Academic Issues in Study Abroad at Northwestern-
For Study Abroad during Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters

1. Northwestern Study Abroad Language Requirement
2. Declaring a Major before Studying Abroad
3. General Northwestern Study Abroad Rules Regarding Courses Taken Abroad
4. Credit Transfer
5. Study Abroad Grades, the Northwestern GPA, and the Northwestern Transcript
6. Choosing Courses to Take Abroad
7. Program-Specific Requirements Regarding Courses Taken Abroad
8. Fulfilling Major, Minor, Distribution, or Other Requirements Abroad
9. Completing a Full Term Abroad
10. Doing Independent Study/Research Projects or Internships/Field Placements/Practicums Abroad for Northwestern Credit
11. Maintaining Northwestern Status during Study Abroad
12. Study Abroad and the Northwestern University Residence Requirement
13. Studying Abroad as a Transfer Student
14. Study Abroad and Early Graduation
15. For More Information

1. Northwestern Study Abroad Language Requirement*
Be aware of Northwestern's language requirement for fall, winter, and spring study abroad:

- Students applying to study abroad in countries where French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, or Italian are spoken are generally expected to have completed at least 1 year of the language (or the equivalent, by passing out of the language) before studying abroad, whether or not the study abroad program requires this.* For example, Northwestern requires students applying to the SIT program in Brazil and the Syracuse program in Florence to have one year or the equivalent of college-level Portuguese or Italian, respectively, even though SIT and Syracuse do not have a language prerequisite for these programs. If this requirement is not complete at the time of application, approval will be contingent on students completing it before enrolling in their study abroad programs.
(*This part of the language requirement does not apply to McCormick students, Music students, or students applying to Northwestern's European Union Studies Program, Northwestern's Public Health Programs, or the Duke Classics program in Rome. In rare circumstances, other students also may be exempted from this requirement.)

- Students applying to countries where languages other than those above are spoken are strongly encouraged to study the language at Northwestern before going abroad.

- Most students study abroad on programs that are not run by Northwestern, many of which have their own language requirements above and beyond the Northwestern requirement.

- Please note that while abroad, all students studying in countries where the official language is not English are required to enroll in at least one language class, or one course taught in the official language, throughout their program. (This does not apply to students on the Duke Classics program in Rome).

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2. Declaring a Major before Studying Abroad
To apply for study abroad, you must at least preliminarily choose a major, and make your study abroad plans on the basis of that choice. If you then change your mind--or if you already declared a major, but then decide to switch majors or schools--you must be sure to review your study abroad plans with your new adviser and/or school representative in order to ensure proper credit transfer. Please notify the Study Abroad Office of any such change to your academic status.

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3. General Northwestern Study Abroad Rules Regarding Courses Taken Abroad
Northwestern Study Abroad requires that students abide by the following requirements regarding their courses abroad.

Credit Enrollment Requirements
Enroll in at least the following amount of credits:
(Most programs abroad operate on a semester system. Semester credits are calculated back into Northwestern credits after students return to campus.)

*If you are not sure of your program’s term, see the list of affiliated programs here. For unaffiliated programs, contact the Northwestern Study Abroad Office at 847-467-6400.

**PLEASE NOTE: 30 semester credits convert to roughly 11 Northwestern credits. If you need to receive a full 12 credits for a year abroad, you should enroll in 31-33 semester credits for the year. However, some programs may have a maximum enrollment of 30 credits. Please check with your program coordinator to find out how many semester credits you will get for your year abroad.


The enrollment requirements for programs on different credit systems (not using semester or quarter credits) are as follows:

For information on credit transfer—in other words, on how credits abroad will calculate back into Northwestern credits—see “Credit Transfer,” below.

Special Note to Students Studying Abroad for Two Quarters
As explained below, the maximum number of NU credits that you can earn abroad over the two quarters you will be gone is six, which is also the minimum full time enrollment for two quarters (three credits/quarter). Thus, it is crucial that you enroll in the number of credits listed above for your program to remain fully enrolled at NU during both quarters. If you enroll in fewer credits—or if any of your courses do not transfer back to Northwestern—you will not earn the full six Northwestern credits. In this case, you may encounter serious problems in terms of the University Residence Requirement and possibly financial aid. To do your best planning, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you discuss your detailed course plans with your degree auditor in the Office of the Registrar, once you know which courses you plan to take. To set up an appointment, call 847-491-5234 or email nu-registrar@northwestern.edu.

