Registration Policies | Johns Hopkins University Academic Catalogue

Advising and Registration Periods

All students are required to meet with an academic advisor prior to registering for the fall and spring semesters. Advisor alerts are placed on all students' records in SIS well in advance of the registration period; the alert(s) must be released by the advisor(s) to permit the student to register.

In the School of Arts and Sciences, students meet with their academic advisor at least once per semester in advance of the registration period.

In the School of Engineering, students meet with their academic advisor prior to registration.

Undergraduates register for Spring semester in November, for Jay Term (Undergraduate Intersession) in December, for Summer in March, and for Fall semester in April.

Schedule Verification

Students are responsible for verifying their schedules in SIS. Students are encouraged to retain a copy of their schedule for their records. In addition, students are advised to check their schedules after performing online registration changes (adding and/or dropping courses) to ensure accuracy.

Students should review their schedule prior to the add, drop, and withdrawal deadlines. Changes to a student’s schedule will not be approved after these deadlines have passed. Failure to review and retain a copy of their registration confirmation will not be considered grounds for approving exceptions to these deadlines.

Jay Term and Summer Special Registration Information

Note: Effective January 2027, the term "Jay Term" replaces the previously used term "Intersession." Due to publication deadlines, the term "Intersession" may appear in some catalogue sections.

Jay Term (Undergraduate Intersession) is a focused academic period in January that provides students and faculty with opportunities to participate in a range of courses and activities offered for credit. Standard online courses and courses held on the Homewood campus take place over the two-week period leading into the spring semester. Study abroad and study away courses may begin earlier to support travel, orientation, site-based learning, or other program-specific requirements.

Jay Term offerings are designed to support gateway skill-building, disciplinary exploration, faculty-led immersive coursework, community-based learning projects, career exploration, academic development, and intellectual life across the Homewood undergraduate experience. Registration in Jay Term is optional. Students may enroll in Jay Term courses totaling up to 3 credits, but may not register for overlapping courses.

For Jay Term courses, full-time Homewood undergraduate students enrolled full-time in the previous fall semester, including students on approved study abroad, may enroll in Jay Term courses for no additional tuition. Part-time students, students returning from a leave of absence, graduate students, and other students who do not meet the eligibility criteria must pay tuition per credit hour. All students are responsible for any course-specific fees. These fees are separate from tuition and may be assessed to support experiential or applied learning components, including but not limited to travel, materials, site visits, supplies, special activities, or other costs associated with the course experience.

Summer Term allows students to continue their academic pursuits through engaging coursework designed to support substantive academic progress, disciplinary exploration, and experiential learning. Summer Term includes two five-week on-campus sessions, along with online courses offered in five-week, six-week, eight-week, and ten-week sessions. Some courses may follow alternative schedules and may have different registration deadlines, tuition charges, fees, or procedures. JHU undergraduates may enroll in online Summer Term courses, subject to course prerequisites, enrollment limits, and applicable academic policies.

Tuition charges, course-specific fees, registration procedures, and deadline dates are published on the Summer Programs and Registrar’s websites. Course-specific fees are separate from tuition and may be assessed to support experiential or applied learning components, including but not limited to materials, supplies, site visits, special activities, or other costs associated with the course experience.

Pre-College Programs are separate from Summer Term undergraduate course offerings. Pre-College courses are one-credit undergraduate courses available only to visiting students who are currently enrolled in high school and will remain enrolled in high school in the fall semester following the summer program. JHU undergraduates are not eligible to enroll in Pre-College courses.

Late Registration Fees

Registration in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering is not permitted after the end of the second week of the semester, except in extraordinary circumstances as approved by the respective academic advising office. The university provides financing alternatives that permit students to register in most financial situations. Visit here for information on financial support programs offered at JHU.

Students who for any reason do not complete their registration until after the prescribed registration period may be required to pay a late registration fee.

For late registration fees in the Summer, please see the Summer Programs website.

