Dual Enrollment Request Form
Dual degrees are two degrees earned simultaneously when a student is accepted by both department/programs and is approved by the appropriate academic deans and the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee).
A student must be admitted to one academic program initially, and after the first semester, may apply and be accepted to the second degree program. There is no formal relationship between the two degree program requirements in a dual degree situation.
There is no formal relationship, overlap of credit hours, or sharing of credit hours between the two degree program requirements in a dual degree situation. The Dual Enrollment Request Form needs to be submitted at the correct time to ensure timely and effective advisement, prior to the graduate student completing 12 credit hours in the second degree program and before the student has reached the final semester and applied for graduation so there are no delays in graduation clearance.
Exception Request Form
Use this form to request an exception to a regular graduate education policy. Instructions and next steps are provided in the form. Graduate Students cannot submit an Exception Request Form to the Graduate School for review. The form must be submitted from the student's Academic Dean's Office.
Extension of Time (EOT) Request Form
For master's students, the work for the master's degree must be completed within seven years from the time the student first registers for graduate credit. Any graduate work transferred from another institution must have commenced not more than seven years prior to completion of the degree for the credits to be applicable to the master's degree. If the master's degree is not completed within seven years from the time the student first registers for graduate credit, and the program and/or Department Chair does not choose to approve an Extension of Time (EOT), then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.
For doctoral students, all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student passes the preliminary examination and is admitted to the candidacy. If the student's major professor and/or Department Chair does not choose to either approve an Extension of Time (EOT) or require the student to take the preliminary exam and/or coursework again for readmission to candidacy, then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.
Graduate Leave of Absence Form
Under special circumstances, graduate students may apply for a leave of absence from the University for a specific period of up to three consecutive semesters (includes Summer term). The circumstances justifying a leave include but are not limited to: personal or family medical conditions, call to active military duty, parental leave, death in immediate family, or completion of an off-campus internship. The student must provide appropriate documentation and a rationale for the leave request.
To apply for a leave of absence, a student must complete the Request for Leave of Absence Form below and submit it together with appropriate documentation to the major professor/advisor/Program Director. If the major professor/advisor/Program Director approves the application, it should then be forwarded to the department head and subsequently to the college's academic dean for consideration. If approved at all of these levels, the college academic dean should notify the Registrar's Office and the Dean of the Graduate School (or designee) of the decision. The college academic dean should also notify the student of the decision (approved or denied). The Registrar's Office will place a notation on the student's record. A student who is denied a request for leave at any step may appeal the decision to the Dean of The Graduate School (or designee). Retroactive Leave of Absence Requests are not permissible nor are Leave of Absences Requests for the semester of admission or readmission. A leave of absence is not meant for one semester or term of non-enrollment.
For additional information regarding a leave of absence, please refer to the Graduate Bulletin.
Click here to access the LOA Checklist
Click here to access the LOA Registration PDF Form
Click here to access the LOA Extension Request PDF Form
Leave of Absence FAQ
Graduate Students
What does a Leave of Absence do?
An approved leave of absence preserves the student's academic status in his or her degree program, and the time off will not be counted against the time limits for awarding degrees. Consequently, registration is not required during the leave period and the student need not re-apply to the program to return to active status at the end of the approved leave period.
How will a Leave of Absence impact a student?
*Students should consider ALL factors that might impact them during a leave of absence. For example, but not limited to the following:
Access to facilities:
While on leave of absence a student will not have access to campus facilities and personnel. This means a student will not have access to labs, libraries, and online resources that require an FSUID.
Housing:
Students on leave of absence cannot remain in student housing.
Financial Aid:
There is no guarantee that financial aid will be continued. Students with financial aid or student loans should confer with the Office of Financial Aid and review their loan agreements prior to requesting a leave of absence to ascertain the consequences a leave will have on their loan status.
Assistantship or Fellowship:
University assistantship and fellowship support will be discontinued for the duration of the leave of absence. Students receiving external support, e.g., an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, should check the terms of the award to determine the impact of being on a leave of absence.
Residency:
In-state residency status may be impacted if the student moves out of the State of Florida while on a leave of absence, and then returns to resume the degree program. Students should seek guidance on the potential impact on in-state residency.
Visa Status:
International students should check with the Center for Global Engagement to determine if a leave of absence would adversely affect their visa status.
What circumstances justify a Leave of Absence?
The circumstances justifying a leave of absence include but are not limited to: personal or family medical conditions, call to active military duty, parental leave, death in immediate family, or completion of an off-campus internship. The student must provide appropriate documentation and a rationale for the leave of absence request.
How long can an initial Leave of Absence be requested for?
Under special circumstances, graduate students may apply for a leave of absence from the University for a specific period of up to three consecutive semesters (includes Summer term).
