How to Apply

Unless you are planning to study abroad, you must submit the Application for an Academic Leave of Absence (PDF) for all academic leaves to the Center for Global Initiatives, in addition to any application forms required for your specific program. The deadline for the Application for an Academic Leave of Absence is March 1st for the fall semester or a year-long leave and November 15 for the spring semester; however, some programs have earlier deadlines, and your application for a leave of absence should be submitted by the stated deadline for the specific program you are considering--even if you have not yet been accepted by that program or have not yet made a firm decision to go. It is important to have this paperwork in place, but you will have until the end of the semester before your leave to tell Mount Holyoke whether you will be going. Deadlines are under the specific programs listed from the Academic Leaves home page. You will also work closely with the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives in planning your academic leave, and should email McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives them with deadline questions.

Before applying for leave, you should carefully review your degree requirements with your major advisor, the chair of your major department, the registrar, and your class dean. Most, if not all, of your College requirements--distribution, foreign language, multicultural perspectives, and physical education--should be completed. Your major and minor requirements should be well underway before senior year.

In general, a student who meets the stated requirements, has chosen an accredited U.S. institution or a program abroad that Mount Holyoke approves for credit transfer, and demonstrates that she will still be able to graduate on schedule, can expect that the College will approve her application for academic leave. Some Mount Holyoke programs and exchanges have limited space available. Mount Holyoke’s approval of a student’s plan of study away is based solely on the student’s eligibility for academic leave of absence and on the academic content of her proposed program/university and its suitability for credit transfer to Mount Holyoke. With the exception of our own programs abroad, Mount Holyoke is not responsible for coordinating or administering any programs of study away from campus. Students are responsible for obtaining admission to the program or college of their choice, and application deadlines for admission may be earlier.

Students may be granted academic leave for a maximum of one year or two non-consecutive semesters, and may earn no more than 16 credits per semester (or 32 credits per year) for work completed elsewhere. Students on academic leave are automatically reinstated at Mount Holyoke at the end of the arranged leave. If you wish to extend your leave from one semester to two, you must submit a written request to the Center for Global Initiatives by November 1 (for spring) or March 1 (for fall).

Students on leave from Mount Holyoke are still considered candidates for the Mount Holyoke degree, and must enroll elsewhere as “non-degree-seeking students,” not as transfer students (a student can be a degree candidate at only one institution). Students who are admitted elsewhere as transfer students must withdraw from Mount Holyoke, even if they intend to return here upon completion of the year or semester away. Readmission to Mount Holyoke in such cases is readily granted if the student left the College in good standing; students should write to the assistant to the dean of the College to request readmission.

If you do not meet Mount Holyoke’s requirements for academic leave of absence but wish to study elsewhere, you may consider applying for a non-academic leave of absence.

As you plan your leave, remember that all students must be in residence at Mount Holyoke for at least four semesters out of their sophomore, junior, and senior years, and must earn at least 64 Mount Holyoke (including Five-College) credits during that time.