Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree

This is an excellent program for individuals who would like to earn a graduate degree quickly. The degree will increase a student’s chances for higher quality employment than would a Bachelor’s Degree.

After a Johns Hopkins BS/MSE student completes eight semesters, the Whiting School of Engineering will cover 50% of students’ tuition every semester through the Dean’s Graduate Tuition Fellowship while they are full-time graduate students.

While most students complete their B.S. degrees at the end of 8 semesters, some occasionally will extend their B.S. studies into an extra semester.  The fellowship is still available to BS/MSE students in both situations.

Note: part-time students, those taking 8 credits or less in a semester, will not receive the 50% fellowship.

Note that this and any policy may be subject to change.

This program is available only to undergraduates in the Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Mechanics majors of Johns Hopkins University.

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 17 – 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 page for details.

Visit the Johns Hopkins “Combined Degree Student” page for instructions on how to apply. Despite the website stating that you are required to contact the department to start the application process, that is not necessary for our department. You can move to the next step to begin your application.

The application package includes:

• Online graduate application.
• Statement of Purpose that describes career plans and rationale for advanced study.
• JHU transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable)
• Three letters of recommendation.

GRE and TOEFL scores are not required.

The application will ask you to select a semester to which you are applying. Select the next available semester, not the semester when you would become a master’s student (i.e., your 9th semester).

• If applying before the January submission deadline, one would normally select the first available Spring semester.
• If applying after the January deadline but before the June submission deadline, select the first available Fall semester.

For example, students applying by June 2022 would select the “Spring 2023” semester. Students applying by January 2023 would select the “Fall 2023” semester.

Three letters of recommendation are required for the application; two of the letters should be from Mechanical Engineering faculty. The third letter can be from anyone else who would be able to vouch for your credentials and potential. This person could be a professor, but could be someone else.

When you create your online application, you will be asked to provide the names and e-mail addresses of your recommenders. Upon submission of the application, your recommenders will receive an e-mail request to submit their letters of recommendation directly to your application.

The Graduate Recruiting Committee, made up of 4 departmental faculty members, one each from the robotics, fluids, solids, and biomechanics areas will review the applications. Students will be notified of results by e-mail.

Those who are admitted are welcome to accept admission, even if they are not 100% sure they will stay for the master’s degree after earning the BS degree.

The admission is non-binding. The department understands that students may change their minds or be offered an opportunity outside the combined BS-MSE that is a better fit for their aspirations. If students change their minds, they simply can notify Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard at [email protected].

Upon acceptance into the program, students will be asked to develop their graduate programs with Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard, who can help with creating a master’s course plan.

Students will continue to work with their current undergraduate academic advisor and faculty mentor during their undergraduate years.  They are encouraged, but not required, to seek a masters advisor before they finish their B.S. degree. If they have not selected a master’s advisor before this time, the academic staff will assign a master’s degree advisor during the summer after their B.S. graduation and before they begin their master’s 5th year.

Reasons for selecting a specific master’s advisor could include the desire to concentrate coursework in a specific research area or to seek an advisor to research and write a masters essay.

Please contact the academic staff with questions about advisor selection.

Students can generally expect to complete their degrees in these timeframes. Note that individual experiences may vary.

5th Year Masters – All-Course or Essay – Research and Writing (Johns Hopkins MechE department alumni only)

• Junior/Senior Undergraduate Years
  • Double-count two.400-level or higher academic courses from the Bachelor’s Degree.
  • Take two courses that count for the master’s degree but do not count for the Bachelor’s Degree.
• 5th Year Master’s – Semester 1
  • Complete the required introductory courses: Academic Ethics, Title IX & Harassment Prevention, Responsible Conduct of Research, Effort Report – Certifier, and Opioid Epidemic Awareness.
  • Take three academic courses
  • If taking or planning to take a research course or writing an essay, register for and complete:
    • required Lab Safety online modules and optional EN.500.601 Research Lab Safety course.
    • AS.360.624 online Responsible Conduct of Research course.
    • (All-course and Essay-Research only) EN.530.823 Master’s Graduate Research, 3 credits
    • (Essay-Co-Op only) EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op, 3 credits
• 5th Year Master’s – Semester 2
  • All-Course: Take three academic courses and graduate.
  • Essay:
    • Take one academic course
    • Register for EN.530.822 Master’s Graduate Research – Co-Op or EN.530.823 Master’s Graduate Research, 3 credits
    • Continue essay research and begin writing the essay.
    • Complete the essay, have readers approve, submit essay to the library, and then graduate. Note that some students writing an essay may need a third semester to complete the program.

