Specialized Studies for Career Advancement

Career changers and professionals seeking to advance within their organization can create a customized program of study to meet their goals. Students in this program develop a specialized academic plan of four to eight courses that capitalizes on their background and that suits their professional and personal objectives. For example, a student might build a plan comprised of business courses from different subjects (such as accounting, finance, and marketing), or of a grouping of courses across disciplines (such as information systems and communication studies).

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Students interested in creating a specialized program to prepare for graduate or professional school and PhD programs should explore the Pregraduate Specialized Studies post-baccalaureate program.

 

Program Details

 

Time to Completion
  • Two quarters to two years, based on your goals and number of courses
Location and Times
  • Evening courses on Northwestern's Evanston and Chicago campuses
  • Fully online courses
Advising
  • Work with an adviser to develop a specialized academic program
Application
  • When applying, select Specialized Studies as Certificate Program

 

Areas of Study

Create a plan of study to suit your needs, choosing courses from across academic subjects offered in SPS. In some subjects, 300-level courses may have prerequisites, which are noted in course descriptions.

To view available courses in the subjects below, applicants should consult the SPS undergraduate course schedule. 

View current course schedule

Subjects include:

  • Accounting
  • Biological Sciences
  • Communication Studies
  • Economics
  • English
  • Finance
  • Health Sciences
  • Information Systems
  • Journalism
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics (algebra, calculus)
  • Organization Behavior
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology

 

Specialized Studies Courses

Search for courses in the subjects above in the undergraduate course schedule. Descriptions, schedules, and locations are included.

Specialized Studies for Career Advancement Tuition

Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the Tuition page.

Admission for Specialized Studies for Career Advancement

In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found on the Admission page.

Specialized Studies for Career Advancement Registration Information

Registration for courses opens 8 to 10 weeks before each quarter and is accessed CAESAR,  Northwestern's online student records system. View course registration timelines and instructions on Registration Information page.


Find out more about the Specialized Studies for Career Advancement

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