Why Arts & Sciences at Northwestern?
We help students develop into leaders with the knowledge and skills to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Interdisciplinary thinking for a complex world.
Take a Northwestern Direction
With 26 academic departments offering majors in 47 fields as well as 46 minors, your options are vast.
Academic Departments
Weinberg College's 26 academic departments span the range of disciplines in the arts and sciences. From humanities to social sciences to the natural sciences, the College's departments foster rigorous interdisciplinary thinking and world-changing scholarship.
See All Departments & Programs
Department Honors:
Chemistry Professor Fraser Stoddart was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Working with molecular machines, Stoddart and his colleagues have opened up a new field of chemistry in the past 25 years.
Undergraduate Majors
Our 47 major options are broad, particularly when paired with another major, a minor, or even a degree at another Northwestern school. And, if your interests don't fit into an existing major, you can work with professors to create a customized field of study.
Ever-Evolving Areas of Study:
Distinctive Programs
For sheer challenge, for ambitious intellectual reach and for bonding over big questions, you won't find anything quite like the special programs at Weinberg College. When you are accepted into a special program, you become part of a close-knit community of students and professors who push, inspire, and support you.
One-of-a-kind programs:
Masters & PhD Programs
Our 30 graduate programs offer graduate degrees and certificates, including some accelerated bachelor's/master's degree options. Our graduate students participate in research across the University and fund research through competitive fellowships and grants.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Clusters:
Course Options
Weinberg College operates on the quarter system, and students typically take four courses each quarter. That gives you the chance to explore a variety of academic disciplines, the hallmark of a liberal arts education, as well as your area of concentration.
See Courses in the Undergraduate Catalog
First-Year Seminars:
Get Started at the College
Whether you are an incoming first-year student or transfer to Weinberg College, find the information you need.
Meet Our Students
The Perfect Combination.
Ask students why they chose the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, and that phrase will almost invariably emerge.
Weinberg is special because of the opportunity it provides to chart your own path.”
Shreya Goel '18/ECONOMICS & MMSS
What I appreciate most about the liberal arts education I have received in Weinberg is that it combines the best of a technical specialization in my disciplines with a broad exposure to different kinds of ideas. ”
Gustavo Berrizbeitia '17/POLITICAL SCIENCE & PHILOSOPHY
I chose Weinberg because I wanted to be surrounded by students who share my curiosity, determination, and dedication, yet have many different cultural identities and viewpoints.”
Margot Zuckerman '18/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The Classroom and Beyond
Experience all the College has to offer our students. Take advantage of life-changing courses, research projects, study abroad, and more. As you progress toward your degree, use the website to track requirements and take advantage of College advising and support.
Special
Opportunities
What's Happening at the College
Stay informed about news, accomplishments and events.
Faculty Honors
Shelby Blythe
Assistant Professor of Molecular Biosciences