If students do not take two courses outside the bachelor’s degree in their Undergraduate Years, they may have to return for a third semester. It is not recommended to take more than 3 courses in a semester.

Please talk to your master’s advisor first if you want to take more than 3 courses in one semester.

5th Year Masters – Essay Co-Op option (Johns Hopkins MechE department alumni only)

Junior/Senior Undergraduate Years

• Double-count two .400-level academic courses from the Bachelor’s Degree.
• Take at least two, but preferably three courses that count for the master’s degree but do not count for the Bachelor’s Degree.

Semester 1

• Complete the required introductory courses: Academic Ethics, Title IX & Harassment Prevention, Responsible Conduct of Research, Effort Report – Certifier, and Opioid Epidemic Awareness.
• Take 3 or 4 academic courses.
  • Take 3 courses if three extra master’s courses were taken during the undergraduate years.
  • Take 4 courses if two extra master’s courses were taken during the undergraduate years.
  • Note that taking 4 courses in the master’s semester is challenging. Careful planning and time management will be necessary to succeed.
• Register for and complete:
  • …required Lab Safety online modules and optional EN.500.601 Research Lab Safety course.
  • AS.360.624 online Responsible Conduct of Research course.
• Discuss essay topic with advisor and arrange for co-op
• Apply for non-resident status for Semester 2 co-op

Semester 2

• Begin co-op and write the essay.
• Register for EN.910.600 Non-Resident Status and EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op (6 credits)
• Complete the essay, have readers approve, submit essay to the library, then graduate.

Students who do not take two courses outside the bachelor’s degree in their Undergraduate Years will likely have to return for a third semester.

The department requirements for an M.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering are described in Sections “A” and “B,” where both sections must be met:

Section A:  Completion of a set of advanced one-semester as approved by your advisor.

• Six courses, each 3-credits or more from any department other than the Center for Leadership Education.
• Additional courses totaling 6 credits – which can include any of these options:
  • Two 3-credit courses from any department other than the Center for Leadership Education.
  • One 3-credit (or more) course from any department and up to 3 credits from the Center for Leadership Education (EN.660.xxx, EN.662.xxx, and EN.663.xxx), either two 1.5-credit courses or one 3-credit course.
  • Six credits from the Center for Leadership Education, any combination of 1.5-credit or 3-credit courses.

In addition…

• At least four courses must be at the graduate level (xxx.600 or higher, up to two Engineering for Professionals xx5.4xx or higher).
• No more than four courses may be at the advanced undergraduate level (full-time programs xxx.400 – xxx.499, Engineering for Professionals xx5.3xx).
• At least two courses should be in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, or computational methods. This requirement can be waived in writing by your advisor, if sufficient prior preparation in these areas can be demonstrated.
• Ineligible Courses: 530.800 Independent Study, EN.530.801 PhD Graduate Research, EN.530.820 MSE All-Course Graduate Research, EN.530.821 Master’s Essay – Research and Writing, EN.530.822  Master’s Essay – Co-Op, EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research, EN.530.897 Graduate Research – Summer, and other departments’ Graduate Research, Independent Study, and Special Studies are not eligible courses to complete Section A’s requirement.
• At least 4 courses if taking an “all-course option, or at least 3 courses if writing an essay – must be Mechanical Engineering or related courses:
  • EN.530.xxx Mechanical Engineering
  • Any of these courses:
    • EN.580.451/452 (Fall/Spring) – Cell and Tissue Engineering
    • Intro to Linear Systems – any one of EN.530.616, EN.520.601, or EN.580.616.
    • EN.560.772 Nonlinear Finite Element Methods
    • EN.560.773 Finite Element Methods
    • EN.520.773 Advanced Topics in Fabrication and Microengineering
    • EN.535.xxx – courses from the Engineering for Professionals (EP) program.
      • For all current and incoming students enrolled in the Fall 2020 semester – no more than three “EP” courses can count. This is to accommodate those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
      • For students matriculating in Spring 2021 and later – no more than two“EP” courses can count.

