Combined/Concurrent Bachelor’s Master’s Policies

Whiting School of Engineering

Many of the Whiting School departments offer bachelor’s/master’s (concurrent) degree programs, allowing a student to pursue a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree at the same time. Every JHU student enrolled in a concurrent B.S./M.S.E. program will be awarded a Dean’s Master’s Fellowship, covering half their  full-time tuition in semsters (not in intersession or summer terms or when in a part-time status), after they have completed four years at JHU. Check with your department to determine whether this option is available to you.

Application Process

The Whiting School requires that an undergraduate student apply to a combined student status no later than by the end of the first semester of their senior year (typically a student’s 7th semester),  or in other words, their second-to-last semester of undergraduate study), and to be admitted and enrolled by their graduate program no later than the start of their eighth/final undergraduate semester. Note that individual departments may have earlier deadlines*. JHU undergraduates interested in pursuing a WSE master’s degree concurrently should check with the prospective graduate program to determine its application deadline, application requirements and degree requirements for the concurrent degree program. *Any combined status enrollments received during the 8th/final semester of a student’s undergraduate degree will be returned to the department to be reprocessed as a new graduate student application and enrollment. NOTE: Whiting/Krieger School alumni who pursue a WSE master’s degree are granted many of the same benefits as those in the concurrent bachelor’s/master’s degree program (i.e., financial aid and the opportunity to double-count coursework, the latter is at the department’s discretion, however).

Transfer Students

Transfer students are evaluated upon entry and awarded either sophomore or junior class standing. A transfer sophomore is eligible for six semesters of undergraduate financial aid and is eligible for graduate status (including health insurance benefits and access to federal financial aid through the Office of Student Financial Services) after having completed either: (1) the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, or (2) six semesters of full-time study at JHU, whichever comes first. However, in order to become eligible to earn the Dean’s Master’s Fellowship, a transfer sophomore must complete six semesters of full-time study at JHU. A transfer junior is eligible for four semesters of undergraduate financial aid and is eligible for graduate status (including health insurance benefits and access to federal financial aid through the Office of Student Financial Services) after having completed either: (1) the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, or (2) four semesters of full-time study at JHU, whichever comes first. However, in order to become eligible to earn the Dean’s Master’s Fellowship, a transfer junior must complete four semesters of full-time study at JHU.

Transcript and GPA

Once a concurrent student’s status switches from “undergraduate” to “graduate”, the undergraduate transcript is closed and a graduate transcript opens. These are two separate documents. If a concurrent student takes any more courses to be applied to the undergraduate degree beyond the point that his/her status is switched to “graduate”, these courses will appear on the graduate transcript only (and thus, not be factored into the cumulative GPA found at the bottom of the undergraduate transcript).

Likewise, courses ultimately applied to the master’s degree but taken before the student’s status is switched to “graduate” are found on the undergraduate transcript only (and thus, unintentionally factored into the cumulative GPA found at the bottom of the undergraduate transcript). Undergraduate students are not eligible to receive graduate student tuition support; therefore, a concurrent student cannot retain undergraduate status in order to leave open the undergraduate transcript and receive a graduate tuition waiver at the same time.

Taking Graduate Courses as a Combined Student (in other words, while still in an undergraduate status)

Students who have been accepted into a combined bachelor’s/master’s status who are still in their undergraduate status may enroll in graduate level courses at the 600, 700 and 800 levels without needing to obtain the usual instructor and/or advising approvals. EXCEPTION: Combined bachelor’s/master’s students  still in their undergraduate status cannot enroll in 800-level research courses- they should enroll in the 500-level of research.

Degree Conferral Timing

A student cannot be conferred with their WSE master’s/graduate degree before they have been conferred with their JHU bachelor’s degree. With prior approval a student may confer with their bachelor’s and master’s/graduate degrees in the same semester with degree requirement signoff from undergraduate advising and the student’s degree programs. Note that there is not a combined diploma, each degree is separately conferred.

Status Change Procedures

In order for a student’s status to change from “undergraduate” to “graduate”, a Change of Classification Form for Concurrent Students must be completed. For students whose status change is due to completion of eight semesters of full-time undergraduate student at JHU (or the equivalent for transfer students), it is the responsibility of the Program Coordinator in the student’s chosen graduate program to sign the form and forward it to the Office of the Registrar (Garland Hall). For students whose status change is due to completion of undergraduate degree requirements prior to the eighth semester of full-time undergraduate study at JHU (or the equivalent for transfer students), it is the responsibility of the Program Coordinator in the student’s undergraduate program to sign the form first. It then goes to the student’s graduate program before it is received by the Office of the Registrar. For information on this and for other bachelor’s/master’s policies within the Whiting School please visit the Academic Affairs Office.

Financial Aid

Some academic departments offer concurrent degree programs that allow students to pursue a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree at the same time. Eligibility for financial aid will vary depending upon whether a student is classified as a graduate or undergraduate student.

Students enrolled in bachelor’s/master’s programs should consult with their undergraduate advising office. For further financial aid information visit the Financial Aid Office.

Policies by Department

Biology

Students may apply in their junior or senior years. The BS/MS program is only open to Biology and or Molecular and Cellular Biology Majors at Johns Hopkins University.

Biomedical Engineering

Students must apply by January 10th of their Junior Year.

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Students need to apply by the spring semester of their junior year. Students coming from other fields may be required to take additional classes.

Classics

Students apply for the BA/MA program in the spring of their senior year.
The fifth year of study is dedicated entirely to graduate-level work and to writing a substantial thesis. Interested students should approach the department no later than the start of their senior year to discuss the possibility of applying the following spring. Exceptionally well-prepared students may apply for the BA/MA, with the department’s permission, in the spring of their junior year. In this case it is possible to complete the bachelor’s/master’s degree in four years.

Engineering Management

Students typically to apply during their junior year.

History

Students need to apply by their junior year.

Information Security Institute

The department does not have a specific application deadline.
The students can earn a bachelor’s degree from any Whiting School Department and a MSSI only at the Information Security Institute, 2 courses are double counted.

Materials Science and Engineering

Students must apply by the spring semester of their Junior year.

Mathematics

Students must apply by April 30 of their junior year.

Mechanical Engineering

The application must be submitted during the student’s junior year. There are two deadlines to submit applications to the BS/MSE program:

• January 6 – Juniors only – admissions decisions occur around January 24
• June 16 – Rising Seniors only – admissions decisions occur around July 23

Seniors who have missed these deadlines are welcome to apply for the master’s program separately.  Visit the Full-Time Graduate Admissions and the Mechanical Engineering Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s pages for details.

Neuroscience

The Undergraduate Neuroscience Program requires bachelor’s/master’s applications be submitted by November 1 of each year. Only students enrolled as full-time Neuroscience majors may apply. Students are admitted based on their ability to complete both degrees in no more than five years. In most cases students apply in their junior and senior years.