Adding a Course

During the fall and spring semesters, students may add a course until the end of the second week of classes. For a student enrolled full-time and paying full tuition, there is no fee or additional tuition to add courses. During this time students may add courses without approval, unless the course is filled or will cause a credit overload. If the course will cause a credit overload, Engineering students will need the approval of their academic advisor. Arts & Sciences students are not eligible for credit overloads. Approvals for credit overloads can be noted in SIS by the academic advisor, which will enable students to add the course(s) online.

An instructor’s permission is required to add a course that is filled. By the end of the second week of classes, students should have the schedule they want to keep. As an exception to this policy, students may enroll in Customized Academic Learning (CAL) (Independent Study, Independent Research, Thesis, and/or Internship) for an extended time period:

For CAL in KSAS: until the end of the sixth week of the semester;
For CAL in WSE: until the end of the fourth week of the semester, with revisions to the registration permitted until the end of the sixth week of the semester.

For fall and spring courses that are scheduled for less than the full semester, the last day to add will vary based upon course length and start date. Please see the Homewood Registrar's Office website for details. For Jay Term (Undergraduate Intersession) and Summer deadlines, please refer to the Intersession or Summer Programs websites.

When adding courses in other JHU divisions, or at schools in the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP), students must follow the deadlines set by the host school or division. In the School of Public Health, the add deadlines are based on the quarter system, not the semester system that is used in other JHU divisions. Interdivisional Registration information is located here.

Dropping a Course

Courses may be dropped from the student’s record until the end of the sixth week of the semester, provided that the student remains registered for a minimum of 12 credits. For engineering students, academic advisor approval is required to drop a course after the second week of classes.

Unless a student is authorized by the Office of Student Disability Services for reduced course load, any request to drop a course that would result in the student being unable to earn a minimum of 12 credits in a fall or spring semester requires permission from their respective academic advising office. Students who are authorized for reduced course load through the Office of Student Disability Services require approval from that office.

For fall and spring courses that are scheduled for less than the full semester, the last day to drop will vary based upon course length and start date. Please see the Homewood Registrar's Office website for details. For Jay Term (Undergraduate Intersession) and Summer deadlines, please refer to the Intersession or Summer Programs websites.

When dropping courses in other JHU divisions or at schools in the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP), undergraduates must follow the deadlines set by the host school or division. In the School of Public Health, the drop deadlines are based on the quarter system, not the semester system that is used in other JHU divisions. Interdivisional Registration information is located here.

Withdrawing from a Course

After the end of the sixth week and until the end of the eleventh week, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and then withdrew from the course. Students are not allowed to withdraw from a course after the end of the eleventh week of the semester. Course withdrawals must be conducted through SEAM. Engineering students are required to provide written permission from their academic advisor. Arts and Sciences students do not need permission to withdraw from a course when the student remains able to earn a minimum of 12 credits.

Unless a student is authorized by the Office of Student Disability Services for reduced course load, any request to withdraw from a course that would result in the student being unable to earn a minimum of 12 credits in a fall or spring semester requires permission from their respective academic advising office. Students who are authorized for reduced course load through the Office of Student Disability Services require approval from that office.

Even with approval, withdrawing from a course may adversely affect a student's academic standing and/or financial aid satisfactory academic progress, and students should discuss these topics with the respective offices prior to submitting a course withdrawal request.

For fall and spring courses that are scheduled for less than the full semester, the last day to withdraw will vary based upon course length and start date. Please see the Homewood Registrar's Office website for details. For Jay Term (Undergraduate Intersession) and Summer deadlines, please refer to the Intersession or Summer Programs websites.

When withdrawing from courses in other JHU divisions or at schools in the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP), undergraduates must follow the deadlines set by the host school or division. In the School of Public Health, the withdrawal deadlines are based on the quarter system, not the semester system that is used in other JHU divisions. Interdivisional Registration information is located here.

Full-Time Registration Requirement

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. Students with reduced course load accommodations approved through the Student Disability Services Office should refer to their website for additional information.

