NLU PA Program — Didactic Year Handbook
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in enrollment, approved by the Program and the University, for students who experience significant circumstances that prevent continued participation in the curriculum (e.g., personal or family medical conditions, military deployment, pregnancy or childbirth, or other extraordinary circumstances). Granting an LOA is not automatic. Students requesting an LOA must notify the Program Director as soon as reasonably possible, meet with their faculty advisor or the Program Director, develop an individualized Academic Completion and Return Plan, complete the official University LOA Request Form, and obtain all required Program and University approvals. Ordinarily, a leave should not exceed 180 calendar days within a rolling 12-month period. Because the PA curriculum is cohort-based and sequential, students returning from an approved LOA may be required to repeat selected courses, laboratory instruction, simulation activities, or clinical rotations, and are not guaranteed re-entry into the same cohort. Students who do not return by the approved date may be administratively withdrawn. The complete Leave of Absence Policy, including eligibility, the request procedure, duration limits, academic progression and clinical education considerations upon return, and the effect of an LOA on financial aid and degree completion, is reproduced in full in Appendix D.
P.A. Student Employment Policy
The NLU PA Program strongly discourages students from maintaining employment while enrolled, given the demands of a rigorous, full-time graduate professional curriculum. Students who elect to maintain employment do so with the understanding that employment is an outside commitment that will not be considered a basis for modifying, reducing, rescheduling, or otherwise accommodating any program requirement — including required classes, laboratories, examinations, assignments, advising, or Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences. Maintaining outside employment is not, by itself, a violation of this policy; however, if employment contributes to missed classes or clinical experiences, poor performance, or a failure to meet program requirements, the student remains subject to the same academic, attendance, and professionalism consequences applicable to all students. Consistent with ARC- PA Standard A3.02, PA students are also never required to work for the PA Program itself, and may not substitute for instructional faculty, clinical staff, or administrative staff. The complete P.A. Student Employment Policy is reproduced in full in Appendix A.
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