Studying Abroad on an Unaffiliated Program

Northwestern strongly encourages students to apply to study abroad on Northwestern or affiliated programs. We have close working relationships with affiliated programs and deem them to be of high quality in terms of academic standards, housing, cultural immersion, and administrative support services.

For students interested in participating in an unaffiliated study abroad program or directly enrolling in an unaffiliated foreign institution during the academic year, this web page covers the following:

Students who wish to study abroad in the summer on a non-Northwestern program do not need to follow the steps below but, rather, should submit the NU Application for Permission to Study Abroad on a Non-Northwestern Summer Program.

Application Process

You may be granted permission to apply to an unaffiliated study abroad program or unaffiliated foreign institution if you meet both of the following requirements:

  1. Present a compelling academic rationale.
    Students may consider unaffiliated options if they have specialized academic needs that cannot be met by one of our many affiliated programs. Non-academic reasons include, but are not limited to:  following a family tradition, studying abroad with a friend from another institution, seeking less expensive options, or having a desire to live in a different part of a country where we have other affiliated options.  While the Study Abroad Office recognizes that these may be important aspects of a study abroad experience, they are not sufficient to override the combination of criteria that we have evaluated and approved in our affiliated programs.

  2. Find a program that meets the academic, student services, and immersion standards of affiliated study abroad programs.
    The Study Abroad Office is more likely to grant students permission to apply to unaffiliated programs run by universities/organizations that sponsor programs on our affiliated list than to programs run by other universities/organizations.

Students are not permitted to apply to more than one unaffiliated program or unaffiliated foreign institution, and the unaffiliated option must be their first choice.

If you would like to apply to an unaffiliated program or foreign institution, send an email to studyabroad@northwestern.edu that includes:

  1. An academic rationale describing how studying on the unaffiliated program or at the unaffiliated foreign institution will enhance your academic career at Northwestern.  Be as specific as possible about your goals and the courses you are interested in taking.  If the option is in a country where Northwestern offers an affiliated option(s), explain why you wish to study on that program or at that institution as opposed to the affiliated program(s).  Please indicate the term that you are interested in studying abroad.

  2. A link to the website of the program or institution.

  3. Your telephone number.

The email will be forwarded to the Associate Director, who will contact you after evaluating your request in collaboration with the Director of the Study Abroad Office and the Study Abroad Adviser for the country in which the unaffiliated program is located.  If granted permission, you will be given Part 1 of the unaffiliated application.

The unaffiliated application consists of two parts.  The first part requires you to:

  • Do a significant amount of research into the academic, financial, and student services aspects of the program or foreign institution.

  • Write an essay expanding on your initial email explaining your academic rationale.

  • Identify a faculty sponsor who strongly supports your rationale and desire to apply to the program or institution.  The faculty sponsor should be a Northwestern faculty member who has had you in class.  If your GPA is below a 3.0, you will need to identify a faculty sponsor in your major department.

  • Submit a detailed letter of recommendation from the faculty sponsor outlining the unique academic features of the program/institutions and the reasons why it is important for you to study there.

  • Possibly obtain a sample transcript for review by the Office of the Registrar.

Part 1 must be submitted to the Study Abroad Office first.  The Associate Director will inform you if it is approved, at which point you may proceed with completing and submitting Part 2 by the appropriate application deadline.

Deadline

You must submit the initial email at least 6-8 weeks prior to the study abroad application deadline.  In some cases, particularly if you are interested in applying directly to an unaffiliated foreign institution, the Study Abroad Office will need to work with the Office of the Registrar and possibly an outside consultant to determine whether or not Northwestern will accept credit in transfer from the institution, and this process can take several weeks.

Financial Considerations

No financial assistance (including loans, Northwestern scholarship, and other forms of aid) is available through Northwestern for students who participate in unaffiliated study abroad programs or attend unaffiliated foreign institutions, and students are not eligible for payment plans (e.g., 9-Pay) offered by NU.

Additionally, any education loans currently in deferment may enter repayment while a student is attending an unaffiliated program.

Students receiving financial assistance are strongly encouraged to apply to affiliated programs, and the Study Abroad Office staff is more than happy to advise them on which programs meet their academic needs and personal goals.

Transferring Credit Upon Return

Like students who participate in affiliated study abroad programs, students who have been approved to participate in unaffiliated programs or attend unaffiliated foreign institutions will have their study abroad credit treated as transfer credit, to be assigned when they return to campus upon review of their transcripts.

For details, click here: Study Abroad Credits