When will MSOE follow a semester-based academic calendar?

MSOE plans to implement a semester-based calendar at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year. Faculty and staff will use the time until then to plan for the transition. 

What will the academic calendar look like?

Instead of three 10-week quarters, we will transition to two 15-week semesters. Each semester will conclude with a final exam week. There will no longer be a winter quarter that is interrupted by the holiday break. Academic calendars are available in the MSOE Catalog.

Will students learn less information? More information? Will the class offerings change?

Students will not miss out on any learning opportunities. Courses are being rewritten, and faculty are working diligently to incorporate all subject matter into to the new system. More information regarding course names, numbers, content and equivalencies will be shared as the curriculum is redeveloped. Students will continue to receive an application-oriented education and be prepared to hit the ground running.

How will this affect students who are currently enrolled? Will the required number of credit hours to graduate change?

There will be no change to students' anticipated graduation dates. Currently enrolled students will have an individualized transition plan which includes their time on the current quarter calendar and remaining time on a semester calendar. The required number of credit hours to graduate will be adjusted accordingly. More information will be shared as the quarter to semester unit conversion is determined. We are very student-centric at MSOE and are committed to work with every student to make sure they move through the transition as seamlessly as possible.

Will tuition costs change?

Overall annual tuition costs will not change as a result of the transition to semesters. On the semester calendar, payments will be simplified to be due twice per year instead of three times.

Will financial aid and scholarships be affected?

If students continue to meet the federal and institutional requirements, converting to a semester calendar will not affect the total amount of financial aid students may receive. Aid will be divided equally among two semesters and disbursed twice per year instead of three times. The refund process will remain the same—financial aid will be applied to student accounts and any excess funds (refund) will be returned by direct deposit (if students are signed up for this service) or through the mail.

Who should students contact if they have questions pertaining to their individual academic situation?

Students should contact their faculty advisor, academic program director or chair of their academic department.