Leave of Absence, Stop-outs & Withdrawals

Graduate students may apply to take a leave of absence during their program of study that is between one and three terms in length (or approximately three months to one year).  The School of Graduate Studies leave of absence policy allows you to take time away from your studies when needed while preserving your place in your academic program. The leave pauses your progress toward completion of your degree requirements. 

1. serious health or personal problems (including mental health related distress) which temporarily make it impossible to continue in the program. (including mental health-related distress). If you are applying for a medical leave it will be necessary to provide medical documentation. No documentation is required to apply for a leave on personal grounds; or
2. parental leaves can be taken by either parent at the time of pregnancy, birth or adoption, and/or to provide full-time care during the child’s first year. Parental leave must be completed within 12 months of the date of birth or custody. Where both parents are graduate students taking leave, the combined total number of sessions may not exceed four. Learn about the SGS Parental Grant program.

Once on leave, students will neither be registered nor will they be required to pay fees for this period. In general, unless a request is made to opt-in to access services while on leave, students on leave may not make demands upon the resources of the university, attend courses, or expect advice from their supervisor. As an exception, students on leave for parental or serious health reasons who wish to consult with their supervisor or other faculty are advised to make special arrangements through their department. Students on leave will not be eligible to receive University of Toronto financial assistance. In the case of other graduate student awards, the regulations of the particular granting agency apply.

For more information about a Leave of Absence, please visit the Understanding Leave of Absence page.

Students on leave may request continued access to U of T library services by sending an email to graduate.information@utoronto.ca. The School of Graduate Studies will review the request and contact the library to allow access to library services if the request is approved.

Students may make application for a leave by completing the Leave of Absence Form and submitting it to the Graduate Program for approval. 

Notes:

• The program length will be extended by the length of the leave taken., i.e., one, two, or three sessions as appropriate.
• Leaves of absences cannot be taken in the first term of registration and the start and finish of the leave would coincide with the start and end of a session.

Students enrolled in a coursework-only program have the option to temporarily stop-out and re-register within 12 months, with the approval of the graduate unit, without re-applying to the program. However, unlike a leave of absence, the “stop-out” period is included in the time period for completion of your degree.

Students who are considering withdrawing from the program on either a temporary or permanent basis are strongly advised to make an appointment to meet with the Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies, to discuss their circumstances. A student who withdraws and who wishes to enroll again must re-apply for admission.

the Faculty of Law has the right to recommend that a student's registration in the graduate program be terminated when they fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress, including meeting all degree requirements according to the specified timelines (e.g., passing courses, completing all degree requirements in a timely manner, etc). Once finalized, a note indicating ‘Registration terminated effective [insert date]’ is permanently recorded on the student academic record and transcript. For more information, please visit the SGS Termination of Registration webpage.