Frequently Asked Questions

To contact the program, please email mgen-programs@coe.northeastern.edu. If you have any questions regarding your course registration, Banner, SEVIS contact related item, etc., please contact Graduate Student Services directly: coe-gradadvising@northeastern.edu.

Please join the waitlist. If the waitlist is full (e.g. max 15 students), please watch the waitlist but do not plan on taking the course. Please register for another course that meets your degree requirements. Students will not be overridden into a full class under any circumstances.

No. Courses have seat/registration limits for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to classroom size, professor-student ratios, etc. Please select a course with seats available.

No. The days and times of courses cannot be changed to accommodate specific student registration conflicts. Classes are scheduled at particular times for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to classroom availability, instructor availability, etc. Additionally, the days and times of courses each semester may and will vary semester to semester.

You must be enrolled as a full-time graduate student, enrolled in 8 semester credit hours (4 semester credit hours of which must be on-ground), to comply with a J1 or F1 Visa or Study Permit. See OGS information on maintaining status.

If you are in your last semester and have one course to complete your degree requirements, you must enroll in 4 semester credit hours on-ground. See OGS information on the final term.

Full-time students should be enrolling in 8 semester credit hours in the Fall and Spring terms. Students may be eligible to take three courses in their FINAL semester if they meet department-specific academic requirements. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss the requirements and eligibility.

Students can ONLY register for two courses (8 semester credit hours) during the summer terms, not taking more than 4 semester credit hours in either Summer I or Summer II.

No. You are only permitted to take courses approved by your program. For Information Systems, Software Engineering Systems, Data Architecture & Management, and IS Bridge you can only enroll in courses from the codes INFO, CSYE, DAMG, and TELE. Please review your degree’s applicable catalog (i.e. program, year, etc.)

Be aware that concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus. Please consult with your Academic Advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each semester at your campus.

Additionally, certain requirements within the program may be compulsory at certain campuses. Please consult with your Academic Advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus.

If you have available space in your final term, you can take classes depending on availability. International students taking courses that do not count towards your degree requirements or are considered “extra” courses could impact your visa status. Please contact Graduate Student Services for any questions: coe-gradadvising@northeastern.edu.

Prerequisite and Test Score: If you have not taken the required prerequisite for the course, you must take that course FIRST.

Additionally, you may not have received a qualifying grade for the prerequisite. If you do not meet prerequisite and registration requirements, overrides will not be allowed. If you are enrolled in a class for which you do not meet the prerequisites and registration requirements, you will be required to drop the course. Any courses dropped after the drop deadline will result in you receiving a ‘W,’ and you will be held financially responsible.

Closed Sections: The course is full. You can join the waitlist if there is a seat.

Semester Credit Hours Exceeded: You are attempting to register for more semester credit hours than is allowed for your program of study.

Learn more about Registration Error Messages.

Please contact Graduate Student Services for any questions: coe-mgen-gradadvising@northeastern.edu. Also, be sure to review the university’s academic calendar for any and all applicable deadlines.

Yes! You must have fulfilled that requirement to enroll in the course. No exceptions are made. The MGEN department does not waive prerequisites under any circumstances. If you do not meet prerequisite and registration requirements, overrides will not be allowed. If you are enrolled in a class for which you do not meet the prerequisites and registration requirements, you will be required to drop the course. Any courses dropped after the drop deadline will result in you receiving a ‘W,’ and you will be held financially responsible!

All transfer credit must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, department, Graduate School of Engineering, and University Registrar’s Office. Please contact Graduate Student Services for any questions: coe-gradadvising@northeastern.edu.

No. Any requests will be denied. If you receive an email from a University entity after the add deadline about enrolling in a course, per department policy, you will not be permitted to register. Please review the university’s academic calendar for any and all applicable deadlines.

During the summer sessions, students can ONLY register for two courses (8 Semester Hours), not taking more than 4 Semester Hours in either Summer I or Summer II. Students cannot enroll in 3 courses  (12 Semester Hours) during any summer sessions and are not required to register in summer classes as it is considered an optional semester for international students.

• Below you will find the possible enrollment options that the department approves:
• Option 1: One Full Summer course (4SH) & One Summer I (4SH)
• Option 2: One Full Summer course (4SH) & One Summer II (4SH)
• Option 3: One Summer I course (4SH) & One Summer II (4SH)
• Option 4: Two Full Summer courses (4SH, each)
• Option 5: One course in either Summer I, Summer II, or Full Summer
• Option 6: No registration

Please note: In a case where a course is offered that is not 4SH, please contact your Academic Advisor to discuss further.

No, MGEN does not allow students to audit courses.

No, if you wish to enroll in a Livecast or on-ground course, they must be offered on your designated campus. Please refer to the courses’ attributes as listed in the Dynamic Schedule.

No. When a student is on co-op their co-op job should be their main priority and focus. There are very limited exceptions to this policy. See the Master’s Co-op page for more information.

