Leave of Absence Policy

1.1 Eligibility

A. Students in good academic standing can request a voluntary LOA after completing the Fall semester of their first year in the MBA program. The main reasons for requesting an LOA are outlined in section 1.4 of this policy.

B. Students can request a voluntary LOA during the Fall semester of their first year in the MBA program only if they experience extenuating circumstances that warrant a medical, family, or military service LOA. (see Section 1.4 (A)-(C).).

C. Students who cannot complete the Fall semester of their first year in the MBA Program and do not qualify for a medical, family, or military service LOA must withdraw from the program. Students in this situation must reapply for admission to the MBA program, and readmission is not guaranteed.

1.2 Requesting a Leave of Absence

A. To request a voluntary LOA, students must ordinarily submit a written request to the Deputy Vice Dean of Academic Affairs (DVDAA) before the start of the semester in which the requested leave would take effect. The request must briefly describe the reason for the leave and include the student’s contact information and email address while on leave.

B. In cases of extenuating circumstances, students may request a leave after the start of the semester. (see Section 1.4 (A)-(C)).

C. Permission to take voluntary leave shall be granted at the sole discretion of the DVDAA. If the LOA is granted, students will receive an email confirmation outlining the leave terms and any return conditions deemed appropriate by the DVDAA (with input from qualified professionals in the case of any Medical LOA).

D. The LOA is noted on the transcript once processed by the Registrar.

1.3 Duration

A. Voluntary LOAs have a minimum duration of one full semester (i.e., in the rare circumstance where a student has requested immediate voluntary leave after the start of the semester, the proposed leave would have to apply to both the current semester and the following semester). Students requesting a LOA pursuant to the Childbirth and New Parents Accommodation Policy may request leave for either the full semester or a quarter.

B. Students who are granted a voluntary LOA must return and complete their degree within five years of their expected graduation date at the time of enrollment into the program. Students who do not complete their degree requirements within this time limit will be withdrawn from the MBA program.  Students in this situation must reapply for admission to the MBA program, and readmission is not guaranteed.

1.4 Reasons for Requesting a Leave of Absence

A. Medical LOA: Students may request a medical LOA for physical or mental health conditions. Students or their healthcare providers must send documentation to Penn Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) and indicate that the documentation is to support an LOA request.

B. Family LOA: Students may request a Family LOA for the birth or adoption of a child, childcare, or care of an immediate family member (spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent) with a serious health condition.

C. Military LOA: Students may request a Military LOA to complete military service, including training and active duty.

D. Voluntary LOA: Students may request a Voluntary LOA to pursue a career opportunity or for other personal reasons.

Please consult the University of Pennsylvania’s Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy, which applies to Wharton students as well.

A. Students on leave do not pay tuition or fees and are not eligible for loans or financial aid.

B. Students on leave are not eligible for Wharton merit-based fellowships. Students taking a voluntary LOA after the semester begins may have their entire Wharton merit-based fellowship removed from their account for the associate academic term.

C. When a student goes on leave before the completion of the semester for which federal student aid has been received, the Office of Financial Aid will refund financial aid on the same schedule as the University.

D. Students are advised to contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions about tuition, fees, financial aid, and loans. Students are encouraged to contact that office to understand the impact an LOA may have on their financial obligations, including the repayment of student loans.

A. Students taking a LOA before the first day of the semester will receive a full refund of tuition and Wharton fees. Once the semester begins, students taking a voluntary LOA are responsible for tuition and fees in accordance with the University’s Reduction of Tuition and Fees Policy. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions about refunds.

B. Students who request a voluntary LOA before the drop deadline (and are granted the LOA) will be withdrawn from their courses with no notation on their transcript for those courses (only the LOA itself is noted on the transcript).

C. Students who request a voluntary LOA after the drop deadline but before the withdrawal deadline will be withdrawn from their courses, with a notation of “W” on their transcript for those courses.

D. Requests to take a voluntary LOA after the withdrawal deadline are considered only in extremely extenuating circumstances and only with the proper supporting documentation.

Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must contact the International Student and Scholar Services before requesting an LOA to determine the ramifications of an LOA on their immigration status.  Confirmation of this understanding must be included in any LOA request.

The following applies to all students while on an LOA:

Students on LOA are not registered with the University and do not have the rights and privileges of registered students. However, they remain degree candidates and are expected to maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct.

Students on LOA should remain in contact with their academic advisor and update them about their plans to return.

Access to university services and facilities is restricted, and Penn Cards are deactivated.

A. Students cannot be enrolled in any University of Pennsylvania classes and cannot receive Penn transfer credit for courses taken at another institution.

B. Students cannot participate in registered university organizations, including Wharton clubs.

C. Students who do not meet the MBA Program Academic Performance Standards when the LOA request was granted will return to the status they held when they left, i.e., probation or subject to the second-year graduation requirement.

D. If applicable, students will need to clear any pending issues with the Center for Community Standards and Accountability and the Office of the Associate Vice President for Equity and Title IX Officer before July 1 for a fall return, November 1 for a spring return and May 1 for a summer return.

E. Students who have been placed on financial hold by Student Financial Services office must resolve these issues and have the hold cleared before August 1 for a fall return or December 1 for a spring return.

F. If and to the extent advised by medical professionals (following an individualized assessment of each case), students may be required to comply with a treatment plan while on LOA.

The return from LOA process supports students in successfully re-entering academic life at Wharton.  Below are general return conditions for all students on LOA; more specific conditions will be noted for each student following an individualized case assessment.  In some circumstances, an LOA may have been granted with additional return conditions that must be fulfilled before students can resume the MBA program.

A. Students must initiate a return to the program by writing to the MBA Program Office by July 1 for a return in the Fall semester or November 1 for a return in the Spring semester. A return request submitted beyond this deadline will be a cause for denial (subject to appeal, under Section 8 below).

B. Students who did not meet the MBA Program Academic Performance Standards at the time the LOA request was granted, must petition the DVDAA for permission to return to the MBA program. The petition must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their LOA have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume the program.

C. Students whose leave request indicated medical circumstances as at least part of the reason for that request will be required to present a treating clinician’s current evaluation of the medical condition to the relevant health office (Student Health and Counseling). Wharton, in consultation with these offices, will determine whether the results of the evaluation suffice to satisfy the conditions set forth in the original message granting approval for the leave.

D. Students should meet their academic advisors and register for courses that meet their MBA degree and major’s requirements. As with all students, returning students must enroll via the Course Match registration platform and comply with all academic deadlines while on leave, including Course Match and registration deadlines.

E. Many of our Fixed-core courses are only offered in the Fall. Hence, students who have not completed their required first-year Fall semester courses must return in the Fall semester.

Students have the right to appeal the LOA decision made by the DVDAA (including conditions of return) by writing to the Chair of the Executive Committee within seven days of receipt of the relevant decision (or conditions).  The Chair of the MBA Executive Committee will determine whether the committee will consider the appeal.  If the Chair determines that the appeal will not be considered, the appeals process will end, and the decision made by the DVDAA will stand.  The MBA Executive Committee will then consider the appeal, the appealing student will have the right to be heard, and the Committee will determine the LOA decision.  There is no further appeals process beyond the MBA Executive Committee process.