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Study Abroad for Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

Medill students of any major can - and do - study abroad! Below, you'll find the following information:

Consult information about study abroad on the Medill website

Advising & Support

The Medill Office of Student Life (OSL) will support you throughout your study abroad journey. You are encouraged to bring up your interest in study abroad early, so that your OSL Adviser can assist you in pursuing study abroad along your unique academic path in Medill.

As you are applying to study abroad, you must meet with an OSL Adviser, and they must sign off on your study abroad application before it can be submitted. In discussing your application with you, your OSL adviser will focus on:

  • The implications of study abroad on your progress towards the BSJ degree
  • Completion of distribution and other degree requirements through study abroad
  • How to obtain advising for a second major or minor outside of Medill
  • Making satisfactory academic progress before, during, and after study abroad, including steps to maintain your study abroad eligibility
  • How well prepared you are to undertake study abroad as part of your undergraduate career

Contact your OSL Adviser for more information.

Earning Credit

Eligible credits from study abroad count as electives unless they are authorized to count toward degree requirements. Credit will not be given for courses that are not appropriate to the Medill BSJ curriculum or that do not meet the usual standards for credit in Medill.  For example, you will not receive credit for duplicate courses (meaning, ones that duplicate courses that you’ve already received credit for at Northwestern) or for internships and independent study not specifically pre-approved. You should consult your advisers during the application stage to determine the feasibility of using courses taken abroad to satisfy degree requirements.

The petition for credit process can only go forward after courses have been completed, you have completed a study abroad program evaluation, and an official transcript has been processed by the Registrar’s Office. Retain all class descriptions, syllabi, papers, readings, and other course materials from your classes abroad; they may be needed as part of the petition process. Students can consult the credit transfer process for Medill for more information.

Distribution credit  

Courses taken abroad may be used to satisfy distribution requirements, global and diverse cultures requirements, social science concentration, or your Weinberg concentration, provided they are substantially similar to courses on Weinberg's approved list and conform to the defining language of the distribution requirements. Approval is not automatic but must be sought from the Medill Office of Student Life upon your return to Northwestern.

Major & Minor Credit

No journalism credits earned abroad may be applied toward the Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree.

If you have a second major or minor that falls under Weinberg, you are expected to seek advising from your major or minor department about your study abroad course plans, rules and policies for earning major or minor credit, and remaining degree requirements.

  • Review the academic advising information and instructions pertaining to your major and/or minor on the School and Major Advising Resources pages. 
  • If you have questions, seek additional advising from the Director of Undergraduate Studies or a designated adviser within your major or minor department.

Timing Considerations & Graduation Issues

Studying abroad may impact your ability to graduate early and the number of courses required to be taken at Northwestern. In particular:

Contact your OSL Adviser for more information.

Other Important Considerations

Medill short-term global opportunities

Medill students also have access to international opportunities through their coursework. Consider registering for a Medill Global 301 course during your second year, before studying abroad. Contact Kate Lee, Assistant Director of External Programs, in Medill.

Suggested Programs for Medill Students

Medill students participate in a wide variety of study abroad programs, since they often choose programs that allow them to earn credit for second majors or minors outside of Medill. These Northwestern programs are highlighted, since they have been designed for Medill students and/or enroll high numbers of Medill students.

Interested in other programs? Search for more study abroad options.