Student Life

Johns Hopkins is an active and supportive community, filled with students of different viewpoints, different cultures, and different backgrounds. The thing that brings them all together is their desire to be here and to celebrate everything Johns Hopkins has to offer. The following section details campus resources specifically relevant to the graduate student experience.

Graduate students are encouraged to visit two primary resources for graduate students at Homewood:

  1. The Offices of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (for both Kreiger and Whiting Graduate Students)
  2. The Homewood Graduate Representative Organization (GRO)

J-Card

The J-Card is the multi-use identification card used for Johns Hopkins students, faculty and staff. It is issued to students after registering for the first time. The Office of ID Card Services is located on the lower level of the Wyman Park building on the Homewood campus.

The card features typical identification information such as the person’s name, photograph, classification (student, faculty or staff) and a randomly generated ID number.

The J-Card acts as the individual’s library card for the Sheridan Library network. It allows the student to enter the MSE Library beyond Q-Level, to reserve and borrow books, and to pay for photocopies or document printing on library printers.

Students must show their J-Card in order to gain access to any campus computer lab. Additionally, student employees need to present their J-Card to pick up their paychecks from the Student Payroll Office.

The J-Card is also used for identification if a student has purchased a campus dining plan. J-Cash can be used at a number of restaurants and vending machines, on and off-campus. Funds can be added to any J-Card account online, over the phone, or by mail. Money can also be added in-person at various locations on campus. For more J-Card and J-Cash information, visit http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/jcard/.

Lost or stolen J-Cards should be reported to the Office of ID Card Services by calling (410) 516-5121(weekdays 8:30 A.M. to 5 P.M.) or the Office of Security by calling (410) 516-4600 (all other times). The account will be temporarily suspended and a new J-Card will need to be issued for a nominal fee.

Bookstore

The University’s bookstore is located at the Barnes & Noble in Charles Commons on Saint Paul Street. Students can purchase textbooks and supplies at this location. Please visit their store website for hours of operation and other pertinent information.

Computer Access

Computers available to all faculty, staff, and students are located in several public computer labs and kiosks across the Homewood Campus. Labs in Krieger Hall, and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library feature extensive software allowing users to print, access email, the internet, and perform other general tasks as well as more advanced computing required for coursework and research. Computer kiosk locations in Krieger Hall, the Mattin Center, Hodson Hall, Levering Hall, and throughout the MSE library have more limited functionality.

The largest of all the Homewood labs is the Krieger Academic Computing Lab, located in 160 Krieger Hall. To gain access to the lab, students must swipe their J-Card at the locked gate. A lab consultant can be contacted during working hours by calling (410) 516-4242 or emailing consult@jhu.edu.

Security, Shuttles and Transportation

Security

The Johns Hopkins University Campus Safety and Security Office is dedicated to establishing and maintaining a safe and secure environment in which to work and visit. The Homewood Communication Center operates 24-hours a day seven days a week at the Homewood Campus. In keeping with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Campus Safety and Security Office publishes crime reports and security bulletins. These may be found on the Public Safety Website.

Campus Security and local emergency services including Baltimore City Police, Fire or Ambulance can be summoned through Homewood’s Communication Center from any campus phone by dialing 6-7777. The universal 911 number may also be used to reach Homewood’s Communication Center from any on-campus phone. From off-campus, dial (410) 516-4600 to reach security. Crime and safety concerns may be reported to Campus Safety and Security by calling on-campus emergency numbers, (410) 516-7777 or 911. Additional services include the following:

  • Anonymous Tip Hotline
  • Crime Prevention Tips
  • Escorts
  • Lost and Found
  • Property Registration
  • Rape Aggression Defense (RAD)

Visit http://security.jhu.edu/index.html for more information.

Shuttles and Transportation

Homewood Parking and Transportation provides services to faculty, staff and students. The primary services include:

  • Homewood - Peabody - JHMI Shuttle
  • Keswick - Homewood - Eastern - JHMI Shuttle
  • Homewood - Bayview Express Shuttle
  • Carey Business School Shuttle
  • Remington Shuttle
  • Homewood - Mt. Washington Express Shuttle
  • Evening Blue Jay Shuttle Services
  • Accessible Services

Visit http://ts.jhu.edu/ for schedules, locations and more information. 

Office of University Experiential Learning (Student Employment)

The Office of University Experiential Learning  is the human resources and employment center for full-time Homewood students who work for, or wish to work for, the University during their enrollment at Hopkins. The office processes all student paychecks and maintains employment records and supporting documents. The office also supports a web based job search program which students can access through their website. Students on Nonresident status must keep in mind that they can be paid at an hourly rate only, and the number of hours worked on campus may not exceed 19.9 per week.

