Frequently Asked Questions
Additional program questions are addressed in their respective
sections of the Web site.
If you cannot find the answers to your questions on this
Web site, please contact the School of Continuing Studies’ Admission
Office at (847) 491-5612.
Catalog
How do I obtain a graduate catalog?
To obtain a graduate catalog, please complete the online
request form.
Application
For general application instructions and deadlines visit the Application
Requirements & Instructions web page. For application information specific to a program please visit that program's admissions web page. Program links are located on the left.
I have interests in more than one program. Can I apply
to two programs?
No, you may only apply to one program, but some
programs allow you to take courses in more than one
curriculum.
I just want to take some graduate-level classes
at Northwestern, but I am not sure if I want to earn
a degree.
Can I do
this?
Yes. You would apply as a Nondegree Special Student
to a particular program. These applicants must meet
the admission
requirements and standards that apply to applicants
to regular degree programs. Depending on the program,
at
least three
classes completed as a Nondegree Special Student may
later be applied towards the degree or Professional
Graduate Series in that program. If you are not considering
a
master’s
degree or certificate and are not interested in earning
credit may wish to participate as a Visiting Scholar,
where that
option is available.
Can I apply to a program and
get a decision before I finish my bachelor's degree?
Yes. You may apply to a program while you are in the process of finishing your bachelor's degree. If you are admitted into a program, however, you must submit your final transcript before you can register for classes.
What will happen to my application if I miss the deadline?
If you have not submitted your application and all of the required supplemental materials by the deadline, we will defer your application to the following quarter. You will be notified when your application is complete.
How
soon after the deadline will I receive a decision?
Decisions are mailed approximately three weeks after
the application deadline. We regret that federal law prevents
us from giving out admissions decisions over the phone or
via email.
How do I contact you if I need more
information?
To arrange an appointment with the Admissions Coordinator,
please call the School of Continuing Studies at (847) 491-5612. For MMI applicants, please contact the MMI Enrollment Advisor at (877) 664-3347.
Tuition and Fees How much does the program cost?
Tuition information
can be found on the tuition page.
What is the process if my employer pays part of my tuition?
The University's Employer Reimbursement Plan (ERP)
is designed for students whose employers offer
reimbursement for tuition
charges. The plan allows participants to defer
their employer-covered tuition payments to
Northwestern until after the term has
been completed. For detailed information about ERP and to download an application form, visit: http://www.northwestern.edu/sfs/documents/publications_and_forms/erp.pdf (PDF Format)
When is tuition due?
Shortly after your registration, your account and
any
financial
aid information will be, visible on the CAESAR
website once
you have an active Net ID.
What if I have questions about
my bill?
You should contact the Office of Student Accounts at
(847) 491-5224 or at (312) 503-8503.
Do you offer fee waivers?
To insure equal treatment of all applications, your
application will not be considered without the required
application fee.
Transcripts
My former school will not send me transcripts
in sealed envelopes to enclose with the rest of my application
materials.
What should I do?
Most schools will issue documents in sealed envelopes
directly to the student. You may also request that your transcripts
get mailed directly to us and we will include them with your
application.
I took one course during the summer from a
different university. Do I have to send the transcript for
that one course?
Yes. You will need to submit all of your official transcripts
from any previous college or university academic work, including
credit and non-credit work.
May I send documents to the School
of the Continuing Studies before I submit my application?
The School of Continuing Studies prefers you to send all
of your supporting documents in a single package. This ensures
the fastest processing of your file. However, documents that
arrive before your application are held in a pending file
until the application and fee are submitted. Anything sent
separately from your application should include the name
under which you are applying and the name of the program
to which you are applying.
Statement of Purpose
What are you looking for in the statement
of purpose?
The admissions committee wants to see a strong argument
for why you are a good fit for the program, and vice versa.
Tell us who you are, what you want to achieve, and why you
think the graduate program will get you there. Keep your
statement close to the 300-word limit; writing more usually
does not mean writing better.
How important is the statement?
We look at all the materials in an application carefully
to get a holistic impression of an applicant and try to gauge
his/her chances for success in the program. The statement
is especially important because it is one of the few pieces
of the application that you create. You can’t change
your transcripts and you never know what a recommender will
say, but you can be sure to craft a strong and logical statement.
