Rules and Policies for Transfer Students
If you transfer to Northwestern from another college or university, you will receive an evaluation of your transfer credits from the Registrar's Office. Read more about the Credit Evaluation.
Several special rules apply to students who transfer to Northwestern's Weinberg College from other institutions. Some of these are listed below. To discuss your own personal situation and the relevant rules that apply, you should meet with a College Adviser.
- If you received transfer credit for a specific Northwestern course, then you may not subsequently retake that course for credit.
- You must complete at least 21 (23 if you matriculated prior to Fall 2019) units of credit through courses taken at Northwestern, regardless of how many transfer credits you have earned. For details on what counts as a course taken at Northwestern, see the Registrar’s webpage on the Undergraduate Registration Requirement (URR).
- You must take at least four 300-level courses in your major at Northwestern. (If your major requires fewer than four 300-level courses, then all required 300-level courses must be completed at Northwestern.)
- Regardless of how many transfer credits you have earned, you must be enrolled at Northwestern for a minimum of six quarters. For details on what counts as a Northwestern quarter, see the Registrar’s webpage on the Undergraduate Registration Requirement (URR).
- After you enroll at Northwestern, you can receive credit for additional courses taken at other universities. You can use this credit to fulfill your degree requirements (although distribution requirements, or starting in 2023 the foundational discipline and perspectives on power, justice and equity requirements, may not be satisfied by courses at other institutions once you’ve matriculated). You will, however, still have to complete your Undergraduate Registration Requirement of a minimum of 6 quarters and 21 (23 if you matriculated prior to Fall 2019) Northwestern courses.
- You may be able to use courses from your prior institution for distribution requirements (if you matriculated prior to Spring 2023) or foundational discipline and perspectives courses (if you matriculated after Spring 2023. See our information about credit articulation.
- Additional rules apply to transfer students who want to study abroad. See the Study Abroad Office and your College Adviser for details.