Courses, Registration and Grades
You must follow the College's policies and procedures related registration options, grades and credit transfer.
Registration options
Northwestern students generally sign up for courses during the registration period preceding each academic quarter. A certain number of courses are required, but you have some flexibility when planning your schedule. Use these webpages to find policies and procedures related to class registration.
- Adding and dropping classes
- Overloads and underloads
- The P/N option
- Independent study
- Student-organized seminars
- Missing class
- Taking time off from your studies
Exams and grades
Learn about the College's grading system, which is used to calculate your grade point average. Certain grades will qualify you for academic honors; others put you at risk for not completing your degree requirements. This section also covers reading period and final exam times.
Transferring credits and schools
Our students sometimes want to take classes at other Northwestern schools, U.S. institutions or international institutions. These webpages describe how to transfer credit from another institution. Students can also transfer to another Northwestern school; this process is explained.
- Taking classes at other U.S. institutions
- Taking classes in other Northwestern schools
- Rules and policies for study abroad
- Transferring to another Northwestern school
FERPA and confidentiality
FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law protects the privacy of your educational records. It impacts access these records. Learn more about confidentiality and student records.