Everyone who receives a bachelor's degree from Northwestern must first submit a Petition to Graduate (formally known as an Application for a Bachelor’s Degree). If you plan to graduate in June of your fourth year, then you are required to submit a petition during the spring quarter of your third year. (If you are away from campus in spring of your third year—studying abroad or on an out-of-town internship, for example—then you should petition during the fall of your fourth year).
If you’re planning on graduating early, then you must file your petition early too, a full calendar year before your expected graduation date. This may enable you to register with the highest-priority group for your final three quarters; see the registration information posted by the Registrar's Office for details and/or talk with your College Adviser.
Doing your Petition to Graduate is important for making sure that you haven’t overlooked or misunderstood any graduation requirements—and that you and the degree auditors in the Registrar’s Office agree on how your courses fit department, college, and university rules. It is also a good opportunity to think about how you’d like to spend your final year as an undergraduate student.
You need to file a Petition to Graduate for each major you plan to complete, as well as a Minor Application if you plan to graduate with a minor too. The staff at the Registrar’s Office will appreciate it if you submit all your forms at once! You can download copies of the Petition to Graduate and Minor Application, or pick them up at the Registrar's Office. Fill out each form, discuss it with your adviser for that major or minor, get it signed, and turn it in at the Registrar’s Office. If there is anything complicated or potentially confusing about your situation, it’s fine to attach an explanatory cover letter to your petition(s).
After you file your petition, you will receive an email message from the Registrar’s Office, including a form called “Summary of Credits for Graduation.” Look carefully at this feedback! If their assessment of your remaining requirements disagrees with your own, you need to figure out why. If you do your Petition to Graduate when you are supposed to, you will have plenty of time to resolve any discrepancies, and you will have two or three quarters for finishing any remaining requirements.
What if you file a petition saying you plan to graduate at the end of a certain quarter and then you decide to graduate later? Be sure to call the Registrar’s Office (847-491-5234) and notify your degree auditor. Postponement usually presents no problems, but you need to keep people informed.