A student job fair, hosted by the Office of University Experiential Learning, is held annually in September. Students have the opportunity to meet and interview with a variety of on- and off-campus employers at the fair. All tax forms and any other required paperwork must be filed with the Office of University Experiential Learning before students are eligible to receive their first paycheck from the University. Volunteer opportunities and community-service information can also be found at this office.

Federal Work Study (FWS): students who meet certain financial aid requirements have the option of applying for FWS positions. FWS is a federally funded program that allocates funds to the University to pay a portion of the student’s salary. Approximately one-third of Hopkins students receive FWS funding. Eligibility for FWS positions is based on both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the JHU Application for Financial Aid. The Office of Student Financial Services determines eligibility based on federal regulations. An FWS award is valid for one academic year. Students must reapply each year. The maximum FWS award is $2,000. Awards may be less, depending on the type and amount of other financial assistance a given student receives. FWS employees are limited to 20 hours of work per week.

Jobs posted on the Office of University Experiential Learning website indicate whether the position is FWS or non-FWS. Job fairs and student-employment orientations also offer opportunities for students seeking FWS employment. Positions are available both on- and off-campus and encompass a wide variety of skills and interests, including lab work, web design, research, and more. Students in FWS positions are not prevented from working other paying jobs.

For more information about the Office of University Experiential Learning or to view current job postings and policies, please visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/studentemployment/.

Tax Information

Student earnings are NOT automatically exempt from tax withholding, including Federal Work-Study earnings. All students are encouraged to complete and submit Tax Withholding Exemption Forms. Visit http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/studentemployment/student-information/handbook/tax-information/ for more information.

The JHU Tax Office is available for general questions, and to point students to tax resources. The JHU Tax Office is unable to advise specifically on or prepare tax returns for JHU affiliates. Visit http://www.controller.jhu.edu/depts/tax/about_tax.html for more information.

Travel Resources

As graduate students prepare to go overseas for research, or to attend a conference, it is helpful to consider administrative, health, and safety issues before leaving the country. Graduate students are urged to complete the Johns Hopkins Travel Registry. Though this service is optional, travel registration can facilitate faster support in the event of an overseas emergency.

For more information and resources, visit http://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/student-services/travel-resources/.

Life Design Lab

The Life Design Lab at Homewood has services ranging from resume and curriculum vitae development to on-campus recruiting. As graduate students begin thinking about professional opportunities to pursue with their degree, the Life Design Lab can help explore how skills, values, interests, and personality fit into this decision-making process.

For more information, visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/life-design.

Student Disability Services Office (SDS)

The SDS Office assists the University in compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), ADA Amendments Act (2008), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for full-time undergraduate and graduate students in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering.

Johns Hopkins University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristic in any student program, activity administered by the University, admission, or employment.

A person with a disability is defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.

The SDS Office is located at 3510 North Charles Street in the AMRII Building, Suite 0004, and can be reached at (410) 516-4720 or studentdisabilityservices@jhu.edu.

Visit http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/ for more information.

Parking on Campus

Parking is available on campus for graduate students at the San Martin or Decker Garages at monthly rates. Graduate students receiving a paycheck from the University are eligible for payroll deduction to pay for parking. Hang tags for free evening and weekend parking alongside academic buildings are also available. Hang tags can be purchased for a nominal fee which are valid for a maximum of 3 years. Go to the Parking Office located in the South Garage (under Mason Hall and the Decker Quad), with your J-Card, to pick up your hang tag.

Visit http://ts.jhu.edu/Parking/index.html for more information.

In addition to these spaces, there are a number of metered and timed parking zones around campus. Check the ordinances governing these roadside spaces. Many have two-hour time limits.

Orientation and Welcome Events for New Graduate Students

There are many resources available to assist new students in their acclimation to the Johns Hopkins Community. Orientation and Welcome Events information can be found at Kreiger School of Arts and Sciences and Whiting School of Engineering. Resources on getting settled in Baltimore as a new graduate student can be found here: https://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/life-at-hopkins/

Professional Development

The Life Design Lab at Homewood (formerly the Homewood Career Center) supports and serves all Krieger and Whiting undergraduates and masters students, regardless of post-graduate plans. Life Design educators are embedded within academic departments and centers across the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and the Whiting School of Engineering which allows students to more easily access life design programs and courses, experiential learning, and connections with alumni and employers.

The PHutures Office is developing a vision, strategy, and plan for enhancing the professional development, life design, alumni connections, employer engagement, and career and mentoring opportunities for doctoral students and Postdoctoral fellows at Johns Hopkins University, with special attention to the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering.

