Students take time away from their studies for a wide variety of reasons including:

• pursue career-related opportunities
• manage a medical concern
• fulfill a family obligation
• complete military service
• take a break
• work on a political campaign

While interrupting your studies to take time away may seem intimidating, a leave is a means to the successful completion of a degree, not a barrier to graduating. Taking a leave of absence is far more common than most students believe with 5% of the class that graduated in 2013 (125 of 2,521 traditional undergraduates) having taken a leave of at least one semester. Almost all students who take a leave of absence return and complete their degrees.

If you are considering a leave, take time to think carefully about your goals for your time away and for when you return. Speaking with an academic advisor is an important first step. Depending on your circumstances you should get advice from other sources as well. Students taking time away in order to manage a medical condition should discuss the leave with their healthcare provider. Your school advising office will help you connect with other campus resources as you prepare to take a leave of absence, such as Student Financial Services, Housing, and International Student and Scholar Services.

Students typically take a leave for a full academic year. Entering first year students requesting a leave of absence, if approved, must take a leave for a full academic year.  Individual circumstances may require more or less time; the length of the leave is determined by the school. Students on leave should remain in contact with their advisor and update them about changes in plans. The return from leave process supports students in a successful re-entry to academic life at Penn. When preparing to return, students must consult their school advising office to develop a plan that includes connection with appropriate resources.

General questions or concerns regarding Engineering Leave of Absence (LOA) or Return from Leave of Absence (RLOA) policies and procedures should be directed to Office of Academic Services (OAS), Student Affairs via studentaffairs@seas.upenn.edu.

Leave of Absence (LOA) Policies & Procedures

Return from Leave of Absence (RLOA) Policies & Procedures

To request a leave of absence from Penn Engineering, use the form found on the Undergraduate Forms page.

• Note:
  • While on leave, you cannot receive Penn transfer credit for courses taken at another institution. There may be some circumstances that permit requests to transfer credit while on leave. Specific requests must be made in writing to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education prior to doing so.
  • If you are not in good academic standing when requesting a leave, you will have the same status when you return (e.g. academic probation.)
    • CU enrollment will be limited for students on probation.
  • If you receive financial aid, you should determine the financial aid impacts of a leave by looking at the Student Financial Services website and speaking with your assigned financial aid counselor.
  • If you have campus housing or a university dining plan, you will need to contact those offices as you prepare for leave.
  • There may be other offices on campus you need to connect with as you take a leave, such as Student Health and Counseling and the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, more information can be found at the following site: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/withdrawals-leaves
  • If taking a leave of absence for medical reasons, we expect you to seek appropriate treatment to address the health concerns that have precipitated this separation. You will be expected to submit documentation to Student Health and Counseling upon your return. Please see the RLOA Policies & Procedures page for more information.
• Discontinuance of study without permission from the University does not constitute a leave of absence.
• The maximum time allowed for a Leave of Absence is two academic years, or four academic semesters, not including summer sessions. Students may request an extension beyond two years as needed. Students who do not contact the Office of Academic Services (OAS) prior to the two-year period to request an extension will be automatically withdrawn from the University.
• The use of University facilities is not permitted while on a leave of absence. Additionally, access to certain software (Zoom, Microsoft, etc), email (SEAS Gmail), and library resources may be disrupted while a student is on leave of absence.

To return from a leave of absence, please review the Return from Leave of Absence (RLOA) policies and procedures.

To request a return from a leave of absence for Penn Engineering, use the form found on the Undergraduate Forms page.

The Return forms must be received by:

• July 15 for enrollment in the fall semester
• November 15 for enrollment in the spring semester
• April 15 for enrollment in any summer sessions

• Two weeks before the beginning of the relevant Advance Registration period, if wishing to advance register.

The return from leave of absence process supports students in a successful re-entry to academic life at Penn. When preparing to return, students should consult their school’s advising office (OAS) and/or their department to develop a plan that includes connecting with appropriate resources. A student’s return form will need to include a plan of study and may include required consultations with campus resources, depending on the conditions of the leave. In addition, students returning from leave are limited to the standard course load of 5.5 CUs.

Students may need to contact various offices (Financial Services, Housing, Dining, Student Health & Counseling, and others) to prepare for their return.

When requesting a return from leave for medical reasons, you must submit documentation from your healthcare provider to Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) in addition to the Penn Engineering RLOA request form. You may also be required to consult with SHAC and other university resources/offices as needed. Please list Kendall Johnson (studentaffairs@seas.upenn.edu) as your school/program’s leave of absence contact on the form.

To request a leave of absence, please visit the Leave of Absence policies and procedures.

Students who wish to withdraw from their degree program and the university should discuss this decision with their academic advisors and/or departmental coordinators. If a student wishes to continue with the withdrawal from the University, they must complete a Petition for Action (Undergraduate SEAS Petition), a link to which may be found on the Forms Page.

If/when your withdrawal from the University is approved, please review the Checklist for Withdrawal to ensure you connect with all applicable offices to clear any balances or outstanding tasks.

Once complete, withdrawal from the University is an official and final decision.