Part-Time Registration Policies

Students who matriculated at JHU as freshmen/first-year students and who have not completed degree requirements after eight full-time semesters may register for fewer than 12 credits and pay for courses on a per credit basis with the permission of their respective academic advising office. Prior to a ninth semester, a student may not enroll for fewer than 12 credits, unless a student has an approved reduced-course load accommodation through Student Disability Services. For students who matriculated at JHU as transfer students, the number of semesters is adjusted based upon their year of study when matriculating at JHU: six semesters if transferred as a sophomore; four semesters if transferred as a junior.

University Credit Hour Definition

JHU defines a credit hour as a reasonable approximation of the student learning outcome equivalency of an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than, at a minimum, the federal definition:

One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or 10 to 12 weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Changes to this definition can be found in University Policies . Graduate-level courses completed by undergraduates are generally awarded the same number of credits as an upper-level undergraduate course (3 credits).

Fall and Spring Semester Credit Requirements and Limits

For Arts and Sciences (AS) students, the average course load is 15 credits per semester for eight semesters. AS freshmen are limited to 17 credits, while AS upperclassmen are limited to 19 credits.

For Engineering (EN) students, the standard load is 16-18 credits. EN freshmen are limited to 18 credits (18.5 if including a foreign language), while EN upperclassmen are limited to 19.5 credits.

Peabody Double Degree students are permitted to enroll in a maximum of 25 credits per semester.

Undergraduate students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits throughout the fall and spring semesters. Students who are authorized for reduced course load through the Office of Student Disability Services require approval from that office.

Jay Term (formerly Intersession) and Summer Credit Limits

Students may take a maximum of 3 credits during Jay Term (formerly Intersession).

During the Summer, students may take a maximum of 14 credits total, with a limit of 7 credits per session.

Exceptions to These Credit Limits

Unless a student is authorized by the Office of Student Disability Services for reduced course load, any request to drop or withdraw from a course that would result in the student being unable to earn a minimum of 12 credits in a fall or spring semester requires permission from their respective academic advising office. Students who are authorized for reduced course load through the Office of Student Disability Services require approval from that office.

Credit overloads for Arts and Sciences students are not permitted.

Credit overloads for Engineering students are approved on a case-by-case basis, and require approval by the student's academic advisor, with review of the student's recent academic performance as a factor in the decision. First-semester EN freshmen are not granted credit overloads.

Restrictions

Registration Alerts

Registration alerts may be applied to student records for a variety of reasons, such as outstanding financial obligations, insurance and health clearances, academic standing, and missing emergency contact information. A student whose registration has been placed on hold for a non-academic reason must obtain clearance from the office or offices that placed the hold on registration.

Retaking A Course

Students may retake a course to absolve a grade of C+ or lower. The grade for the second attempt and the associated credits are recorded on the transcript and are calculated into the GPA. The original grade remains along with the notation "R" to indicate the course was retaken, and the original grade does not affect grade point calculations, nor does it carry credit toward graduation. Only the grade in the retaken course accrues credit and applies to the GPA, even when the retaken grade is lower than the original grade. However, if a student drops or withdraws from the subsequent attempt the original grade is calculated into the GPA. A student may retake one course without written permission. Taking the same course a third time or retaking a different course requires written permission of the student's respective academic advising office.

A course originally taken for a letter grade must be retaken for a letter grade. A course taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading option must be retaken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading option.

To absolve a grade, the same course must be taken at Hopkins, not at another college or university. In situations where the same course is no longer offered, students may be able to absolve a grade in one of two ways:

by repeating a course of comparable content and level, or
as an independent study

Both of these options require approval of the department and/or instructor responsible for the course, and the student's respective academic advising office.

Approval for course retake can be processed in SIS by the student's respective advising office, which will enable students to add the course(s) online.

Special Retake Rules Related to Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were special grading policies in effect during Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters. Students who want to retake a course that was taken in one of those three semesters should refer to the 2024-2025 archived Catalogue.

OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON ABSOLVING A GRADE

Grades may not be absolved by retaking a course after graduation.

Grades assigned by the Ethics Board due to an academic ethics violation may not be removed from the academic record by retaking the course.

Prohibition on Registering for Courses that Meet at the Same Time

Students are not allowed to register for course conflicts unless they have permission prior to registering for the second course which creates the conflict. Explicit written permission from both course instructors must be submitted to SEAM.

Restrictions on Equivalent Courses and Courses Taken Out of Sequence

Courses that are sequential in nature, e.g., elementary, intermediate, and advanced language courses, or the Calculus sequence, must be taken in their proper order. One exception to this policy is that AS.210.301 Advanced French for Writing and AS.210.302 Advanced French for Speaking may be taken in reverse order with permission of the department.

Credit will be awarded only once for equivalent courses or exams covering the same material. This policy applies to courses offered by either KSAS or WSE, courses at other JHU schools, and courses transferred from other institutions.

Examples of equivalent courses/exams are Intermediate French and Advanced Intermediate French, and AP Calc AB and Calculus I, the standard and honors versions of a course, and undergraduate and graduate versions of the same course. Be aware that departments may change course numbers or titles without changing the course content. Students who believe that they have registered for an equivalent course should consult with their academic advising office. This policy applies to courses offered by either KSAS or WSE, courses at other JHU schools, and courses transferred from other institutions.

The following restrictions and allowances apply to overlapping courses and the sequencing of courses in the Mathematics and the Applied Mathematics and Statistics departments. The list of courses included in this section is complete at the time of publication. There may be other courses subject to sequencing or overlap restrictions. Such restrictions will be noted in the Course Schedule in SIS.

Students who earn credit for AS.110.202 Calculus III cannot receive credit for AS.110.211 Honors Multivariable Calculus.
Students who earn credit for AS.110.201 Linear Algebra cannot receive credit for the combined course EN.553.291 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations or for the course. AS.110.212 Honors Linear Algebra
Students who earn credit for EN.553.291 Linear Algebra and Differential Equationsmay also earn credit for AS.110.302 Differential Equations and Applications, if taken in that order. However, for the Applied Mathematics and Statistics major, AS.110.302 Differential Equations and Applications will not count towards the differential equations major requirement if EN.553.291 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations was already completed.
Students who earn credit for AS.110.302 Differential Equations and Applications may not later also earn credit for EN.553.291 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
Students who earn credit for AS.110.405 Real Analysis Icannot receive credit for AS.110.415 Honors Analysis I
Students who earn credit for AS.110.311 Methods of Complex Analysis cannot receive credit for AS.110.407 Honors Complex Analysis
Students who earn credit for AS.110.406 Real Analysis II cannot receive credit for AS.110.416 Honors Analysis II
Students may earn credit for only one of these two courses: EN.553.426 Introduction to Stochastic Processes and EN.553.427 Stochastic Processes and Applications to Finance I

Policy on Statistics Courses Sequencing

Undergraduate students at the Homewood Schools of Johns Hopkins University enjoy a wide selection of statistics courses offered by a number of departments in both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering.

For the statistics courses offered in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics department, these are the restrictions and allowances:

Students may not take EN.553.311 Intermediate Probability and Statistics after completing EN.553.420 Probability or EN.553.421 Honors Probability. One caveat: students who earn a C+ or below in EN.553.420 Probability or EN.553.421 Honors Probability and who intend to enroll in EN.553.430 Mathematical Statistics or EN.553.431 Honors Mathematical Statistics should discuss their preparation and options with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Applied Mathematics and Statistics department.
Students may not take EN.553.211 Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences after completing EN.553.311 Intermediate Probability and Statistics or EN.553.420 Probability or EN.553.421 Honors Probability.
Students may not take EN.553.211 Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences after completing EN.553.312 Intermediate Probability and Statistics II.
Students may not take EN.553.111 Statistical Analysis I after earning credit for the Advanced Placement Statistics exam (or other similar exam).
Students may complete EN.553.311 Intermediate Probability and Statistics and EN.553.312 Intermediate Probability and Statistics II in any order. EN.553.211 Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences is the prerequisite for EN.553.312 Intermediate Probability and Statistics II.

