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School Specific Credit Transfer

If you are seeking major, minor, or distribution credit, please follow the school’s study abroad credit transfer process.  

Note: If you participated in a Northwestern program and were enrolled in regular Northwestern courses while abroad, you do not need to go through this process, as your courses already count as Northwestern work.  

Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Meet with your Weinberg Adviser as soon as possible upon return. Your adviser will discuss the transition back to Northwestern, scheduling, and course planning for remaining quarters. In addition, your adviser will go over the credit transfer process with you.
  3. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records.
  4. Elective Credit Only: If you only want elective credit from your courses abroad, you need not take further action. Eligible credits will post on your Northwestern record once the Registrar’s Office receives your study abroad transcript, and they will appear as Gen_Cred 1XX.
  5. To designate credits as something other than electives, visit WCAS Transferring Credit from Abroad, read carefully, and complete the appropriate form(s). Only complete the parts of the application to be filled out by students.  You will need to turn in a copy of your study abroad transcript along with the completed form.
  6. Major/Minor Credit: If you are seeking credit towards your major or minor, download the WCAS Petition for Major or Minor Credits from Abroad. Only complete the parts of the application to be filled out by students. You will need to attach a copy of your study abroad transcript along with the completed form. Email the form, the transcript, and supporting materials, including course descriptions and course syllabi, to your major or minor adviser. Do a separate form for each major or minor. Your major/minor adviser(s) will complete the appropriate section of the form and sign it. Your major/minor adviser should then email the completed form to nu-transfer-credit@northwestern.edu.
  7. Distribution Credit:If you are seeking distribution credit, download the WCAS Petition for Distribution Credit from Abroad. Only complete the parts of the application to be filled out by students. You will need to attach a copy of your study abroad transcript along with the completed form. Email the form, the transcript, and supporting documents, including course descriptions and course syllabi, to wcas-forms@northwestern.edu. The dean's office will evaluate the petition and notify you of the outcome. Please allow two to three weeks for this processing.

School of Communication

If you only want general credit towards graduation, you do not have to do anything. If you hope to apply some of your study abroad credits towards requirements in the School of Communication, complete the following steps:

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has been posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript. If you studied abroad during in Fall 2021 or after, you can access an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records.
  3. Make an appointment with your academic adviser and provide your adviser with a copy of the syllabi for your courses. Your adviser will guide you on which department to approach for the approval of credit in a specific discipline. You will need to complete the Study Abroad Credit Articulation form to request evaluation of courses you would like to count for SoC Distribution requirements or as courses within SoC subjects.
  4. If you wish to apply study abroad credits to a second major or minor within another school (e.g., WCAS), follow that school's credit transfer processes to have credits approved for that major or minor.

Bienen School of Music

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has been posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript
  3. If you studied abroad during in Fall 2021 or after, you can access an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records. Bring the unofficial copy, along with course descriptions and syllabi, to the Bienen School of Music Office of Student Affairs, RCMA 2-115.
  4. Complete the music application for credit for non-Northwestern courses in consultation with the assistant dean. The assistant dean must approve all courses you wish to apply toward your degree requirements for the Bienen School of Music, including distribution courses. In order to be awarded applied lesson credit for study abroad, you must also have written approval from your Northwestern applied instructor.
  5. If you wish to apply study abroad credits to a second major or minor within another school (e.g., WCAS), follow that school's credit transfer processes to have credits approved for that major or minor.
  6. If you are a senior returning from study abroad and you have not yet petitioned to graduate, you must file your petition as soon as possible. The forms may be obtained in the Office of Student Affairs and, after completion, must be signed by the assistant dean. If you are completing a second major or minor in WCAS, you must also file a separate petition to graduate through that WCAS department.

School of Education & Social Policy

If you only want general credit towards graduation, you do not have to do anything. To apply study abroad coursework to your School of Education & Social Policy (SESP) degree requirements:

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has been posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript. If you studied abroad during in Fall 2021 or after, you can access an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records.
  3. Set up a meeting with your SESP adviser.
  4. Bring a copy of your transcript to the meeting. During the meeting, your adviser will make the final determination of how your study abroad coursework will apply toward your degree requirements.
  5. If you wish to apply study abroad credits to a second major or minor within another school (e.g., WCAS), follow that school's credit transfer processes to have credits approved for that major or minor.

Medill School of Journalism

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has been posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript.
  3. If you studied abroad during in Fall 2021 or after, you can access an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records.
  4. Complete the application for credit for non-Northwestern courses (PDF).
  5. Bring an application and a copy of your transcript, along with course descriptions and syllabi, to the Medill Office of Student Life in Fisk 101. All courses you wish to apply toward the BSJ degree requirements in the area of distribution or five-course WCAS elective concentration must be approved by an adviser in the Medill Office of Student Life. Please note that students cannot receive journalism credit for any journalism-related course taken outside Medill.
  6. If you wish to apply study abroad credits to a second major or minor within another school (e.g., WCAS), follow that school's credit transfer processes to have credits approved for that major or minor.
  7. If you are a senior returning from study abroad and you have not yet petitioned to graduate, you must file your petition as soon as possible. Completed petitions must be signed by an adviser in the Medill Office of Student Life and returned to the Office of Student Life. If you are completing a second major or minor in WCAS, you must also file a separate petition to graduate through that WCAS department.

McCormick School of Engineering

Review transfer credit policies and access the McCormick Petition for Transfer of Study Abroad Credit Form in the Study Abroad Checklist for McCormick Students.

  1. Verify that your study abroad credit has been posted on your Northwestern transcript. You can access your unofficial transcript in CAESAR. Note that the Global Learning Office generally will not receive your official study abroad transcript from your program until 1-4 months after the end of your program, and you must complete a program evaluation before your study abroad transcript will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
  2. Obtain an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript. You can access an unofficial copy of your study abroad transcript once it has been received in GLObal Gateway. Log in to your application and select the "Documents" tab to view your transcript and download it for your records.
  3. Elective Credit Only: If you only want elective credit from your courses abroad, you need not take further action. The credits will post on your Northwestern record once the Registrar’s Office receives your study abroad transcript, and they will appear as GEN_CRED 1XX in the unrestricted elective section of your McCormick degree progress.
  4. To designate credits as something other than electives, complete the McCormick curriculum petition if you did not do so prior to your departure. Course equivalence verification (via faculty signature) is only necessary for math, science, and engineering coursework. If you do need a faculty member’s signature, consult the “Course Work at Other Schools” list to see who to ask.
  5. To use credits towards your humanities theme requirement, you would also use the McCormick curriculum petition. List the course and the category (FAL/HSV/SBS) into which you think it would fall. You should also list the courses and the fact that they were taken abroad on your theme form. These courses will appear as GEN_CRED 1XX on your McCormick degree progress.
  6. If you wish to apply study abroad credits to a second major or minor within another school (e.g., WCAS), follow that school's credit transfer processes to have credits approved for that major or minor.
  7. If you are a senior returning from study abroad and you have not yet filed a degree application, you must do so as soon as possible. Please declare your graduation term on MAS.

School of Professional Studies

School of Professional Studies study abroad returnees should meet with their academic counselor to discuss credit transfer.

Exceptions

Students who completed certain Northwestern programs do not need to follow the credit transfer process above, as their courses and grades appear on the Northwestern transcript. Learn more about these exceptions.