Leave of Absence

A request for a leave of absence must be negotiated through the request to the Chair of the department using a Graduate Student Petition for a Leave of Absence form (below). If approved, the form must then be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar by the last day of classes of the semester in which the leave is to begin.

Normally, leaves are granted for a maximum of one year, but may be extended for up to one additional year if circumstances warrant. All leave requests must be supported by adequate documentation.

Students approved for a leave of absence remain liable for any outstanding tuition and fee charges.

International students are advised to consult with International Student and Scholar Services, 210 Talbert Hall, North Campus, 716-645-2258, prior to applying for a leave of absence.

Failure to register for classes or secure a leave of absence by the last day of classes of the semester in which the leave is to begin, will result in the student losing their access to register for classes in a future semester. To regain registration access within a subsequent five-year period, the student's home academic department must file a semester record activation request on behalf of the student (see below). 

Returning Student Record Reactivation and Associated Fee

The department may file a semester record activation request for graduate students who were previously admitted into an academic program through UB's Graduate Application System and had a break in attendance of no more than five years and had neglected to secure an approved leave of absence from the Graduate School. Once reviewed and approved by the vice provost for graduate education, a new semester record will be created with exactly the same academic career, program and plan as recorded for the last semester in which the student attended UB. At the time of semester record activation, the student will be assessed a non-refundable record activation fee (currently $350).

Any graduate student who has had an enrollment lapse of more than five years must reapply through the graduate program’s regular application process.

Students who have a break in attendance (without a secured leave of  absence in place) who wish have their record re-activated should reach out to the department with this request. More information can be found on the Graduate School Policy Library site.