For the following statistics courses offered in departments outside of the Applied Mathematics and Statistics department, there are no sequencing restrictions. Students should review the requirements of their major to determine what is the best course choice for them and discuss any questions with their academic advisor.

AS.230.205 Introduction to Social Statistics
AS.280.345 Public Health Biostatistics
EN.540.382 Statistical Modeling and Analysis with Python
EN.560.240 Uncertainty, Reliability and Decision-making

Undergraduates Registering for 600-level Courses

Most graduate (600-level and above) courses in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering offered in the graduate divisions of the university require undergraduates to obtain permission to register. If permission is required, engineering students need permission from the instructor and their academic advisor. Arts and Sciences students require permission of the instructor. If online enrollment is not available, students must submit a SEAM request with the appropriate permissions.

Auditing a Course

Undergraduate students may not audit a course. By the end of the add period, a student may only attend or participate in courses for which they are enrolled. Peabody Double Degree students may audit Peabody courses.

Language Courses at the School of Advanced International Studies

Course credit, normally between 3 to 5 credits, will be awarded to AS and EN undergraduate students for the following language courses offered by the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in accordance to the University’s credit hour policy and in strict adherence to the hours of instruction scheduled: Burmese, Indonesian, Persian, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese. Supplemental language tutorials will not be included in the course credit calculations.

Registering for Courses in Other JHU Divisions During the Fall and Spring Semesters

Qualified undergraduates may take courses at other divisions of the university as long as the student has not previously earned credit for the content of the course. Students submit an Interdivisional Registration (IDR) form. Courses taken at other JHU divisions must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course at the host division is offered on an S/U basis only.

Peabody Double Degree students are permitted to audit Peabody courses, subject to the same rules as any other students seeking a Peabody bachelor’s degree. They may not audit Arts and Sciences or Engineering courses.

Approval(s) are required for all AS/EN students as indicated on the IDR form. All students must meet the course requirements as defined by the host division. Additional IDR information is located here.

Peabody Institute

Peabody Conservatory offers courses that must be taken for grade and credit by Arts and Sciences and Engineering undergraduates. Peabody Double Degree students are permitted to audit Peabody courses, subject to the same rules as any other students seeking a Peabody bachelor’s degree. They may not audit Arts and Sciences or Engineering courses. Homewood undergraduates who are not enrolled in either the Homewood-based music minor or the Peabody Double Degree program may take only one nonperformance course per semester at the Conservatory, and may also take one performance course concurrently with the approval of the student’s respective academic advising office. Performance courses will receive 1 credit per semester unless taken as part of the Peabody Double Degree program.

Students may take private lessons at Peabody. Information is located here.

The Conservatory schedule and deadlines can differ from those at Homewood. Students taking courses and lessons at the Conservatory must check these dates in the Peabody schedule of courses located here. Visit Peabody at Homewood for additional information about taking lessons at the Conservatory.

The Carey Business School and The School of Education

Students may register for approved courses in these two schools on a case-by-case basis. In order to register in the Carey Business School or the School of Education, students in Arts and Sciences and Engineering programs should use the Interdivisional Registration Form. Required permissions are on the form and may include both the home academic advisor and the appropriate host school program director or advisor. Students declared in the Carey Business minor for undergraduates may register for the required courses of the minor through SIS. Courses must be taken for a grade. Note that the Carey Business School and the School of Education students have priority in registering for these schools’ courses.

School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health

Undergraduates may register for courses in the School of Medicine and/or the Bloomberg School of Public Health with the approval of the course instructor. Students must have an adequate background for the courses, and courses must be taken for a grade. Public Health Studies majors taking courses at the Bloomberg School of Public Health require only the Public Health advisor’s approval signature and can register for courses through SIS.