What are some examples of non-permissible situations involving a Leave of Absence?
A leave of absence for one semester or term of non-enrollment is not permitted. A leave of absence request for the semester of admission or readmission is also not permissible. Additionally, students cannot be on a leave of absence during their semester of graduation and must be registered for a minimum of two hours in that semester.
When should a student apply for a Leave of Absence?
To apply for a leave of absence, a student must complete the Request for Leave of Absence Form, which can be found on the Graduate School’s website, and submit it together with appropriate documentation to the major professor, faculty advisor, program director, or department chair for review/approval. Please refer to your academic unit’s internal process for guidance.
*The leave of absence form must be submitted and approved prior to the start of the semester/term in which the leave of absence is being requested.
Is a retroactive Leave of Absence possible?
Retroactive leave of absence requests are not permissible.
Can a Leave of Absence be extended?
Yes, a leave of absence may be extended for additional consecutive semesters (includes Summer term). A student should apply for the leave extension no later than four weeks prior to the end of the final semester/term of his or her initial leave to allow time to consider and process the request. Extension of a leave of absence is subject to approval of the program, college, and the Graduate School. The cumulative number of consecutive leave semesters (including summer term) shall not exceed six. The total consecutive or non-consecutive leave time a student is not registered in the program shall not exceed twenty-four months.
What happens when a Leave of Absence ends?
At the conclusion of the approved leave of absence, a student must enroll at Florida State University and return to active status no later than the start of the next academic semester.
*Students returning from a leave of absence of more than one year will be required to disclose any legal or campus disciplinary charges that arose during the leave and provide updated contact and mailing address, residency documentation, and other biographical information as required by the University for reporting and processing purposes.
Can a student terminate a Leave of Absence at any time?
Yes, a student on an approved leave of absence may terminate the leave at any time prior to the approved ending date. In such cases the student would be immediately subject to the continuous enrollment and registration policies.
In such cases, the student should contact their department and academic college to notify them of the interest to terminate the leave of absence early.
What happens if a Leave of Absence Request is denied?
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Faculty/Staff
Approval process of a Leave of Absence?
If the major professor, faculty advisor, and/or program director, approves the application for a leave of absence, it should then be forwarded to the department chair and subsequently to the college's academic dean office for consideration and approval. If approved at all levels, the college academic dean office should then notify the Registrar's Office and the Dean of the Graduate School (or designee) of the decision via email.
The college academic dean office should also notify the student of the decision (approved or denied). The Registrar's Office will place a notation on the student's record.
Program restrictions on a Leave of Absence?
Programs may establish more strict leave of absence and registration policies. For example, a program may decide that under no circumstances would it allow a formal leave of absence or a program may choose to only allow a leave of absence of not more than three consecutive semesters. Such policies shall be detailed in the program's graduate student handbook.
*Additionally, programs are not obligated to reinstate funding support that was provided prior to the leave of absence, though they are encouraged to do so if funds are available.
Alternatives to a Leave of Absence for program consideration?
If allowed by the student's academic program and University policy, an alternative to taking a leave of absence could involve reducing the standard course load temporarily because of exceptional personal circumstances.
Program assistance for students who return from a Leave of Absence?
While on a leave of absence, a student’s major professor or faculty advisor might depart the University, or under extreme circumstances the degree program itself might be suspended or terminated. The unit and university has an obligation to provide a path to completion for enrolled students as well as students on a formally approved leave of absence. Steps should be taken by the department chair and academic dean’s office to assist the student during such circumstances.
Where is the policy on a Leave of Absence?
The leave of absence policy can be found in the Graduate Bulletin here: https://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/graduate-information/academic-regulations-procedures
Alternative Language for Theses, Treatises or Dissertations Form
The typical language of the thesis, treatise, or dissertation is English. Under special circumstances the Major Professor, the Academic Unit Head, and the Supervisory Committee may approve writing the body of the thesis, treatise, or dissertation in a language other than English, if doing so is essential for scholarly reasons. Lack of sufficient English competency is not an acceptable justification for using an alternative language. The Major Professor shall immediately notify the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School (or designee) for all cases where such approval has been granted. Notification requires completion of the form below. All committee members must be completely proficient in the alternative language. It is the responsibility of the Major Professor and the Supervisory Committee to ascertain that the candidate's thesis/dissertation is written in acceptable English or an alternative language, in an appropriate scholarly style. All non-English-language dissertations, treatises, or theses must have the preliminary pages and main section headings in English. This would include the content of the title page, committee page, acknowledgments, abstract and biographical sketch. All main section headings, including chapter and appendix headings, must be in English, but chapter/appendix titles may be in the chosen language.