A grade of W (Withdrawal) is given automatically when a withdrawal from course work occurs during a specific span of time after the late schedule adjustment period at the beginning of a regular semester or summer session. For the dates of this period, consult the Enrollment and Student Academic Information Bulletin. Thereafter, a W will be given only if the student is passing on the date of withdrawal and has an illness or employment obligation. If the student is failing on the date of withdrawal or stops attending class without officially withdrawing, a WF (Withdrawal with Failure) will be recorded on that date and will be treated as a failing grade. For further information regarding withdrawal dates and procedures, refer to the Enrollment and Student Academic Information Bulletin.

Note: Reducing the number of credit hours will affect financial aid status, especially in relation to fellowships, scholarships, fee remissions, graduate work study, hourly work study, and scheduled repayment of loans. The details of specific awards should be reviewed before withdrawing to ascertain the effect of a reduction in total credit hours.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Taking a leave of absence

 Leaves of absence allow graduate students in the School of Public Health to deal with unforeseen events that interfere with their academic progress. During a leave you are not expected to make progress toward your degree.

Although you may complete coursework from previous terms during a leave, you may not attend class or use the leave to catch up on current coursework, prepare for exams, or write your dissertation.

After a leave of absence, you are expected to return to your program of study and resume progress toward your degree. Leaves of absence may not be requested retroactively.

Taking leave of absence does not pause the degree completion timeline:

• PhD students must take the doctoral qualifying examination by five (5) years from their first semester of admission into the PhD Program
• PhD students must defend their dissertation for their PhD Degree by seven (7) years after the passing of their doctoral qualifying examination.
• Master’s students must complete their degree within 6 years of the first semester of enrollment.
• The SPH-G 901 course is strictly for doctoral candidates who have taken all 90 PhD degree credits, and there are no exceptions to this policy.

Other stipulations for Student Academic Appointments, student funding, and student health insurance coverage may apply to the leave of absence, and will be disucssed with students along with their advisor and director of graduate studies upon taking leave, on a case-by-case basis.

 Applying for a leave of absence

Before requesting a leave of absence, you must first discuss the leave and possible alternatives with your academic advisor, and the director of graduate studies for your major’s department (or the department chair of your major’s department).

If you decide to proceed with your leave of absence request, you must follow fill out the Leave of Absence request form, which requires signatures of approval from your academic advisor, your department’s director of graduate studies (or the department’s chair), and the assistant dean of graduate studies.

The form is contained online at this link: https://one.iu.edu/task/iub/current-sph-students; press “start,” select the “Forms” link, and scroll to the section “For All Graduate Students” to download the form. 

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure this form is filled properly and receives all signatures of approval, and is sent to the Degree Administration team in a timely manner.  Contact information for where to send the form is contained within the form itself.