The following description of Northwestern University's Undergraduate Residence Requirement is taken from the official statement on pages 23-24 of the Northwestern Undergraduate Catalog, 2009-2010.
Undergraduate Residence Requirement
The Undergraduate Residence Requirement (URR) is predicated on the principle that when a student receives a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, the majority--and certainly the most advanced portion--of his or her academic work was completed on a Northwestern campus as a full-time student under the instruction of Northwestern faculty during the regular academic year. Thus, being “in residence” for a quarter means that the student is enrolled during the fall, winter, or spring quarter at Northwestern, is being taught by or is under the supervision of Northwestern faculty, and completes three or more credits. It includes, for instance, the practicum in the School of Education and Social Policy and the Journalism Residency in the Medill School
of Journalism. It does not include the Walter P. Murphy Cooperative Cooperative Engineering Education Program in the McCormick School or most study abroad credits (see details below).
The URR applies only to undergraduate students seeking a bachelor’s degree and must be completed in addition to the degree requirements established by the various school faculties. Its provisions are:
- A student entering as a freshman is required to be in residence for 12 quarters in a four-year degree program or 15 quarters in an approved dual bachelor’s degree program involving two schools. (See page 34 of the Undergraduate Catalog for information on approved dual bachelor’s degree programs.)
- A student entering as a freshman may gain exemption from up to three quarters of the required residency through any combination of a maximum of 12 credits earned through the Advanced Placement or the International Baccalaureate programs; a maximum of 12 credits earned through approved study abroad; credits earned through “credit by examination” at Northwestern; credits earned at Northwestern through less than full-time enrollment; and a maximum of four transfer credits from other (domestic) colleges or universities earned at any time prior to the final three quarters of residence. Each four such credits confer one-quarter exemption from the URR. Certain courses offered during the academic year through Northwestern’s own study abroad programs (those carrying Northwestern course numbers and the SA designation) count directly as courses taken while in residence rather than toward exemptions from the URR.
- A student who completes three or more credits in a single Northwestern Summer Session will gain exemption from one quarter of the URR. A second quarter of exemption may be earned by completing four credits in a second Summer Session. Summer courses offered through Northwestern’s own study abroad programs and carrying Northwestern course numbers and the SA designation are also subject to these regulations.
- A student who receives Northwestern transfer credit for non-Northwestern study abroad courses that do not carry Northwestern course numbers and the SA designation must be in residence for either the final three quarters or 4 of the last 6 quarters before the awarding of the degree.
- A student who takes more than four credits in one quarter will be subject to an overload charge if these credits are used to accelerate graduation. (Acceleration occurs when the total quarters completed by the student, including those exemptions allowed in items 2 and 3 above, at graduation total less than 12 for a single-degree program or 15 quarters in an approved dual bachelor’s degree program involving two schools.)
- A student entering as a transfer student will have his or her residence requirement determined at the time of transfer. In no case will the residence requirement be less than 6 quarters and 23 credits. The following regulations also apply:
* Each four units of credit transferred will reduce the 12-quarter residence requirement by one quarter. Transfer students may further reduce the residence requirement by up to one additional quarter by applying accepted AP credit. A maximum of four AP credits may be applied toward residency, regardless of the total number of AP credits accepted.
* Transfer students who have a residence requirement of 7 or more quarters may reduce the residence requirement by up to 1 additional quarter by participating in an approved study abroad program. Transfer students with a residence requirement of 6 quarters may participate in study abroad, but participation will not further reduce their residence requirement. (Study abroad on Northwestern programs with course work carrying Northwestern course numbers and the SA designation counts as described in items 2 and 3 above.)
* With the exceptions of limited AP credit and study abroad course work outlined above, those entering as transfer students from another institution may not apply any additional course work taken outside the University toward the URR. Such courses may be useful in meeting academic requirements but may not be used toward the URR. - Students may appeal for URR variances to the Residence Requirement Appeals Committee, which consists of the associate provost for University enrollment, the associate provost for undergraduate education, the University registrar, and two undergraduate school representatives from different schools who are appointed by their deans and serve three-year terms on a rotating basis.
For additional information, interpretation, or application of the URR, contact the Office of the Registrar, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1118, 847-491-5234.
Returning Students
Students who withdraw from the University and wish to return must submit a Returning Student Application Form to the Office of the Registrar six weeks before the desired date of reentry. Students who want credit for course work taken at another institution must submit an official transcript to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will determine the extent to which credit earned away from Northwestern may apply toward the 12-quarter URR.
