Transferring Credit for Non-Northwestern University Courses

Non-Northwestern University Credit Transfer Policy


General guidelines:
  1. A national accrediting body must accredit the transfer institution; consult the institution's catalog to confirm that it is accredited.
  2. No video, television, online or correspondence courses are accepted at Northwestern University.
  3. Only courses with a grade of C or better will be accepted in transfer (see exception for SESP post matriculation).
  4. No transfer of credit for grade of P or S without special permission.
  5. Credit for college-level course work completed prior to graduation from high school must be specifically approved (application form - PDF).  The course must be a bona fide college course offered on a college campus and attended primarily by duly matriculated college students.  It must not be part of the student's high school program, nor fulfill any requirements for the high school diploma.
  6. All international study must go through the Study Abroad Office.
Guidelines for credits earned after matriculation to Northwestern University:
  1. Prior to the final three quarters of residence at Northwestern University, a maximum of four transfer credits from other domestic colleges or universities may be earned.
    Exception:  SESP permits transfer of credit during the final three quarters of residence as long as it complies with the University Residence Requirement.
  2. The student's school/college must grant advance approval of any non-Northwestern University transfer credits. Consult your school's policy:
    Application form for Communication, Medill, Music and SESP students (pdf)
    Policy statement for McCormick students (pdf)
    Policy statement and application form for WCAS students (pdf)
  3. A transfer student may not transfer additional domestic non-Northwestern University courses.  To determine if study abroad transfer may be possible, consult your degree auditor.
  4. Non-transfer students may earn up to one quarter of Undergraduate Residence Requirement credit for domestic non-Northwestern University courses and up to three quarters of URR credit for study abroad.  The total exemptions from all sources for the URR may never exceed three quarters.  Please consult the University Residence Requirement Policy in the Undergraduate Catalog (page 23) for the explanation of the complete policy.
  5. Northwestern University's colleges and schools have specific policies for granting two year or community college credit:
    • Communication and WCAS - No credit accepted
    • Medill and Music - No credit after sophomore year
    • SESP - Credit accepted with approval and B-grade or higher
    • McCormick - Credit accepted with approval