Academic Structure
Advisers/Terms
Each student accepted into a degree program or certificate is assigned an academic adviser who is available for consultation regarding the student’s program of study. Advising is available year-round. Consultation takes place by phone, email, internet, or in person by appointment.
Courses in all programs are offered in the summer, fall, and spring terms.
The summer term formats:
- One full semester (12 weeks)
- Two accelerated six-week formats
The fall and spring term formats:
- One full semester (15 weeks)
The spring semester includes a three-week intersession. Courses run from the beginning of January to the end of the month. The intensive semester format allows students to complete special-interest courses, such as travel courses, as well as regular courses offered in a compressed format.
Course Cancellations
The university reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change instructors or cancel courses with insufficient enrollment.
Course Credit
Effective summer 2016, all Advanced Academic Programs graduate-level courses are assigned credits. In addition, graduate-level students may receive letter grades (A, B, etc.) or P (passing). Prior to May 2016, credit hours were not assigned to graduate-level courses unless taken by an undergraduate student. No GPA is calculated. A transcript guide is available upon request and features grade points needed to calculate grade-point averages. The AAP Registration Office will not calculate grade-point averages for students or third parties.
Course Numbering System
Advanced Academic Programs courses are numbered in the following form:
420.601.51 (Example)
- 420 indicates the program—in this case, Environmental Sciences and Policy
- 601 indicates the course number—in this example, Geological Foundations of Environmental Science
- 51 indicates the section number and location where the course is offered:
- sections 01 to 09 are offered at the Homewood campus in Baltimore
- sections 50 to 59 are offered at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
- sections 80 to 89 and 800 to 899 are offered online
- section 91 to 99 indicates an international or off-site course
Enrollment/Degree Verification
Enrollment verification provides proof of enrollment for a student’s financial lender, insurance company, sponsor, etc. Enrollment verification can be obtained through SEAM. A verification request may also be placed through the National Student Clearinghouse.
Second Master’s Degree
After receiving a master’s degree from Advanced Academic Programs, students may continue in a second program if prerequisites for that program are fulfilled. To receive a second master’s degree from Advanced Academic Programs, all course requirements for the second program must be satisfied. The student may count up to three courses taken as part of the first degree toward requirements of the second degree. However, the relevant program committee must approve the course(s) as appropriate to the plan of study, and the course(s) must satisfy the requirements of the second degree. The course(s) also must fall within the five-year limit for the second degree (i.e., the second degree must be completed within five years, counting from the beginning of the first course accepted toward the second degree).
To apply for a second master’s degree, the student must submit a new Advanced Academic Programs application form, an application fee (waived if previous master’s degree was earned within the past year), and any additional admissions materials required by the second degree program.