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Master’s students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering may become eligible for part-time status.

“ALL-COURSE” MASTER’S STUDENTS
All “all-course” master’s students must register full-time most or all semesters for a minimum of nine credits. If in a student’s final semester, less than nine credits are needed to complete the degree requirements, students can switch to part-time status.

“ESSAY” MASTER’S STUDENTS
After meeting the minimum two-semester “full-time” residency requirement – where a student pays full-time tuition for a minimum of two semesters – Whiting School master’s students who have not yet completed the research to the point where the final and sole activity is essay writing must maintain their “residency” status, but can register “part-time” by registering for eight credits or less in their final semester.

For each semester where essay research/co-op and writing occurs, students must register for EN.530.602/EN.530.821 Master’s Essay – Research and Writing or EN.530.609/EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op, typically in the last one or two semesters. While the course can grant 3-10 credits per semester, most students will register for 3 or 6 credits per semester. Students must check with their faculty advisors to confirm when to register for the course.

For International Students

International students completing the degree with an Essay – Co-Op option must also enroll for EN.500.851 Engineering Research Practicum and apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).  Visit these sites for information:

• Applying for CPT
• Extending your F-1 visa

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Visit the Office of International Services’ “Full-Time Study Requirements” page that explains U.S. federal law on maintaining F-1 visas, which requires students to maintain full-time status, unless if in the final semester a courseload less than full-time is needed to complete the degree requirements.

PART-TIME TUITION
Students are charged tuition per-credit, which in the 2020-21 academic year is $1,901 per-credit. The student’s advisor or the department may choose to cover this charge, but that is not guaranteed.

PART-TIME HEALTH INSURANCE
While part-time master’s students are eligible to remain on the University’s student health insurance plan, they must pay the full health insurance premium.  There is no financial aid for health insurance for part-time students.

COURSE REGISTRATION
The Mechanical Engineering department requires enrollment in courses:

• Any remaining courses for the degree – 3-4 credits each
• EN.530.602/EN.530.821 Master’s Essay – Research and Writing or EN.530.609/EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op – 3-10 credits – for essay master’s students only – either six credits in one semester or three credits in each of two semesters.

PART-TIME RESTRICTIONS

• Audited courses do not count toward your credit load, but you will be charged tuition-per-credit.
• Part-time American students are ineligible to work as a student worker, including as a Teaching Assistant; but part-time international students are still eligible to work as a student worker, including as a Teaching Assistant.
• Part-time students enrolled in the University health insurance must pay the full premium, which in 2020-21 is $1,207.50 per semester.

HOW TO OBTAIN PART-TIME STATUS

• Contact Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard to confirm eligibility to switch. He will notify the Registrar upon confirmation of eligibility to switch.
• International students must obtain approval by completing the Reduced Course Load E-form request.
  • Go to iHopkins
  • Click on the blue Login button under “Students/Scholars/Int’l Employees with Active JHED ID.”
  • Login with your JHED ID and password
  • Click on “F-1 Student Services” drop down menu
  • Then click on “F-1 Reduced Course Load Form” and complete it.

Visit the Whiting School Graduate Credit Hours page for information.

To maintain full-time status, all WSE graduate students must be enrolled in at least 9 credits, but PhD students must be enrolled in at least 20 credits per semester. The maximum per-semester enrollment limit is 25 credits.

Ph.D. students can achieve at least 20 credits by registering for any combination of courses and seminars, as approved by one’s advisor. SIS is set to select appropriate credits:

• Seminars – 1 credit
  • EN.530.803 Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar
    • Through Spring 2019 – this course is required for all Ph.D. students of all years.
    • Since Fall 2019 – this course is required only for first, second, and third year Ph.D. students. Those beginning their fourth year or later in Fall 2019 are no longer required to take this course.
  • Other seminars as your advisor requests or requires.
• WSE courses, both undergraduate and graduate – 3 or 4 credits each
• EN.530.801 PhD Graduate Research – 3-20 credits (required every semester)
• NOTE:
  • Audited courses do not count toward your full-time credit load.
  • Krieger School of Arts and Sciences’ graduate-level courses will not have credits listed in SIS, but will be recognized as 3-4 credits toward one’s full-time credit load.
  • When dropping and adding courses, SIS will not allow you to drop courses if the credit load drops below the 9-credit full-time threshold.  Add new courses first, and then drop the courses you wish to drop.
  • If you wish to change to part-time status, visit the “PhD – Part-Time” tab of this section to learn more.
  • If you wish to drop or change courses in SIS but cannot because of the minimum-20-credit requirement, see the “Course Registration – Changing Credits on Research Courses” section of this page to learn how to do this.
  • If there is a need to register for more than 25 credits, please contact Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard.  The Whiting School will consider exceptions to allow this.

Whiting School graduate students are eligible for non-residency status when all degree requirements except the writing of the dissertation are complete. The dissertation research must be finished before the non-resident status can be obtained.

Whiting School graduate students are typically granted only one semester of non-residency with the expectation that the dissertation will be written and prepared for defense in that semester. The dissertation defense can occur during that semester or shortly thereafter. The Whiting School will consider exception requests for an additional semester of non-residency.

NON-RESIDENT TUITION
Non-resident students pay only 10% of the full-time tuition but will still have all the privileges of full-time students such as access to campus services and faculty advising.

NON-RESIDENT RESTRICTIONS
Non-resident students cannot enroll in courses and would lose the Whiting School’s financial support for health insurance. The department could choose to cover health insurance charges, but that is not guaranteed.

Non-resident students are automatically enrolled in health insurance, but can waive the insurance, if eligible for waiver by proof of enrollment in another health insurance plan with similar coverage.

To maintain non-resident status, students will have to register for non-resident status each semester and provide a letter explaining their progress toward the degree’s completion.

HOW TO OBTAIN NON-RESIDENT STATUS

• Contact Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard to confirm eligibility for non-resident status.
• Complete the Non-Resident Status for Whiting School form, which Mike will send to the Whiting School Academic Affairs office for review and approval.
• If the Non-Resident request is denied, a student may be eligible for part-time status.

RESOURCES

• Graduate Residency and Registration Policies
• Graduate Board Forms, which include the Non-Resident Application and the Non-Resident Annual Report
• Whiting School of Engineering Policy on Health Insurance page (select the Health Insurance tab)

Sometimes, Ph.D. students will study for an extended period off-campus, usually either because they have an opportunity for a special internship or research experience at a company or laboratory or because their advisor will work for an extended period at another university where it would be best for the students to join the professor at that location. In these cases, Non-Resident Study Away may be an appropriate option.

• Students must complete all required course work and earn an unconditional pass on their preliminary Graduate Board Oral examination before starting the Non-Resident Study Away status.
• Tuition costs are reduced to 10% of standard tuition.
• Salary is still paid at the standard annual graduate student rate.
• Students may return to campus in a resident status, as determined by the department and advisor.

RESOURCES

• Graduate Residency and Registration Policies
• Graduate Board Forms, which include the Non-Resident Application, the Return to Resident Status form, and the Non-Resident Annual Report
• Whiting School of Engineering Policy on Health Insurance page (select the Health Insurance tab)