Duke University - Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Office of Student Returns

At Duke, we understand that the occasion may arise when a student’s circumstances require that they interrupt their studies and take some time away from the university. We further understand that a student’s decision to return for the purpose of resuming their studies at Duke is a significant one.

The Office of Student Returns (OSR) is a centralized administrative unit within Trinity College of Arts and Sciences that coordinates the development, implementation, and review of all official university policies related to students leaving and returning to Duke post-matriculation. The mission of the OSR is to guide students through the departure and re-entry process related to a

• personal leave of absence,

• medical leave of absence,

• voluntary withdrawal, or an

• involuntary withdrawal due to an

  •  academic dismissal 
  • disciplinary dismissal, or
  • expired personal leave of absence

and to make both points of transitions as smooth as possible for all students. In accomplishing this aim the OSR serves as a liaison with other university units including Duke Visa Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Office of Student Conduct, Bursar's Office, Office of Student Affairs, Residence Life and Housing Services and the Trinity College Academic Deans in order to ensure that all are informed of students' change in status and to empower them to reach out to those students who may need additional support in order to have a successful transition.

Students should contact the Director, Dean Sabrina Thomas, at with any questions regarding the process of leaving Duke or returning to Duke after an interruption in academic studies. Application materials for ALL STUDENTS wishing to resume studies at Duke University share the same schedule for application deadlines. The application must be submitted for the semester for which you are applying.

The schedule is as follows:

• The application may only be submitted beginning one month prior to the deadline for which you are applying. An early application will not be accepted and does not benefit you since it is important for the application to be as up-to-date as possible. Applications are not reviewed until the deadline has passed.
   
• All supporting documents should be received by the deadline, but in all cases, no later than two weeks beyond the deadline. A notice indicating missing documents will be sent to you if the application is incomplete at the deadline.
   
• It is your responsibility to make sure the application is complete and to monitor the process of completing it as

ONLY COMPLETED applications will be reviewed. The review process takes two to three weeks.

PLEASE NOTE: The required documents needed for students wishing to return are determined by the circumstances that led to the interruption in their degree pursuit. Students should carefully review instructions and prepare their application materials prior to submission.