Registration Procedures
Registration for Summer Session is just like registration for other quarters during the academic year. Northwestern University degree candidates enrolled during spring quarter 2020 can register for courses through CAESAR. The Summer Session class schedule will be available in CAESAR beginning Monday, May 4, 2020. Appointment times for the first four days of Summer Session registration (May 4 - 7) are based on the last two digits of your student ID number and are available online through the registrar's office or through CAESAR.
PLEASE NOTE: Summer Registration will open May 4, 2020.
Incoming undergraduates who have been admitted to a degree program for Fall Quarter 2020 must contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 847-491-7271 before May 15 to request advancement of their matriculation to Summer Session.
Please note: Northwestern undergraduate students need permission from the dean of their school to enroll in School of Professional Studies courses. SPS courses are indicated by a -CN after the course number (example: ACCOUNT 204-CN Sec. 28). The majority of Summer Session courses do not need dean approval.
Northwestern Graduate School students who wish to enroll in undergraduate courses may need a permission number before registering. Permission numbers are administered by the department of the course.
Late Registration
Late registration takes place Monday, June 22 through Friday, June 26. You may register through CAESAR or in the Office of the Registrar.
Office of the Registrar
Rebecca Crown Center
633 Clark Street
Evanston, Illinois 60208-1118
Intensive Course Sequences
Intensive course sequences compress three quarters of academic work into one summer. Each course counts as one quarter of work and carries its own tuition. Individual courses in any intensive sequence may be taken separately, subject to prerequisites. The following intensive course sequences are offered in summer 2020:
Arabic I: 111-1,-2,-3
Arabic II: 121-1,-2,-3
Chemistry 110-0 Quantitative Problem Solving, 131-0, 132-0 General Chemistry I & II
Chemistry 210-1,-2,-3 Organic Chemistry
French 111-1,-2,-3 Elementary French
French 121-1,-2,-3 Intermediate French
German 101-1,-2,-3 Beginning German
Italian 101-1,-2,-3 Elementary Italian
Physics 130-1,-2,-3 College Physics
Physics 135-1,-2,-3 General Physics
Spanish 101-1,-2,-3 Elementary Spanish
Spanish 121-1,-2,-3 Intermediate Spanish
Changes in Registration
Students who have registered for a course are considered enrolled for the duration, and are expected to attend all sessions of the courses for which they are registered. Excessive absences do not signal a student's intent to drop or withdraw, and is cause for failure in the course. The student is also responsible to pay any tuition balance remaining on their account. Therefore, students wishing to change their registration in any way — by adding or dropping a course — must do so in CAESAR or through the Office of the Registrar, if unable to do so in CAESAR. Do not send correspondence regarding adds, drops and withdrawals to the course instructor or to the Office of Student Accounts.
Refund Policy and Schedule
Students may be eligible to receive a full or partial tuition refund, less any non-refundable fees and deposits. Northwestern University's refund policy is based on the percentage of time (number of days in the session, including weekends and holidays) that you were enrolled as a student in your class. The Office of Student Accounts considers the effective date in making financial adjustments the date of the drop in CAESAR or the date the completed Change of Registration form is received at the Office of the Registrar.
During the Summer Session, classes meet for various durations and have start and end dates throughout the summer. Please visit the Student Financial Services Withdrawal Calculator for SPS Undergraduates & Visiting Summer Students to calculate any potential refund due.
In general, if you drop or withdraw:
- If 0% of the course has elapsed: 100% of the tuition is refunded*
- If 1 to 10% of the course has elapsed: 95% of the tuition is refunded*
- If 11 to 25% of the course has elapsed: 75% of the tuition is refunded*
- If 26 to 50% of the term has elapsed: 50% of the tuition is refunded*
- If 51 to 100% of the course has elapsed: 0% of tuition will be refunded
* less any non-refundable fees and tuition deposits
For more specific details regarding tuition and refunds please contact:
Office of Student Accounts
555 Clark Street
Evanston, IL 60208
847-491-5224
Credit and Grades
NU students earn one unit of credit per course unless otherwise noted (e.g., Field Study and Study Abroad courses).
Auditing Courses
The Office of the Registrar does not formally recognize course audits by degree-seeking undergraduates.
Independent Study
Most departments offer Northwestern undergraduate students the opportunity for independent study. To learn more, please contact the appropriate department.
Intensive Course Sequences
Intensive course sequences compress three quarters of academic work into the Summer Session. Each course counts as one quarter of work and carries the tuition of one unit of credit. Individual courses in any intensive sequence may be taken separately, subject to prerequisites.
Grade Reports and Official Transcripts
Northwestern University has contracted with Parchment Exchange to securely distribute official electronic transcripts in the form of a “certified” PDF. This certified PDF will automatically validate to recipients that the documents were authored and sent by Northwestern University and that the contents have not been altered.
All students are encouraged to go online to place their transcript order. This is the easiest and most efficient way to place an order for either a traditional paper transcript or the new electronic transcript delivery.
Please visit the Registrar's website for all details regarding transcripts, including information on processing time, cost and services available.