a. Graduate students who wish to take a maternity and/or parental leave from their program of study may register as inactive without prejudice to their academic standing. The maximum duration of the maternity and parental leave is two terms and two terms respectively. Both parents are entitled to a parental leave. In addition, mothers are entitled to a maternity leave. The maternity and/or parental leave would normally be taken during the first year of the child's life, or, in the case of adoption of a child, within 12 months after the child first comes into the custody of the parent. A fee waiver for the period of the leave will be granted by the university through the School of Graduate Studies.

Students request this status by submitting the Maternity/Parental Leave Request Form.

b. For students taking a maternity and/or parental leave, the statutory periods for completion of degree programs (see Time Limits for Completion of Programs), together with the prescribed maximum periods of eligibility for financial support from the School of Graduate Studies' sources will, on resumption of studies, be extended by the time-period taken for the leave.

c. Awards to  students which are derived from the resources of the School of Graduate Studies (such as but not limited to, Dean's Awards, International Tuition Awards, internal Fellowships and Scholarships, and Queen's Graduate Awards) will be suspended for the duration of a maternity and/or parental leave. On resumption of studies, the award will recommence to make up the full time-span for which support was originally granted.

d. 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.

e. Some doctoral students may qualify for maternity/parental leave funding.  See Maternity/Parental Leave Funding for complete details.