Additional Requirements Regarding Courses Taken Abroad--for All Students
- You must take all courses included in your full-time load for an official grade. These courses may not be taken P/N.
- All courses included in the full-time load must be transferable to Northwestern (see “Choosing Courses to Take Abroad,” below, for an explanation of the kinds of courses that are not transferable).
- You must complete all courses, coursework, and final assessments on site. Exceptions may be made for students who take incompletes because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control.

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4. Credit Transfer

Earning Northwestern Credits
Students who abide by the rules outlined in this “Academic Issues” section and receive course grades of C or better will earn credit toward the Northwestern degree as follows:

*If you are not sure of your program’s term, see the list of affiliated programs here. For unaffiliated programs, contact the Northwestern Study Abroad Office at 847-467-6400.

Students who want to know exactly how their credits abroad will calculate into Northwestern credits should consult with their degree auditor in the Office of the Registrar (847-491-5234 or nu-registrar@northwestern.edu). This can only be done once students know what courses they plan to take.

Credit Chart for ARCADIA Programs (pdf)

Other Notes Regarding Credit Transfer
All students whose study abroad plans have been officially approved by the Northwestern Study Abroad Office are eligible to receive credit for work done abroad. Students are expected to work with the Study Abroad Office to gain approval for study abroad before they leave. Generally, students will not be allowed to petition retroactively for credit for study abroad undertaken during the academic year (fall, winter, or spring quarters).

Students are responsible for making sure that their study abroad program sends an official copy of their transcript to the Northwestern Study Abroad Office (NOT to the Registrar's Office). Once the office receives the transcript and all required paperwork (see below), we will forward it to the Office of the Registrar for processing. The Office of the Registrar will then evaluate the transcript, in cooperation with Northwestern schools and departments, and determine the final credit transfer. Students in some schools must also complete a simple petition for credit transfer (for details, click here).

Students should bring back all relevant course information, such as course descriptions, syllabi, exams, papers, etc. to present to their academic/school advisers, who may wish to review these documents before granting credit.

All students are also required to submit a program evaluation at the end of their time abroad. Students who do independent study/research projects or internships/field placements/practicums abroad for credit are also required to submit a copy of their final papers to our office, along with a cover sheet. We will forward transcripts to the Registrar's Office once we have received an evaluation and, if relevant, a copy of the internship or independent study/research paper.


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5. Study Abroad Grades, the Northwestern GPA, and the Northwestern Transcript
- Grades for courses transferred from any institution, domestic or abroad, are not recorded on the Northwestern University Official Transcript nor are they computed in the cumulative grade point average (Exceptions to this rule include the European Union Studies and Public Health in France programs run by the International Program Development Office where grades are factored into your cumulative GPA.). However, you are required to take all courses abroad for a grade to have Northwestern University credit applied to your record.

- Courses that are transferred to your Northwestern University record are recorded with a grade of "T" denoting "transfer credit." They will be denoted by general credit (e.g. GEN_CRED 1XX, denoting general credit 100 level) or, if approved by your department or school, by the Northwestern University equivalent courses (e.g. PHIL 110-0 Intro to Philosophy). The department or school may approve general departmental credit (e.g. PHIL 1XX, denoting general Philosophy credit 100 level). Each course listing will indicate the number of credits that you receive for the course (generally 1/course).

- Credit will be considered only for courses in which a C grade or better was earned. Courses for which a lower grade was earned will be awarded "0" credit, and an accompanying statement will be posted to the Northwestern transcript stating: “Study Abroad Course: No credit given for non-transferable grade.”

- Non-transferable courses (see “Choosing Courses to Take Abroad,” below) will not appear on your Northwestern University Official Transcript.

