
Collegiate Level Exams (e.g., AP, IB, GCE, etc.)
Acceptable scores and the credits issued can be viewed in the current catalog. In addition, every first-year student receives a First-Year Academic Guide that provides this information. It is important to note that the credits earned may change, so always refer to the catalog that was in place during your first year of matriculation.
AP Score reports are sent electronically and are usually posted to SIS within a week or so of being received by the Registrar. IB score reports take a little longer to post. Please note that score reports must come officially from the testing organization; notations on your high school transcripts are not accepted. If you do not see some or all of your scores in SIS –> Registration –> My Grades –> External Course Summary, first contact your testing organization and verify that all scores were sent. If your testing organization confirms that all scores were sent to the university yet you do not see them posted in SIS, you may speak with the Engineering Advising Office for assistance.
As stated in the catalog, other types of foreign exams are treated on a case-by-case basis. There is no guarantee that they will be deemed acceptable to receive credit at JHU. Please consult your professional academic advisor if you have questions.
The assigned credits and appropriate designator can be used to fulfill requirements for your degree. For example, getting a score of 5 on the AP BC Calculus exam means that you have 8 credits of math, equivalent to 110.108 and 110.109, and Q distribution credit. If the math requirement for your major is 20 credits including 110.108 and 110.109, then you need to complete the remaining 12 credits required for your major.
Receiving credit based upon an acceptable exam and score means that those credits are part of your Hopkins academic record. If you took the Math Department’s placement exam, did well enough to begin with Calculus II, but do not have exam based credit, your Hopkins transcript would say Calculus I waived. No credit is awarded for a course that is waived. If the requirement for your major is 22 math credits, beginning with Calculus II would mean that you received no credit for Calculus I. It is likely that you would have to take additional math credits at a higher level.
Yes, but if we do not already have the score report for that exam on file, you must contact the testing organization directly to have that report sent to the university, so that those credits can be added.
Transferring College Credit
Majors, Minors, Second Majors, Advisors
Registration
Independent Academic Work
There is no official list of available labs; however, there is a faculty and research directory for WSE faculty. Additionally, there is the Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Research (HOUR) that can provide students tips with securing research and other opportunities.
Yes, there are no restrictions on first-year applicants. Participation in a research lab is a selective process in which you are evaluated on the skills and knowledge you can bring to the lab. The needs of the lab will be an important consideration in the decision to accept you as a member of the research team. Please note, however, that there is no need to secure a research position upon entry into JHU. Although research and other Independent Academic Work are great co-curricular endeavors, students should not feel pressure to do something in their first year. Taking the time to get acclimated to campus and the demands of traditional academic work will be beneficial before adding on Independent Academic Work.
If you have a position (research, independent study, or an internship), that you would like to receive credit for, you first need to identify a faculty sponsor. The faculty sponsor will be the person to submit a letter or S/U grade for you. Second, you need to complete the Independent Academic Work form via SIS (Registration→Online Forms) in order for it to be processed and added to your courses for the term.
Your faculty sponsor must be a full-time Homewood faculty member. Check with Undergraduate Academic Affairs/ Engineering Advising or the Registrar if you don’t know whether that is the case.
Yes. The steps to register will be the same as previously mentioned. You still need to identify a Homewood-based faculty sponsor willing to submit a grade for you. The main difference is that your faculty sponsor and your site supervisor must collaborate in terms of assigning a grade. There should be a clear understanding before you register as to how you will be assessed and how the site supervisor will communicate what you earned with the faculty sponsor upon your completion of the experience.
There is a limit of 3 credits per semester, with a maximum of 6 credits per academic year. The academic year begins in June and runs through the following May. Independent Academic Work is all coded as xxx.5xx in SIS.
For every credit of Independent Academic Work (i.e. research, independent study, or internship) you earn, you will work 40 hours. How you and your mentor keep track of the time you spend on the project should be decided when you begin the experience.
Yes. If you’re able to secure an opportunity that is able to pay you, that is fine, but you will not be able to also earn academic credit for it.
Retaking a Class/Absolving a Poor Grade
Only grades of C+ or lower (or U and UCR if S/U grading) are eligible to be repeated at Hopkins. You cannot absolve a grade of B-. Retaking a course has to be done in the original grading configuration (i.e. letter grade or S/U). For more information on the grading policies, please see here in the Catalog.
No. Retaking the course at Hopkins is the only way to absolve a grade and have your GPA recalculated.
Students may retake one course on SIS without any permission from an advisor. If you need to retake multiple courses, or if you need to take the course for a third time, visit Blackboard Organization: WSE Academic Advising site for more information.
Graduation
The Application for Graduation is available on-line in SIS self-service. The deadlines for application are July for Summer term, October for Fall term, and February for Spring term. To access it, sign in to your account and go to “Program of Study Info” under “Registration.” In the last column on the right, you will see the link “apply to graduate.” Click on it and follow the directions to submit your application for graduation. When you’ve completed the application, make sure you print a copy for your records (you do not need to submit the paper copy to anyone; just keep it). The link usually becomes available at the beginning of your junior year. If you need to make changes to the application, hard copy applications can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.
