Number of Courses and Quarters

All Northwestern undergraduates are subject to the university's Undergraduate Registration Requirement (URR). This requirement, revised in Spring 2012, specifies how many quarters must be spent at Northwestern and how many units of credit must be earned at Northwestern in order to graduate with a Northwestern degree. See the registrar's URR summary for details. The official statement on the URR is in the Undergraduate Catalog.

In addition, Weinberg College policies govern the total amount of credit needed to graduate, require a minimum number of quarters in the College, and set limits on non-Weinberg course work.

• All Weinberg College students, except those in ISP, HPME, and the dual bachelor's degree programs (BA/BMusic and BA/BS), must earn at least 45 units of credit in order to graduate. Almost all courses taught at Northwestern are worth one unit. Those worth more or less than one unit also contribute to the total. For example, two half-unit courses count as one full unit toward this requirement.
• You must be in Weinberg College for the last three quarters before you complete your degree requirements. For example, if you start your Northwestern studies in the School of Communication, but plan to graduate with a Weinberg degree instead, you need to complete the paperwork for an Interschool Transfer in time to make sure that you are a Weinberg student for your last three quarters. (This requirement is occasionally waived for late interschool transfer students who have taken a majority of their classes in Weinberg College. Students who desire such a waiver should contact the Assistant Dean for Academic and Advanced Standing.)
• No more than 11 units of credit offered by other schools of the University may be counted toward the BA degree from Weinberg College. No more than 3 of these units may come from applied music courses. No more than 4 units may come from the military studies programs. Approved School of Continuing Studies courses in Weinberg disciplines do not count toward the 11-unit limit.

If you take four 1-unit courses per quarter, three quarters per year, for four full years, then you will end up with a total of 48 units of credit. Only 45 units are required for graduation, so even if you enter with no AP, IB, or transfer credits, you can have three quarters with only three 1-unit courses (which also counts as a full load) and still graduate on time. This gives you some flexibility in planning your schedule, as well as the opportunity to very occasionally drop a course without falling behind.

updated May 15, 2012 to reflect new URR