- The name of your program or university will be noted on your transcript.

While your grades from abroad will not affect your Northwestern GPA, it is important to remember that graduate schools (including medical and law schools) generally instruct applicants to provide foreign study transcripts (transcripts issued by the study abroad provider, e.g., Arcadia University, LSE, IES, SIT, etc.) and then recalculate GPAs so that they include the study abroad grades.

Please note that due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Northwestern University Office of the Registrar is unable to release or issue an official copy of your study abroad transcript. Rather, you will need to contact your study abroad provider (e.g., Arcadia University, SIT, LSE, etc.) if you need an official copy of it in the future. For this reason, Northwestern recommends that you request multiple official transcripts for future use from your study abroad program soon after completing the program, once all grades have posted. You are welcome to request an unofficial copy of your transcript from the Northwestern Study Abroad Office at any time.


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6. Choosing Courses to Take Abroad
Meeting with Department/School Advisers
As part of the application process, you will have your anticipated course selections reviewed by your department/school advisers before leaving to study abroad.

No matter how much planning you do ahead of time, there is a good chance that, once you are abroad, you will decide to register for one or more courses that are different from those you planned to take. If this happens, and you hope to use some of your courses abroad to fulfill specific requirements, you should promptly contact the relevant advisers at Northwestern to discuss the changes you wish to make. If you are interested in adding an independent study/research or internship/field placement/practicum course, make sure you read our documents that explain Northwestern Study Abroad’s special policies on these types of courses and then discuss them with your school representative. If you have trouble reaching someone on campus from abroad, let the Study Abroad Office know and we'll try to help out. It is not a good idea to simply assume that a course taken abroad will count toward a requirement without first consulting with the appropriate adviser.

Note: Changes in enrollment during study abroad, including but not limited to changes in course selection and the receipt of a failing grade or an incomplete, may result in the loss of financial aid and/or acceptable credits upon return to campus (which could affect your University Residence Requirement as well). If you have questions about a change in enrollment, please contact the Study Abroad Office.

School-Specific Requirements
Each school at Northwestern has written a letter to study abroad students explaining their policies and procedures for study abroad--including their various policies regarding study abroad credit. These letters are available at the Study Abroad Office, and you will receive one when you pick up your study abroad application. Read your school letter carefully, and contact your school representative if you have any questions.

Non-Transferable Courses
The following types of courses are not transferable to Northwestern, which means that you will not receive Northwestern credit for them. (To read the complete Northwestern University Transfer Credit Policy, click here). Therefore, you cannot take them as part of your regular course load. Taking such courses may cause serious problems in regards to the University Residence Requirement and financial aid, since you may not receive enough NU credit to constitute a minimum full load (3 courses/quarter) at Northwestern. If you are interested in taking non-transferable courses, you should take them as an overload or audit them.

a. Courses taken abroad on a “pass/fail” basis;
b. Duplicate courses (meaning, they duplicate courses you have already received credit for at Northwestern);
c. Courses that cover subject matter not taught in Northwestern’s undergraduate curriculum (e.g., wine tasting, cooking, fashion design, etc.)

Notes:
- As long as Northwestern teaches the general subject, the course is fine. For example, a course in Irish literature is fine because Northwestern offers literature courses.
- Northwestern does not allow undergraduates to major in business or law, but does offer minors in business institutions and legal studies, which include particular types of business and law courses. For more information on taking business courses abroad, see the document, “Planning to Take Business Courses Abroad?,” available at the Study Abroad Office and on our Web site. For more information on taking law courses abroad, contact the Legal Studies Program at 847-467-2207.

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7. Program-Specific Requirements Regarding Courses Taken Abroad
Northwestern Study Abroad has program-specific course enrollment requirements for many (but not all) programs. For example, students who study on the IES-Nantes program in France for the fall are required to enroll in at least one regular University course. These requirements are listed by program here. When requirements exist, students are expected to follow them. This Web page also explains additional Northwestern Study Abroad requirements pertaining to other academic and non-academic issues, such as internships and housing, all of which are intended to help students have the most academically challenging and immersion-oriented study abroad experience possible. Make sure to go to this page and identify which requirements (if any) apply to you. You are responsible for adhering to Northwestern’s requirements. Students who do not abide by these requirements risk losing credit.

