Students have the option to retroactively change one or more Winter 2020 course grades to Pass/No Pass, but in Spring 2020 all courses will be graded P/N only.  Therefore the Winter 2020 and Spring 2020 quarter-specific Weinberg College policies pertaining to course prerequisites, BA degree requirements, and major or minor requirements are similar but not identical.  For details, see the relevant sections of this FAQ.

When a student takes a class Pass/No Pass, they earn either a grade of P or N. A grade of P signifies a grade of D or above, and an N signifies a student did not pass. A P earns a student credit toward graduation, and an N does not.

The University has given students the option to retroactively turn Winter 2020 grades to P/N, and the College is relaxing the policies regulating how courses completed with a P may be applied towards their undergraduate academics.

Neither a P nor a N has any impact on a student’s quarter or overall GPA. If a course grade is retroactively changed from a regular letter grade to a P or an N, the quarter and overall GPA will automatically be recalculated.

Students may opt to change any Winter 2020 grade to P or N during Spring Quarter, through May 29, 2020.

The process is described on the webpage of the Office of the Registrar. Note that once a grade becomes a P, the conversion cannot be reversed.

A grade of P in a Winter 2020 course may be used to count toward a Weinberg College major or minor if the original grade was C- or higher. This will be taken care of in the student’s degree audit. If the student is pursuing a major, minor, or certificate offered by another of the undergraduate schools, the policy of that school will govern whether the P may be applied towards those requirements.

Students may use any Winter 2020 course that was completed with a P toward a Weinberg College distribution requirement if the course is approved to fulfill a Weinberg College distribution requirement.

Students may use a Winter 2020 first-year seminar grade that was changed to a P toward the seminar requirement.

A grade of P in a Winter 2020 course that satisfies the foreign language proficiency requirement will fulfill the requirement if the original grade was C- or higher. This will be taken care of in the student's degree audit.

Some course prerequisites must be completed with a C- or higher. If a student took a course in Winter 2020 as part of a sequence, and a C- is required to continue in the sequence, the student may convert that C- to a Pass and still progress to the next course in the sequence.

This is an evolving discussion among professional schools; students should work closely with their academic advisers as well as advisers in offices such as Health Professions Advising in making decisions about classes that are required to apply to a professional program.

While typically Weinberg College students may only take one course per quarter as P/N, in Winter 2020 students can choose to have any number of courses changed to P/N. In addition, any Ps earned in Winter 2020 will be exempt from the rule that no more than 6 units may be applied towards graduation, and the rule that no more than one-fifth of the total courses taken at Northwestern and offered for graduation have grades of P or D.

Students have the option to retroactively change one or more Winter 2020 course grades to Pass/No Pass, but in Spring 2020 all courses will be graded P/N only.  Therefore the Winter 2020 and Spring 2020 quarter-specific Weinberg College policies pertaining to course prerequisites, BA degree requirements, and major or minor requirements are similar but not identical.  For details, see the relevant sections of this FAQ.

Neither a P nor a N has any impact on a student’s quarter or overall GPA.

When a student takes a class Pass/No Pass, they earn either a grade of P or N. A grade of P signifies a grade of D or above, and an N signifies a student did not pass. A P earns a student credit toward graduation, and an N does not.

While students typically opt-in to taking only elective courses as P/N, the University has decided all Spring Quarter 2020 courses will be graded Pass/No Pass.

Yes. Courses that fulfill a Weinberg College major or minor requirement and that are completed with a grade of P in Spring 2020 will count toward the requirement for that major or minor.  Students pursuing a major, a minor, or a certificate offered by another of the undergraduate schools should consult the policy of that school as to whether the P may be applied towards those requirements.

Students may use any Spring 2020 course that was completed with a P toward a Weinberg College distribution requirement if the course is approved to fulfill a Weinberg College distribution requirement.

Students may use a Spring 2020 first-year seminar completed with a P toward the seminar requirement.

Students will be able to progress in a sequence if they earn a P in a Spring 2020 course. Students may also use Ps from Spring 2020 as prerequisites for later courses. If students are having academic challenges in courses and are worried about whether they will be prepared to move forward to future coursework, it will be important to talk with the course professor and their academic adviser.

Yes. Courses that satisfy the Weinberg College foreign language proficiency requirement and that are completed with a grade of P in Spring 2020 will fulfill the requirement.

This is an evolving discussion among professional schools; students should work closely with their academic advisers as well as advisers in offices such as Health Professions Advising in making decisions about classes that are required to apply to a professional program.

While typically students may only take one course per quarter as P/N, Spring 2020 courses will all be P/N and not count toward College limits. Any Ps earned in Spring 2020 will be exempt from the rule that no more than 6 units may be applied towards graduation, and the rule that no more than one-fifth of the total courses taken at Northwestern and offered for graduation have grades of P or D.

College Advisers are available for virtual advising through Zoom. Log into Inspire to set up a Zoom appointment. Follow these instructions to make a virtual appointment. Undergraduates from other schools should consult with their school for more information about setting up advising appointments.

To schedule a phone appointment, call 847-491-8916 and speak with the Advising Office staff. Students can also email wcas-adviser@northwestern.edu to request a virtual or phone appointment.