U.S. Non-degree Special Students, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Application Policies

• Non-degree Special Students are held to the same admissions standards as regular degree candidates. Therefore, a well-conceived statement of purpose and official transcripts of prior study are required as part of the application.
• Applications will be reviewed only after the NDSS Office has received a completed application, including all supplemental application materials.
• Upon committee review, a formal letter of acceptance or rejection will be sent approximately two weeks after the application deadline.

Application Materials

PLEASE NOTE:

The Application Form and Statement of Purpose should be sent to ndss@northwestern.edu.  Official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to ndss@northwestern.edu.

• Non-degree Special Student Application Send to ndss@northwestern.edu.
  
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE stating clearly why you wish to attend Northwestern as a NDSS (maximum one page typed, double-spaced). Send to ndss@northwestern.edu.
• OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT(S) of all work completed at institutions of higher learning.  Please note: If the institution does not provide electronic transcripts, be sure to allow enough time for the official transcripts to be mailed directly from the institution to: NDSS, 405 Church Street, Evanston, IL  60201. Mailed transcripts must be received by the application deadline or your application will be reviewed for the following quarter. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to ndss@northwestern.edu. (*DO NOT send transcripts to Northwestern Office of Undergraduate Admissions or to School of Professional Studies Office of Admissions.)

Application Deadlines for the 2024–25 Academic Year

• All materials must be received by the respective deadline in order to be considered.
• Applications received after the deadline will be considered for the following term, if the applicant so requests.

Tuition and Fees

All tuition and fees for non-degree special students are charged at the undergraduate day-school rate. Financial aid or scholarships are not available through Northwestern University for this program. 

• *2024-25 Part-time tuition is: $7,960.00/unit (1 course = 1 unit), for enrollment in 1 or 2 courses/credit units
• *2024-25 Full-time tuition is: $22,386.00/quarter for enrollment in 3 to 5.5 courses/credit units 
• Certain courses that are worth more or less than one credit unit are indicated as such in the quarterly class schedule. Students may also be responsible for applicable student and lab fees.
• Rates are subject to change without notice, and increases should be expected in subsequent years. Please visit the Student Finance website for updated tuition and fee rates.

Courses

The quarterly class schedule and course descriptions are available on the Office of the Registrar's website.

Students may also visit the website of the department offering the course(s) in which they are interested in enrolling. Contact information is available from the Northwestern University department directory.

Please note: Not all Northwestern courses are available to visiting/NDSS students. Please check the department website, course description, or ask the NDSS Office.

Course auditing is not allowed through the NDSS Program.

The NDSS Program is for enrollment in undergraduate courses only.

Admitted Students

Admitted NDSS will receive a detailed information packet and registration information via email.

Admission into the NDSS Program is for a maximum of three consecutive quarters.