Interrupting your studies

Withdrawing, interrupting, suspending or allowing your study course to expire.  Resumption of studies.

WITHDRAWAL

You can withdraw from your university career at any time by submitting the application to the Student Admin office.
Withdrawal is irrevocable but does not rule out the option of enrolling again.
If you withdraw, you must pay any outstanding amounts owed.

INTERRUPTING YOUR STUDIES

You may temporarily interrupt your studies if you do not renew enrolment in the next academic year, and you do not pay the first instalment of the fees. It is not necessary to notify us of your intention to temporarily interrupt your studies; you need only refrain from paying the fees.
You cannot interrupt your studies during the course of the year; interruption may only take place at the start of the academic year
Interruption lasts at least one academic year.
Any exams completed remain valid for an interruption period of no more than 8 years. Beyond this period of 8 years, the study course expires and the credits acquired are no longer valid.
During the interruption period, you will not be able to sit any exams or use any educational or administrative service.

SUSPENSION OF STUDIES

In cases determined by the university’s educational Rules, it is possible to ask to suspend your studies.

As a student enrolled in a Single Cycle or a Second Cycle degree, you can ask to suspend your course by contacting the Student Admin office; normally this request would be made at the start of the academic year.

The causes of suspension can include:

  • Enrolment in a specialisation, doctorate or Second Cycle course;
  • Attending a course at a foreign university;
  • Attending a course at a military academy;
  • Serious illness;
  • Birth of a son/daughter (1 year of suspension).

During the suspension period, you may not sit exams or make use of any educational or administrative service; you will not be required to pay any fees or contributions for the suspended academic career, and when you resume your studies, you will not be charged an appraisal tax.

EXPIRY

Expiry is the official closure of the university career following a period of inactivity of more than eight academic years

Courses of students who sit at least one exam before eight academic years have elapsed since the last exam will not expire. Courses do not expire for students who need only take the degree examination, and have already acquired the credits required, except for the final exam.  

After expiry, it is possible to enrol in the same course, or another course, and to request recognition of the previous academic career where permitted by the Programme Board concerned.

RESUMING YOUR STUDIES

To resume your studies after you have interrupted them, you must fill out the form "Application for resuming studies after interruption (MSAS-7.08.18)" which can be downloaded from the page "Student Admin Forms". 

You must fill the form out and send it no later than the deadline for enrolling in the new academic year between 1 August and 15 October. It should be sent to the address of the Career Management office your degree course refers to.  

After this deadline, any late requests to resume studies can only be accepted where appropriate grounds are cited.

If you resume your studies, you must ensure you are up-to-date with any fees left outstanding up to the last academic year of enrolment.  

You must also pay an appraisal tax of 80 Euro for each academic year of interruption and the first instalment of the fees for the new academic year of enrolment.  Once the Career Management Office has run its checks, you must pay the sums owed, using the payments available on your personal online page. By paying the fees, your enrolment comes into effect: you will be able to sit exams from the first effective exam session of the new academic year. 

Students that intend to change from the old to the new system must first present the request to the Career Management office of the Student Administration department of the degree course in question.

Last updated on: 10/08/2023