Matriculation Status

Contact Info. • Student Classification • Leave of Absence • Voluntary Withdrawal

Contact Information [Top]
All matriculated students are required to have on record with the university accurate local and permanent contact information at all times. This includes local address, local telephone number, and valid JHU e-mail address. Parent or legal guardian emergency contact information also must be on record and updated as necessary. This information should be maintained with the Registrar’s Office by using Student Web Services at http://www.jhu.edu/registrar.

Student Classification [Top]
Student classification refers to the familiar names for the four undergraduate years: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. A student’s classification is generally determined by the academic year in which the student’s cohort began the first year of college. In the first year, students in the cohort are designated freshmen. The number of credits a student has earned does not determine class standing. A student who graduates after three years would graduate as a junior.

In the case of students transferring to the university, or students who have been on leave and missed two or more semesters, classification will be determined by the student’s academic advising office when the student returns to the university. If, for example, a student was on leave of absence for an entire academic year, the advising office would assign the student to a cohort one year behind the student’s original cohort.

Students are required to register with their cohort, not on the basis of total credits or expected date of graduation. Plans to graduate early are not grounds for registering before a student’s cohort. If a student with early graduation clearance is closed out of a required course for the major, the student may petition the department offering the course for approval to add the course. The decision rests with the department.

Leave of Absence [Top]
Students may be granted a term leave of absence for personal reasons with the approval of the academic advising office for the student’s school and with a letter from the student’s parent or guardian acknowledging the request for leave. Written requests for a leave of absence should be submitted to the academic advising office in the student’s school. Leaves of absence are granted for specific periods, generally up to one year, and such leaves are regarded as approved interruptions of a student’s program. No tuition or fees are charged while on leave.

Students who fail to return to the university when expected will be considered to have withdrawn from the university.

Credit for courses earned while on leave will not be transferred to the student’s Hopkins record without prior approval from the student’s advising office.

Peabody double degree students may request a leave of absence from the double degree program, but they cannot be granted leaves from only the Homewood or Peabody portion of the program.

Voluntary Withdrawal from the University [Top]
A student who wishes to withdraw from the university should first consult with his/her faculty advisor and with the student’s academic advising office. Generally the student must provide a letter from parents or guardians acknowledging the student’s request to withdraw.

A student who withdraws from the university after the end of the eighth week of the semester, which is the final date for withdrawing from classes, will receive the grades that are reported by their instructors. These may be failing grades because of the work missed by the student.

Students who withdraw from the university during the first eight weeks of the semester may be eligible for a partial tuition refund. See Tuition Refund Policy for refund information.

An enrolled student who leaves the university without notice, or who fails to register by the second week of the semester, may be considered to have withdrawn from the university if they do not inform the university of their intent to return and request a leave of absence. Parents or guardians will be notified in this case. Students who voluntarily withdraw from the university must meet the requirements for transfer students if they seek readmission. They must complete a minimum of two full years (four consecutive semesters) at the university.