Leaves of Absence
Students are expected to complete the M.B.A. program in two consecutive academic years, the M.B.A. for Executives program in twenty-two consecutive months, the Master of Advanced Management program in one academic year, and the Master of Management Studies program in one academic year. Students who wish or need to interrupt their study temporarily may request a leave of absence. There are three types of leave—personal, medical, and parental—all of which are described below. Request for a leave of absence for the purpose of employment (e.g., to continue a summer internship full-time during the following year) is discouraged. The general policies that apply to all types of leave are:
- All leaves of absence must be approved by the administrative director of the student’s program, i.e., the dean of students for the M.B.A., M.A.M., and M.M.S. programs; or for students in the M.B.A. for Executives program, the assistant dean for the M.B.A. for Executives program, or the appropriate administrative director’s delegate. Students who wish to take a leave of absence must petition the administrative director in writing no later than the last day of classes in the term in question. Medical leaves also require the recommendation of a physician, as detailed below; see Medical Leave of Absence.
- The normal duration of a leave of absence is one term or one year; with the approval of the program dean, extension of a leave may be approved for one additional term or year, not to exceed a total of ten terms or five years. A student who has been on leave for a total of ten terms or five years must return to resume their degree program in the subsequent term or be dismissed from that program. Students who are dismissed from a degree program for failure to return after exhausting the maximum leave time must reapply to that program should they wish to return to restart their degree at a later date.
- International students who apply for a leave of absence must consult with OISS concerning their visa status.
- Students on leave of absence are not eligible for financial aid, including loans. Students who have received loans or other financial aid must notify the financial aid office about the leave of absence, as loans are only available to enrolled students. They should also consult the university Student Loan Billing and Payment Office (246 Church Street) so that they have a full understanding of the grace period and repayment provisions for federal loans. In most cases, students must begin repaying loans during a leave of absence. Upon re-enrolling, students will be eligible to defer loan repayment until they graduate or leave school.
- Students on leave of absence are not eligible for the use of any university facilities normally available to enrolled students.
- Students on leave of absence may continue to be enrolled in Yale Health by purchasing coverage through the Student Affiliate Coverage plan. In order to secure continuous coverage from Yale Health, enrollment in this plan must be requested prior to the beginning of the term in which the student will be on leave or, if the leave commences during the term, within thirty days of the date the registrar was informed of the leave. Coverage is not automatic; enrollment forms are available from the Member Services department of Yale Health, 203.432.0246.
- Students on leave of absence do not have to file a formal application for readmission, except under the conditions stated in point 2 above. However, they must notify the registrar in writing of their intention to return. Such notification should be given at least six weeks prior to the end of the approved leave.
- Students who fail to register for the term following the end of the approved leave will be considered to have withdrawn from the program.
Personal Leave of Absence
A student who wishes or needs to interrupt study temporarily because of personal exigencies may request a personal leave of absence. The general policies governing leaves of absence are described above. A student who is current with degree requirements is eligible for a personal leave after satisfactory completion of at least one term of study. Personal leaves cannot be granted retroactively and normally will not be approved after the tenth day of a term.
To request a personal leave of absence, the student must request a leave in writing, by letter or email to the administrative director before the beginning of the term for which the leave is requested, explaining the reasons for the proposed leave and stating both the proposed start and end dates of the leave and the address at which the student can be reached during the period of the leave. If the administrative director finds the student to be eligible, the leave will be granted. In any case, the student will be informed in writing of the action taken. Students who do not apply for a leave of absence, or who apply for a leave but are not granted one, and who do not register for any term, will be considered to have withdrawn from the program.
Medical Leave of Absence
A student who must interrupt study temporarily because of illness or injury may be granted a medical leave of absence with the approval of the administrative director and on the written recommendation of a physician on the staff of Yale Health. The general policies governing all leaves of absence are described above. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements is eligible for a medical leave any time after matriculation. Forms for requesting a medical leave of absence are available in the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Life. Final decisions concerning requests for medical leaves will be communicated to students by the administrative director in writing.
The School of Management reserves the right to place a student on a mandatory medical leave of absence when, on recommendation of the director of Yale Health or the chief of the Mental Health and Counseling department, the dean of the school determines that, because of a medical condition, the student is a danger to self or others, the student has seriously disrupted others in the student’s residential or academic communities, or the student has refused to cooperate with efforts deemed necessary by Yale Health and the dean to make such determinations. Each case will be assessed individually based on all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the level of risk presented and the availability of reasonable modifications. Reasonable modifications do not include fundamental alterations to the student’s academic, residential, or other relevant communities or programs; in addition, reasonable modifications do not include those that unduly burden university resources.
