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Transferring Credit from Study Abroad

Transcripts from abroad programs generally take 1–2 months to arrive at the Global Learning Office. Make sure that you’ve completed a program evaluation for GLO to have the transcript sent to the Registrar’s office so that the credits can be posted to your NU transcript.

Do I need to petition to have my study abroad credits count toward a specific requirement?

If you want only elective credits 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.  They will appear as GEN_CRED 1XX.

If you want any of your abroad credits to count toward a major, minor, or other WCAS requirement follow the steps outlined below.

How to Request to Designate Credits as Something Other Than Electives

1. Complete the appropriate Petition for Credit form, links below.

Note: You cannot submit your petition until your abroad credits have posted to your NU transcript. Check your unofficial NU transcript on CAESAR before taking the next steps.

For each course requested, you will need to attach:

  • a pdf copy of the official transcript from abroad;
  • the course description;
  • the abroad course syllabus;
  • the weekly schedule of topics;
  • the reading list.

Note:

  • If any of these items are not available, you must re-create them from your course materials.
  • If any of these items are not in English, you must also attach a short summary in English of the syllabus, course description, and weekly topic, and a translation of the primary titles on the reading list.

Failure to provide any of these materials or to complete any part of this process will delay your petition and may prevent its being accurately considered.

Petition Process for Major/Minor Credit

  1. 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 pdf copy of your official study abroad transcript along with the completed form.
  2. Complete parts for students.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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.

Petition Process for Foundational Discipline/Perspective Credit

  1. Download the WCAS Petition for Foundational Discipline/Perspective Credit from Abroad.
  2. Only complete the parts of the application to be filled out by students. You will need to attach a pdf copy of your official study abroad transcript along with the completed form.
  3. Email the form, the transcript, and supporting documents to wcas-forms@northwestern.edu.
  4. The dean's office will evaluate the petition and notify you of the outcome. Please allow three to four weeks for this processing.

Petition Process for Distribution Credit

  1. Download the WCAS Petition for Distribution Credit from Abroad.
  2. Only complete the parts of the application to be filled out by students. You will need to attach a pdf copy of your official study abroad transcript along with the completed form.
  3. Email the form, the transcript, and supporting documents to wcas-forms@northwestern.edu.
  4. The dean's office will evaluate the petition and notify you of the outcome. Please allow three to four weeks for this processing.

2. Watch your Academic Requirements report on CAESAR to see that the changes post correctly.

Note for Participants of Northwestern-run Programs

If you were enrolled in Northwestern-SA courses while abroad, you do not need to go through this process, as your courses already count as NU work.  Here's a list of NU programs with NU courses.  Be aware that these courses are subject to the same rules and restrictions as the same numbered courses taught in Evanston.

  • If the particular course, when taught at NU, is a distribution course, Foundational Discipline and/or Perspectives course, it automatically will be so when taught abroad. If the course has not been approved by the College for this requirement credit, you cannot petition using the process above to have it count.
  • Any courses you wish to count toward a major or minor which do not automatically appear properly on your Academic Requirements on CAESAR can be slotted there by your department adviser when you petition to graduate.

Contact your College Adviser if you have questions about any part of these instructions.