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Distribution Requirements

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

A liberal arts education exposes students to a wide range of academic disciplines.

You must take two (one-quarter) courses in each of six broad areas of intellectual inquiry.

  1. Natural Sciences (Area I)
  2. Formal Studies (Area II)
  3. Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area III)
  4. Historical Studies (Area IV)
  5. Ethics and Values (Area V)
  6. Literature and Fine Arts (Area VI)

Why are distribution courses required?

Courses in each distribution area share subject matter, ways of acquiring new information, evaluative criteria, and modes of analysis. By taking courses in each area, you can 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.

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