Leave of Absence

Students are expected to maintain continuous registration in their program. Students enrolled in degree programs who wish to request a leave of absence from their program enrollment may apply for a leave of absence (LOA). A leave of absence is a type of withdrawal. It is recommended that students discuss their LOA request with the Office of Student Services and their Program Director prior to form submission. Students should submit the Leave of Absence Notification Request Form after speaking with the Office of Student Services and only after having ceased attendance. Students who do not attend classes any term in which a program plan calls for enrollment must amend the program plan in advance in conjunction with their program director. Students in degree programs may request a leave of absence from Columbia University School of Nursing at any time during their course of study. Students on probation are not eligible for a LOA. Students who leave in good academic standing will return in good academic standing; students who leave on academic action will return on academic action. If a student submits a leave of absence request, and the School of Nursing does not approve the leave, the student will be withdrawn from the semester and the student will need to re-apply for admission to re-enroll. Therefore, it is important to discuss your intent prior to submitting the Leave of Absence Notification Request Form.

Students enrolled in a non-degree program (such as OPEN and Certificate in Professional Achievement programs) are not eligible for a leave of absence. Non-degree students will need to re-apply if they cannot enroll in the semester they applied to or if they withdraw from their accepted term.

  • A Leave of Absence may be granted for compelling reasons such as illness, military duty, or parental leave (maternity or paternity). Requests for a LOA because of work schedule conflicts will not be granted.* Leaves are ordinarily granted for no more than one year.
    • *Exception - DNP students who started their program before 2023 may request a LOA the term prior to starting N9730 (DNP Intensive Practicum) to look for employment to serve as their intensive site. The LOA prior to the intensive will be granted for no more than one year and students must be in good academic and professional standing. The LOA prior to the intensive must be approved by the Program Director and the Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
  •  Documentation from a health care provider must accompany a request for a medical LOA.
    • If a leave is granted, it is expected that students are actively engaged in a course of medical treatment that leads to recovery during their leave from school.
    • Prior to re-enrollment, students will need to demonstrate the condition which precluded enrollment during their leave has resolved sufficiently to allow the student to return to clinical and coursework. Students are required to provide the Office of Student Services with a letter from their healthcare provider indicating they are able to resume all aspects of the program.
    • Students may also be required to complete an administrative evaluation to determine a student’s readiness to re-enroll.
  • Students must submit a Leave of Absence Notification Request Form, which will be received by the School of Nursing and reviewed by the Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs. For a LOA to be considered, the request must include:
    • Reason for the request
      • Include detailed reason in the “Please provide any additional information pertinent to this submission” question
    • Supporting Medical documentation, if applicable
      • Select yes for the “Do you have supporting documentation to provide?” question and then upload supporting documentation.
    • Effective Term of requested LOA
    • Term of intended return from LOA
  •  The effective withdrawal date of a LOA is the submission date of the Leave of Absence Notification Request Form. This date determines the tuition refund rate (if applicable).
  • Students withdrawing from all term courses should also review the Withdrawal policy.
  • Students will be notified by the School of Nursing regarding their LOA request decision. Submission of the Leave of Absence Notification Request Form does not guarantee a leave of absence will be approved by the School of Nursing.
  • If approved, students are required to contact the Office of Student Services and their Program Director by the specified LOA return deadline in order to confirm their return and submit required documentation.
  • If there is not an approved LOA on record in the Office of Student Services and a student is not registered in any given term, the student will be considered as withdrawn and must re-apply.

All requests for leaves of absence will be reviewed for approval by the Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

While on an approved LOA, students are not permitted to enroll in courses, be involved in student groups or Columbia University affiliated activities, live on campus, or spend time on campus during leave. Students on leave do not have access to university resources, and the CUIMC ID Card and swipe access are deactivated during the leave.

After a Leave of Absence, failure to confirm their return by the specified deadline and enroll in the designated return term and year results in the automatic withdrawal of the student by the School of Nursing. For withdrawal information (see Withdrawal section).

Course Completion Policy
Courses are complete once the student has submitted all requirements of the course (projects, papers, exams, etc.) even if the grade has not been posted. Grades of all completed courses will appear on the transcript even if the student withdraws or requests a leave of absence for the term. Any leave of absence or withdrawal requests will be processed once the completed course(s) grades are posted to Vergil/SSOL.


Additional Things to Note
Curriculum and/or program plans are subject to change while a student is on a LOA, such as but not limited to: graduation and course requirements, credit load and course term offerings, and enrollment status. Students are responsible to keep in contact with their Program Director while on leave to ensure they are aware and understand any new academic changes.
Please be advised that programs may be discontinued while a student is on LOA. If a DNP specialty program is discontinued, students may apply for a change of specialty as long as the program has availability and the student is in good academic standing.


Student must be in good academic standing to request a LOA. If a student is requesting a LOA for the upcoming term, the LOA request will be reviewed at the end of the current term once all grades have been posted to the student’s transcript. Students not meeting satisfactory academic progress will not be granted a leave and will need to re-apply for admission and meet admissions deadlines.