Concurrent Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Programs

The Whiting School of Engineering provides students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's degree (from the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences or the Whiting School of Engineering) while pursuing a master's degree in engineering.

A concurrent bachelor's/master's degree provides students with a number of distinct advantages.

• Students graduate with a competitive edge in the job market.
• Master's degrees can usually be completed in one year instead of two as undergraduate courses may be counted toward the master's degree.
• Beginning in the fall of 2009, 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 tuition, after they have completed four years at JHU. (See "Financial Aid" below.)

Nearly all engineering graduate programs offer this combined degree option.  While in most cases, concurrent students receive both degrees from the same department, this is not necessary.

Application Process

The Whiting School requires that a student apply for concurrent student status no later than the end of the first semester during the senior year, but 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.

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).

Eligibility/Financial Aid

Concurrent bachelor's/master's students will earn graduate student status and receive a Dean's Master's Fellowship covering 50% percent of tuition as well as health insurance benefits if they have been admitted to a WSE master's program and have completed eight full-time semesters of study at JHU.  (NOTE: Requirements are slightly different for those alumni who have completed the degree but have not maintained continuous enrollment at JHU.  Prospective applicants who fall into that category should visit http://eng.jhu.edu/wse/page/graduate-financial-aid/ to learn more about the Dean's Master's Fellowship.)  In order for this status change to occur, a Change of Classification Form for Concurrent Students must be filed at the Office of the Registrar on behalf of the student.  (This process is described below.)

Concurrent students who have not yet completed eight full-time semesters of study at JHU and have retained undergraduate status are eligible to continue to apply for undergraduate financial aid through the Office of Student Financial Services. (Transfer students are treated differently; see below.)   Alternatively, they can apply for graduate student status, earn health insurance benefits and apply for federal financial aid (through the Office of Student Financial Services), but they cannot earn the Dean's Fellowship until after the eighth semester of full-time study at JHU.

Once a student converts to graduate status, he/she is no longer eligible for undergraduate financial aid, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal SMART Grant, Federal Parent PLUS loans, the Bloomberg Scholarship, Hodson Scholarship and Westgate Scholarship.  Loan limits for the federal student loan programs change when a student's classification switches from "undergraduate" to "graduate."  For further financial aid information, please visit the website for the Office of Student Financial Services.

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 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 Issues

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.

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.

Becoming a Teacher

For nearly 15 years, the Johns Hopkins Accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching (AMAT) program has been providing JHU students the opportunity to begin their teacher preparation while still an undergraduate.  The AMAT Program leads to Maryland certification in the following areas: early childhood (pending approval), elementary, or secondary education.  Highly qualified Johns Hopkins undergraduates may be considered for early admission during their junior or senior year or after completion of 60 credits.

Students accepted into the AMAT program may take up to 12 graduate credits (which also count toward their bachelor's degree) before their undergraduate graduation and complete the remaining teacher certification requirements in one of three graduate program options.  For additional information, visit the School of Education website at http://education.jhu.edu/ or call (410) 516-9759.