Academics

Challenges and Rewards

Over 350 courses in virtually every academic discipline are open to you each summer in the College Preparation Program. A quick look at the courses within the Northwestern University summer programs reveals the difference in specificity and intensity between high school and college. Imagine immersing yourself in Arabic, Chinese, or Italian - and learning what filmmaker Federico Fellini meant when he said that "a different language is a different vision of life." You might find yourself discussing the scientific evidence of climate change, analyzing the psychology of personality, or researching the principles of genetics and evolution. You can explore a future major in chemistry or history or experiment with something you may not have tried before, like political science or philosophy. Summer courses for college preparation are taught by Northwestern faculty and instructors who look forward to the same level of commitment and involvement from you that they do from the rest of Northwestern's undergraduate student body. The expectations are high, but the rewards will last a lifetime!

At Northwestern, most Summer Session classes range in length from three to eight weeks. Shorter classes have a faster pace. In general, we advise you to take two regular-paced (six or eight week) classes or an intensive, three-course sequence, where you can earn up to a full year of college credit in biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, or a foreign language. These intensive sequences cover a year's worth of material in one eight- or nine-week session that meets Monday through Friday for approximately three hours per day, plus lab time. You must receive permission from the Summer Session Director to enroll in these courses.