction before submission to the Graduate School. If the leave of absence request is approved, the continuous enrollment requirement will be relaxed during the period of leave. The Leave of Absence form indicates when the student will return to the program and any conditions the department or the Graduate School may stipulate for the student’s readmission within that time. Leaves of absence may be granted for up to one year at a time. If a leave longer than one year is required, students will need to apply to the Graduate School for readmission.
International students should consult an immigration advisor in the Graduate School before requesting a leave of absence. All students undertaking a leave of absence must notify the department and return any university equipment they have borrowed. They must also relinquish assigned space in the Graduate Studio and return keys to the Department.
