Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate SCA majors who need to take a leave of absence should contact their assigned academic advisor. Students can declare an LOA here. Students of certain majors (such as Production) should take into consideration the production sequence and class availability when deciding to declare an LOA. Before returning, students on an LOA will be responsible for contacting their advisor to discuss class registration and remove any outstanding holds on their account. According to university policy, currently enrolled students have priority for receiving d-clearances and registration. Consult the USC Schedule of Classes for registration dates and deadlines.

Graduate Students
Requests for a leave of absence must be approved by the graduate advisor, the chair of your program of study, and the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs before the first day of the semester for which the leave is requested. We recommend you submit your request at least one month in advance to make sure there is enough time to obtain all the required signatures. Please see your academic advisor to submit your petition for a leave. Please note to qualify for a leave of absence, you must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards your degree. 

Production students-please note that the first year of the program is taken sequentially. You must request a leave for one semester at a time, for a maximum of two semesters. If you need to take a leave of absence for more than two semesters, you must reapply for admission. You must submit a readmission form, a current USC transcript, and an academic plan, outlining how you intend to finish the degree. Upon readmission you will be required to complete the current degree requirements. If cannot not finish the degree within the maximum allowed time frame, you will need to petition for an extension of the degree time limit. As a returning student, you will be responsible for contacting your advisor regarding signing up for classes the semester you return. According to university policy, currently enrolled students have priority for receiving d-clearances and registration. Consult the USC Schedule of Classes for registration dates and deadlines.