Recreation Center

Membership to the O’Connor Recreation Center is open to all faculty, staff, and students of the University. This includes Johns Hopkins University, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and the Applied Physics Lab (APL).

Gym

  • Fitness and weight rooms
  • Climbing wall
  • Fields
  • Tennis courts
  • Pool (indoor)
  • Experiential education
  • Fitness classes (yoga, yogalates, Pilates, step aerobics, cardio kick boxing, muscle classes and dance-based classes).  Note: there may be a fee involved for classes.

Visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/recreation/or call (410) 516-5229 for more information.

Religious and Spiritual Life

Religious and Spiritual Life promotes and supports spiritual development, theological reflections, religious tolerance and social awareness among students, faculty and staff within the university community. At its heart, it serves as a prophetic and pastoral presence which seeks to enhance the spiritual and ethical educational experience of the whole person mind, body and soul.

Visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/campus-ministries/or call (410) 516-1880 for more information.

Health and Wellness

Health Benefits

It is University policy that all full-time students in the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering maintain adequate health insurance coverage to provide protection against unexpected accidents and illnesses. As a full-time student, you must either purchase the University plan, or sign a waiver indicating you have health insurance coverage comparable to the University plan. All international students with a F1 or J1 Visa status are ineligible to waive and are required to purchase the university plan. Details about student health benefits offered by the University is available at jhu.mycare26.com.

Notes: all full-time programs graduate students are auto-enrolled into coverage, and are responsible for following up with the Office of the Homewood Registrar's Health Insurance representative if they want to make changes, or have questions about enrollment in the plan. Additionally, the University will pay the cost of the health insurance premiums for fully-funded PhD students and their eligible dependent children and spouses unable to work in the US, including dental and vision. 

Vision and Dental

Fully-funded graduate students are automatically enrolled in the vision/dental annual plan. All other graduate students may enroll in these benefits at their own cost- information can be found in SIS and on the Homewood Registrar's website.

Health and Wellness Center

The Student Health and Wellness Center exists to affirm the clear role of health and wellness in advancing academics. Its primary mission is to maintain and contribute to a healthy and safe learning environment for the student community in the Schools of Arts and Sciences, and Engineering.

Visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/student-health/or call (410) 516-8270 for more information.

Counseling Center

The Counseling Center serves full-time undergraduate and graduate students from the schools of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, and the Peabody Institute. All of these students are encouraged to utilize the services offered by the Counseling Center. 

The Counseling Center provides services to assist students in meeting their personal and mental health needs and goals. The Center has the resources to provide individual and group therapy, as well as psychiatric consultations to meet the needs of most students. The Center also offers consultation to students, faculty, staff, and parents on questions about situations and issues related to students and student-life problems.

All services are confidential and free of charge.

Visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/counselingcenter/or call (410) 516-8278 for more information.

Community Engagement

The Center for Social Concern emphasizes the value of service with others. Volunteers and community members enter into an educational process where both benefit from the interaction, and reciprocal learning is the common ground for all of our initiatives. Our programs and efforts are striving to create a strong community in and around the Johns Hopkins campus.

Visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/socialconcern/or call (410) 516-4777 for more information.

Housing

Johns Hopkins University does not offer graduate student housing. Prior to or upon arrival, graduate students should secure their own independent housing.

The Baltimore City neighborhood immediately surrounding the Homewood campus is called Charles Village. In addition, there are lots of other proximal areas in which students may consider living including Hampden, Waverly, Roland Park, Guilford, Remington, Mt. Vernon and others.

Incoming graduate students in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering who need housing accommodations while looking for a place to live can contact the Community Living Office for information on temporary housing.

Visit http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/community-living/or call (410) 516-8597 for more information.

Dining Services

An assortment of entrees, snacks, coffee beverages and other fare is available at a variety of on-campus locations that are open during all three meals and snack-times. Homewood’s dining services can accommodate students with dietary restrictions whether that would be kosher, vegetarian, vegan, or other requirements. All locations accept J-Cards and cash, and some accept credit cards.

Off-Campus Dining: there are many restaurants surrounding the campus, and in adjacent neighborhoods. For the “insider’s guide” to these venues, please contact the Graduate Representative Organization (GRO), which publishes information and student reviews on these and other Baltimore eateries. Visit the GRO's website at https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/gro/.

Meal Plans: graduate students may opt to enroll in a meal plan. Meal plans on the Homewood campus are based on a block meal system, designed for both convenience and flexibility. Each block counts as one meal. Blocks expire at the end of each semester. In addition to blocks, points allow students to purchase food at the Levering Food Court, and Blue Jay Café. Points have a dollar-for-dollar value, and roll over from the fall to the spring. Points expire at the end of the spring semester.

