<p>Hello. </p>
<p>I am an international student who must serve in the military for two years.</p>
<p>Can I request temporary absence for two years, to graduate schools, after getting in?</p>
<p>[graduate schools in general]</p>
<p>Or do I have to finish the program...without any absence?</p>
<p>It will depend on a lot of issues, some of which will vary from school to school and professor to professor. I can touch on a few of the more consistent ones.</p>
<p>First, academics will probably be okay, provided you do not have to leave mid-semester.</p>
<p>Second, if you are a PhD student you will probably need to pass your qualifying exams before leaving. In most schools that happens somewhere in the 3rd or 4th semester, so you should plan on being there at least for the first two years before taking your absence.</p>
<p>Third, your ability to do research may or may not be significantly impaired by your service, depending on your field. This is something you may have to work out with your professor, but as long as you have finished your coursework and passed your quals the department will probably be okay with it. This may mean deferring the bulk of your research until your return if it is something you cannot complete during your service, and that may affect your choice of thesis.</p>
<p>Fourth, just realize that this will be very tough - you will need to keep things sharp while you are away so that you can resume effectively on your return.</p>
<p>Finally, the money will be tricky. If you are funded by a traditional grad source like an RA, TA, or Fellowship (internal or external), your funding might end when you leave and may or may not be available on your return. Absences like this can cause department funding requirements to fluctuate in ways for which they cannot compensate, so expect some trouble here.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Most programs will allow you to take a leave of absence for mandatory military service. In fact, I know that it’s federal law that universities have to allow military members to take a leave of absence for service in the U.S. military, and they will probably allow the same leave for international militaries.</p>
<p>Funding is a whole different story - so you’ll have to work that out with your individual program. It may be better for you to perform the two years’ service before you enter a program.</p>