Undergraduate Residence Requirement
Undergraduate Catalog 2008-09, page 22-23 (pdf)
The Undergraduate Residence Requirement (URR) is predicated on the principle that when a student receives a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, the majority — and certainly the most advanced portion — of his or her academic work is completed on a Northwestern campus as a full-time student under the instruction of Northwestern faculty during the regular academic year. Thus, being “in residence” for a quarter means that the student is enrolled during the fall, winter, or spring quarter at Northwestern, is being taught by or is under the supervision of Northwestern faculty, and completes three or more credits. It includes, for instance, the practicum in the School of Education and Social Policy and the Journalism Residency in the Medill School of Journalism. It does not include study abroad of any type or the Cooperative Engineering Education Program in the McCormick School.
The URR applies only to undergraduate students seeking a bachelor’s degree and must be completed in addition to the degree requirements established by the various school faculties. Its provisions are:
- A student entering as a freshman is required to be in residence for 12 quarters in a four-year degree program and 15 quarters in an approved combined degree program involving two schools. Please refer to Combined Bachelor’s Programs on page 30 for the approved combined degree programs for which two bachelor degrees may be awarded concurrently.
- A student entering as a freshman may gain exemption from the required residency by up to three quarters through any combination of a maximum of 12 credits earned through the Advanced Placement or the International Baccalaureate programs; a maximum of 12 credits earned through approved study abroad; credits earned through “credit by examination” at Northwestern; credits earned at Northwestern through less than full-time enrollment; and a maximum of four transfer credits from other (domestic) colleges or universities earned at any time prior to the final three quarters of residence. Each four such credits confer one-quarter exemption from the URR.
- A student who completes three or more credits in a single Northwestern Summer Session will gain exemption from one quarter of the URR. A second quarter of exemption may be earned by completing four credits in a second Summer Session.
- A student who receives Northwestern credit for study abroad must be in residence for either the final three quarters or 4 of the last 6 quarters before the awarding of the degree.
- A student who takes more than four credits in one quarter will be subject to an overload charge if these credits are used to accelerate graduation. (Acceleration occurs when the total quarters completed by the student, including those allowed in the second and the fourth exemption provisions above, at graduation total less than 12 for a single-degree program or less than 15 for two bachelor’s degree programs involving two schools.)
- A student entering as a transfer student will have his or her residence requirement determined at the time of transfer; in no case will the residence requirement be less than 6 quarters and 23 credits. The URR, once established, is not subject to the exemption possibilities listed above. Students may appeal for URR variances to the Residence Requirement Appeals Committee, which consists of the associate provost for University enrollment, the associate provost for undergraduate education, the University registrar, and two associate deans from different undergraduate schools. The deans serve three-year terms on a rotating basis.
For additional information, interpretation, or application of the URR, contact the Office of the Registrar, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1118, 847-491-5234.
Returning Students
Students who withdraw from the University and wish to return must submit a Returning Student Application Form to the Office of the Registrar six weeks before the desired date of reentry. Students who want credit for course work taken at another institution must submit an official transcript to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will determine the extent to which credit earned away from Northwestern may apply toward the 12-quarter URR.
Transfer Students
Students who transfer to Northwestern from another institution will be informed of the extent to which their previous work reduces the 12-quarter URR. All transfer students have a 6-quarter minimum URR. Those entering as transfer students from another institution may not apply any additional work taken outside the University toward the URR. Such courses beyond the maximum may be useful in meeting academic requirements but may not be used toward the URR.
