1. Psychology
  2. Forms and Procedures
  3. Leaves of Absence and Parental Leave

Leaves of Absence and Parental Leave

Most administrative matters pertaining to leaves of absence are handled by the Registrar's Office at The Graduate Center. Please refer to the website for the Registrar's Office for all official GC policies, and for updates on University-wide forms and procedures.

The Psychology Executive Office has instituted additional policies to help students with the forms and procedures required by the Registrar's Office. These are outlined under the headings below, and are intended to ease the process of completing forms correctly and obtaining official signatures.

If you still have questions after reviewing the information below, please contact the APO of Academic Support and Student Progress at bkasinitz@gc.cuny.edu.

Leaves of Absence and Parental Leave

Please see the headings below for forms, requirements, and procedures related to leaves of absence and parental leave:

The Graduate Center Bulletin: Leave of Absence (p. 24)

Leaves of absence will be granted to students deemed to be in good standing who wish to interrupt their study. No more than four semesters of total leave time will be granted to any student. Each leave request should be made in writing to the student’s Executive Officer prior to the semester or academic year during which the leave will be taken. If approved by the program’s Executive Officer, requests for leave will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar. The leave must then be cleared by the offices of Financial Aid and International Students (if applicable), the Mina Rees Library, and the Bursar.

Leaves of absence are not counted toward the time limit for completion of degree requirements.

  • Any student subject to induction or recall into military service should consult the veterans’ certifying officer before applying for an official leave.

  • Any international student with F-1 or J-1 student status must consult the Office of International Students at The Graduate Center before applying for a leave. In general, international students must remain outside the U.S. for the entire semester while on a leave of absence and may need to reapply for a new student status if their absence is longer than five months.

During the period of the leave, no changes in academic status, including such matters as the scheduling and taking of qualifying exams, application for en-route degrees, and advancement to candidacy, may be affected.

In Psychology, each leave of absence request should be approved by the student's advisor. The completed form and an email from the advisor approving the LOA should be sent to the APO (bkasinitz@gc.cuny.edu) for review, EO’s signature and final processing prior to the semester or academic year during which the leave will be taken.

  • If approved by the Psychology Executive Officer, requests for leave will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
  • The leave must then be cleared by the Offices of Financial Aid and International Students (if applicable), the Coordinator of Residence Life (if applicable), the Mina Rees Library, the Bursar, and the Bursar’s Office.

Students who request a Leave of Absence and who currently have a fellowship may defer a maximum of two semesters of their fellowships. Please contact Swe Swe Htay (shtay@gc.cuny.edu). Swe Swe will coordinate with the Office of the Graduate Assistant Program and provide the Fellowship Deferment Form.

  • Please make sure the Administrative person of your training area is copied on all correspondence with the Psychology Executive Office.
  • For more information, please review the 'Fellowship Deferment Policy'
  • View the Fellowship Deferment Policy and Request for Deferment Form
  • Students on a five year fellowship should be advised to file a Fellowship Deferment Form if they take a leave of absence. Failure to do so will result in the student losing that semester of funding.

  If you have any questions, please contact:
           Phyllis Schulz, Ph.D.
           Executive Director of Fellowships and Financial Aid
           Room 7201.13
           212.817.7460

Please use the form to request a parental leave accommodation: 

Please send the completed form to the APO, bkasinitz@gc.cuny.edu, for the EO’s Signature and final administrative processing.
 
For questions concerning Parental Leave, please contact:
Matt Schoengood
Vice President, Student Affairs
mschoengood@gc.cuny.edu