A leave of absence may be granted for maternity or parental reasons or for health reasons (see University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Leave of Absence Status).

Such a leave must be requested on a term-by-term basis and may be granted for a period of up to 52 weeks. For a maternity or parental leave, the eligibility period of a maximum of 52 consecutive weeks is determined based on when the child is born; if the leave is interrupted for one or two terms, the eligibility period cannot be extended. Students and Postdocs must make a request for such a leave in writing to their department and submit a medical certificate. The department shall forward the request to Enrolment Services. See the procedure in University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Leave of Absence Status.

Students who have been granted such a leave will have to register for the term(s) in question and their registration will show as “leave of absence” on their record. No tuition fees will be charged for the duration of the authorized leave. Research supervisors are not obligated to remunerate students and Postdocs on leave. 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 under "Leave Policies and Form."