Registering for Courses at Other JHU Divisions During the Summer

Degree-seeking students are permitted to IDR enroll during the summer term(s). Students must meet designated course prerequisites and/or be otherwise qualified for the desired course(s) at the following JHU divisions:

Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) division of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Bloomberg School of Public Health (excluding offerings through the Summer Institute)
Engineering for Professionals (EP) division of the Whiting School of Engineering
Peabody Institute (permission required from Peabody Associate Dean for Academic Affairs)
School of Advanced International Studies
School of Education
School of Medicine

Students should register using the IDR form, and pay for the course at their home division. The course, along with credits and grade, will appear of the student’s home division transcript. Approval from both the home and host divisions is required to ensure that the interdivisional enrollment is appropriate for the student’s degree. Summer courses in other divisions must be taken for a grade.

IDR enrollment is not available during the summer term(s) at the Carey Business School, nor the School of Nursing. Students seeking enrollment at either of these schools should pursue enrollment directly with the respective school. In order to ensure a course will transfer to the student's undergraduate academic record, students should follow the transfer credit pre-approval directions available from their advising office.

Registering for Courses through the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP)

Beginning sophomore year, undergraduates may take one course per semester (fall/spring only) at one of the several area colleges and universities that comprise BSEP. This program includes the following colleges in the Baltimore area: Community Colleges of Baltimore County, Coppin State University, Goucher College, Loyola University Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art, Morgan State University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Stevenson University, Towson University, University of Baltimore, and University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Courses that are equivalent to those offered at the Homewood campus may not be taken through BSEP. Students register by submitting the BSEP registration form to the Homewood Registrar. This form is available on the BSEP website. An academic advisor from the student’s respective advising office must approve the form. Students submit completed registration materials to SEAM.

Prior to the start of classes at the host institution, students may report to the host school’s registrar for additional assistance (for example, campus maps or id cards). JHU students enrolled through BSEP are not required to complete registration forms at the host institution, and no academic record is established at the host institution. There is no additional fee or tuition charge for courses taken through the BSEP program, except when the host school charges a laboratory or materials fee. In that event, the student pays the fee directly to the host institution.

Courses at these schools must be taken for letter grades. Both grades and credits appear on the Hopkins academic record along with an indication of where the courses were taken. The grades are included in calculations of the grade point average.

Independent undergraduate work, special tutorials, or private study types of courses that consume a large portion of faculty time are generally not included in the BSEP program, nor are weekend or evening courses offered through continuing educational studies programs.

Cooperative Education in Engineering

Engineering students may participate in government or industry-based cooperative education programs. Students who have received an offer from an employer should contact the Engineering Advising Office at 410-516-7395 or wseadvising@jhu.edu.

ROTC

Enrollment in the Johns Hopkins University Department of Military Science ROTC Program prepares students for full- and part-time careers in the U.S. Army and its Reserve Forces, as well as providing leadership and management skills valuable in any profession. Freshmen interested in finding out about the military profession should enroll in a Military Science course. Contact the professor of military science at 410-516-4685 for enrollment procedures and scholarship information. Visit Johns Hopkins Army ROTC and Military Science for additional information.

Registering for AFROTC Courses at the University of Maryland College Park

Students who have received Air Force ROTC scholarships will register for the required AFROTC courses at the University of Maryland College Park. Courses at this school must be taken for a letter grade. Both grades and credits appear on the Hopkins academic record along with an indication of where the courses were taken. The grades are included in calculations of the grade point average. In order to register for the AFROTC courses at the University of Maryland College Park, students must first obtain a letter of approval from JHU to participate in AFROTC. Students can open up a SEAM ticket to request the letter.