Please note: a statement of purpose is also a writing sample,
so be sure it is error free and well written.
Recommendation
Letters
How can I get a strong letter of
recommendation?
Educate your recommenders about the program and your goals.
Write your statement of purpose first. When you have made
a convincing case for admission in your statement, share
that with potential recommenders. That way, they know what
talents of yours they can highlight to support your statement.
I have been out of school for several years and there is
no one there who can write a recommendation for me. Can
I get my employer to write one?
The purpose of submitting letters of recommendation
is to give the admission committee an indication of your
ability
to succeed in the program. It is recommended that at least
one of the letters speak about your academic potential. Do
not assume that no one remembers you at your undergraduate
college, though it may take some work to reach a former professor.
If you are unable to obtain a letter from a former instructor,
you should ask someone who you think can best assess your
potential for graduate study in your particular program area.
A current or former supervisor will carry more weight than
a peer. A letter from a friend or a relative will not help
your cause.
I want to send more than the required number
of letters of recommendation because I feel this will enhance
my chances
of being offered admission. Does this indeed help?
It is not how many letters of recommendation you send
but the information contained in these letters that contributes
to the overall strength of your application. Send the required
number of letters but choose these recommenders well. We
suggest that you brief your recommenders on what the program
is about so they can write appropriate letters, highlighting
your strengths that relate to the program.
GRE Scores
Are the GRE’s required?
No, the GRE’s are not required, but we suggest
submitting GRE scores if your undergraduate record is weak
(less than
3.0 cumulative GPA).
What is Northwestern University’s
institution code?
1565.
I asked ETS to send official GRE scores four weeks
ago and you have not received them yet. What should I do?
Unfortunately, this is a common concern, and the only
response is to be patient. Northwestern receives official
GRE score reports electronically every two weeks, and these
transmissions must be transferred into our computing system.
As a result, it may take up to an additional four weeks from
the time ETS says they sent the scores until the time they
appear in our computers. If you have a paper copy of your
ETS score report showing the date, scores, and “Northwestern
University” or code 1565, you may include this in your
application packet.
International Applications
I did my undergraduate work
in a foreign country. How close to a U.S. bachelor’s
degree does it have to be?
Please consult our admissions office. We usually recommend
that you have your degree evaluated by Educational Credential
Evaluators (www.ece.org) or World Education Services (www.wes.org).
(Please also see the section on Transcripts below.)
Do I have to send the foreign-language
copy of my transcripts as well as the course-by-course
evaluation?
Yes. It is necessary that you submit your transcripts in the foreign language (in addition to the course-by-course evaluations) in order for us to complete a proper evaluation of your credentials.
Can I get a student visa if I want to be
a non-degree or Visiting Scholar student?
International students who are accepted as Visiting
Scholars or Non-Degree students may only enter the
United States on
a J-1 visa and must register for a minimum of three
courses per quarter. In order to obtain the required
visa document
in the student category, you must show proof that a
substantive amount of your financial support for study
at Northwestern
comes from an institution, organization, home government,
or as part of an exchange agreement between Northwestern
University and your institution. No visa documents
for F-1 visas will be issued.
I am a foreign student but my undergraduate
work was taken at an English-speaking institution abroad.
Will the TOEFL
or IELTS score requirement be waived?
Yes, the score requirement will be waived. Test scores
are not required for those who have earned an undergraduate
or graduate degree from an accredited institution where the
language of instruction is English.
Is the Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) the only exam that you accept?
We also accept the Academic Reading and Writing Modules
of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
IELTS is given at over 270 centers in over 110 countries.
The IELTS examination is designed to assess the language
ability of applicants who need to study where English is
the language of communication. The IELTS examination is offered
as an alternative to the TOEFL exam. Applicants need not
submit the results of both exams. The minimum overall band
score for admission is 7.0. The minimum score in each of
the four sections, Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking,
is 6.5.
Test takers receive only one copy of their results
but official copies may be sent by the test center
directly to the receiving
institution at the request of the test taker. Test takers
are not allowed to repeat the test within 90 days at any
center.
