Managing Your Program

In order to qualify as full-time, graduate students must:

• Be pursuing studies as a full-time occupation;
• Identify themselves as full-time graduate students;
• Be designated by the university as full-time graduate students;
• Be geographically available and visit the campus regularly. Without forfeiting full-time status, graduate students, while still under supervision, may be absent from their university (e.g. visiting libraries, doing field work, attending a graduate course at another institution, etc.) provided that, if any such period of absence exceeds four weeks in any one term, written evidence shall be available in the Graduate Studies Office to the effect that the absence has the approval of the chairperson of the department and the dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Learn more about extended absences.

• A full-time graduate student at Laurier is defined as someone who works no more than 10 hours per week on campus (on average; 520 hours per year) in employment outside of their studies. 

These are candidates who do not meet all of the requirements of a full-time master's or doctoral degree candidate. Normally, part-time students may not register in more than one full-credit course or equivalent per term.

In most cases, you maintain continuous enrolment from the point of admission until the degree is complete (graduation). Circumstances occasionally arise that prevent you from remaining engaged in your academic work (e.g. illness, family emergencies, an unexpected financial necessity that university funding cannot ameliorate, career change, parental leave, etc.). With the exception of parental leaves, students who suspend their studies do not have access to university resources.
 
Leave of Absence/Inactive Status

Normally, a leave of absence/inactive status will be approved only once for a maximum of two terms. Students who require more than two terms of leave should voluntarily withdraw from their program (see the policy on withdrawal from the university in the academic calendar) until they are ready to return to their studies. You may request a leave of absence/inactive status by submitting a petition to the graduate student appeals committee.

Students who are granted a leave of absence/inactive status will not be required to pay fees during that term; consequently, they will not have access to funding, university facilities or faculty (including program representatives, advisor, staff, Library, etc.) for the duration of the leave.  

Terms spent on a leave of absence/inactive status do not count toward degree program time limits or the number of terms that graduate students may be eligible for financial support from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A petition for a leave of absence/inactive status should indicate:

• The number of terms of inactive status requested;
• The date of commencement of the first such term; and
• The reason(s) why inactive status is required (including documentation, if applicable)

Students who are granted a leave of absence/inactive status are expected to return at the end of the approved leave.

Parental Leave

Parental leave may be granted for up to three consecutive terms. Your parental leave will be granted with submission of the Notification of Parental Leave Form and supporting documentation (e.g. written confirmation from attending physician).  

During an approved parental leave:

• No tuition or incidental fees are assessed for the period of approved leave
• The student may be eligible for the Parental Leave Supplement
• Funding is suspended during leave, the period of approved leave does not count toward degree time limits
• The student retains access to university facilities (including program representatives, advisor, staff, Library, etc.) for the duration of the leave

For information about parental leaves, and to determine eligibility for the Parental Leave Grant Program, please click on the Parental Leave Grant Program for Full-Time Graduate Students accordion on the Internal Scholarships and Awards.

If you wish to withdraw from Laurier you must complete the Withdrawal from Graduate Studies Form and must notify the dean or director of the program in which you are enrolled. For more information about withdrawing from your graduate program, visit Enrolment Services.

You may take a withdrawal at any point in a term; however, you are responsible for acting in accordance with the Academic Calendar dates listed in the Graduate Academic Calendar. If the withdrawal occurs after the deadline for dropping courses in a term, any uncompleted courses will be recorded as a failure.

If you intend to return to your program following an absence of more than 12 months (3 terms), you must re-apply for admission. If returning within 12 months of the withdrawal, your return must coincide with the commencement of a term. You must notify fgps@wlu.ca at least 2 months prior to your expected date of return to confirm a time ticket and to ensure that any funding arrangements will re-commence.

You must also contact your graduate coordinator (and supervisor where applicable) to plan your return to studies.

Notwithstanding any fees resulting from a late withdrawal, tuition and incidental fees are not assessed while you are withdrawn. Funding is also suspended during a withdrawal, and the period of withdrawal does not count toward degree time limits.  Consequently, you will not have access to university facilities (including program representatives, advisor, staff, library, etc.) for the duration of the leave.