Leave of Absence & University Withdrawal

• Withdrawing from all your courses in any one term constitutes a university withdrawal.
• It is your responsibility to initiate the withdrawal process; non-attendance at classes does not constitute a University withdrawal.
• You must withdraw from all your courses on Minerva by the University established deadlines.
• Permission to withdraw from the University after course withdrawal deadlines may be granted only under exceptional circumstances.
  1. If you wish to request permission to withdraw from the University after course withdrawal deadlines, you will need to submit appropriate documentation with your request for a University withdrawal.
  2. Circumstances which can affect your ability to complete your studies, and which may be a basis to grant a University withdrawal past withdrawal deadlines, include illness, unforeseen financial hardship, or serious family affliction.
• You should contact the Internships & Student Affairs Office to request a withdrawal after the deadline. In your letter include your signature and your student ID number.
• Once you withdraw from the University, your record will be updated to include an official "withdrew from the University" narrative with the date of withdrawal. If you withdraw in the fall term, you are considered withdrawn from the entire academic year and your winter term is deleted.
• If you wish to return to McGill in the future: You must apply for Readmission to the University to the appropriate faculty through the "Student Records Menu" once you have logged into Minerva.

  If you are applying for Readmission to the Faculty of Education, please refer to the ISA's information on readmission.

Leave of Absence

Undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education may request an official Leave of Absence (LOA) for specific, University-approved reasons, such as:

• Maternity or parenting reasons
• Personal or family health reasons
• Professional development
• Required military service

Such leaves of absence must be requested on a term-by-term basis and may be granted for a period of up to 52 weeks. 

A leave of absence may only be requested before the end of the web with refund deadline of the term in which the request to go on leave is made. Please consult the Important Dates for Students website for further details. 

Students who are eligible for Leave of Absence must complete the form and submit any pertinent supporting documentation here.

Please note, being approved for a Leave of Absence may have consequences for your student loans, bursaries or any scholarship money you have been assigned. Please inform yourself of the possible implications by consulting with Scholarships & Student Aid on your case.  

International students: Once approved, you are advised to contact International Students Services regarding your individual circumstances and inform yourself of any repercussions or required action related to immigration regulations.

For details about the University’s general Leave of Absence Policy, please consult the Student Records website, located here.