Guidelines
A graduate student must apply for an official leave of absence from graduate study in cases of illness or personal concern. The application can be made for a maximum of one year for master's students or two years for doctoral students. The length and rationale for the leave of absence must be stated in advance and recommended to the dean by the designated department faculty member. The leave can only be approved by the dean. If the leave of absence has been approved, the statute of limitations for the degree is extended by the length of time of the leave. Doctoral students will not be permitted an extension of the 7-year limit on the Ph.D. comprehensive exam.
Doctoral students must retake the comprehensives if they do not successfully defend within 7 years of the exam date. Master's students will not be permitted an extension of the 4-year limit on the MA/MS/MFA comprehensive exam. Master's students must retake the comprehensive exam if it is more than 4 years old. If the leave of absence is related to a medical condition, a letter from the student's medical provider needs to accompany the request. A medical release letter permitting the student to return to their program will also need to be submitted with the student's readmission paperwork. This letter must acknowledge that the student is able to return to all normal activities associated with being a graduate student. This would include such work as: completing coursework, teaching, researching, and writing as applicable.
While on leave students are not permitted to use university facilities or faculty time. If a student is on an approved leave and needs to be registered in the term(s) to use university facilities, faculty time, or needs to be registered to defer loans or to maintain visa status then they would need to cancel their leave. An approved leave only holds a student's place in their class, it does not guarantee funding. Depending on the length oftime of the leave, a student may have to reapply for admission. The student does not have to pay an application fee and readmission is automatic. A copy of the application can be obtained from the Forms section of the Graduate Handbook.
Application
Leave of Absence Application Form
Please contact the Graduate Administrator at pagrad@pitt.edu for further instructions.
Updated 9/2023