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Student Registration Status

Some situations require students to change their registration status. If any of the circumstances below apply to you during the academic year, you need to notify us, to ensure that your registration status is accurate. 

Dissertation Completion Status (DCS)

Use this status if you are not eligible for full-time registration (usually because of full-time employment restrictions), but wish to complete your Ph.D. dissertation under the supervision of a member of the Graduate School faculty. DCS allows you to maintain your University access privileges such as Net ID, electronic library resources, and Yale email account. Request Dissertation Completion Status by submitting the Change of Status form. 

Extended Registration

If you are a Ph.D. student and you intend to register as a full-time student in your 7th or 8th year of study, you must submit your most recent dissertation progress report along with the extended registration application. Request Extended Registration by submitting the applicable Extended Registration form. 

  1. Extended Registration – 7th Year
  2. Extended Registration – 8th Year

Leaves of Absence

Policies governing a leave of absence (medical, personal, or parental) are described in more detail in the Graduate School’s Programs and Policies handbook. Please review these policies carefully to understand the benefits and limitations of the leave status you are considering. Medical and personal leaves are normally granted only if you are current with your degree requirements. No leave of absence may be extended beyond two years. Request a Leave of Absence by submitting the Change of Status form.

  • Medical: If you wish or need to interrupt your study temporarily because of physical or psychological illness, you may request a medical leave. A written recommendation from an appropriate Yale Health chief physician should accompany your medical leave request.
     
  • Personal: If you wish or need to interrupt your study temporarily because of personal matters, you may request a leave.
     
  • Parental: If you wish to modify your academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child, you can request a parental leave. Please note: The parental leave status halts both your academic clock and your funding. This is different from the Parental Support and Relief policy described below.

Renewing or returning from a leave: To request a renewal or to resume your course of study as a registered student, send an email to gsasadministrativedean@yale.edu six weeks prior to the end of your approved leave.

Non-Cumulative Registration

Use this status if you are a registered Ph.D. student who needs to acquire an academic or methodological skill that is an essential degree requirement for your program or necessary for the completion of your dissertation. This status is typically used for immersive foreign language study. Request Non-Cumulative Registration by submitting the Change of Status form.

Parental Support and Relief

The Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ relief policy is designed to assist Ph.D. students when they become parents, and enables students to modify their academic responsibilities in the semester during or following the birth or adoption of a child. 
 
During your semester of parental relief:
1. Your academic clock stops, effectively adding an additional term to the total time to degree.
2. You will remain a registered full-time student; relief is not a leave of absence.
3. You will receive a standard stipend and health award.
4. In consultation with your DGS and adviser, you can modify your academic activity to suit your specific situation; all students are entitled to a minimum of eight weeks of full relief, free from any academic obligations.
 
This benefit is limited to two birth or adoption events over the course of a student’s doctoral program. If both parents are Ph.D. students at Yale, both may receive this benefit per birth or adoption event.
 
Please use this form request a semester of parental relief. If you have any questions or would like additional advising, please contact GSASadministrativedean@yale.edu.
 
Please note, a new birth or adoption may also qualify you for the Graduate School’s Family Support Subsidy.
 

Registration in Absentia 

Use this status if you are a Ph.D. student who will be living outside the New Haven area in order to conduct full-time dissertation research, full-time field work, or full-time study at another academic institution. Forms for requesting in Absentia registration should be filed with your DGS at least one month before the beginning of the term in which you expect to be away from New Haven. Request Registration in Absentia by submitting the Change of Status form.

Intent to Withdraw

If you wish withdraw “in good standing,” you must submit a change of status form and return your ID card to the University Registrar’s Office. If you were enrolled as a Ph.D. student prior to withdrawing and have met the requirements for the award of the M.A./M.S. or M.Phil. degree(s), you must also submit a degree petition form to receive the degree(s). These degrees are not automatically awarded after withdrawal. Indicate your Intent to Withdraw by submitting the applicable Change of Status form.