Leave of Absence Policy
A Leave of Absence (LOA) refers to a specific time period during a student’s ongoing program
of study when he or she is not in academic attendance. It does not include non-attendance for a
scheduled break in a student’s program. Upon returning from an approved LOA, a student must
complete any coursework he or she began prior to their LOA.
For the Master’s program, a written request must be made and the LOA may not exceed a
cumulative one hundred and eighty (180) days within any twelve (12) month period beginning on
the first day of the student's initial leave of absence. If a student does not resume attendance at
the institution at or before the end of a leave of absence that meets the requirements of this
section, the student will be treated as a withdrawal in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
For a student who is a Title IV, HEA program loan receipt, the effects of failure to return from a
leave of absence will be on the student's loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of some
or all of the student's grace period.
For a LOA to be approved, the student must do the following:
● Provide a written, signed, and dated request, prior to the time period in which the
leave is to occur, unless unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from doing
so.
● This request must be approved by the Chief Academic Officer and the Registrar.
● Foreign students may apply for a limited Leave of Absence as long as Homeland
Security rules, regulations, policies and procedures are adhered to. As stated above,
a Leave of Absence must be requested prior to the time the student plans to be away
from school. In addition, a foreign student may not apply for a Leave of Absence
until the student has been in attendance at the University for at least one academic
year. If the Leave of Absence is not approved and the student no longer attends
class, the student is considered to have ceased attendance at the school.
Students returning from a LOA must contact the Registrar’s Office or Chief Academic Officer
before registering for classes. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of any policy
and/or curriculum changes.
Students who have not attended the University for one year or more, must apply for re-admission
and must meet the current entrance requirements.