Part-Time and Non-Degree Programs | Academic Policies and Information
Auditing
Non-degree students may audit courses by paying full tuition and by following the Admission and Registration Procedures. Enrolled students who wish to change their grade status to audit may do so by submitting an Audit Form to the Office of Non-Degree Programs before the seventh week of classes. Students must obtain the permission of the instructor to audit a course. Please note that some professors may not allow audits for their courses. Students may not audit a language course during the fall or spring semesters. Courses that have been changed from credit status to audit may not be reverted to credit.
Enrolled students who wish to change the status of a course from audit to credit may do so by obtaining and submitting a Change to Credit Form to the Office of Non-Degree Programs. Students must obtain the permission of the instructor. The professor's approval will depend on the student's regular class attendance and the fulfillment of allcourse requirements. Once changed to credit, the status cannot be reverted to audit.
Please be aware that audited courses will appear on the SAIS transcript with "AU" and that no course credit or letter grade is earned. If a student fails to meet the audit requirements, a Withdraw from Audit will be noted on the student's transcript. Candidates for certificates may not count audited courses toward the certificate.
Conditional Acceptance
Certain applicants may be granted conditional acceptance to SAIS Non-Degree Programs. The specific circumstances of the condition will be detailed in the applicant's acceptance letter. Students who have not met the condition of their acceptance or have not made alternate arrangements by the last day of the semester will receive a failing grade of "F" for the courses in which they are registered.
Course Cancellations
For a course to be offered, a minimum of eight students must be registered. SAIS reserves the right to cancel a course that does not meet minimum enrollment requirements. The Office of Non-Degree Programs will contact you if you are registered in a course that is canceled.
Course Load
Non-degree students are not permitted to take courses at SAIS on a full-time basis. Non-degree students may enroll in a maximum of two courses in any given term. The maximum number of courses they may take at SAIS is four.
Courses with Size Limits
Non-degree students interested in enrolling in a course with a class size limit must send an email to saisnondegree@jhu.edu to request being placed on the waitlist for the course. Please be sure to include your name and list of courses in order of preference; the Office of Non-degree will keep you appraised of the enrollment status of the course. Please be aware that during the academic year, current SAIS students receive first priority in being placed in a class. Non-degree students interested in a course with a size limit will not receive confirmation of their enrollment until the second week of classes due to the process of bidding and ADD/DROP for SAIS MA and MIPP students.
Disabilities Services
Students with a documented disability who require accommodations or those who wish to inquire about accommodations should contact the Associate Director for Student Life, Office of Student Affairs, at 202.663.5705 or in person in the Nitze Building, Room 202. Please note that students who are seeking special accommodations must submit the appropriate documentation at least two weeks prior to the date they would like their accommodations to begin.
Drop/Add/Withdraw
Before the start of classes, students who wish to change their course selection should contact the Office of Non-Degree Programs. Students who wish to drop or add a course may do so by submitting a Drop/Add Form between the first and fourth weeks of classes. Note that only exceptional drops may be made during the third and fourth weeks of classes; some professors may require a Withdrawal during this time.
From the fifth to seventh week of classes, students may withdraw from a course via a Withdrawal Form. Withdrawing from a course means that a "W" will be placed on a student's transcript.
See the Financial Information section of this Web site for the refund schedule associated with dropping and withdrawing from courses.
Economics Prerequisites and Waiver Exams
Students must successfully complete the prerequisites for a course, as described under the course description, prior to the start of the semester. Successful completion is defined as a minimum grade of "B-." In addition, applicants to courses with Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, International Trade Theory, International Monetary Theory and/or Statistics as prerequisites must also pass a waiver exam in these subjects at SAIS if the prerequisite course was not completed at SAIS. Those who intend to take the exams should submit their completed applications by the deadline so they can be registered for the waiver exam(s). Contact the Office of Non-Degree Programs for more information.
Grades
The highest grade given at SAIS is "A" and "B-" is the lowest passing grade. A failing grade of "C" or below cannot be removed from a student's transcript. If a non-degree student receives a failing grade, he or she is not eligible to take additional course work at SAIS. A student may choose to appeal this decision to the Office of Non-Degree Programs, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will make the final determination. At that time, the student may be required to pay full tuition and take the course again or may be dismissed from taking any additional courses at SAIS. A course for which a failing grade is obtained does not count toward either certificate. Certificate students who receive failing grades are not eligible to complete either certificate.
An incomplete grade of "I" may be given by the professor at the end of the semester. Students must submit all required work by the end of the eighth week of the following semester, not including summer. After that point, no grade higher than "B+" will be assigned in a course where an incomplete has been allowed, except when extenuating and documented circumstances such as prolonged serious illness have occurred. The incomplete will automatically become a failing grade of "C" on the last day of classes of the following semester, not including summer. The instructor has authority to set deadlines and has the discretion not to grant an incomplete. Non-degree students with incomplete grades may not register for additional coursework.
Honor Code
Enrollment in SAIS Non-Degree Programs obligates students to conduct all activities in accordance with the rules and spirit of the school's Honor Code. A copy of the Honor Code is detailed in The Red Book: Academic Procedures Manual and Information and can be obtained via hard copy through the Office of Non-Degree Programs, Nitze Building, Room 403.
International Students
SAIS is unable to offer visa assistance for part-time, non-degree study during the fall or spring semesters. However, SAIS is able to offer student visa assistance for certain types of summer study.
International students who are currently in the United States may be legally permitted to take courses at SAIS depending on the parameters of their current immigration status. Please consult your visa sponsor for more information.
Textbooks
Course materials are available for purchase online through MBS Direct (details will be posted soon). No textbooks are sold on campus. Not all courses will require textbooks for purchase. Additional materials will be available through the SAIS Library's Electronic Reserves system at the start of the term. Instructors will provide the password for such information.
Transcripts
Grade reports are NOT automatically mailed out to non-degree students. Transcripts will be issued by the SAIS Registrar's Office only upon request. Click here for more information. Transcripts will not be issued for students with unsatisfied academic or financial obligations to the university.
Transferring Credits
Credits for courses taken at SAIS may be eligible for transfer to many other graduate schools. Check with individual schools for their transfer credit policies.
Admission to any of the SAIS Non-Degree Programs is entirely independent from degree-program admission and in no way implies acceptance to a SAIS degree program. However, students who apply and are accepted into the SAIS M.A. program can receive credit for up to four non-language courses taken on a non-degree basis. For the M.I.P.P. or Ph.D. programs, credit can be given for up to two non-language courses. Course classifications may differ between the non-degree and degree programs. Therefore applicants should be aware that some non-degree course work may not fulfill the requirements of a particular program of study for a SAIS degree.
SAIS degree-program alumni and those who have completed a full-time, SAIS-affiliated program, including the Bologna Center Diploma and the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies Certificate, may not transfer credits from courses taken on a non-degree basis with the tuition discount to an additional SAIS degree program.
Information Subject to Change
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