An appeal of such a leave must be made in writing to the dean of the School of Management no later than seven days from the effective date of the leave.
An incident that gives rise to voluntary or mandatory leave of absence may also result in subsequent disciplinary action.
Students who are placed on a medical leave during any term will have their tuition adjusted according to the same schedule used for withdrawals (please see Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy in the chapter Tuition and Fees). Before re-registering, a student on medical leave must secure written permission to return from a Yale Health physician.
Leave of Absence for Parental Responsibilities
A student who wishes or needs to interrupt study temporarily for reasons of pregnancy or child care may be granted a leave of absence for parental responsibilities. Any student planning to have, adopt, or care for a child is encouraged to meet with the administrative director to discuss a leave of absence and other possibilities such as short-term arrangements not requiring a leave. For many students, short-term arrangements rather than a leave of absence are possible. The general policies governing all leaves of absence are described above. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements is eligible for a parental leave of absence any time after matriculation.
Students living in university housing units are encouraged to review their housing contract and the related policies of Yale Graduate Housing before applying to the school for a parental leave of absence. Students granted parental leave may continue to reside in university housing to the end of the academic term for which the leave was first granted, but no longer.
Students who wish to suspend their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child should meet with the administrative director, who will help accommodate the students’ program responsibilities when the birth or adoption occurs.
Withdrawal and Readmission
Students who wish to withdraw from their program should confer with the dean of students regarding withdrawal. The dean of students will determine the effective date of the withdrawal. The university identification card must be submitted with the approved withdrawal form in order for withdrawal in good standing to be recorded.
Students who do not register for any fall or spring term, and for whom a leave of absence has not been approved by the dean of students, are considered to have withdrawn from the School of Management.
Students who discontinue their program of study during the academic year without submitting an approved withdrawal form and the university identification card will be liable for the tuition charge as outlined under Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy in the chapter Tuition and Fees. Health service policies related to withdrawal and readmission are described under Health Services: Eligibility Changes.
A student who has voluntarily withdrawn from the School of Management in good standing and who wishes to restart study at a later date must apply for readmission. Neither readmission nor financial aid is guaranteed to students who withdraw.
U.S. Military Leave Readmissions Policy
Students who wish or need to interrupt their studies to perform U.S. military service are subject to a separate U.S. military leave readmissions policy. In the event a student withdraws or takes a leave of absence from Yale School of Management to serve in the U.S. military, the student will be entitled to guaranteed readmission under the following conditions:
- The student must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for a period of more than thirty consecutive days;
- The student must give advance written or oral notice of such service to the administrative director. In providing the advance notice the student does not need to indicate an intent to return. This advance notice need not come directly from the student, but rather, can be made by an appropriate officer of the U.S. Armed Forces or official of the U.S. Department of Defense. Notice is not required if precluded by military necessity. In all cases, this notice requirement can be fulfilled at the time the student seeks readmission, by submitting an attestation that the student performed the service.
- The student must not be away from the School of Management to perform U.S. military service for a period exceeding five years (this includes all previous absences to perform U.S. military service but does not include any initial period of obligated service). If a student’s time away from the School of Management to perform U.S. military service exceeds five years because the student is unable to obtain release orders through no fault of the student or the student was ordered to or retained on active duty, the student should contact the administrative director to determine if the student remains eligible for guaranteed readmission.
- The student must notify the School of Management within three years of the end of the U.S. military service of the intention to return. However, a student who is hospitalized or recovering from an illness or injury incurred in or aggravated during the U.S. military service has up until two years after recovering from the illness or injury to notify the School of Management of the intent to return; and
- The student cannot have received a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge or have been sentenced in a court-martial.
A student who meets all of these conditions will be readmitted for the next term, unless the student requests a later date of readmission. Any student who fails to meet one of these requirements may still be readmitted under the general readmission policy but is not guaranteed readmission.
Upon returning to the School of Management, the student will resume education without repeating completed course work for courses interrupted by U.S. military service. The student will have the same enrolled status last held and with the same academic standing. For the first academic year in which the student returns, the student will be charged the tuition and fees that would have been assessed for the academic year in which the student left the institution. The School of Management may charge up to the amount of tuition and fees other students are assessed, however, if veteran’s education benefits will cover the difference between the amounts currently charged other students and the amount charged for the academic year in which the student left.
In the case of a student who is not prepared to resume studies with the same academic status at the same point at which the student left or who will not be able to complete the program of study, the School of Management will undertake reasonable efforts to help the student become prepared. If after reasonable efforts, the school determines that the student remains unprepared or will be unable to complete the program or after the school determines that there are no reasonable efforts it can take, the school may deny the student readmission.