A student who has been accepted into a graduate program is expected to remain in continuous enrollment, either full-time or part-time, throughout his/her matriculation. Students who fail to enroll for a period of more than 12 months will be considered to have withdrawn from the program. Once a student enters candidacy, he/she must maintain continuous candidacy (fall, spring, summer) and pay the appropriate candidacy fee.

However, if circumstances arise that may cause an interruption in graduate study; a student may apply for a leave of absence by requesting such a leave from the Dean of the Graduate School. The letter of request must indicate the dates on which the requested leave is expected to start and end. The student's request must be accompanied by a letter of support from the graduate program director or coordinator or from the department chair. A requested leave cannot exceed one year; however, under extreme circumstances, a second, subsequent request may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School. Students must be considered in good standing for the request to be considered.

If a leave is granted, the student may NOT enroll in any classes, including independent study, seminars, distance learning, thesis research, or dissertation research. A student on official leave of absence is not required to pay tuition, fees, or a candidacy status fee; but is not entitled to any services from the university during the leave, including mentorship from faculty.

If a leave of absence is granted to a doctoral student in candidacy, the time limitation of completing all other requirements within four years after passing the qualifying examination shall be extended by the same time as the length of the leave. The time limit stipulating that credit earned more than six years prior to the completion of the degree may not be counted is NOT automatically waived during a leave of absence. However, an appeal for an extension of this time limit, specifying the exact circumstances, can be included in the request for a leave or submitted in a subsequent letter to the Dean addressing this particular matter at the time of re-enrolling.

No degree will be granted to a student on official leave of absence. The student must re-enroll in the next term following the conclusion of the leave and be enrolled in the term in which a degree is granted. A leave of absence does not relieve a student from adherence to policies regarding residency and candidacy (except that the time limit for candidacy may be extended, as indicated in the previous paragraph).