Last Updated on May 18, 2026 by Bethany Wilinski
I recently heard from a faculty member who was really disappointed about how her sabbatical plan was working out. She had just realized that she’d missed her university’s deadline to apply for sabbatical, which set her back an entire year.
In this blog post, I explain what you need to do before you start making your plan for sabbatical, so you can take your sabbatical as soon as you’re eligible. Why would you want to be sure to take your sabbatical as soon as you’re eligible? Typically, the clock for your next sabbatical begins once you return from sabbatical. So, the sooner you take your first sabbatical, the sooner you’ll be eligible for your second one.
Here’s what you need to do and find out as soon as you start thinking about sabbatical:
1. Find out when you are eligible to take a sabbatical
Some universities award pre-tenure sabbaticals, but in most cases you’ll be eligible for your first sabbatical after you earn tenure. You can usually find this information in your faculty handbook or by asking your department chair. If you’ve moved institutions pre- or post-tenure, you’ll want to double-check your eligibility; in many cases you are not eligible for sabbatical until you have tenure and you have been at your institution for 6 (or more) years.
2. Figure out the timing of your sabbatical once you achieve eligibility
You may not be automatically eligible for a sabbatical the year you earn tenure. At some institutions, faculty apply for sabbatical prior to going up for tenure; at others, you apply once you earn tenure, so sabbatical happens a year after tenure. At my university, most people take sabbatical a full year after earning tenure, though it is possible to take sabbatical as soon as 6 months after earning tenure.
3. Learn about the sabbatical application process
Once you figure out when you’ll be eligible for a sabbatical, you need to learn about the sabbatical application process. Hopefully, this is clearly spelled out in the faculty handbook, but this step may also require some research on your part. Most universities have a sabbatical application form that you will need to complete and submit to your department chair or Dean. This form requires you to state what you plan to accomplish during your sabbatical and describe how your sabbatical project(s) will benefit your own scholarship and the university. You may also need to provide information about the length of sabbatical you propose to take and how you’ll fund your sabbatical (if applicable). At some universities, there are criteria that must be addressed in the application and point values assigned in cases where the sabbatical application process is competitive (see below).
While the sabbatical application form may be fairly straightforward, here are some questions you should be thinking about and asking mentors in your department who have already taken a sabbatical:
- Is the sabbatical application process competitive? How are decisions made about whose applications are prioritized?
- What do successful sabbatical applications look like? (See if you can get a few examples from colleagues who have had a sabbatical approved in the past 1-2 years.)
- Does the university prioritize a particular length of sabbatical (e.g. full year vs. one semester)? Does the university prioritize sabbaticals away, rather than sabbaticals where one stays close to campus?
- Do I need a letter of recommendation to go along with my sabbatical application?
4. Figure out when your sabbatical application will be due
There will typically be multiple deadlines because your application will be reviewed at multiple levels. These deadlines may or may not be publicly available, and they may vary from year to year.
I recommend asking your chair about any sabbatical application due dates at the department, college, and university level. I would have this conversation at least 18 months before the start of the academic year when you think you’ll be on sabbatical.
Even if you plan to take a sabbatical in say, Spring 2028, you may need to apply in Fall 2026 for that sabbatical. It’s much better to ask early than to miss the application deadline.
5. Understand how you’ll be compensated during sabbatical (and any limitations on outside work)
Another policy you’ll want to be aware of is how faculty are compensated during sabbatical. Many institutions will provide full salary for a 1 semester sabbatical and reduced pay for a yearlong sabbatical.
Your university may also have a policy about work you can engage in outside your university during sabbatical and even how much you can earn during your sabbatical if you are taking a reduced salary from your institution. If you’re planning to engage in outside work to make up for a reduced salary during sabbatical, this is critical to understand.
6. Determine when you’ll need to apply for fellowships for sabbatical (if applicable)
Whether you plan to go away or stay home for sabbatical, you may be looking for funding for your sabbatical. Plan to start researching opportunities at least 2 years prior to the start of your sabbatical; most applications will be due at least a year before you anticipate your sabbatical will begin.
If you want to learn more about funding opportunities, check out this blog post about How to fund an international sabbatical and this podcast episode with Tips for getting a Fulbright to fund your sabbatical.
A sabbatical is a wonderful privilege of being an academic, but it takes a lot of time and effort to plan! I hope you’ll get started early and do your research so you can take as many sabbaticals as possible.
And remember, figuring out all these deadlines and logistics is just the very first step toward your sabbatical. Once you know when and how to apply for sabbatical, you have to figure out what you’ll actually do during that time. Planning a sabbatical with intention, so you can get what you need from your time away, is so much more than university policies and deadlines. It’s about figuring out your purpose, identifying priorities, and creating a plan that meets you where you are right now and carries you to where you want to be at the end of your sabbatical. Learn more about planning your life-changing sabbatical here.