Customized Academic Learning - WSE

Customized Academic Learning (CAL) is the collective term used to encompass group and individual academic work outside of a structured class offering. Individual CAL includes independent study, independent research, and academic internships. Independent study means a program of study and reading under the tutelage of a faculty member. Academic credit for independent study is based on work equivalent to class-based courses. Research involves planning and conducting experiments, collection and analysis of data, and the reporting of results. Academic internships are practical work experiences which have an academic component as certified by a member of the faculty. Group CAL includes group research and group projects. Group research is the term used to describe research that is conducted within the lab group of a faculty for which there are regular lab group meetings that require attendance and participation by undergraduates. A group project involves two or more undergraduates simultaneously working on the same task (other than research) under the supervision of a faculty member. To be considered a group project, there must be a regular group meeting of the project team with the expectation of attendance and participation by the students.

All forms of CAL require early planning with a faculty sponsor. To receive academic credit, the CAL must include an activity, exercise, and/or product that can be evaluated by a member of the JHU faculty whose field of expertise is related closely enough to the work for the faculty sponsor to competently evaluate the work and certify that it merits academic credit.

Students who wish to pursue CAL begin by discussing their ideas with an appropriate faculty sponsor. That discussion must focus on what type of project the student envisions, and what possibilities for academic credit the faculty member envisions. If the student and faculty member agree on the type of project and its academic value, then the student should find a suitable research or work environment for the project.

Academic credit for CAL must be sponsored by a full-time member of the JHU faculty. This is the case whether the work is done on a JHU campus location or elsewhere. The work supervisor and the faculty sponsor may be the same person but are not required to be so. If the faculty sponsor is not the work supervisor, the work supervisor must provide the faculty sponsor with a report on the student’s progress and achievements while participating in the CAL experience (research, independent study, or project), and the faculty member must certify how much academic credit the CAL experience merits.

In completing the registration process for CAL, it is imperative that the faculty sponsor and the student review and agree upon the specific learning outcomes and the affiliated assessment mechanisms for the CAL experience. The student will be required to include these on the online CAL registration form which will be routed to the faculty sponsor for careful review of the student's selections. The approval of the CAL registration by a faculty sponsor indicates that there is agreement upon the expectations of what the student will learn and how that learning will be assessed.

Credits Limits for CAL Conducted in WSE

No more than 30 credits of CAL may be earned during a student’s time of enrollment as an undergraduate. Credits earned during a Hopkins Semester are not counted towards this limit.
Of the above, no more than 12 credits may be earned for CAL in one academic year, which runs from the first summer session to the conclusion of following spring semester. Credits earned during a Hopkins Semester are not counted towards this limit.
Of the above, no more than 6 credits may be earned for CAL in one semester or summer (sessions I and II combined), and no more than 3 credits may be earned for CAL during Jay Term (formerly Intersession). Credits earned during a Hopkins Semester are not counted towards this limit.
Credit for an internship is limited to 1 credit, and the grading method is Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory only.

Deadlines for CAL Conducted in WSE

To ensure that students and faculty establish plans sufficiently early in the term to permit the full academic term to be utilized productively, the deadline to add CAL is the end of the 4th week of the semester. The registration process for CAL including the specification of learning outcomes and assessments must be finalized by and may not be altered after the 6th week of the semester, aligning with the drop deadline for courses. The typical minimum and maximum credit limits for the semester or session/term must be observed.
All deliverables contributing to the assessment of CAL must be provided to the faculty member by the last day of the finals period of the term unless an earlier date is agreed upon in writing. Deliverables provided after this date may only be considered if an incomplete grading contract is in effect.

Registration Process for CAL

Details and instructions on how to register for CAL are posted on the Office of Engineering Advising website.

Other Policies Regarding CAL Conducted in WSE

CAL done for academic credit may be paid or unpaid.

Credits for independent research, independent study, group research, and group project vary from 1-6 credits, and may be graded with either letter grades (A, B, etc.) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Each credit hour should reflect 40 hours of work on the project.

CAL credit may be used in fulfillment of some of the WSE Foundational Abilities, as described in the Foundational Abilities section of this catalogue.

The use of credit for CAL to satisfy the requirements of a WSE major or WSE minor is subject to prior written approval by the appropriate department or program.