Section B: Plus either:

COURSE OPTION

• Two additional one-semester graduate-level courses (xx.xxx.6xx or higher, Engineering for Professionals EN.xx5.4xx or higher).
  • BS/MSE and MSE students only:  One of these courses can be 530.820 MSE All-Course – Graduate Research (Fall 2020-Spring 2022) or EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research (Fall 2022 and later). Students must also have completed the appropriate Responsible Conduct of Research and Research Laboratory Safety courses.
  • PhD students earning the MSE degree cannot count EN.530.600/EN.530.820 MSE All-Course – Graduate Research.
• Ineligible Courses: EN.530.800 Independent Study, EN.530.801 Ph.D. Graduate Research, EN.530.821  Master’s Essay Research and Writing, or EN.530.822 Master’s – Co-Op, EN.530.897 Graduate Research – Summer and other departments’ Graduate Research, Independent Study, and Special Studies are not eligible courses to complete Section B’s requirement.

ESSAY OPTION

• An M.S.E. essay (the official title of master’s theses at Johns Hopkins) acceptable to your advisor and one other eligible reader.
• There are two options to complete the essay:
  • Conduct Laboratory Research – Register for EN.530.821 Master’s Essay Research  (through Spring 2022) and Writing or EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research (Fall 2022 and later) for semester(s) when research and writing are done. Learn more about the master’s essay here!
  • Work in Co-Op – Register for EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op and EN.910.600 (Fall and Spring) or EN.530.897 (Summer) Graduate Research – Summer for semester(s) when co-op and writing are done. Learn more about the Co-Op program here!
• EN.530.821 and EN.530.822 are “Pass/Fail” courses that do not count as one of the eight courses required in addition to the essay. The courses are generally the equivalent of six credits and can be taken in one semester or split into three-credit courses over two semesters. If a student needs subsequent semesters to continue essay work, he or she can simply register for the same course each semester.
• EN.530.823 is letter-graded for the all-course program and can be either letter-graded or graded “Pass/Fail” for essay-research.
• 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). This course is not graded. Visit these sites for information:
  • Applying for CPT
  • Extending your F-1 visa

Double-Counting Courses

Students either in a bachelor’s/master’s program or seeking a master’s degree in the Whiting School, after having earned a Whiting School or Krieger School of Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree may double-count two courses (.400-level or higher) to both programs with the permission of the master’s faculty advisor.

For information, visit the Whiting School’s “Graduate – Full-Time Academic Policies” page and select the “Policy on Double-Counting Courses” bar.

MSE Course Plan

Use this Checkout Sheet to plan your course work.

You can also use the MSE Certificate of Completion to plan your courses.

Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard or your master’s advisor can help you with planning your coursework.

EN.530.821/EN.530.823 Master’s Essay – Research and Writing or EN.530.822 Master’s Essay – Co-Op – 3-10 credits – students must enroll in one of these courses when doing essay research and writing for each semester where essay work is done.

New in Fall 2022:  The Master’s Graduate Research Courses have changed.  The new course EN.530.823 MSE Graduate Research, a letter-graded course used for both the “All-Course” and “Essay” options will be offered beginning in Fall 2022. This will allow for flexibility when students switch from the All-Course option to the Essay-Research and Writing option and vice versa.

• 530.820 Master’s All-Course – Research and EN.530.821 Master’s Essay – Research and Writing are retired but will still count toward the degree for master’s students who have taken them.
• 530.822 Master’s – Co-Op will continue to be used by co-op students.

This “Pass/Fail” course does not count as one of the eight courses required in addition to the essay. The course is generally the equivalent of six credits and can be taken in one semester or split into three-credit courses taken over two semesters. If a student needs subsequent semesters to continue essay work, he or she can simply register for the same course each semester.

According to the Graduate Board’s Procedures for Administration of Approved Policies for the Award of Advanced Degrees, “Thesis [essay] readers are selected and appointed by the chair or appropriate faculty of the sponsoring department or committee. Any duly appointed member of a department or committee holding the rank of assistant professor or higher (excluding lecturers) is eligible for selection as a referee without prior approval. The Graduate Board Office must approve readers from outside the University, or from any non-Ph.D. sponsoring department, laboratory or institute within the University.”

See the Master’s Student Advising Manual on the MechE Graduate Academic Advising page for information on coursework and degree requirements.

• A course is satisfactorily completed if a grade from A+ to B- is obtained. Grades of C+ or lower are evidence of unsatisfactory academic performance.
• No more than one course with a grade of C+, C, or C- can be counted toward the MSE degree.
• When a Master’s student earns two C+, C, or C- grades or one grade of D or F, the student and the advisor is notified of unsatisfactory performance and is placed on academic probation.  Earning the following grades will result in termination from the program.