Academic Considerations

Studying abroad is an academic endeavor, and this page will help guide you through the process that your student will go through of choosing courses and receiving credit for their work completed abroad.

Choosing Courses

  • A course is eligible for credit transfer, as long as Northwestern teaches its general subject at the undergraduate level. For example, an Irish literature course is fine because Northwestern offers literature courses.
  • Your student must take all courses included in their full-time load for an official grade and earn a C or above.
  • Your student must complete all courses, coursework, and final assessments on site.
Your student will not receive Northwestern credit for the following types of courses:
  • Courses taken abroad on a "pass/fail" basis
  • Duplicate courses (meaning, they duplicate courses your student has already received credit for at Northwestern)
  • Courses covering subject matter not taught in Northwestern's undergraduate curriculum (e.g., wine tasting, cooking, fashion design, etc.)
  • Since Northwestern does not allow undergraduates to major in business or law, taking these courses for credit abroad can be tricky. Particular types of business and law courses are allowed because Northwestern offers minors in business institutions and legal studies. See Taking Business Classes Abroad web page for more information.

Taking non-transferable courses may cause serious problems with the University Residence Requirement and financial aid, since your student may not receive enough NU credit to constitute a minimum full load (3 courses/quarter) at Northwestern. If he or she is interested in taking a non-transferable course, they may be able to audit it or take it as an overload.

Additionally, the different schools within Northwestern may have specific policies or requirements for courses taken abroad. The downloadable letters below explain the study abroad policies and procedures for each school:

Your student must read their school letter carefully, and contact their school representative if they have any questions.

Semester Credit Requirements
Most programs abroad operate on a semester system. Semester credits are calculated back into Northwestern credits after your student returns.

All courses in their full-time course load must allow them to earn at least 2 semester credits.  1 semester credit courses are not transferable and, therefore, cannot be part of their full-time load.  While abroad, your student must enroll in at least the following amount of semester credits, depending on their term:

  • Full Year: 30 semester credits (Note: This converts roughly to 11 Northwestern credits; If they need to receive 12 credits for a year abroad, they should enroll in 31-33 credits instead.)
  • Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Fall-Winter Quarters, Winter-Spring Quarters: 15 semester credits
  • Fall Quarter only: 12 semester credits
  • Spring Quarter only: 4 quarter credits
  • Summer Quarter: 1-4 quarter credits or 2-10 semester credits (Note: Students must enroll in at least 2 semester credits total and are not allowed to enroll in any courses worth only 1 semester credit.)
If your student is not sure of their program's term, have them read "Term" section of their program's program profile.

Earning Credit at Northwestern
If your student abides by the rules outlined in this "Academic Considerations" section of the website and receive course grades of C or better abroad, they will be eligible to earn a range of credit toward the Northwestern degree as follows:

  • Full Year: 9-12 credits
  • Fall Semester: 3-6 credits
  • Fall-Winter or Winter-Spring Quarters: 6 credits
  • Fall or Spring Quarter: 3-4 credits
  • Summer Quarter: 1-4 credits
If your student wants to know exactly how their credits abroad will calculate into Northwestern credits, they should consult with their degree auditor in the Office of the Registrar. They can do this by calling 847-491-5234 or e-mailing nu-registrar@northwestern.edu. This can only be done once they know what courses they plan to take abroad.

Fulfilling Major, Minor, Distribution or Other School Requirements
Your student's departmental advisers have the final decision regarding which study abroad credits fulfill requirements for their major and minor. While no credit can be guaranteed until they return, they need to meet with their advisers during the application process to discuss the courses they plan to take abroad and which requirements, if any, they would like them to fulfill. In addition, your student should keep in touch with their advisers while abroad if their plans change. Your student's school representative must approve distribution or other school requirements.

Other Notes Regarding Credit Transfer
  • If the Northwestern Study Abroad Office has officially approved your student's study abroad plans, they are eligible to receive credit for work done abroad.
  • See the Returnees section for information on what your student must do upon return to be granted credit for study abroad.
  • See the Grades and Transcripts web page for information on how your student's study abroad credits will be applied to their record.

Important!!

Your student cannot petition retroactively for credit for study abroad undertaken while at Northwestern.  All students who wish to study abroad must apply through the Northwestern Study Abroad Office prior to the study abroad experience (except as specified in the University's Travel Warning policy). Students who fail to do so cannot have credit earned abroad transferred to Northwestern.

Graduation

Credits earned on study abroad programs are eligible to count toward degree progress and in most cases should not delay your student’s graduation. Your student should meet with his or her academic advisor to make sure that he/she can study abroad and still satisfy the University Residency Requirement.