Courses Approved for Distribution Credit
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Students who start taking classes at Northwestern after Spring 2023 should refer to the pages describing Foundational Disciplines, which include lists of courses. The information below pertains to students who started at Northwestern Spring 2023 or earlier.2026-2027 Courses and after
As of the 2026-2027 academic year, these distribution lists will no longer be updated. All courses that have been approved under the new foundational discipline requirements are automatically approved for the corresponding distribution requirement. Students who started taking classes before Spring 2023 can refer to the foundational discipline categories, which can be found each year’s academic catalog, to guide their registration planning and fulfill their remaining distribution requirements.
| A course in this foundational discipline... | May be applied to... |
| Natural Sciences (FD-NS) | Area I: Natural Sciences |
| Empirical and Deductive Reasoning (FD-EDR) | Area II: Formal Studies |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (FD-SBS) | Area III: Social and Behavioral Studies |
| Historical Studies (FD-HS) | Area IV: Historical Studies |
| Ethical and Evaluative Thinking (FD-EET) | Area V: Ethics and Values |
| Literature and Arts (FD-LA | Area VI: Literature and Fine Arts |