The decision to clear you for graduation is made in your major department. If you also have a second major, a transcript will be sent to that department to clear you for that major. Your department sends over information to Engineering Advising/Undergraduate Academic Affairs during your last term. A professional academic advisor from the office reviews your final term grades and the information to make sure you have met the department’s requirements.
You must have a 2.0 in your major. Check with your department since some departments allow no D credits. No more than 18 credits of D or D+ can be applied toward the degree requirement.
The assigned credits and appropriate designator can be used to fulfill requirements for your degree. For example, getting a score of 5 on the AP BC Calculus exam means that you have 8 credits of math, equivalent to 110.108 and 110.109, and Q distribution credit. If the math requirement for your major is 20 credits including 110.108 and 110.109, then you need to complete the remaining 12 credits required for your major.
You must be a full-time student in your final (8th) semester at Hopkins. If your final semester is your 9th or 10th, you will be allowed to enroll in fewer than 12 credits and pay per credit.
The WSE Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs may allow students to walk in the commencement ceremony if the student and department can show that the student only needs one or two more courses to complete his/her degree and that the student is enrolled in those courses during Summer Session.
Students only receive one diploma for their undergraduate endeavors even if they complete more than one major. According to the Catalog: A student with a double major receives the degree (BA/BS) associated with the student’s primary major. Completing a second major does not entitle the student to a second degree. The completion of additional majors is recorded on the transcript and diploma. When completing a double major, students need only satisfy the distribution requirement affiliated with the school of their primary major.
Students pursuing double degree with Peabody, however, will receive two diplomas.
From the Catalog: Students who have completed eight or more semesters in college may take an additional course or two after graduation to complete a second major or minor if they have filed an approved plan with their respective advising office before their initial graduation date. The courses, grades, and credits will appear on a new academic record. A notation indicating the additional major or minor will be added to the new academic record, but a new diploma will not be issued. Students must notify their academic advising office when additional courses taken after graduation satisfy another major or minor.
The Registrar’s Office will mail your diploma. Please contact them regarding the process and time frame.
Academic Status
Students who earn a term grade point average of 3.50 or above in a program of at least 14 credits with at least 12 graded credits will be placed on the Dean’s List for academic excellence. An appropriate notation is made on the student’s academic record. Letters are sent to parents/guardians by the student’s respective academic advising office.
Academic probation is a warning that you are not meeting the university’s academic expectations. If your GPA is below 2.0 for a semester, or you complete fewer than 12 credits, you will be placed on academic probation for the following semester. You are restricted to register for no more than 14 credits when on academic probation as an engineering student. During the term you’re on academic probation, you will work closely with your professional academic advisor to try to get back on good academic status. If your term GPA for that semester is a 2.0 or better and you complete at least 12 credits, you will be removed from academic probation and return to good academic standing. If your term GPA is below 2.0 or you complete fewer than 12 credits for a second consecutive semester, you will be academically dismissed from the university.
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence is considered to be an interruption in your studies for a specific period of time. There are three types of Leaves of Absence (LOA): 1. an Emergency Leave of Absence (ELOA) which is handled by both Engineering Advising Office and Student Outreach & Support in the Office of the Dean of Student Life, 2. a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) which is handled in the Student Outreach & Support in the Office of the Dean of Student Life, 3. a Standard Leave of Absence (SLOA) which is handled by Engineering Advising Office. For more information, please visit the Blackboard Organization: WSE Academic Advising site.
You can follow the same steps as mentioned above; however, additionally, you will want to speak with the Office of International Services (OIS) to see what, if any, implications there may be to your visa status.
No. Students who are on a Leave of Absence from Hopkins may not take courses at another university to be transferred to their Hopkins academic record.
You will need to complete the Leave of Absence Request Form found on the Blackboard Organization: WSE Academic Advising site.
Prior to your anticipated term of return, please contact the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Affairs that you are ready to come back. Then, contact your faculty advisor to lift the Advisor Hold in SIS and to review what courses you should enroll in for the semester as well as what requirements you still need to complete. You should check for the date of registration at the Registrar’s website.
If necessary, contact Financial Aid, Residential Life, and/or the Office of International Services to prepare for the semester.
International Students
You should work with the Office of International Services to verify that you meet the requirements for OPT or CPT. Your faculty advisor, not a professional academic advisor from Engineering Advising, will also need to approve.
If your visa and I-20 are specifically related to studying at JHU, then no, you would not be allowed to remain in the U.S. You would need to work with OIS to understand the international implications.
If you decide to transfer, your visa, issued specifically for Hopkins, will no longer be valid. You should work with the Office of International Services to see what you need to do.
Music Lessons at the Peabody Conservatory
Private instruction in Voice, Piano, and Orchestral Instruments is offered on a space-available basis at the Peabody Conservatory. For more information, please visit this link.