Additional information on specific plans, kosher, or other dining options is available through the Community Living Office at http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/community-living/dining-programs/.

Weather Emergencies

When there is an alteration or curtailment of the operating schedule of the University or a designated unit, an official announcement will be made on the University Emergency Telephone Hotline. As conditions may vary in the geographic areas where Johns Hopkins has campuses, there may be times when the Required Attendance Policy is invoked for some campuses and not others. In addition, conditions may be different on campus than they are in the area where a student lives. In times of bad weather, students should call the University Emergency Telephone Hotline to check on the status of the campus where they work.

  • Baltimore - (410) 516-7781
  • Outside Baltimore - (800) 548-9004

Each year the University publishes a list of radio and television stations that will be re­quested to announce operation changes. Be­cause there can be mistakes in the message broadcasted, students can verify the message by calling the University Emergency Tele­phone Hotline.

Students may also check the JHU emergency resources at https://www.jhu.edu/alert/.

Graduate Student Organizations and Advocacy

There are a variety of graduate student organizations on campus, ranging from cultural, athletic, academic and social. For a sample of what is available to graduate students, please visit http://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/life-at-hopkins/graduate-student-organizations/. For additional academic, cultural, athletic and social groups/organizations/clubs, please visit https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/gro/. Every group/organization/club is different, and some may only be open to undergraduate students, or to students from a certain campus, where others may not be bound by similar parameters. For more information, graduate students are encouraged to directly contact any group/organization/club in which they are interested. There are also several offices and student groups on the Homewood Campus that advocate for graduate students on issues both academic and pertaining to student life.

Graduate Representative Organization

The Johns Hopkins University Graduate Representative Organization (GRO) works with specific divisions to represent graduate student interests (health insurance subsidies, compensation) to various levels of the JHU administration. The GRO organizes graduate student orientation, social events, sports activities, funds campus groups, and much, much more. The GRO is proud to have earned the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students’ (NAGPS) 2000 – 2001 Outstanding Graduate Student Association award, its highest honor.

The GRO is made up of graduate student representatives from every department at Homewood. This group of representatives, the GRO General Council, elects an Executive Board for an annual term. Together, the Council and Executive Board are responsible for programming, advocating, and facilitating communication for graduate students on the Homewood Campus. The GRO also holds occasional programs with the student government on the Medical Campus.

Visit the GRO at https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/gro/.

Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is the center of a metropolitan area of 1.5 million people. Baltimore is a vital city long known for its ethnic neighborhoods where each wave of immigration to the United States has added to its character. People of many different backgrounds give the city a melting pot vitality that is reflected in the wide variety of restaurants, shops, and festivals.  Information about Living in Baltimore is located at https://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/life-at-hopkins.

Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Contacts

Mary Favret
Vice Dean of Graduate Education, and Centers and Programs
mfavret1@jhu.edu
 

Renee Eastwood (Can assist with both student life and academic issues in the KSAS)
Assistant Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Academic and Student Affairs
410-516-8477
rseitz5@jhu.edu
 

Whiting School of Engineering Contacts 

Sri Sarma
Vice Dean of Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning
ssarma2@jhmi.edu

Christine Kavanagh (Can assist with both student life issues and academic issues in the WSE)
Associate Vice Dean for Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning and Associate Dean for Engineering Program Services
christinekavanagh@jhu.edu
 

Megan Barrett (student life (community, student groups) and non-academic support in the WSE)
Assistant Dean for Engineering Student Affairs
mbarrett@jhu.edu
 

The Office of Institutional Equity

Disability Services and Compliance

The Director of Student Disability Services serves as the central point of contact for information on physical and programmatic access, specific accommodations, resolution of complaints and problems, faculty and staff concerns, and identification of available services. In addition, the office can provide training, consultation, and information regarding disability issues.

Contact: Director (410) 516-8075, studentdisabilityservices@jhu.edu

Graduate students in the Krieger and Whiting Schools can also visit the Disabilities page: http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/disabilities/.

Discrimination/Compliance

The Office of Institutional Equity Compliance and Education is responsible for the investigation and resolution of discrimination complaints received from faculty, staff, and students at Johns Hopkins University. OIE also provides mediation services for University related issues, as well as, education/training on sexual harassment.

Visit http://oie.jhu.edu/or call (410) 516-8075 for more information. Information is also available at http://homewoodgrad.jhu.edu/student-services/sexual-assault-and-awareness/.

The Office of International Services (OIS) assists Hopkins’ international community with visa status and with the challenges of making a transition from one setting to another.