FAQ - Quarter Conversion - School of Continuing Studies

SCS Home > Student > Quarter Conversion > Frequently Asked Questions

A: This change is being conducted in order to improve the educational experience for all students of SCS. The move to a quarter system will bring numerous rewards for our students, such as:

Faster progress toward earning a degree in most programs
No credit lost
Minimum cost change, i.e., the total cost of your education will be affected plus or minus 1%.
Closer alignment of SCS programs to their "day-school" counterparts
Greater involvement of distinguished Northwestern University faculty
Better access to Northwestern University facilities and services

A: The total cost of your SCS degree under the quarter system (45 units) will be comparable to the total cost of your SCS degree under the semester system (120 semester hours). Standard yearly price increases, which would have gone into effect even in the old system, will still apply. The tuition per term will be reduced as we convert to the quarter system to enable the total cost of the degree to be consistent. The total cost of your education will be affected plus or minus 1%.

A: Most students will find they can finish their degree faster under the quarter system. A typical degree-seeking student currently takes two courses per term and one in the summer to earn 120 semester hours in eight years. On the quarter schedule, you will have an extra term, so you can finish six courses from fall to spring and one more in the summer. That way, a student starting out under the quarter system may complete the 45 units (courses) you need to graduate in only 6.5 years.

A: If you are nearing graduation or earning a PDP certificate, we can work with you to help you either finish before quarter conversion or to create a course schedule that will allow you to complete your work on time under the quarter system. By "nearing graduation," we mean degree-seeking students who have completed more than 90 credit hours toward their degrees as of spring 2004. All students who have completed fewer than 110 credit hours toward their degrees as of spring 2004 should attend one of our Quarter Conversion Information Sessions, which will address these issues in depth.

A: Yes, most classes meet from 6:15 p.m. until 9:15 p.m. weeknights, and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A: A "unit" is almost always the same as one course. If you take one course, you earn one unit of credit. Therefore, under the quarter system, you will need "45 units" instead of "120 semester hours" to get a degree.

A: You will need to earn forty-five units to complete a degree under the quarter system.

A: Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may make an appointment by calling 312-503-6950.

A: The majority of Summer Session class times and course durations will be scheduled in the same way they have been in the past. SCS students may enroll in most Summer Session courses, subject to prerequisites, adviser approval and availability. Summer Session will remain a great opportunity for SCS students to take "day-school" classes.

A: No. Once admitted to a degree program, an SCS student may request a transfer evaluation the same way as before, under semesters.

A: There will be nearly the same amount of classroom time in a quarter as was possible in a 14-week semester. Individual classes, which typically run for two-and-a-half hours now, will be extended to three-hour sessions, meeting from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m.

A: Students will not lose any credit already earned when we switch to the quarter system. The semester-hour credits from completed classes will be automatically converted to units. A quantity of 1.12 units per three semester hours will be assigned to these courses. A conversion calculator is available on this site (use http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/student/conversion/calculator/ to link to it directly). Simply place the number of semester hours you have earned into the box provided and hit "compute unit hours," and the calculator will do the conversion for you.

A: Although the number of courses required to graduate has increased from 40 to 45, most or all of those five additional courses will be eliminated via the recalculation of courses. That is, in most cases, for every 10 semester courses converted, you will receive credit for 11 quarter courses. The conversion calculator assigns 1.12 quarter courses to each semester course, which means:

If you have credit for 10 semester courses, you will receive 11.2 quarter courses (units).
If you have credit for 20 semester courses, you will receive 22.4 quarter courses (units).
If you have credit for 30 semester courses, you will receive 33.6 quarter courses (units).
If you have credit for 40 semester courses, you will receive 44.8 quarter courses (units).

Remember, the specific courses required to complete your degree will not change. Additional units you receive after quarter conversion could be applied toward your elective requirements.

A: Go to CAESAR at http://www.northwestern.edu/caesar/ and log in as a student to request an unofficial transcript. The number of semester hours completed for each class is listed there. To access this information, you must have an active Northwestern NetID. You may obtain a NetID at http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/student/information_technology.cfm.

A: Quarter duration may vary, but all SCS quarters will be nine to eleven weeks in length (including finals). The SCS quarter schedule will follow the "day-school" schedule exactly. Please note: Some Saturday courses will have their final meeting the day after the term ends for weekday courses. Visit http://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/calendar to view exact quarter-term dates for upcoming academic years.

A: Your workload will not necessarily increase as much as it will be concentrated in a more efficient manner. The quarter system allows us to offer nearly the same amount of classroom learning time as during a semester while still meeting just once per week. We think this model will better accommodate the needs of SCS students who tend to have complicated work schedules and family obligations.

A: Most courses will not change, other than to accommodate the new schedule. In some cases, two-semester sequences, such as History 210 (American History) will be turned into two-quarter sequences. In other cases (most notably in the sciences, languages and calculus), two-semester courses will be turned into three-quarter sequences. To learn more about how specific science and language course sequences are affected, please see the Multiple Course Sequences section of this site. The decisions about how semester sequences were to be converted into quarter sequences were guided by input from Northwestern University departments. Please see the appropriate Program Conversions section (majors, minors, Credit PDP's, Professional Health Careers) of this site to learn how the requirements of a specific program will change with the conversion.

