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Northwestern University

Special Opportunities

Ask a Weinberg College student what makes our education distinctive, and she will typically point to the College's commitment to undergraduate research and experiential learning, the opportunity to take applied courses through the University’s professional schools, and cultural values that emphasize a balance between action and reflection.

Research

Our research university setting makes undergraduate research a reality, as early as your first year.

You can conduct independent research in any field, virtually anywhere in the world, with funding from any number of campus sources. You can design your own project or work as part of a faculty member’s research team. You can pursue research during the academic year or over the summer. Funds are available to help cover travel costs as well as living expenses.

30%of students participate in undergraduate research

Some student research projects that recently received funding from Weinberg College:

  • Measuring Higgs Boson Hccbar Coupling
  • Treating Protein Misfolding Disorders
  • Legitimacy of Anti-Defection Laws
  • Cultural Preservation and Health in Peru
  • Perceptions of Homelessness in Morocco
  • Strengthening Verbal Memory During Sleep
  • Cortisol and Inflammation in Depression
  • Novel Genes in Squid/Bacteria Symbiosis
  • Lemur Sounds’ Effect on Infant Cognition
  • Constitutional Systems and Fiscal Policy
  • Drug Combinations on Breast Cancer Cells

Study Abroad

Many Weinberg College students incorporate study abroad — for a quarter, a summer, or a year — into their academic program.

student abroad
34% of undergraduates study abroad

You can choose from nearly 130 affiliated programs, many of them designed and administered by Northwestern faculty and staff. Approved programs are available in more than 50 countries on 6 continents.

Northwestern’s Global Engagement Studies Institute (GESI) takes students to the developing world to work with nongovernmental and grassroots organizations to advance sustainable, community-driven change. And the University’s Office of International Program Development enables students to enroll in premier institutions around the world. The office’s interdisciplinary programs center on themes such as global health, culture and identity, political economy, and science and engineering.

You can earn up to a full year of credit for study abroad. Northwestern financial aid may be used for study abroad.

Distinctive programs

Our special programs are a good example of how big and small meld at Northwestern.

Each program spans disciplines. Each draws on the bountiful resources and expertise of the university. Whether you are interested in business, science, the arts, social activism, or public service, you can stretch yourself through one of Weinberg College’s selective programs and become part of a close-knit community, sharing coursework and projects with like-minded students and professors. For example:

Courses in the College’s distinctive programs typically take the form of smaller seminars that offer opportunities for close faculty mentoring and original research. Because they take an interdisciplinary approach, they encourage students to analyze challenging questions from a variety of different perspectives.

In addition to the four programs listed above, Weinberg College offers:

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