What are Leave of Absence Programs?
In this scenario, the student withdraws from Tulane with the help of their academic advisor, and pays their host institution or program directly. Doing study abroad through this route involves many logistical steps, and students pursuing this path must be very aware of the potential complications.
Meet with the Transfer Credit Specialist in Academic Advising
Before completing the application, students should contact an advisor in the Office of Study Abroad to discuss their proposed course of study.
Why do I need to apply?
In order to seek transfer credit approval for a semester or summer study abroad program not approved by Newcomb-Tulane College, students must complete the Leave of Absence Semester Program petition available on the Office of Study Abroad website. You should also consult with a study abroad advisor. This petition must be approved in order for students to transfer credit earned on a Leave of Absence Semester Program back to Tulane.
Students participating in such programs will request a leave of absence from the university and will handle all study abroad matters directly with the foreign university or program provider.
If you are directly enrolling with a foreign university, you can use the WES Degree Equivalency Tool for FREE to see if your potential university has been evaluated in the past. If it does not appear, it may not award credit Tulane can accept.
What programs are rejected?
- CIEE programs due to Tulane’s School of Record Relationship with them
- Schools or institutes who do not grant undergraduate degrees comparable to Tulane’s, unless they have a U.S. School of Record (ex. Schools with graduate degrees only, or language institutes that don’t grant degrees)
- International universities without appropriate national accreditation (World Education Services will not create a course-by-course transcript evaluation report for these)
Academic Support Fee
Beginning in the Fall of 2022, Tulane University will assess a $1400 academic support fee for students studying abroad in Fall or Spring through the “Leave of Absence Semester” option. This fee will be assessed at the beginning of the semester you are abroad. If you are not responsible for paying your tuition, we ask that you inform your parents (or other parties) of this policy. Summer programs are not affected and will not be charged a fee.
How do I find a program?
Our office does not advise on Leave of Absence Semester programs outside of reviewing petitions for their ability to generate U.S. transcripts. You will undertake self-directed research to choose a program.
Additionally, you must confirm that the program/host university is able to take students who are not affiliated with a U.S. institution. Some institutions will not accept unaffiliated students.
How do I transfer credit back to Tulane?
Students should meet with the Transfer Credit Advisor in the Academic Advising Center: Make an appointment using this link: https://advising.tulane.edu/resources/transfer-credit to see their availability and schedule. That will show my next 10 day’s worth of appointments. If no appointments are shown, please check the following day when it updates with the next day’s worth of availability.
I want to do a CIEE program as a Leave of Absence Semester student.
Tulane is the School of Record for CIEE, meaning that we provide transcript services for all CIEE programs. As such, leave of absence requests will not be approved for CIEE-sponsored programs undertaken during the Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. If you are interested in a CIEE program, you must go through the official study abroad application process through the Office of Study Abroad and apply by our stated internal deadline.
Are there any potential complications to the Leave of Absence Semester process?
There are several potential risks.
- Leave of Absence Semester programs are not vetted by our office, and we cannot guarantee their quality or housing conditions.
- Leave of Absence Semester students do not have access to Tulane services, such as OSA/Academic Advising, Success Coaches, Crisis24 (our evacuation service), the libraries, and more.
- There can be a loss of credit during the transferring process. When going through the Office of Study Abroad, students are guaranteed general elective credit for all courses if they receive a passing grade. For Leave of Absence Semester, each class must be individually approved by both the Academic Advisor and corresponding department. If either says no, then the credit will not transfer. Keep in mind that more than likely you will not know for sure if courses will transfer prior to going abroad.
- Students should meet with the Transfer Credit Advisor in the Academic Advising Center: Make an appointment using this link: https://advising.tulane.edu/resources/transfer-credit to see their availability and schedule. That will show my next 10 day’s worth of appointments. If no appointments are shown, please check the following day when it updates with the next day’s worth of availability.
- Institutional scholarships may have mandates for continuous enrollment attached to them, and taking a leave of absence could jeopardize scholarship renewal. Additionally, many federal and private student loans may require that you be enrolled at a U.S. institution in order to be disbursed. It is the student's responsibility to meet with a financial aid advisor to see if taking a leave of absence would disrupt any funding.
When is the application due?
The Office of Study Abroad reviews applications to study on a Leave of Absence Semester Program on a rolling basis. They will be reviewed as they are received but there may be a delay in processing during high-volume times.
Is there a way to do official Tulane study abroad, but for a program not on the website? Or do I have to do a Leave of Absence Semester?
There is a way. Through the Independent Scholar Option (ISO), Tulane students may propose to study abroad for a year or semester through a university or program that has not been pre-approved by the Tulane Study Abroad Committee. The ISO review process is highly-selective, requiring a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA, a well-articulated academic statement highlighting the proposed study, service, internship, and/or research experience, a faculty letter of recommendation that articulates the student’s ability to successfully complete their proposed ISO, and final approval by TSAC (Tulane Study Abroad Committee).
The ISO is an opportunity to pursue a unique intellectual interest, not duplicate existing Newcomb-Tulane program offerings. Given the breadth and variety of Newcomb-Tulane options in the UK, Ireland, Australia, as well as Anglophone Africa and Asia, proposals for work conducted solely in English are discouraged unless a compelling academic need exists.
Before submitting an ISO application, students are required to meet with a study abroad advisor to discuss how to select a program likely to meet the academic expectations of the Tulane Study Abroad Committee.
Who does my home school nomination?
Home School Nomination forms should be sent to your Academic Advisor for completion regardless of whether they ask for a study abroad advisor signature.