No. You are only permitted to take courses approved by your program. For Information Systems, Software Engineering Systems, Data Architecture & Management, and IS Bridge you can only enroll in courses from the codes INFO, CSYE, DAMG, and TELE. Please review your degree’s applicable catalog (i.e. program, year, etc.)

For IS Bridge students admitted from Fall 22 and forward, you can ONLY enroll in the following courses in your first semester: INFO 5001- Application Modeling and Design and INFO – 5002 Introduction to Python for Information Systems. A grade of a B- or higher is needed in INFO 5001 – Application Modeling and Design and INFO 5002 – Introduction to Python for Information Systems. If you received a grade below a B- in either INFO 5001 or INFO 5002, please contact your Academic Advisor as soon as possible to discuss next steps in your registration. Please refer to the degree program requirements as outlined on the IS Bridge program and catalog.

• To enroll in a directed study, Masters project or thesis, you must have a project with a professor associated with MGEN programs.

Students studying at US campuses: If you are working with a professor and have a project solidified, then please have the professor associated with MGEN programs reach out to Erin Macri (er.macri@northeastern.edu) with you in CC, to help with the next steps.

Students studying at Canadian campuses: Depending on your program, students studying at the Canadian campuses may be required to complete either a thesis (8SH) or a capstone/Master’s Project (4SH) in addition to the coursework required for your degree program. More information regarding the course sequencing, course registrations, and requirements of each option for students studying in Canada, will be shared with you during your orientation sessions. Please contact your Academic Advisor with any questions.

• In each term, students enrolled in on-ground sections are expected to be on campus and attending class beginning with the first day of classes. Students in online sections are expected to log in and participate in class beginning with the first day of classes.

Students who join a class after the first day of class during the university add period, or who are approved for late registration by the instructor and the Graduate School of Engineering, are responsible for all coursework missed prior to enrolling. Enrolled students who do not attend class during the first week of a semester risk being dropped from the course.

In the interest of students’ success, the college does not support the arrival of students to class after the university add deadline. Students should not expect to be added to a class after the university add deadline and will be held responsible for the academic, financial, or immigration consequences due to their late or nonattendance without prior approval.

In cases where an enrolled student cannot arrive to campus by the first day of class due to circumstances beyond their control, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor for approval and notify the Graduate School of Engineering.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar for important dates and reach out to your Academic Advisor with any questions.

For newly admitted students, please contact coe-gradadmissions@northeastern.edu. For continuing students, please review the policy for intercampus transfer between campuses in the US. The current policy is for US campuses only, and transfer to Canadian campuses is currently unavailable but under development. Students who received a network campus scholarship should contact their Academic Advisor to discuss how a transfer could impact their scholarship. Even if students meet all eligibility requirements, transfers are subject to program approval. Transfers are not allowed in a student’s first semester.

View the current course catalog. As a reminder, please follow the catalog for the year and program for your admitted term (see archived catalogs).

To find the courses being offered, please refer to the Dynamic Schedule. For new students, please review the registration guidance that can be found on the New Student Registration page.

• Fall syllabi

The syllabus page is NOT the registration page. The purpose of the syllabus page is to help students better understand the course content and make appropriate study plans. Actual course offerings in a semester can be found on the registration page and Dynamic Schedule.

Please refer to your applicable catalog (year, program of study) and you can track the progress towards your degree requirements with the Degree Audit tool found in the Student Hub. If additional help is needed, please contact your Academic Advisor with any questions.

To enroll in any INFO, CSYE, DAMG or TELE courses, you must fulfill all prerequisites and meet all program restrictions. The department does not approve any registration overrides.

For students who did not achieve a ‘B -’ grade or higher in INFO 5100, or their respective programs’ core class, the department strongly encourages you to retake the course as it impacts your ability to fulfill prerequisites for other courses and to improve your comprehension of foundational material. For Information Systems – Bridge students, you must obtain a ‘B -’ or higher in INFO 5001 and INFO 5002 to progress to INFO 5100. No prerequisites will be waived.

Please review the COE Co-op FAQs for all co-op related questions. For any additional questions, you can contact the MGEN Co-op team at MGENCoop@northeastern.edu .

Students studying at the Toronto campus, please connect with the on-ground Co-op and Career’s team at torontoco-op@northeastern.edu.

MGEN Grade Appeal Committee Overview

The Grade Appeal Committee for the Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering unit (MGEN) is comprised of both faculty and staff and is led by members appointed by MGEN’s Executive Director. The primary purpose of this committee is to investigate any discrepancies associated with final grades issued in MGEN-supervised courses. It serves the following programs within the Multidisciplinary Graduate Engineering unit: Information Systems, Information Systems-Bridge, Software Engineering Systems, Data Architecture & Management, Telecommunications, and Cyber Physical Systems. The MGEN Grade Appeal Committee convenes monthly to review appeals that have been submitted.

Review Process:

Recognizing that disagreements over grades may occur, the MGEN Grade Appeal Committee is dedicated to upholding the integrity of academic standards while ensuring a fair and just process for all final grade petitioners. The MGEN Grade Appeal Committee undertakes a thorough, individualized assessment of all petitions, ensuring an equitable evaluation for each request. Please take a moment to thoroughly examine the outlined steps and guidelines below.

