In Absentia

You may register in absentia to conduct approved research or study 100 miles or more away from the Cornell campus while still under the guidance of your special committee. This status is available to students whether registered in Ithaca (including Geneva) or Cornell Tech.

To register for in absentia status, submit an In Absentia Petition with a study plan approved by your special committee outlining how you will accomplish your degree requirements. Petitions must be received by June 15 for fall in absentia and November 1 for spring in absentia. Approval by the Graduate School is required. In absentia students are charged $200 tuition/semester.

When you are in approved in absentia status you are eligible for fellowships, assistantships, the student health plan, and educational loans as in on-campus registration status. The same limitations on employment apply for in absentia students as for on-campus students; time away from campus is expected to focus on making academic progress.

See the in absentia policy page for full details.

Exchange Scholar Program

If you’re a doctoral candidate, you may participate in a variety of exchange programs with the recommendation of your advisors. These include one or two semesters in residence at another major research university participating in the Exchange Scholar Program (Berkeley, Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, M.I.T., Princeton, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, or Yale). To be eligible, you should have completed at least two registered semesters. Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School a minimum of two months before your intended period of study.

You may also attend a course or two at a nearby college or university to fulfill an academic requirement that cannot be met at Cornell. For information on these programs, contact the Graduate Student Services Office in Caldwell Hall, call 607-255-5820, or download the PDF application on our Forms page.