Note: McGill’s new Course Catalogue will replace the eCalendar. The Course Catalogue is expected to go live the week of April 22nd. When the new site is published, "mcgill.ca/study" will be redirected to the new Course Catalogue website.
Course information on this site is not reflective of offerings for the 2025–2026 academic year. Some irregularities may occur as we move operations to the incoming Course Catalogue.
A leave of absence may be granted for reasons such as:
A leave must be requested on a term by term basis and may be granted for a period of up to 52 weeks.
Students and postdocs must submit a request, by completing the appropriate web form, to their department along with supporting documentation justifying the leave. The department shall forward the request for approval to Enrolment Services, Management of Academic Records.
A status of “leave of absence” will display on the records of students and postdocs during the specified period of the authorized leave.
It remains the student's responsibility to verify their record; in particular, as it pertains to term and course registration to ensure that the accurate information is reflected.
During a leave of absence for parental or familial reasons, a student will not be eligible to take courses but he/she may request and expect guidance on thesis and research work. Students and postdocs will have free access to the University's academic facilities. Library services will continue to be available by registering at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library (McLennan-Redpath).
During a leave of absence for personal health reasons, a student will not be eligible to request guidance on thesis and research work or to take courses. Students and postdocs will not have access to the University's academic facilities but library services will normally continue to be available by registering at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library (McLennan-Redpath).
Leave vs. Residency Requirements
A leave in a residency term may be requested; however, upon return and re-registration in the program, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the missing residency requirements are completed. A leave indicates a break in the program.
For more information on residency requirements refer to the Program Requirements page, which appears under each faculty or school's graduate section.
Applying to Graduate Following a Leave
If on leave of absence during the Fall term, the student must register for an active term of study in the Winter term (at least) in order to apply for graduation.
If on leave of absence during the Winter and/or Summer terms, the student must register for an active term of study in the Fall term (at least) in order to apply for graduation.
Funding Council Leave Policies for Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowships
A summary table of various leave policies (paid or unpaid) for students and postdocs paid from the Federal and Quebec Councils through fellowships or research grants is available at mcgill.ca/gps/funding/getting-paid; see information on the "Funding Council Leave Policies for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows".
Procedure for Requesting a Leave
To submit a request for leave to the department, the student or postdoc must:
Once the department has received and reviewed the request and supporting documents, if the request is justified, a recommendation for approval will be sent via email to Enrolment Services, Management of Academic Records.
The student or postdoc will be notified once their record has been updated to indicate the leave.
