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Northwestern University

Number of Courses and Quarters

University and College policies specify that you must spend a certain number quarters at the University and College, they identify the total amount of credit needed to graduate, and they set limits on non-Weinberg coursework.

NOTE: The information below pertains to students who start taking classes at Northwestern Spring Quarter 2023 or earlier. Other students should refer to the Degree Requirements page pertaining to students who start classes at Northwestern after Spring 2023.

Undergraduate Registration Requirement

All Northwestern undergraduates are subject to the university's Undergraduate Registration Requirement (URR). This requirement, revised in Spring 2019, specifies how many quarters must be spent at Northwestern and how many units of credit must be earned at Northwestern in order to graduate with a Northwestern degree. See the registrar's URR summary for details. The official statement on the URR is in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Weinberg credit and quarter requirements

If you take four 1-unit courses per quarter, three quarters per year, for four full years, then you will end up with a total of 48 units of credit. Only 45 units are required for graduation, so even if you enter with no AP, IB, or transfer credits, you can have three quarters with only three 1-unit courses (which also counts as a full load) and still graduate on time. This gives you some flexibility in planning your schedule, as well as the opportunity to very occasionally drop a course without falling behind.

NOTE: The information above pertains to students who start taking classes at Northwestern Spring Quarter 2023 or earlier. Other students should refer to the Degree Requirements page pertaining to students who start classes at Northwestern after Spring 2023.

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