Parental Leave

Students who become parents may take uninterrupted parental leave during the first year of birth, adoption, or when the child first comes into custody, care and control of a parent. The maximum duration of the parental leave is 3 semesters. 

Students on parental leave are not expected to study or conduct research while on leave, and thus should not expect access to their supervisor. Students on parental leave will maintain limited access to the services of the University. 

For students taking a parental leave, the periods for completion of degree programs (see Degree Program Time Limits), together with the prescribed maximum periods of eligibility for financial support from the university resources will, on resumption of studies, be extended by the time-period taken for the leave. 

Students holding externally funded fellowships, or other forms of support derived from sources external to the University, must observe the regulations prescribed by the granting agency concerned.

A change of status may also impact repayment requirements of any student loan that the student currently receives or has ever received, including any provincial and/or federal student loans, or loans from any other student loan provider. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of how a status change to inactive impacts any student loan(s).

There is no maximum number of Maternal/Parental leaves. Students request this status by submitting the Graduate Student Notification of Parental Leave form two months in advance of the leave, to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.