Pause Your Studies
There is nothing you need to do in order to take time off from your studies, but students who take an entire spring or fall term off will need to apply to resume their studies (see below for more detail). Taking the summer term off is fine.
Resume Your Studies
If you have taken an entire fall or spring term off, you will need to apply to resume your studies. The resume studies information is found on the Graduate School website.
While it will appear that you are applying again, once you start the process, the system will determine that you are resuming, and you will not have to pay an application fee.
Students who take more than one year off must supply additional documentation to the Graduate School during the resume studies process. Although it will seem, at first, that you need to submit new letters of recommendation, you do not. Please contact info@gis.psu.edu for instructions on how to submit a resume study form if you have paused your studies for more than one year.
MGIS and MS SDS students are allowed up to eight years from the date of admission to complete all requirements for the degree. MPS HLS students are allowed five years to complete all requirements.