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8. Fulfilling Major, Minor, Distribution, or Other School Requirements Abroad
Major/Minor Requirements
Your departmental advisers have the final decision regarding which study abroad credits fulfill requirements for your major and minor. While no credit can be guaranteed until you return, you need to meet with your advisers before you leave to discuss the courses you plan to take abroad and which requirements, if any, you would like them to fulfill. In addition, you should keep in touch with your advisers from abroad if your plans change (see Choosing Courses to Take Abroad, above).

Distribution/Other School Requirements
Distribution or other school requirements must be approved by your school representative.

All Requirements
You are required to meet with your departmental advisers and your school representative (who, in some schools, are one and the same) as part of the Northwestern study abroad application process.
As explained earlier, you should bring back all relevant course information, such as course descriptions, syllabi, exams, papers, etc. to present to your academic adviser and/or school representative when you return to campus. This will permit your advisers to determine which Northwestern courses are equivalent to the course(s) you completed abroad and to submit appropriate documentation on course substitutions to your school/the Registrar's Office.

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9. Completing a Full Term Abroad
Students are expected to complete the full term of their foreign study programs. Except in rare circumstances, students who fail to do so will receive no Northwestern credit for courses completed abroad. Similarly, students who are approved to study abroad for a term must generally return to Northwestern upon completion of that term. If a student wishes to extend her/his stay abroad , extensions may be granted if s/he notifies the Study Abroad Office early enough in the term and obtains permission from the appropriate advisers and offices on campus at Northwestern.

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10. Doing Independent Study/Research Projects or Internships/Field Placements/Practicums Abroad for Northwestern Credit
Northwestern has special policies and procedures that students must understand and follow if they plan to do an independent study/research project or an internship/field placement/practicum abroad as part of their regular course load. For details, download the following document:

Getting Northwestern Credit for Independent Study & Research Projects Abroad

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11. Maintaining Northwestern Status during Study Abroad
All students whose study abroad plans have been officially approved by the Northwestern Study Abroad Office will remain enrolled at Northwestern for the duration of their programs. This will permit you to retain your NU e-mail address and current student status. More importantly, it means that you will not have to re-apply to Northwestern when you return from study abroad. However, only students on affiliated programs will be considered full-time Northwestern students during this time. Enrollment in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the home institution will be considered enrollment at the home institution for the purpose of applying for Title IV aid.

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12. Study Abroad and the Northwestern Undergraduate Residence Requirement
All Northwestern University students are subject to a residence requirement. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet this requirement. The residence requirement is explained in the Northwestern Undergraduate Catalogue. If you have questions, contact your degree auditor in the Office of the Registrar.

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13. Studying Abroad as a Transfer Student
Whether transfer students may study abroad depends on their residence requirement (the amount of quarters that students are required to spend on the Evanston campus as a full-time student during the academic year). If you are a transfer student, your residence requirement is included in the credit evaluation form that you received from the Registrar's Office after you applied to transfer to Northwestern. If you no longer have this form, or have further questions, please meet with your degree auditor in the Registrar's Office. To make an appointment, call the Registrar's Office Front Desk (NOT your auditor) at (847) 491-5234.

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14. Study Abroad and Early Graduation
If you hope to study abroad and graduate early, you need to review your plans with your degree auditor in the Office of the Registrar before going abroad. Whether or not you can do both depends on a number of factors, including the amount of time you have spent taking classes full-time on Northwestern’s campus; whether you are getting a single or double degree; and whether you received Advanced Placement credit, etc. (see the Northwestern University Undergraduate Catalog for full details on the university enrollment requirement, the residence requirement, and the graduation requirements in your home school). To review your plans in light of your overall career at Northwestern, contact the Office of the Registrar at 847-491-5234 and ask to make an appointment with your degree auditor.

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15. For More Information...
Contact the Study Abroad Office at 847-467-6400 or studyabroad@northwestern.edu.

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