ACADEMIC POLICIES

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Absence And Readmission
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Absence and Readmission

To be registered for a term, students must enroll in courses and pay fees according to deadlines specified in the Schedule of Classes. Students who do not register are subject to the following policies on absence and readmission.

Cancellation

Before the first day of classes, students may cancel registration by (1) completing and submitting a Cancellation of Registration form, available at http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/forms/, or (2) faxing a written notice to (310) 206-4520. Refund is as follows: fees paid by new undergraduate students are refunded except for the nonrefundable acceptance of admission fee and service fee; fees paid by new M.B.A. and Dentistry students are refunded except for their respective nonrefundable acceptance of admission fee; for new graduate, continuing, and reentering students, a service fee is deducted from the amount of fees paid.

Graduate students who cancel their registration and do not apply for a formal leave of absence must file for readmission to return to the University.

Withdrawal

Withdrawing from the University means discontinuing attendance in all courses in which students are enrolled. Students who withdraw during a term need to file a Notice of Withdrawal, available from their academic dean’s office (undergraduates) or departmental office (graduate students).

When students officially withdraw, a percentage of the Student Services Fee may be refunded depending on the date the withdrawal form is filed. The UCSHIP fee is nonrefundable.

Claims for refund must be presented within the academic (fiscal) year to which the claim is applicable. Consult the Schedule of Classes for policy details and specific refund dates.

Students may withdraw only if they have not taken any final examinations or otherwise completed the work in any classes. For undergraduates, one withdrawal places no restriction on readmission or continuation if they started the term in good academic standing. If they withdraw after one or more previous withdrawals or while in academic difficulty, a restriction may be placed on their continuance in undergraduate standing. Before withdrawing, they are urged to consult faculty, departmental, or College advisers to consider the full implications of this action.

Undergraduates may also withdraw from a term retroactively, provided no final examinations have been taken and no coursework has been completed. No withdrawals are accepted once they have officially graduated from the University.

Students who register and subsequently discontinue coursework or stop payment on registration checks without an approved petition for withdrawal, leave of absence, or cancellation receive F, NP, or U grades, as appropriate, for all courses in which they are enrolled for that term. A fine is assessed if any check for registration fees payment is returned by a bank for stopped payment, insufficient funds, or any other reason. No fees are refunded, and future registration privileges may be curtailed or revoked.

Undergraduate Readmission

Students who complete a term (Fall, Winter, or Spring Quarter), and do not register the following term, may return to UCLA the subsequent term as a continuing student and be eligible to register and enroll in advance.

One-Term Absence

Students on a one-term absence who plan to attend another institution--including UCLA Extension--should discuss plans with their College or school counselor before enrolling elsewhere. On returning to UCLA, they must have an official transcript mailed from the institution directly to UCLA Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools (UARS). Once students request a transcript, they must complete a Transfer Credit Evaluation Request form at UARS, 1147 Murphy Hall, to have coursework evaluated.

Planned Academic Leave (PAL) for International Travel

Students who plan to participate in a study abroad program sponsored by an institution other than UC are required to take a planned academic leave of absence (PAL) from UCLA. After they are accepted into a program, students must register their program with the UCLA International Education Office (IEO), B300 Murphy Hall. Registering the program also generates the student application for the leave of absence.

Requirements for programs and registration can be found on the IEO website at http://www.ieo.ucla.edu/nonucprograms/.

Students returning from an approved leave of absence for participation in a registered non-UC study abroad program are not required to seek readmission, but must provide official transcripts for coursework evaluation.

Reentering Students

To return to the University after an absence of more than one term, students--except for those on PAL for non-UC study abroad--must complete an undergraduate readmission application and file it with the Registrar’s Office in accordance with published deadlines. A nonrefundable fee applies.

Students must submit official transcripts from all institutions (including UCLA Extension) and a completed Statement of Legal Residence with readmission applications. Coursework is evaluated when official transcripts are received. The paper records of nonregistered students, including transcripts submitted for transfer credit, are retained by the Registrar’s Office for five academic years after the last registered term.

Students who have not registered for five years must resubmit official transcripts of all work completed outside UCLA. Readmission is generally approved if students were in good academic standing (2.0 grade-point average) when they left the University, if coursework completed elsewhere in the interim is satisfactory, and if readmission applications are filed on time. The College or school may have other regulations. Contact the readmission clerk for more information at (310) 825-1091, option 6.

Graduate Readmission

For details on the policies below, consult Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA at http://grad.ucla.edu/publications.asp.

Continuous Registration Policy

Graduate students must be either registered and enrolled or on an official leave of absence every term until their degrees are awarded. As an exception, certain graduate students may be eligible to pay the filing fee. Failure to register or be on an official leave of absence for any term (Fall, Winter, or Spring Quarter) constitutes withdrawal from UCLA.

Graduate Leave of Absence

Continuing graduate students in good standing (3.0 GPA or above) who have completed at least one term of UCLA graduate work may, with the support of their department and the approval of the Graduate Division, be eligible for leaves of absence. Graduate students are allowed a maximum of three quarters of official leave of absence.

Federal policy governing students on F-1 and J-1 visas restricts leaves of absence to certain conditions. Therefore, the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, in consultation with the Graduate Division, individually evaluates each international graduate student request for a leave of absence to determine that it meets federal (and University) eligibility criteria.

Research doctoral students who are new parents or who are confronted with extraordinary parenting demands should consult Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA in regard to Graduate Council policy requiring program accommodations for them.

Students on approved leave of absence are not permitted to use faculty time or make use of University facilities for more than12 hours since their last registration and are not eligible for apprentice personnel employment or other services normally available to registered students. There is no need to apply for readmission, since the approved leave is for readmission to a specific term. The Registrar’s Office notifies students about registration for the returning term.

The Request for Leave of Absence form is available at http://grad.ucla.edu in the forms section. See the Schedule of Classes calendar for the filing deadline.

In Absentia Registration

Academic and professional graduate students taking leaves of absence outside California for research or coursework related to their degree program may be eligible for in absentia registration. Students registered in absentia pay 15 percent of Tuition and the Student Services Fee, but pay the full amounts of other mandatory fees such as health insurance and nonresident supplemental tuition (if applicable). In absentia registration and fee reductions may be used for a maximum of six quarters or four semesters for academic doctoral students, and up to three quarters or two semesters for master’s and professional graduate students. For complete details and restrictions, see the FAQ at http://grad.ucla.edu/gss/library/abspetitionfaq.pdf. To register in absentia, complete a Petition for In Absentia Registration at http://grad.ucla.edu/gss/library/abspetition.pdf.

Application for Readmission

Students who are granted a formal leave of absence do not have to apply for readmission if they resume their graduate work in accordance with the terms of their leaves. All other continuing graduate students who fail to register for any regular session, or who fail to complete a term through cancellation or withdrawal, must compete for readmission with new applicants.

Students who have registered at any time as a graduate student at UCLA and are returning after an absence (except a formal leave of absence) must file an Application for Graduate Admission which is available online at http://grad.ucla.edu. Payment of the nonrefundable application fee may be paid by credit card only. Transcripts of all academic work completed since registration at UCLA as a graduate student must also be submitted.