Leave of Absence or Deferral of Assessment

A leave of absence is when a student wishes to postpone a year of study, and return the following year to start the year of study again. Requests may be made in the following ways:

Leave of absence for a registered undergraduate student prior to the beginning of the year

A student may apply for a leave of absence prior to the commencement of a continuing year of a programme if they are unable to continue their studies due to unforeseen or exceptional medical, financial or family reasons. Requests for a leave of absence should be made before April 30th in relation to the following academic year.

Leave of absence for Registered Students during Academic year

In exceptional cases, a student may not be able to complete their year of study because of family, personal, health or financial reasons. If this is the case, the student should seek advice from their Year Tutor, Programme Chair, Head of Department, or student support staff. The student can apply for a leave of absence with a view to returning to IADT in the following academic year to start their year of study again. Requests for leave of absence must be made before the last working day in March in the current academic year.

Leave of absence for an Add-on Degree/Postgraduate Programme/Special Purpose Award

IADT does not normally consider applications for a leave of absence in respect of one-year add-on, postgraduate programmes, or Special Purpose Awards. Where they are granted, they are subject to the programme/module running. In the case of serious medical/personal situations, a leave of absence may be granted and a place reserved for the student on the programme subject to it being offered by IADT.

• Complete the leave of absence form within the Institute’s timelines. Forms are available from Faculty Offices, Academic & Student Affairs Office and can be downloaded below.
• Forms must be accompanied by a letter addressed to the Registrar outlining reasons for seeking the leave of absence
• Supporting documentation (medical certificates, etc.) must also be attached
• Documents should be submitted to the relevant Faculty Office for processing.
• In the case of any illness or accident, a medical certificate is required from a registered practitioner, psychologist or counsellor. This note should be on letterhead paper and should be legible, stamped and dated.

What’s next?

• A leave of absence is at the discretion of the Institute
• The students’ application will be considered by the Faculty and the Registrar
• The student will be informed in writing whether the leave of absence has been granted
• Leave of absence will not be considered if the stated reasons do not match the supporting evidence.

In exceptional cases, a student may not be able to complete a module assessment because of family, personal or health reasons and may wish to have their repeat sitting considered as a first attempt. If this is the case, the student should seek advice from their programme co-ordinator, head of department, or student support staff. Requests for deferral of module must be submitted well in advance of the final assessment for the module. It is recognised that a student may be unable to sit an examination or complete a terminal assessment due to unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances. The form must be completed as soon as possible after the circumstance arises but no later than one week after the end of the Institute examination period. Forms submitted after this date will not be considered.

• Complete the appropriate form within the Institute’s timelines. Forms are available from Faculty Offices, Academic & Student Affairs Office and can be downloaded below.
• Forms must be accompanied by a letter addressed to the Registrar outlining reasons for seeking the deferral
• Supporting documentation (medical certificates, etc.) must also be attached
• Documents should be submitted to the relevant Faculty Office for processing.
• In the case of any illness or accident, a medical certificate is required from a registered practitioner, psychologist or counsellor. This note should be on letterhead paper and should be legible, stamped and dated. It should cover the appropriate dates of the assessment or examination period.

If a deferral is granted on serious medical grounds the student will pay only the difference in fees between the year deferred and the year returned. If a deferral is granted on non-medical grounds, the student will be liable to pay repeat fees if the deferral is sought after 31st October of the current year.

It is expected that students must take up their place after a leave of absence or deferral. Applications for subsequent leave of absence or deferrals will normally be refused. However, the institute may allow a second in exceptional circumstances.