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Northwestern University

Rules and Policies for Perspectives

NOTE: Students who started taking classes at Northwestern in Spring 2023 or earlier should refer to Rules and Policies for Distribution Requirements. The information below pertains to students who started at Northwestern after Spring 2023.

The Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity can be filled as follows:

Approved Northwestern courses

The US and Global Perspectives on Power, Justice and Equity will generally be satisfied by students through completion of Northwestern coursework. The Perspectives are defined by learning objectives, not by department or program academic field. For example, the courses from one department might not all be aligned with specifically US or Global; there may be variation among the courses, and some are not aligned with either.

Grades in courses eligible to count towards Perspectives

Courses taken at other colleges and universities

Courses taken at other colleges and universities cannot generally be used to fulfill Perspectives on Power, Justice and Equity. This includes college-level courses you may have taken before you entered Northwestern as a first-year student. (See the guidelines for transfer credits for entering freshmen.)

However, there are two types of exceptions to this rule, and you can discuss these with your College Adviser.

Study abroad

Some Northwestern-run study abroad programs offer courses with Northwestern course numbers, and some may be approved for Perspectives on Power, Justice and Equity; these may be applied even though your studies were not physically on the Northwestern University campus. If you study abroad with College approval but are not taking such Northwestern courses, you may be able to count one unit transferred back to Northwestern towards the two-part Perspectives on Power, Justice and Equity.  The maximum is one even if you study abroad for more than one term.

Read about applying study abroad credits toward these requirements.

Transfer students

If you transferred to Northwestern from another college or university, some of your transferred courses (courses completed prior to matriculation at Northwestern) may count toward Perspectives on Power, Justice and Equity. See Transfer Student Credit Evaluation.

 

NOTE: Students who started taking classes at Northwestern in Spring 2023 or earlier should refer to Rules and Policies for Distribution Requirements. The information above pertains to students who started at Northwestern after Spring 2023.

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