Academic Experience

During the 2020-21 academic year, Johns Hopkins undergraduate students will not be required to be on campus to continue their academic progress. We will be flexible and supportive to ensure that every student has the opportunity to pursue their educational goals through a hybrid approach, including in-person and online/remote instruction.

More details to follow from individual schools as we get closer to the start of the fall semester.

Undergraduate calendar for fall term

Monday, Aug. 31: Classes begin
To allow for more pre-Thanksgiving instructional time, class meetings will be held on Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day), and Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23 (previously scheduled as Fall break)
Friday, Nov. 20: Last day of in-person undergraduate classes
Saturday, Nov. 21–Sunday, Nov. 29: Thanksgiving break (no instruction)
Monday, Nov. 30–Friday, Dec. 4: Undergraduate classes resume in online/remote format only
Saturday, Dec. 5–Tuesday, Dec. 8: Reading period
Wednesday, Dec. 9–Friday, Dec. 18: Final exams administered remotely/online

Professional and graduate schools may have different calendars based on program requirements, and graduate courses or cross-listed grad/undergrad courses may continue to meet in-person at the discretion of the instructor. Undergraduates will not be required to attend these courses in-person but will be able to continue in online/remote modality.

What will courses look like?

A mix of in-person, online/remote, and hybrid instruction
Departments and faculty will determine the best approach for each class
Large classes will be held online/remote while smaller classes will be held either in-person or online/remote
In-person classes, labs, and design courses will be held in de-densified classrooms where students are seated at least 6 feet apart
Faculty members in studios may broadcast live into classrooms where students can safely assemble following physical distancing guidelines
To maximize the use of classrooms, courses will be offered in an expanded schedule that may include evenings and weekends
Students who cannot, or choose not to, return to campus will have options to continue their academic progress through online/remote courses.
- While we anticipate offering a rich variety of courses, there may be a few courses not available in an online/remote format.
- Homewood undergraduate students wishing to apply for a leave of absence should follow the existing policy and procedures.
Guidance will be forthcoming this fall from both the Whiting and Krieger schools in light of the significant concerns students and faculty have about online final exams

Faculty have submitted course-level information regarding fall 2020 teaching modality to the Registrar’s Office, and staff are updating the information in SIS, with a target completion date of July 10. Between now and then, students will start to see relevant updates in the class schedule. It is recommended that students review their class schedule beginning on July 11 to see if any changes are necessary. Please note that new transfer students begin registration on July 13, and first-year students begin registration on July 20.

Undergraduate research

Principal investigators that have undergraduate research opportunities will provide amended individualized plans to integrate undergraduate students into their laboratories. These plans will be reviewed and approved by chair/center directors. Undergraduate research will be aligned with the instructional calendar, and in-person opportunities will end on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

To maximize the opportunities for those undergraduate students for whom research is required, the number of students in labs may need to be limited.