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Leave of Absence

A Leave of Absence refers to a specified and approved period of time away from your course. It is intended for students who intend to complete their studies but who wish to hit the “pause” button and resume them at a later time. 

Any student wishing to take a Leave of Absence should first read UCD’s Leave of Absence policy and this student guide to the process.  

If you have any questions about Leave of Absence, you should reach out to your college/school office, your Student Adviser or the Student Desk. 

The following are some key points to keep in mind when thinking about taking a Leave of Absence:

  • Depending on your programme, you can apply for a Leave of Absence period of one, two or three trimesters within an academic year. 
  • Although you are encouraged to apply for a Leave of Absence before the period of leave commences, for the autumn and spring trimesters the deadline for applying is the end of the eighth week of teaching. 
  • You make a Leave of Absence application through SISweb.
  • While on leave, you are not registered to your programme, you should not be engaged in any programme activity and you do not have access to the campus facilities.
  • If you are in receipt of SUSI or other state funding to support your education, you should ensure you make contact with the awarding body to discuss your leave of absence.
  • You will not be charged fees for the period of time you are on leave. 
  • The policy is not prescriptive regarding the total amount of leave of absence time that a student may be permitted to take over the lifetime of their programme. However, a period 1/3 of the total length of the programme is recommended as the maximum amount of leave of absence time.
  • If you require more time away from your studies than is normally permitted, you should discuss withdrawing from your programme with a view to re-entering it at a later date with an appropriate staff member, such as your college/school office or contact your Student Adviser.

Your routine will be different. You might miss seeing the people you used to see every day. You might not get to see friends as regularly as you might like to, and they might be moving ahead with their studies. 

Managing this change in identity from being a student to being a 'student on a break' can bring up lots of different emotions and a need to figure out who you are right now. Give yourself a bit of time to get used to your new routine and seek out supports for yourself, whether it be family, friends, loved ones or professional services such as counselling. Check out our guide to Stress & Coping.

Coming back to college after a leave of absence can be a big change. Even though you know what college is like and you’ve been here before, returning as a student is a change to your normal daily routine. It might feel a bit daunting to join a new class and get to know some new peers and lecturers. In addition, you may have been working during your leave of absence, so it can feel unusual to be back in college full time. 

Give yourself some time to settle back into the routine. Remember that there are supports there if you are struggling. Reach out to your School/College Office and module coordinators for academic support. If you need someone to talk to, please feel free to reach out to your Student Adviser.