Student Contact Information
All matriculated students are required to have on record with the university accurate local and permanent contact information at all times and may be subject to a registration hold if this information is missing. This includes local address, local telephone number, and valid JHU e-mail address. Parent or legal guardian emergency contact information also must be on record and updated as necessary. This information should be maintained with the Registrar’s Office by using SIS for Students.
Student Year of Study
Student Year of Study refers to the familiar names for the four undergraduate years: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. A student’s year of study is generally determined by the academic year in which the student’s cohort began the first year of college. In the first year, students in the cohort are designated freshmen. The number of credits a student has earned does not determine year of study.
Students are required to register according to their year of study, not on the basis of total credits or expected date of graduation or early graduation. A student who graduates after three years would graduate as a junior. If a student who intends to graduate early is closed out of a required course for the major, the student may petition the department offering the course for approval to add the course. The decision rests with the department.
For students transferring into the university, year of study is assigned at the time of student deposit. A student’s advising office may update the year of study upon completion of a final transfer credit evaluation if the initial year of study assignment is misaligned with anticipated time to completion.
Students on academic suspension or leave of absence are not eligible for automatic year of study promotion. For students who have been on academic suspension or leave of absence and missed two or more semesters at the university, the year of study will be assigned by the student’s academic advising office when the student returns to the university. When assigning year of study, the academic advising office will consider the total number of full-term semesters previously completed by the returning student. If, for example, a student was on academic suspension or leave of absence for an entire academic year, the advising office will typically assign the student to a year of study one year behind the student’s original year of study.
Full-Time Student Status
Undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits each semester, unless a student has an approved reduced-course load accommodation through Student Disability Services.
Part-Time Student Status
Students who have not completed degree requirements after eight full-time semesters (or four full-time semesters for transfer students) may register for fewer than 12 credits and pay for courses on a per credit basis with approval of the student's academic advising office. Prior to a ninth semester, a student may not enroll for fewer than 12 credits.
Leaves of Absence
Leaves of absence are granted for specific periods, generally up to one year, and such leaves are regarded as approved interruptions of a student’s program. No tuition or fees are charged while on leave. If applicable, students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid prior to requesting a leave of absence. Students may not be eligible for health benefits if enrolled through JHU's Student Health Benefits. For more information, visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/registrar/students/student-health-benefits/ and/or https://finaid.jhu.edu/.
Types of Leaves of Absence
STANDARD LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Students may be granted a standard leave of absence with the approval of the academic advising office for the student’s school. Examples of reasons for a standard leave of absence include: military service (foreign or domestic), full-time internships preventing enrollment in courses, or missionary work. The deadline to request a standard leave of absence is the last day to drop classes. Students should contact their respective advising office for directions on how to request a standard leave. During a standard leave of absence, students may not enroll in another institution for the purpose of transferring credits back to JHU.
Students who fail to return to the university when expected will be considered to have withdrawn from the university.
EMERGENCY LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Students may be granted an emergency leave of absence for the purpose of dealing with a personal situation that impacts a student's ability to remain on campus and complete the semester. Examples of situations that might necessitate an emergency leave of absence include: the death of a family member, the need to serve as a caregiver for a family member, or other family emergencies. Students experiencing their own physical or mental health issues should refer to the medical leave of absence option. These emergency leaves are reviewed by the student's respective academic advising office and Student Outreach & Support in the Office of the Dean of Student Life. During an emergency leave of absence, students may not enroll in another institution for the purpose of transferring credits back to JHU.
MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE (PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH)
Students may be granted a medical leave of absence to address their own physical or mental health concerns with the approval of Student Outreach & Support in the Office of the Dean of Student Life. No tuition or fees are charged while on leave. Students on a medical leave of absence may request permission to take up to two courses totaling 8 credits or less at another institution while on leave. These courses must be pre-approved by following the directions of each school and the restriction of a total of 12 transfer credits remains. Students interested in taking courses while on medical leave of absence should contact KSAS Advising or WSE Advising. Further details are available from Student Outreach & Support on the Medical Leave of Absence website.
