Department of Romance StudiesForms for requesting a leave of absence can be downloaded here.
When a student takes a leave of absence, time does not stop in regards to exams. The student still must get his or her exams done in a timely manner. The graduate school says the student must have passed his or her Preliminary Examination by the end of your third year. The defense must be submitted and accepted within 4 years of your preliminary examination.
A leave of absence differs from voluntary withdrawal in that the student granted a leave is insured a place in the graduate program if he or she returns to Duke within the time limit specified. Leaves of absence may be granted because of:
- medical necessity;
- full-time employment at Duke University;
- acceptance of an external award judged likely to benefit the student as an individual but not related to degree requirements;
- other reasons approved by the Associate Dean.
Students who request a leave of absence must obtain the Director of Graduate Studies' (DGS) endorsement, as well as that of their major professor. Leaves are not to be considered a right that students have or can exercise at will: we expect all requests to be subject to careful consideration as to whether or not they are truly in the best academic interests of the student.
All requests for a leave of absence must be submitted to the Associate Dean for consideration before the first day of classes in a semester. No fees are charged to students who are on a leave of absence, but time limitations on degree requirements and time schedules for the completion of incomplete coursework are not waived during a leave. Only students who have completed at least one semester at Duke are eligible to request leaves of absence.
A leave of absence may be granted for a period of time no longer than one calendar year. Before the end of the period of time granted for a leave of absence, the student must notify the Associate Dean and the Director of Graduate Studies of his or her intention to resume graduate study.
Things to Note: Non-US citizens with a student visa normally cannot take a leave of absence, since doing so jeopardizes their student visa status.
Although the International Office cannot advise students about the academic validity of a leave request, non-US students with student visas would be well-advised to check with a representative of the International Office before submitting a leave of absence request to the Graduate School.