Guidelines Adherence:

Students submitting appeals should be cognizant that, even in cases where the MGEN Grade Appeal Committee may empathize, it is bound to adhere strictly to the published university/college guidelines and those set forth by Office of Student of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCAR).

Committee Discretion:

The MGEN Grade Appeal Committee retains the discretion to determine when a petition warrants an exception to standard procedures. This discretion is exercised in consideration of the unique circumstances presented in each appeal.

Appeal Process

1. Grounds for Appeal:
   Grade appeals are considered on the following grounds:
   • Procedural irregularities in the grading process.
   • Mathematical errors in calculating the final grade.
   • Demonstrable violation of university grading policies.
   • Other valid reasons as per university guidelines.
2. Informal Resolution:
   Prior to initiating a formal appeal, we encourage students to discuss concerns with the course instructor. Many issues can be resolved through open communication and clarification.
3. Documentation: 
   Gather all relevant documentation, including assignments, exams, and communication with the instructor. This documentation will be crucial during the appeal process.
4. Academic Adviser Consultation: 
   Seek advice from your academic adviser or departmental adviser for guidance on the formal appeal process and to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of your situation.
5. Drafting the Appeal:
   Prepare a formal appeal letter that includes:
   • Brief overview of the situation.
   • Grounds for appeal.
   • Supporting evidence.
   • The resolution sought.
6. Appeal Submission:
   Submit your appeal using the MGEN Student Appeal form within ONE month of the discrepancy occurring. Include any required forms and documentation outlined in the university’s policies. Please send your appeal to Erin Macri, Associate Director of Academic Operations (er.macri@northeastern.edu) for committee review.
7. Review Committee:
   The designated review committee will thoroughly assess the appeal. This committee may include faculty members, administrators, or other relevant parties
8. Hearing (if applicable):
   Participate in any hearings or meetings scheduled by the review committee. Be prepared to present your case and respond to questions.
9. Decision Notification:
   The MGEN Grade Appeal Committee meets regularly (monthly, bi-monthly) to review appeals submitted. You will be notified of the appeal decision within 5 business days of the committee meeting. The decision will be communicated via your Northeastern email address.
10. Follow-Up:
    If the appeal is successful, any necessary adjustments to your grade will be made. If the appeal is unsuccessful, students are eligible to submit an appeal to the College of Engineering’s Graduate School. Please note: appeals that do not follow the appropriate process and hierarchy outlined will not be considered.

Important Notes:

• Familiarize yourself with Northeastern University’s specific policies on grade appeals.
• Adhere to all specified deadlines and submission requirements.
• Maintain professionalism throughout the appeal process.

The committee is committed to ensuring a fair and just resolution for all grade appeals. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact your academic advisor with any questions you may have on this appeal process.

Review the requirements for program extensions and apply for the program extension from the COE Grad Forms page.

Please refer to the GPA Calculator, which is found on the Graduate Students Services Forms Page, under COE forms, Academic Probation.

Please refer to the Student Ambassador page.

Please contact your Academic Advisor for your respective program/campus:

• Boston: coe-mgen-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Seattle: coe-seattle-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Silicon Valley: coe-sv-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Toronto: coe-toronto-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Arlington: coe-arlington-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Oakland: coe-oakland-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Vancouver: coe-vancouver-gradadvising@northeastern.edu
• Miami : coe-miami-gradadvising@northeastern.edu

For questions related to Arlington Visa and OGS regulations, please submit a request via https://service.northeastern.edu/ogs. For additional questions from MGEN Arlington students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-arlington-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For questions related to Miami Visa and OGS regulations, please submit a request via https://service.northeastern.edu/ogs. For additional questions from MGEN Miami students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-miami-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For questions related to Oakland Visa and OGS regulations, please submit a request via https://service.northeastern.edu/ogs. For additional questions from MGEN Oakland students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-oakland-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For questions related to Silicon Valley Visa and OGS regulations, please submit a request via https://service.northeastern.edu/ogs. For additional questions from MGEN Silicon Valley students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-sv-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For questions related to Seattle Visa and OGS regulations, please submit a request via https://service.northeastern.edu/ogs. For additional questions from MGEN Seattle students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-seattle-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For questions related to a Toronto study permit and Canadian OGS regulations, please email ogscanadaadvising@northeastern.edu or visit the OGS website. For additional questions from MGEN Toronto students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-toronto-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For students who have not started their program yet, please submit all OGS related inquiries to the self-service portal.

For questions related to a Vancouver study permit and Canadian OGS regulations, please email ogscanadaadvising@northeastern.edu or visit the OGS website. For additional questions from MGEN Vancouver students, please contact Academic Advising (coe-vancouver-gradadvising@northeastern.edu).

For students who have not started their program yet, please submit all OGS related inquiries to the self-service portal.

The MGEN Student Feedback Form is your opportunity to anonymously share insights, suggestions, and concerns to enhance your academic experience. We value your input in shaping our programs and services. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and help us build a better tomorrow together.