In the event that a graduate students is overwhelmed to the point of considering withdrawing from school, academic leave is an option that allows you to retain your degree progress and also get a temporary break from it. Rather than withdraw, graduate students who are in this position should consider using academic leave.
Academic leave is a means to obtain a semester or academic year-long break in order to “step away” from their course work. It is now available to both masters and doctoral students. Academic leave is recommended for consideration by students who need to provide care or assistance for immediate family and/or dependents; for illness or injury; military service or other personal reasons. No documentation of illness or injury is required. No inquiry about the validity of the request is performed. The objective is to assist the student in meeting their goal of getting a degree.
If a student has completed at least one semester of graduate enrollment and is in good standing in their program, they may request leave for future semesters. Registration is not permitted during the leave period and the student record becomes inactive. International students should speak with the International Student Scholar Office (ISSO) prior to applying for an academic leave.
For more information visit, review the policy on academic leave in the Graduate Catalog.