A: The quarter conversion process, which will be complete in the fall of 2005, has already yielded a significant improvement in program offerings at the School of Continuing Studies. As part of the conversion, all degrees, majors, minors and courses were subjected to a systematic process of review, leading to substantial improvements in many subject areas. In many cases, SCS updated courses and requirements to reflect "day-school" practices. Because of these changes, SCS is now in better alignment with other NU courses and academic programs, and this will ensure that your degree truly represents a current and comprehensive Northwestern University education.

Because the SCS schedule will now be consistent will all other undergraduate programs at NU, it is likely that more "day-school" faculty will become involved in teaching at SCS. This alignment also provides greater flexibility to develop new programs and courses for SCS. Because the review process involved key members of the Northwestern community-including department chairs, program coordinators and deans-SCS now has improved visibility in the Northwestern community. Several ideas for new programs and courses have already been suggested, both from within SCS, and-in part due to this enhanced visibility-from our collaboration with the rest of the university.

The semester system has in the past been an academic disadvantage for some of our students. In science courses, for example, laboratory activities often had to be adjusted or dropped altogether because we weren't on the same schedule as the rest of the university. Now, SCS will be able to offer courses that exactly match their "day-school" counterparts.

A: Some of these courses are designed to be taken sequentially or to meet a year-long requirement. In those cases, classes that used to have two parts (one per semester) will now have three parts (one per quarter). For example, Math 214-a and 214-b (calculus) will become Math 214-a, 214-b and 214-c. If you are halfway through a semester-based sequence now, it would be wise to take the second half before conversion to avoid taking that additional class. To learn more about how specific science and language course sequences are affected, click here.

A: It is highly recommended that you complete, under semesters, all such sequences you have started prior to the quarter conversion. By completing the sequence in the system in which it was begun, you ensure that you will not unnecessarily repeat coursework. Please remember, however, that if your program does not require the complete sequence, you do not have to take all classes in that sequence, now or later.

A: If you cannot complete the sequence under semesters, then do not begin the sequence until conversion to the quarter system is made in fall 2005. Unless your program requires a partial sequence, it is recommended that you begin a sequence only if you can complete it prior to fall 2005. (SCS's last term on the semester system will be during spring 2005.)

A: The two-year requirement will not change. You will be able to complete this requirement with six classes, taking one per quarter during the academic year. While it will no longer be feasible to offer accelerated courses during a quarter, Summer Session will still give you the opportunity to take a year's worth of language classes intensively. Doing this will allow you to be finished within one calendar year.

A: You shouldn't notice any changes in the basic format or approach to teaching. Each class will run a half-hour longer than under semesters, but you will have fewer class meetings during a quarter term.

A: Fitting "day-school" classes into your schedule will be easier, and the rules for this will not change. A student admitted to a bachelor's degree program at the School of Continuing Studies who has earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 may enroll in a maximum of three daytime undergraduate courses on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Credits earned in these courses may count toward degree requirements. (Students must petition the Student Affairs Committee to register for daytime courses and must present valid academic reasons for such registration.)

A: No, but some deadlines may change to accommodate the quarter schedule. Please consult the SCS academic calendar for details.

A: The registration period will be approximately one-month long. More precise registration dates for the School of Continuing Studies are posted regularly online.

A: Starting with the spring 2004 term, your grades will be available on CAESAR as soon as they are posted by your instructor. Please see CAESAR one week after the term ends.

A: The breaks differ between quarters and can also be affected by holidays. All breaks typically range from one to three weeks in length, with the longest break coming over the winter holiday season. Please see the calendar comparison on this site, or visit http://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/calendar to view exact quarter-term dates for upcoming academic years.

A: Your financial aid eligibility should not change. It will be disbursed based upon your enrollment per quarter instead of semesters. If you have further questions about this, please call 312/503-8722 or visit http://chicagofinancialaid.northwestern.edu/ for more information.

A: The conversion will not affect nonadmitted students, other than the scheduling differences that the quarter system will require after fall 2005. If you are thinking about applying your credit hours toward a degree, you must submit an application to the program of interest. If you are accepted into a program prior to conversion, you should attend one of the Quarter Conversion Information Sessions if possible. If you do not know how much credit you have earned, you may go to CAESAR at http://www.northwestern.edu/caesar/ and log in as a student to request an unofficial transcript. The number of semester hours completed for each class is listed there. To access this information, you must have an active Northwestern NetID. You will find instructions for obtaining a NetID at http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/student/information_technology.cfm. If you are not currently enrolled, you will need to request a credit evaluation. Go to http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/ugrad/admissions/evaluation_of_credit.cfm for more information about completing a credit evaluation, or visit the SCS administrative offices to obtain a Credit Evaluation Request Form.

Additional information pertaining to nonadmitted students will be available online this summer. If you still have unanswered questions, consult with an advisor at SCS.

A: Yes, you will still need to complete four courses, including the writing requirement.

A: Credit Professional Development Programs will be switching to the quarter system just like all other undergraduate-level courses. In most cases, the class names and topics will be unchanged. Please see the Credit Professional Development Program Conversions section of this site to see how the requirements of a specific program will change with the conversion.

A: In general, yes. One of the advantages of switching to the quarter system is that "day-school" courses will fit more seamlessly into the SCS schedule.

A: Attend one of the Quarter Conversion Information Sessions. Click on this link for more information about dates, times and locations.

If your question has not been answered, please contact us.