Applicants are required to take the Academic Test
format only. All information on the availability
of the IELTS
at the site nearest to you can be found on the IELTS
Web site,
www.ielts.org.
My TOEFL score is more than two years old,
so the Educational Testing Service (ETS) will not send official
scores to you.
Will you accept a photocopy?
No, we will not accept a photocopy of a score report.
Additionally, TOEFL scores must be less than two years old
at the time that we receive your application.
Admission
If I am not admitted, can I be reconsidered for
another quarter?
If you were denied admission, you must wait a full year
before submitting another application (for MALit, MALS, or
MCW); applicants to all other programs may reapply in any
future quarter when you have substantially new materials
to submit. This can be to your advantage, enabling you to
amass additional and better academic credentials, test scores,
and letters of recommendation. If you wish to speak with
the admissions coordinator or an academic officer at SCS
about your application, please call (312) 503-1083 to make
an appointment.
I have been admitted for the one quarter
but I have decided to begin studies in a different one. What
do I need to do?
You need to notify us in writing of your intention to
defer to a future quarter or start earlier, if possible.
You may defer up to three quarters before needing to apply
again.
I have decided not to attend Northwestern. Do
I need to let you know this?
If you will not be registering for classes, please let the
Office of Admissions know, in writing. Email (to scsgradapps@northwestern.edu)
is acceptable. You can help us improve our programs if you
let us know why you will not attend.
I have moved since
I received my letter of admission. How do I change my address
with you?
Please notify us in writing of any changes to your application.
Email (to scsgradapps@northwestern.edu) is acceptable.
When will I get more information on registration?
For MMI, MPPA, MQARS, MSA, and MSCIS students, registration
information will be included in your admission packet. For
MCW, MALS and MALit students, the SCS Admissions Office will
mail you a packet of information about registration shortly
after you receive your admissions decision from The Graduate
School.
Where can I get information on the classes being
offered?
Class offerings are listed online within the specific
program: www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/courses/.
How many
classes may I take per quarter?
Students may take up to four units of credit (usually
equivalent to four courses) per quarter. International students
usually need to take at least three units of credit per quarter.
Financial
Aid
Are part-time students considered for financial
aid?
Students in master’s degree programs may qualify
for federal or private loans. Federal loan eligibility is
usually limited to students taking at least two units of
credit in the quarter for which they receive aid. As at most
universities, Northwestern University aid, assistantships,
and stipends are reserved for Ph.D. and MFA candidates.
Students
in the:
-
MMI (Medical Informatics)
- MPPA (Public Policy and Administration)
- MQARS
(Quality Assurance and Regulatory Science)
-
MSA (Sports Administration)
- or MSCIS (Computer Information Systems)
programs should direct
their financial aid questions to the Chicago
Office of Financial Aid at http://chicagofinancialaid.northwestern.edu/cgrad/ or (312) 503-8722.
Students in the:
-
MALit (Literature)
- MALS (Liberal Studies)
- or MCW (Creative Writing)
programs can get assistance from Student Financial
Services at www.northwestern.edu/sfs/osa/evancamp/contact.html or
(847) 491-8950.
What about the FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student Aid) form? [The FAFSA pertains only
to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.]
The FAFSA form is not required as part of your application,
but we encourage all U.S. citizens and permanent residents
to complete the FAFSA if they would like to be considered
for any loans. The FAFSA form may be completed on line at
www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Career
Does the School of Continuing Studies offer career
placement assistance for Graduates?
All graduate students are encouraged to take advantage
of Northwestern University’s Career Placement Office
and its services. Additionally, the School of Continuing
Studies provides its own career workshops for SCS students
throughout the year. These workshops offer students practical
information and advice regarding their future career intentions.
Registration and Advising
Once admitted, students will receive detailed information
about orientation, registration, advising, and other
student services. Students may also visit the SCS
web site for
current information on these topics. Graduate
coordinators, the assistant
dean of graduate programs, and faculty program directors
assist in advising students.
If I drop a class, will I
receive a refund?
A full refund is given if you drop a class during the
add/drop period (first week of term). No refunds are given
thereafter unless you withdraw from all your courses for
that quarter. More information is available at: www.northwestern.edu/sfs/scsgrad/tuition.html#schedule.
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