Matriculation and Leave of Absence

Time to Completion Requirement

Students must complete degree requirements in force at the time of their initial enrollment: five years for master’s degree students and seven to ten years for doctoral students. The time to complete degree requirements includes any semester(s) for which students pay maintenance of matriculation or take a leave of absence.

Maintenance of Matriculation

A degree or advanced certificate can only be awarded to a student who has been continuously matriculated for each Fall and Spring semester since entering the program. MHA students must be continuously matriculated in Fall, Spring, and Summer. In order to be matriculated, students must register for at least one credit-bearing course. Students who are not registered for coursework but are completing requirements for their degree (including incomplete coursework and doctoral dissertations) must register for Maintenance of Matriculation and pay a maintenance of matriculation fee (approximately $500 — per NYU Bursar's Office fee schedule). Registering for Maintenance of Matriculation allows a student access to University facilities to complete their outstanding requirements.

Students should first discuss their situation with their program advisor. Students who determine they will need to maintain matriculation should email wagner.academicservices@nyu.edu with their request.

Masters students may maintain matriculation for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. After two semesters of maintaining matriculation, students must register for courses or they will be required to reapply for admission.

Doctoral students are reminded that they must maintain matriculation while completing their dissertation research and writing. Continuous matriculation may be met in the following ways: 1) registering for a normal course load or 2) enrolling in Research in Progress,  PHD-GP 5901.

Leave of Absence

Active students in good standing who need to take a leave of absence from school should consult with their program advisor.

Students may request a leave of absence for national service, serious illness or medical condition (such as significant surgery, recent or expected childbirth, etc.), or for personal or financial reasons. A leave of absence should be requested prior to the semester in which the leave is taken, if possible. Students must submit a request for a Leave of Absence via Albert Student Center prior to the Add/Drop deadline for that term. Students granted a leave of absence are still required to complete all degree requirements within the specified time of initial enrollment (masters' students within 5 years; doctoral students within 7-10 years). A leave does not extend the specific time period for obtaining a degree.

A leave can be for a maximum of two consecutive academic semesters; for MHA students this includes the summer term. After two semesters of leave of absence, students must register for courses or they will be required to reapply for admission. 

FINANCIAL AID AND HEALTH INSURANCE

Students who receive Wagner scholarship aid and who maintain matriculation or take a leave for a semester must contact wagner.financialaid@nyu.edu to inquire about how the leave will affect their scholarship aid. 

Students must contact the NYU Student Health Insurance office to learn more about the duration of health insurance while on maintenance of matriculation or a leave of absence. Students are responsible for knowing how their health insurance coverage may be affected.

ONE-SEMESTER LIMITATION on INACTIVITY

Any student who is inactive — has not enrolled in courses for a semester (including the summer term for MHA students) and who has not maintained matriculation or been approved for a leave of absence in Albert — will be placed on a non-sanctioned leave of absence for one term. In the term immediately following the term of inactivity, a student must enroll in courses without exception prior to the Add/Drop deadline.

An inactive student who does not enroll in classes prior to the Add/Drop deadline of the subsequent term will be formally withdrawn and will be required to apply for readmission to Wagner for future matriculation. Students should be aware of the admission timetable in advance, so that if reapplication is necessary, they can apply in time for their targeted admit date. Applications for readmission will be evaluated on the basis of the standards used to evaluate new applicants for admission. Readmitted students must satisfy all the degree requirements and procedures in effect at the time of readmission.