TAKING A SEMESTER OFF

Each degree-seeking graduate student at UMass Boston must maintain continuous registration for Fall and Spring semesters until the degree sought by the student has been formally awarded. The Summer term is optional study for graduate students in our ID Program. If, in any (fall or spring) semester, for any reason, the student does not register for course credit, he/she may maintain continuous registration by registering for the program fee. Here are the steps to register for the program fee only:

1. Register for CAS-600. This is the course number that indicates you are not progressing with your degree by actively taking credit courses for that semester.
2. You will automatically be billed a program fee for that semester. This keeps your place in the ID Graduate Program as an "active" student.
3. Confirm in WISER that you are indeed registered for CAS-600 to avoid becoming "discontinued" from the program. If this happens, you will be required to pay a late fee and readmission fee on top of the program fee.

Program Fee Policy (from the Bursar's website)

Each degree-seeking graduate student is required to maintain continuous registration until the degree that the student is seeking has been formally awarded. If a graduate student does not register for course, thesis, or dissertation credits during any semester, the student must pay a program fee to maintain continuous registration. The program fee for all students is $225.00 per semester and is paid to the One Stop Student Center. Note: Payment of the program fee does not extend the time limit for completion of the degree, nor does it make a student eligible for student loan deferments. Any questions regarding the program fee should go through the One Stop Student Center.

Please note that fees are subject to change.

LEAVE of ABSENCE

A student who has been accepted into a graduate program is expected to remain in continuous enrollment until graduation, either full-time or part-time. However, if circumstances arise that cause an interruption in graduate study, a student may apply for a leave of absence (LOA). Leaves of absence are generally granted only in cases of substantiated illness or disability of the student or family member, military service, or one semester maternity or paternity leave. A student should document the basis for the leave.* A leave of absence must be approved by the graduate program director and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

• Leaves of absence are granted in yearly increments, and students may not be granted more than three years total LOA.

• Time spent on leave approved by the Office of Graduate Studies does not count toward the Statute of Limitations (SOL). The “SOL clock” is stopped for the period of the leave.

• Students on LOA will not be covered by the health insurance plan until they return to registration

* If a student is providing medical information on another person as the basis for a medical leave of absence, s/he must have the permission of that person to release the information.

Here are the steps to register for a Leave of Absence (LOA):

1. Complete and sign a Leave of Absence Request form (available from the Registrar).
2. Submit the form via email and in PDF format to the Program Director to sign. Your form will then be sent to the Registrar's office for processing-- and a copy will be kept and placed in your ID program file.
3. After your leave of absence has been approved, the Registrar will enroll you in CAS-600 for the appropriate semester. This course number indicates that you are not progressing with your degree by actively taking credit courses for that semester--but you maintain your active status in the program.
4. Confirm your registration for the course CAS-600. Your enrollment in CAS-600 is the only confirmation you will receive from the Registrar's Office that your leave of absence has been approved. If you have questions, please contact the Instructional Design Program Office.

READMISSION

Any student who has failed to maintain continuous registration and who wishes to resume his/her pursuit of the degree must apply for readmission and will be subject to the policies and requirements in effect at the time of readmission. The applicant must complete a Graduate Readmission form (available from the Registrar) and pay the readmission fee and all back program fees to a maximum of six semesters.

Before an applicant can be readmitted, his/her application must be approved by the program director. The deadline for readmission is one month before the beginning of the semester for which the application is being made.

Readmitted students must meet the program requirements in effect at the time of their readmission. Courses older than seven years at the time of rematriculation cannot be used toward the degree, except with prior written permission of the program director and approval by the Office of Graduate Studies. In addition, it is within the program director's discretion to disallow any previously taken courses from counting toward the readmitted student's degree program.

Eligibility for readmission is limited to students who were in good standing at the time of their withdrawal, and who are still in compliance with the statute of limitations policy governing the completion of the graduate degree.