Naturally we hope that no student will find it necessary to discontinue their program before completing degree requirements. If circumstances are such that you believe you must withdraw, please first discuss your situation with your faculty adviser and the GSAO. Withdrawal is a significant action that results in dropping enrollment in all classes, and readmission is not guaranteed. A department is not obligated to readmit any student who has withdrawn. You are therefore strongly encouraged to consult with your faculty advisers and student services staff to explore other options for completing the program before considering withdrawal.
Withdrawal requests are initiated and processed by the student’s department. Should withdrawal become necessary, after consulting with your faculty advisers, see the GSAO to initiate a formal request to withdraw.
If you submit your Withdrawal Request Form on or after the first day of instruction, your request will be processed as a Withdrawal. You will be dropped from all classes and will be subject to prorated penalties outlined in Refunds after Withdrawal.
While withdrawn, you are expected to maintain no connections with the University; you may not use University facilities (including subsidized computer time) or place demands on faculty time.
Medical Withdrawal
Requests for withdrawal due to medical reasons are initiated at University Health Services (UHS- Tang Center.) UHS provides appropriate medical documentation to accompany requests for medical withdrawal, makes a recommendation to the School to accept or not accept a medical withdrawal, and determines if medical clearance will be required for readmission. UHS does not make decisions about academic status. The final decision for granting a medical withdrawal (and the decision of whether or not to readmit) lies with the School. Complete information about and forms for initiating medical withdrawal are available from the Tang Center.
Readmission
To apply for readmission into the Fall semester, the current deadline is May 1st. To apply for readmission into a Spring semester, the current deadline is October 1st. To apply for Readmission, applicants must submit the following items to the Graduate Student Affairs Officer (swmswadvisor@berkeley.edu) by the deadlines above, which will be reviewed by a committee convened by the Head Graduate Adviser (HGA), including members representing the MSW Committee as well as the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Services and GSAO:
- A 1-3 page (double-spaced) Statement of Purpose related to your request for readmission to the program, program goals should you be readmitted, and career goals.
- Any additional application materials you wish for the review committee to consider. For example:
- Updated resume/CV
- Letter(s) of recommendation (that are different from your original application materials)
- Anything else you feel the review committee should take into consideration.