One of my roles at Rackham is serving as the Leave of Absence Coordinator. Ph.D. students are required to register each fall and winter term from the time that you begin your program until you complete your degree.** The exceptions to this requirement include times that you are approved for a leave of absence or you are taking courses at another institution.
When you need to step away from being an active student for a full term or more, you may be eligible for a leave of absence. This means that you are not taking courses, doing research, interning, or making academic progress toward your degree while you are on a leave. If approved, the leave of absence preserves your place in your Ph.D. program. We have a full section for Leave of Absence on the Rackham website, including checklists, flow charts, the Leave of Absence policy, and more. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received so far:
Is the process to request a leave of absence complicated/does it take a long time?
It depends on the type of leave you are requesting. There are several required steps for all types of leave of absence and some types of leave require additional steps, which may take more time to process. If you are an international student, the International Center (IC) must enter a recommendation in our system as a part of the process. To get a better sense of what you’ll need to do, read the section on process on the Leave of Absence website.
What are the different types of leave of absence?
- Leave of Absence for Medical Reasons: For illness (either physical or mental) or injury
- Leave of Absence for Family Necessity/Dependent Care: To provide care or assistance for family or dependents
- Leave of Absence for Military Service: To meet military service obligations
- Leave of Absence for Personal Reasons: For other personal reasons not listed above (must be requested prior to the start of a term and is limited to one term only in your graduate career)
How does being on a leave of absence affect my insurance coverage?
While you are on leave, you are not an active student, so you are not eligible for University-provided health insurance coverage. You are eligible to continue existing coverage at your own expense (e.g., COBRA). Contact the Benefits Office for information about required paperwork and costs.
How does being on a leave of absence affect my funding?
While you are on leave, you are not an active student, so you are not eligible for funding from the University. If you have unused terms of funding from prior University commitments, you will have these commitments available to you when you return from a leave of absence, although the details of your funding may change. You should check with your funding source directly for any particular questions.
What happens if I want to take a leave in the middle of a term?
The answer to this depends quite a bit on your circumstances, including your source of funding, what point in the term it is, and what other options may be available to you. If you are considering leaving in the middle of a term, I highly encourage you to make contact with me so we can talk through your individual situation and make the best decision for you based on your current situation.
My job is to help you understand this process and answer your questions, so please don’t hesitate to contact me by e-mail or phone (734-647-2640)!
**If you are a Master’s student, leaves of absence are not managed through the Leave of Absence process for Ph.D. students. If you need to take a term or more off from your program, please contact your graduate program for more information.
Published in: Graduate School News PLAN Articles Resources