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Foundational Disciplines

Does this apply to me?

Students who started taking classes at Northwestern in Spring 2023 or earlier should refer to the Distribution Requirements page. The information below pertains to students who start at Northwestern after Spring 2023.

Foundational Disciplines

You must take two courses (two units) in each of six foundational intellectual areas. Foundational discipline courses are eligible to be applied towards other degree requirements at the same time - perspectives, major, and/or advanced expression.

  1. Natural Sciences (FD-NS)
  2. Empirical and Deductive Reasoning (FD-EDR)
  3. Social and Behavioral Sciences (FD-SBS)
  4. Historical Studies (FD-HS)
  5. Ethical and Evaluative Thinking (FD-EET)
  6. Literature and Arts (FD-LA)

Why are foundational disciplines required?

These courses collectively support the learning goals of the bachelor's degree: Observe, Critique, Reflect, and Express. By taking courses in each area, you become familiar with a broad range of problems and the methodologies for approaching them, acquiring the breadth of interests and intellectual flexibility that are hallmarks of a well-educated person.

Find Courses

  • Approved courses are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog.
  • Courses approved after the most recent Catalog publication are listed on each discipline page.
  • Each registration cycle the course offerings on CAESAR reflect thereflect the foundational discipline and perspectives categories of each course, where applicable.

More Information

  • Read rules and policies for fulfilling foundational disciplines, including test-credit policy.
  • It is a good strategy to start on foundational disciplines early, because these can be the foundation for more advanced courses and inform decisions about which major to choose.
  • If you transferred to Northwestern from another college or university, some of your transferred courses may count toward foundational disciplines. See Transfer Student Credit Evaluation.