Graduate School of International Culture and Communication StudiesWaseda University

If you cannot attend classes, including tests, for a period of 2 months or longer because of illness or some reasons, you may be allowed to take a leave of absence by obtaining the approval of the GSICCS steering committee, according to the given procedure for application. You can be absent for up to 2 years for a Master’s Program and 3 years for a Doctoral Program. Please submit the required documents to the GSICCS office by the date mentioned below. (For the application form, please download from here.)

Leave of absence for spring semester

April 1 to September 20　Deadline: May 31

Leave of absence for Fall semester

September 21 to March 31　Deadline: November 30

* If the deadline falls on an office holiday, the deadline will be changed to the last business day before the holiday.

When you return after a leave of absence, you need to take certain steps. Your guarantor will receive documents related to returning to the School, including an Application for Returning to Study.　For the application form, please download from here.

*If you need a student VISA, you are required to send your VISA documents to the GSICCS office, together with  “Application for Re-Registration” by May 31st for Fall semester / November 30th for Spring semester.

VISA documents;

1. Mailing Address
2. Application for” Certificate of Eligibility”
3. Instructions and precautions for filling out the” COE.” 

Date of returning are as follows:

If you want to leave GSICCS before graduation, or if you were unable to earn the necessary credits to graduate in the maximum allowable number of years, you should bring your student identification card with you and take steps to withdraw from the GSICCS. Please check the guideline at the GSICCS office for further information. For the application form, please download from here.

(1) Voluntary Withdrawal

Students are allowed to voluntary withdraw upon receiving permission from the Committee.
At the time of asking for permission to withdraw, students should submit a “Petition to Withdraw” (with signature or seal) and return their students ID card. In the case of withdrawal during the semester, school tuition and fees must be fully paid.

*For students who withdraw during the semester they enter school, payment was already completed upon entering.
* If the deadline falls on an office holiday, the deadline will be changed to the last business day before the holiday.

(2) Administrative Withdrawal

Under the conditions below the following an academic hearing, a student will be required to withdraw.

1. The number of years allotted to earn a degree expired.
2. The student has completed the doctoral requirements except for the submission of doctoral dissertation. (Applicable for Doctoral Program)
3. Tuition and other required fees have not been paid.

Students who have enrolled in the doctoral program of GSICCS for three years or more, have completed the necessary directed research with approval of the main supervisor, and have completed the doctoral requirements will be considered as students who have withdrawn after completion of the directed research period. In this case, students cannot apply for readmission.
If students submit a doctoral dissertation with the permission of the relevant Graduate School Steering Committee and pass the oral defense within three years from the date of withdrawal, they will be considered same as students who submit doctoral dissertation and pass the oral defense during enrollment.

Students who have not paid tuition and other required fees will automatically be required to withdraw according to the chart below. Their date of withdrawal will be shown at the last day of the semester for which they paid tuition and fees. Registered credits and grades taken during the period where tuition was not paid will be registered as invalid.
If you cannot pay your school fee by the deadline, please submit “Request of delay in payment of school fees” to the GSICCS office. With submission of the form, the deadline may be extended as the below chart. In this case, withdrawal is considered without completing research supervision.

(3) Disciplinary Withdrawal

Students who have committed an infraction of University’s rules, or have acted in a way that is contrary to what is expected of them as Waseda students, may be dismissed from the University as a disciplinary measure.

Depending on the reason for their withdrawal from the University, students may be granted permission for readmission (see the Permission for Readmission chart below). Only students who, after consideration, are deemed to have the ability to continue their study at the University successfully will be readmitted.

Permission for Readmission

・Students cannot be readmitted in the semester following the semester they are listed as having withdrawal from.
・If readmission is permitted, some students may have to retake some or all of the courses previously enrolled in.
・No student will be granted permission for readmission more than once.

Time period of Permission for Readmission

The time period in which a student is allowed to apply for readmission, including the academic year following the academic year in which they withdrew, is as follows:

Graduate School Master’s Program: 4 years
Doctoral Program: 5 years

Procedures of Readmission

For detailed information about the possibility of readmission, the application procedures, courses you should take when you are admitted again, how to pay school fees, and etc., please contact the GSICCS office and submit  necessary documents by the deadlines.
The application deadline:
Readmission in April:No later than October 10*
Readmission in September:No later than May 10*
* If the deadline falls on an office holiday, the deadline will be changed to the last business day before the holiday.