Leaves of Absence ("Stopping Out")

Graduate students may have the need to leave the university (“stop out”) for a number of reasons. Students who have attended the university for at least one semester may leave the university for one semester (fall or spring) without penalty. Students who withdraw from classes their first or any other semester at SJSU will not have the semester counted as a stop out as a W indicates that the student attended and enrolled for the given semester, thus any semester would not be counted as a semester leave, and a student could withdraw from a semester and then take a full leave for the subsequent semester without penalty.

Students must return following their single semester leave and continue enrollment unless the stop-out semester is immediately followed by an approved leave of absence petition. If the student does not file a leave of absence petition, then the student loses matriculation status and must reapply for University admission. Leave of absence petitions must be filed prior to the beginning to the first semester of the leave period requested. Students can apply for a maximum of four semesters (Fall/Spring) which are typically done two semesters at a time.

Note that when a leave of absence is taken, the stop out semester will count as a semester of leave and should be accounted for in the petition. Leave of absence categories that typically apply to graduate students include: Medical, Primary Caregiver, Military Deployment, Educational, and Personal hardship. The following students cannot take a leave of absence or step out for a semester without compelling reasons: international students, students in academic cohort programs, and students in RP status.