CAL and the Hopkins Semester in WSE

The Hopkins Semester (HS) is an optional full-time academic experience potentially available to all students in either their junior or senior year, but not in their final semester. It is intended to provide students the opportunity for a semester-long, mentored, immersive experience that will allow them time for a focused, deep, and rigorous exploration of one complex subject or endeavor, either within or outside their major department or program. Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to apply for a HS. There will be an application/proposal form and process for participation in a Hopkins Semester. Applications/proposals will only be approved if:

the endeavor is deemed to be academically meritorious,
the plan provides mechanisms for the student’s effort to be well-supported, and
the student can demonstrate that they will maintain progress toward timely degree completion.

The application/proposal form is expected to be available during the fall 2026 semester for students interested in engaging in a Hopkins Semester experience during the fall 2027 semester. Applications/proposal forms will be reviewed prior to registration for the fall 2027 semester (April 2027) so that students can make informed registration decisions.

There is a faculty board in the process of establishing application and review processes for the Hopkins Semester, along with supporting policies and procedures, at the time of catalogue publication. It is envisioned that the process for securing academic credit for the Hopkins Semester will be similar to the process for CAL registration. Details on these processes will be posted on the Office of Engineering Advising website when it becomes available.

Registering for Customized Academic Learning - KSAS

Academic credit for CAL must be sponsored by a full-time member of the JHU faculty. This is the case whether the work is done on-campus or off-campus. The work supervisor and the faculty sponsor may be the same person but are not required to be so. If the faculty sponsor is not the work supervisor, the work supervisor must provide the faculty sponsor with a report on the student’s progress and achievements while participating in the CAL experience (research, independent study, or project), and the faculty member must certify how much academic credit the CAL experience merits.

No more than three credits total may be earned for independent study, independent research, group project, and group research in one semester or summer (sessions I and II combined); only one credit may be earned for an academic internship during one semester or summer.
No more than 6 credits of any type of CAL may be earned in one academic year (see exception for students graduating in their eighth semester or later). The academic year begins with the first summer session and ends at the conclusion of the spring semester.
CAL done for academic credit may be paid or unpaid. Credits for independent research, independent study, group research, and group project vary from 1-3 credits, and may be graded with either letter grades (A, B, etc.) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Each credit hour should reflect 40 hours of work on the project.
Credit for an internship is limited to 1 credit, and the grading method is Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory only.
Students must register for CAL by the end of the sixth week of the semester. Students must adhere to the registration and add/drop deadlines during Intersession, and Summer. In the rare circumstance that a student must change the number of CAL credits for which they are registered, the deadline for these changes aligns with the deadline to withdraw from a course. The typical minimum and maximum credit limits must be observed.

The use of credit for CAL to satisfy the requirements of a major or minor is subject to prior written approval by the appropriate department or program. Additional policy information can be found in the Credit Hour Policy.

Final Examination Schedule for Fall and Spring Semesters

The Office of the Homewood Registrar establishes the final examination schedule. In rare cases, the official final exam schedule available on the Homewood Registrar's website may slot three final exams on one day for a student. Students should contact their respective academic advising office for assistance in these instances.

Instructors may administer final examinations only at the officially scheduled time, not during class time or during the reading period.

Any take-home final examination can be due no earlier than the time of the regularly scheduled final examination. Faculty members sometimes substitute other academic exercises, such as a final presentation, paper, or report, for a final examination. When assigned as a final culminating exercise, the student should be permitted to prepare for the assignment and complete the assignment after classes have concluded. These deadlines and presentations should be treated as final examinations and be due on the course’s scheduled examination date. Faculty members may assign appropriate due dates for papers and projects that are not culminating exercises. All such assignments must be due prior to the reading period. The only exception is for classes scheduled for the second half-term of the semester where instruction continues into the reading week.

Students who are concerned that any of these policies are being violated by their instructors should notify their respective academic advising office.

The final exam schedule is posted on the Office of the Homewood Registrar's website.