KAIST

Duration of Leave of Absence

• 1General leave of absence
• Within 4 semesters for undergraduate programs, within 2 semesters for master’s programs, and within 4 semesters for doctoral programs.
• Can apply for leave of absence after the end of Spring/Fall semeter(end of June/December) until mid-term exam period.
• Can’t apply after mid-term exam period until the end of final exam period.
• 2Leave of Absence due to Illness
• Within 4 semesters
• Can apply until before final exam period
• Must be accompanied by a medical certificate of general hospital(including KAIST Clinic) for more than 4 weeks of hospitalization or outpatient treatment.
• 3Leave of Absence due to Military Service
• Can apply during the academic semester(Except final exam period)
• Required to submit the notice of enlistment
• 4Leave of Absence due to Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childbearing
• Within 4 semesters per child(under the age of 8)
• Can apply until before final exam period
• 1 copy of the Maternity Certificate(Pregnant woman only), Birth Certificate or Family Relation Certificate (Children under 8 years old)
• 5Leave of Absence due to startup activities
• Within 6 semesters
• Can apply for leave of absence due to startup activities after the end of Spring/Fall semeter(end of June/December) until mid-term exam period.
• Can’t apply after mid-term exam period until the end of final exam period.
• 1 copy of Corporate register or business registration certificate
• Permitted only for Entrepreneurship and registration of CEO/executive director while in school(not before admission or overseas start-up)

Procedure

• Students must apply for a leave of absence online at the Academic System → receive approval from advising professor(after interview) and department head → checked by administrative department and department/major office → Students must submit it online(manual) before the deadline at the Academic System to Academic Registrar’s Team
  from D-1 of deadline, students cannot apply it online. Students must complete the leave of absence request form themselves and obtain the signature and seal of both oneself and their guarantor (scholarship recipients must receive authorization from relevant organization) → receive approval from advising instructor or faculty master/head professor before submitting the form to relevant faculty/major office → checked by administrative department of relevant faculty/major → submit to Academic Registrar’s Team

Document Submission (attach)

• Illness : 1 copy of the doctor’s note (minimum 4 weeks) of general hospital(including KAIST Clinic)
• Military Service : 1 copy of Enlistment Notice
• Startup activities : 1 copy of Corporate register or business registration certificate
• Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childbearing : 1 copy of the Maternity Certificate(Pregnant woman only), Birth Certificate or Family Relation Certificate (Children under 8 years old)

Refund due to leave of absence (date of occurrence is the start date of leave of absence, (from D-2 of deadline)the same as the date the request form for leave of absence is submitted to the Academic Registrars Team).

Date of Occurrence	Refund Amount
After deadline of course add/drop period but before 30 days from the beginning of the semester	5/6 of the payment (exclude admission fees, mutual aid fee, student fees)
After 30 days but before 60 days of the beginning of the semester	2/3 of the payment ( exclude admission fees, mutual aid fee, student fees)
After 60 days but before 90 days of the beginning of the semester	1/2 of the payment (exclude admission fees, mutual aid fee, student fees)
After 90 days of the beginning of the semester	No refund

• In the case of Leave of Absence due to Pregnancy, Childbirth or Childbearing / Leave of Absence due to Military Service, 100% of the tuition fee you have paid for the semester of leaving of absence is carried forward to the returning semester.

Cautionary Measures

• New incoming students may not take a leave of absence for their 1st semester.(Undergraduate)
• The student must re-apply the leave of absence if wishing to extend the previous leave of absence.
• The student must re-apply the leave of absence if they wish to change or extend the previous general leave of absence to a military duty leave of absence.
• The student will be expelled if the leave of absence is not extended or the student doesn’t return to school, after the term for the leave of absence has ended.

Term

Within 1 week of the designated period from 1 month before the beginning date of the every semester

Procedure

• Students must apply for reinstatement online at the Academic System → receive approval from advising professor and department head -> submit online(automatic) at the Academic System to Academic Registrar’s Team
• If the leave of absence is due to military service, the date of enlistment and date of discharge must be stated on the abridged copy of the Resident Registration or the Certificate of Discharge.

Required documents (attach)

Students returning to school after their military leave should attach a copy of military release certificate or a resident certificate on which the duration of their service and the date of their discharge are written.

Cautionary Measures

• Tuition payment should be made during the registration period.
• If students fail to register after the application period of reinstatement or fail to extend their leave of absence, they will be dismissed.
• If the leave of absence is due to military service, the expiration date of the leave of absence is not the date confirmed by the leave of absence, but until the end of the semester in which the date of discharge is associated with.
• If the student is discharged earlier than the confirmed date on the leave of absence, the student must return prior to the discharge date, and enroll in the relevant semester. If the student does not return, they will be considered to have taken a general leave of absence from the following semester.
• If the date of discharge is later than the expiration date of the leave of absence, the student must attach the Certificate of Service and submit and receive approval for the extension of the leave of absence.

Office in Charge: Academic Registrars Team / Tel : Leave of Absence & Returning Student: Undergraduate: 2364, Master and Ph.D.: 2365