Updated October 3, 2024

Mid-Semester Advising Meetings are a time for master’s students to visit their academic advisors to plan and approve classes for the upcoming semester. Also, students can discuss plans to graduate, career and job questions, Ph.D. educational possibilities, study habits, and life, in general.

Please read this entire page and take action!

When mid-semester advising meetings are in…

  • …October-November – all master’s students except those graduating in the current Fall semester.
  • …March-April – all master’s students returning the next Fall semester. Students who are graduating in spring and not returning in the fall do not have to go to an advising meeting.

Review your information sources for degree requirements:

Please be aware of the academic policies that will affect your course choices. Don’t be surprised in your final semester by some policy you’ve never seen that will affect your eligibility to graduate.

The “Academics” section of the MechE “Info for Graduate Students” page provides quick links to specific academic advising and catalog policies.

Check out the Undergraduate and Graduate Course Schedules.

You can also view all courses in SIS Classes or Courses.JHU.edu

This document describes how to find course locations and delivery methods (in-person, online, or hybrid).

In the schedules in SIS in “Day-Times” section, where there is more than one day/time listed, it usually means one section is a lecture and the other is a lab. SIS does not differentiate between the two, but where a course has multiple sections listed, the “common” time between the sections is the lecture time.

The schedules in the Mechanical Engineering webpage will be updated along with the SIS schedule as changes occur.

You must complete a checkout sheet and take it to your meeting to keep your advisor updated on your degree plan.

  • Use this Master’s Checkout Sheet as a course plan. Complete it as much as you can and take it to your advisor meeting.
  • Visit the Academic Advising – Graduate Page to view the degree requirements and degree timelines. Your academic advisor can help you select appropriate classes based on your academic and research interests.

Do You Need Help with Your Plan?  Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard is happy to review your Master’s checkout sheet with you. Please contact him at me-academic@jhu.edu to arrange a meeting.

The Fall 2024 advising meeting schedule will vary from advisor to advisor.  Please contact your academic advisor directly to arrange a meeting by November 7.  Course registration begins on November 8.

  • For Prof. Joe Katz – contact Sr. Administrative Coordinator Barb Adamson at brogows1@jhu.edu to schedule your meeting.
  • For Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard, select a meeting on this advising meeting schedule.
  • For Prof. Noah Cowan and Prof. Chen Li, they are on sabbatical.  Mike Bernard will advise you this semester.  Please select a meeting on this advising meeting schedule.
  • For all other advisors, contact your academic advisor directly to schedule your meeting.

Registration for Spring 2025 courses begins at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, November 8.

Visit the Registrar’s Graduate Student page for info.

On occasion, your academic advisor might approve a course to substitute for required courses in your degree program.

Part of the approval process is to complete the Course Exception Waiver Form. Please use this form if your academic advisor approves substitute courses, as it is required for your graduation.  Note that both the substitution, exception, or waiver along with the academic rationale must be clearly documented on the form.

Bring or send the completed form to Mike Bernard at me-academic@jhu.edu or Microsoft Teams so he can obtain the appropriate Director of Graduate Studies or Whiting School Academic Advising office signature. This form will be kept in your departmental advising file.

The forms is available at Graduate Advising page > Course Exception – Schedules, Catalog… > Course Exception Waiver Form.

BS/MSE and Master’s Students are welcome to contact Academic Program Manger Mike Bernard at me-academic@jhu.edu or Microsoft Teams to set a time to create a MSE Course Plan or get a checkup on your current one. Meetings can last anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

ACADEMIC STAFF – OPEN OFFICE HOURS

Mike Bernard is available to answer questions and help with course planning on almost any Monday and Wednesday in Latrobe 223 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon and 1:00-4:30 p.m. Simply visit Mike in the Mechanical Engineering office.  If you wish to meet other days, Mike can set an appointment with you to chat by video call on Microsoft Teams or Zoom.