A student may apply for Leave of Absence in the event that there are bona-fide reasons impacting the ability to complete studies.
During this period a student may not:
be supervised or receive study guidance
use the library services or any facility during the period
Leave of Absence will only be granted once in a course of study. This will only be granted in exceptional circumstances such as medical, employment transfer or financial reasons.
An application must be made to the Supervisor with a recommendation to the Higher Degrees Committee, within 3 months of registration of the academic year for which Leave of Absence will be applied for. It is recommended that this application be made the preceding year where possible, and submitted together with the call for progress reports.
Students who apply for leave of absence must be registered for the application to be considered. Students who wish to apply for Leave of Absence must give notice in writing to their supervisor within three months after registration to be considered for Leave of Absence for the current academic year.
Any obligation to sponsors/ bursaries should be taken into account when considering Leave of Absence.
Where Leave of Absence is granted, all modules for the period will be withdrawn from the student’s record. The student’s record remains active, and he or she has the right to return at the end of the period without applying for readmission, and will be assigned a progression code 34. Leave of Absence will further not prejudice the progression status of a student. The approved title for his or her thesis will be retained during the period of deferment.