Using CAESAR to Find Courses
CAESAR is Northwestern's student record management system. You will use it to find and register for courses, to manage your student account, and to track your progress toward your degree. It is well worth your time to familiarize yourself with some different features of CAESAR.
You will first have to log in with your NetId and password.
- View classes by quarter: To see which classes are being offered in a given quarter, click "Class schedule/descriptions" and then "Search for classes" to get started.
- View classes by department: If you know that you need a course in a specific department (Chemistry, for example), choose that department from the Course Subject drop-down menu. (It is generally most useful to leave the Show Open Classes Only box checked.)
- View classes by distribution requirement fulfillment: If you don't have a particular course of study in mind, we recommend narrowing your search to classes that will fulfill Weinberg College distribution requirements. Here's how:
(1) Click the green arrow next to Class Attributes/Requirements.
(2) Choose WCAS Distribution Requirement from the Course Attribute drop-down menu.
(3) At this point, you can choose one of the seven distribution options listed under Course Attribute Value. You will see the six distribution areas in alphabetical order: Ethics and Values, Formal Studies, Historical Studies, Literature and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. There is also an additional category labeled "interdisciplinary" that includes courses that may be applied to multiple distribution areas.
The Registrar's office has a list of frequently asked questions about CAESAR that includes some other useful tips.