Combined Five-Year BS/MSE Degree

Why Earn a Master’s Degree in Five Years?

The JHU BS/MSE in Robotics is an excellent program for JHU undergraduates who would like to broaden and deepen their training with an advanced degree. There are many possible reasons to earn an MSE through our Combined BS/MSE program:

  • Save time: because you can double count up to two courses, and take extra courses your junior and senior year, you can typically finish the MSE in just one extra year.
  • Save money: after a Johns Hopkins student completes eight semesters and earns a Bachelor’s Degree, the Whiting School of Engineering will pay 50% of the student’s tuition every semester while he or she is a graduate student.
  • Earn more: students holding Master’s degrees in Engineering consistently garner higher salaries and land higher level employment than those holding only a Bachelor’s Degree. (See NACE Salary Survey; April 2014)
  • Gain breadth: an MSE in Robotics will show potential employers your breadth above and beyond your core undergraduate major, allowing you to move into a new field.


Eligibility and Application Process

Please note that this program is available only to undergraduates at The Johns Hopkins University.

Students must apply during the fall semester or during the summer after their junior year. Students are not eligible to apply the summer before the Junior year.

Deadline for submission: December 15, 2023 for Spring 2024

The application will open on in early September.

This will allow admitted students to schedule graduate courses immediately in the Spring or Fall semesters, without having to wait an extra semester to begin.


Application Requirements

  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose (no more than one page) – in your statement of purpose please explain/answer the following:
    • Why are you interested in doing an MSE in Robotics? No need to over-think this: it is fine if it is as simple as wanting to get a job in this field!
    • Are you interested in a specific Robotics Track? See Robotics MSE website for more information on tracks.
    • What is your plan to finish the graduate degree in 5 years? Specifically, what courses do you plan to take and when? Do you have the space to add a graduate course or two your senior year?
This last point is especially important since you need 10 courses to get the MSE, and typically it is hard to take more than 3 graduate level courses per semester. You can double-count 2 courses from you BS, leaving 8 (with 6 at the 600+ level). For example, do you have flexibility in your senior year to take a 600 level class or two extra 400 level classes, above and beyond your BS requirements? If so, please state this as it will make it more clear to the committee whether or not you are in a position to succeed for the 5 year combined MSE.
  • Transcript (unofficial or official)
  • Three recommendation letters. It is highly recommended that at least two of the letters are from JHU faculty, including a faculty member with whom you’ve worked closely such as your academic or research advisor.

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