Advising, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Welcome! Find next steps on the Welcome to Northwestern page.

Start dates for each quarter can be found on the Important Dates calendar.

Yes. All students are required to submit a photo for a Wildcard (the Northwestern University student ID). See SPS Identity Verification Policy. If you do not anticipate ever coming to campus, you are not required to obtain a physical card, but you must complete the same process.

If you would like to obtain your physical card, you may schedule an appointment to pick it up at the Wildcard office or submit a form to have it mailed to you. 

Prior to first-time enrollment, undergraduate students must make a 60% payment on their first quarter’s tuition or confirm they are receiving financial aid. Northwestern employees who are eligible for and utilizing employee tuition benefits must instead pay their first quarter's full tuition (10%) as their deposit. Steps:

1. Calculate your 60% payment for your first quarter’s tuition. SPS tuition rates may be found on the Tuition and Financial Aid page. If you are a Northwestern employee utilizing employee tuition benefits, calculate 10%. 
2. Make a payment in CAESAR. Find instructions in this guide. You may need to set up GlobalProtect VPN to access CAESAR. Once you have made your payment, you will receive an email confirmation.
3. Forward your payment confirmation email to confirm@northwestern.edu to have your registration released. Registration will be released in one to two business days.

If you are receiving financial aid, email confirm@northwestern.edu so that your eligibility can be confirmed with the Financial Aid Office. Financial aid questions may be directed to the Financial Aid Office. Questions about Northwestern employee benefits may be directed to the Northwestern Benefit’s Office. 

Registration dates for each quarter can be found on the Important Dates calendar.

While registration is open, students can register for their classes in CAESAR. Use this tip sheet for help navigating CAESAR, finding classes, and planning your schedule. You may need to set up GlobalProtect VPN to access CAESAR.

Online courses are marked with a “-DL” suffix (e.g. MPPA 401-DL).

In-person courses are marked with a “-0” suffix (e.g. MPPA 401-0).

Online courses do not meet in person, but they often offer “Optional Synchronous Sessions” through which you can connect with your instructor and classmates via video chat. Attendance is not required, and sessions are recorded so that you can watch them on your own time.

The flexibility of an optional sync session means that you may be able to register for two online courses that have sync sessions scheduled at the same time. If you wish to do this, you will need to contact your academic adviser and submit a change of registration form. 

Required textbooks and course materials will be listed in your syllabus, which should be posted to Canvas by the first day of class. If your instructor has placed an order with the NU Bookstore, you may be able to find the books there prior to the start of the quarter.

If you are unable to access your syllabus or a list of your required materials by the first day of class, please email your instructor directly. You may find their email on the NU People Directory.

Your course instructor’s name can be found in the “Manage Classes” section of CAESAR (you may need to set up GlobalProtect VPN to access CAESAR). You may then search their name on the NU People Directory to locate their email address.

Please see ASLA's guide for emailing faculty. 

Email the SPS Registrar at onlinereg@northwestern.edu using your student email address and request a term activation.

Yes, students may drop a course and then add a course. Students may drop/add courses in CAESAR until the end of the first week of the term (find registration periods on the Important Dates calendar). After the term begins, the system will not allow students to drop their last remaining course. To drop a course, students will also need to submit a Change of Registration form on the Forms and Documents page. Forms are processed within one to two business days. Students are responsible for verifying changes to enrollment in CAESAR. If the registration period has ended, please contact your academic adviser.

Please note that the deadline to drop a course (including swaps) for a full refund is always the day before the quarter begins. See refund schedule.

Students are able to add courses in CAESAR until the end of the first week of classes. Find registration periods on the Important Dates calendar. If you receive an error message in CAESAR, you can add a course by submitting a Change of Registration form on the Forms and Documents page. If the registration period has ended, please contact your academic adviser.

No, instructor permission is not needed for open courses. Registration remains open the first week of classes. Find the dates of the registration period on the Important Dates calendar.

Most faculty members will open the course 1-2 days before the term starts, while some wait until the first day of classes. It is entirely up to the faculty member when courses become available. If your course does not become available in Canvas by the first day of the quarter at 8:30 a.m. CT, reach out to your instructor or notify your academic adviser.

Students who register once the course is already in session should allow 24 hours before their course will become available on their Canvas dashboard.

Please consult the Important Dates calendar and the refund schedule.

Students are able to drop/add course(s) in CAESAR before the start of the term. After the term begins, students will also need to submit a Change of Registration Form on the Forms and Documents page. Forms are processed within one to two business days. Students are responsible for verifying changes to enrollment in CAESAR. Requests to drop a course must be submitted within the allowable drop period, which can be found on the Important Dates calendar.

Drop policy
Removing yourself from a course before the drop deadline will be considered a drop. Doing so after the deadline will be considered a withdrawal. Dropped courses do not appear on a student’s transcript. Find the drop deadline on the Important Dates calendar.

Withdrawal policy
Removing yourself from a course after the drop deadline will be considered a withdrawal. Withdrawals result in a ‘W’ on a student’s official transcript. A 'W’ does not affect the student’s GPA. The process of withdrawing from a course is the same as dropping a course. Requests for withdrawal can be initiated until the Friday of the ninth week of the term. Find the withdrawal deadline on the Important Dates calendar.

SPS students are allowed to take off two consecutive quarters while remaining an active student. Upon the third quarter of non-enrollment, students will be discontinued at the end of the registration period. See Continuous Enrollment Requirement in the General Registration Policies.

Students may defer their enrollment date for up to four quarters. Email the SPS Registrar at onlinereg@northwestern.edu using your student email address and request to defer.

Find information on SPS policies and procedures for medical leaves of absence, as well as other types of absence, on our Leaves of Absence page.