Mandatory Leave of Absence | University of Pennsylvania

Students who accumulate two or more incomplete grades in a given term or in cumulative terms may be placed on a mandatory leave of absence by the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Standing until such work is finished satisfactorily.

Students may apply to return once work is finished satisfactorily and a request to return through the College Office is made and approved. This action is not intended to be punitive; rather, it as an opportunity to finish incomplete courses so that students may start a new term without the burden of extra work and address the issues that led to the incomplete work.

Students who do not complete any courses in one semester are also eligible for a mandatory leave of absence. They may apply to return through the leave of absence return process (see below).

There are a number of things to consider when placed on a mandatory leave:

Courses for the following term may be dropped immediately and students will not be able to request a return until the work for ALL incompletes is finished with passing grades.
If one or more of the incomplete courses results in a failing grade or the term or cum g.p.a. is below a 2.0, students may be placed on academic probation including a drop for a year. A return from mandatory leave of absence is contingent upon achieving good academic standing.
Students may not receive credit for courses at any other institution while on leave.
Student Penn Cards will be deactivated.
Students may not live in University-owned housing and should contact Housing and Conference Services and their House Dean to clarify the housing situation as soon as possible.
Students should also contact Student Financial Services and Student Health Services if they carry Penn Health Insurance.
It is important to be aware of the procedures for requesting a return from mandatory leave. Refer to the College's official mandatory leave notification and the Academic Standing Coordinator for more information. Students may be asked for additional documents or evaluations to help determine their readiness to successfully resume full-time studies.

Return from Leave of Absence

return from leave checklist >>

When a student wishes to return from a leave of absence, he or she must submit a request to return no less than six weeks prior to the start of the desired semester (July 15 for the fall semester, November 15 for the spring semester), or before the beginning of the relevant Advance Registration period, if the student wishes to advance register. This is done by contacting an advisor in the College Office and asking for the request to return from leave form.

Any return request submitted to the College later than the above-indicated deadlines may be denied by the College. Timely submission of requests and documentation is a condition of all leaves.

The standard length of a College leave of absence is one year. Students may request an early return from leave after one full semester on leave, but should bear in mind that this request may be denied. Read more >>