Note for Peabody Double Degree Students
Peabody double degree students may request a leave of absence from the double degree program, however they cannot be granted a leave of absence from only one portion (Homewood or Peabody) of the program. A double degree student's leave of absence is subject to the guidelines of their respective academic advising office on the Homewood campus.
Withdrawal from the University
A student who wishes to withdraw from the university with no intent to return should consult with their respective academic advising office in order to submit an official notification. An official notification of withdrawal consists of a letter providing brief reason for withdrawal and effective date. The tuition refund schedule is posted on the Students Accounts website.
The academic advising office will inform the Office of the Homewood Registrar, who will circulate the notification to other relevant campus offices, such as Student Accounts, Community Living, Office of Financial Services, Office of International Services, etc.
An enrolled student who leaves the university without notice, or who fails to register by the end of the second week of the semester, may be considered to have withdrawn from the university.
A student who transfers to another institution is automatically considered to have withdrawn from JHU.
In the rare situation where a withdrawn student wishes to return to the university, the student must submit a written request for readmission to their respective advising office for evaluation. Neither readmission nor transfer of credits is guaranteed. A student must be formally readmitted before registering for courses. Readmitted students do not pay another matriculation fee.
A student who wishes to withdraw from the university on a temporary basis and intends to return in a future semester should see the information under Leaves of Absence.
Peabody Double Degree Students
Information about withdrawing from one or both of a student's degree programs is available on the Peabody Double Degree page.
Combined Bachelor's/Master's Programs
Many departments, institutes, and centers offer undergraduates the opportunity to complete some of the requirements for a master’s degree while simultaneously completing requirements for a bachelor’s degree. These programs offer early admission to a graduate program, and may enable a student to complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in four years. Other programs are considered five-year programs.
Students in the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering must be accepted into a combined program no later than the first semester of their senior year, however departments may set an earlier application deadline. Students in a combined program are considered to be full-time students, and are charged full tuition.
Engineering students in a combined program are considered to be graduate students:
- upon completion of undergraduate degree requirements, or
- upon completion of eight full-time semesters as an undergraduate student.
Clearance from a student's respective department is also required.
Arts and Sciences students in a combined program should consult with the graduate program regarding their classification as an undergraduate or graduate student.
Additional information about combined programs is available at https://engineering.jhu.edu/academics/combined-bachelors-masters/ and http://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/academics/combinedconcurrent-bachelors-masters-policies/.
Taking a Course as an Alumnus
JHU alumni who completed their bachelors degree through the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences or the Whiting School of Engineering may take additional courses in those divisions with permission of the advising office of the school from which they graduated. Students should contact the advising office of the school from which they graduated for registration directions. Courses, grades, and credits will appear on a new academic record. Students must follow the rules for earning a second major or a minor after graduating, if applicable.
Students who graduate in fewer than eight semesters may also take courses after graduation as a full-time or part-time student if not completing an additional major or minor. Students who graduate early lose the opportunity to complete additional majors or minors after graduation.
Students should seek assistance of their respective advising office in order to register for a course after graduation.
Finishing a Second Major or a Minor after Graduating
Students who have completed eight or more undergraduate semesters 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 respective academic advising office when additional courses taken after graduation satisfy another major or minor.
A plan consists of the following:
- Written approval from the director of undergraduate studies for the additional major/minor;
- Description of the remaining requirement(s) to be completed. No more than two courses may be needed and these courses must be completed within one year of a student’s initial graduation date;
- Brief summary of why it is necessary for the student to have their degree conferred before completion of all planned majors or minors; and,
- Final approval of a plan must be obtained from the student’s respective advising office.
Second Degrees
Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Whiting School of Engineering undergraduate-degree alumni who wish to earn a second bachelor's degree at Hopkins must contact their advising office. Students who receive approval must have already completed the requirements for the first bachelor's degree and complete an additional 60 credits at Hopkins beyond what they have done for the first degree. Alumni must request permission to pursue a second bachelor's degree within ten years of the conferral of the first bachelor's degree. The second bachelor's degree must be completed within ten years from the starting date of the second bachelor's degree.