Transferring Credit from Other Colleges
This information is for students who took college courses before they graduated from high school. The appropriate undergraduate school will decide whether Northwestern credit should be awarded for this work; all liberal arts credit is evaluated by Weinberg College, and professional credit is referred to the Schools of Education and Social Policy, Communication, Journalism, Music, and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, irrespective of the school in which the student enrolls.
Weinberg College will give you credit for liberal arts courses provided that all of the following conditions are met:
- The courses were taken at a fully accredited 4-year or junior college in the United States or Canada;
- The courses were not used for fulfillment of any requirements for the high school diploma;
- The courses were taken primarily by college students rather than high school students and were taught on the college campus, not at your high school;
- The courses were similar to courses offered for credit at Northwestern (e.g., American history, but not physical education).
While these courses can give you credit toward graduation and, potentially, credit for some specific Northwestern courses, you should be aware that:
- Credits accepted by Northwestern and earned through work you did while still in high school are considered transfer credits. They do not count toward Northwestern’s Undergraduate Registration Requirement.
- These credits may NOT be used to satisfy general education requirements (such as distribution requirements or foundational discipline requirements).
- With department consent, students may use these credits to satisfy major or minor requirements.
Entering first-year students who took college courses prior to being admitted to Northwestern need to do three things during the summer before their first year:
- Include information about these courses in your dossier in the section about your high school experience.
- Have an official transcript sent to Northwestern by the College or University where you took the course.
- Download the High School Credit Form, obtain the necessary signatures from high school and college personnel, and return it to the address indicated on the form as soon as possible.
If you submit the paperwork before you begin your studies at Northwestern, the appropriate credit should be posted on your transcript during late summer, and you should be able to see it once you can log into CAESAR.