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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 2025 can register for courses through CAESAR. The Summer Session class schedule will be available in CAESAR beginning Monday, March 31, 2025. Appointment times for the first four days of Summer Session registration (April 7–10) 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: There is only ONE registration period for ALL summer session courses , including 2nd and 3rd intensive sequence courses and courses that begin later in the summer. Summer Session registration is from April 7, 2025 through June 20, 2025, however low enrolled classes could be cancelled earlier, so please register early.
Newly admitted first-year and transfer undergraduate students who will matriculate at Northwestern University in fall 2025 are not eligible to enroll in Summer Session courses.
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 or -DL 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.
Please visit the Registrar's webpage for complete guidelines to Summer Session.
*Special Note for Summer Session: Summer Session is billed per class, which is different than fall, winter, and spring. This creates different policies regarding drop and withdrawal dates and how this might affect your tuition refund. BE SURE you understand the drop/withdrawal policies for summer, including how a drop could affect your financial aid. (Please see the tuition tab for more details.)
Late Registration
Late registration takes place Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27. You may register through CAESAR or contact the Office of the Registrar: nu-registrar@northwestern.edu.
Late add forms for Northwestern undergraduates are accessible online. Please visit the Registration Forms page for the link to the online add/drop/pn form:
https://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/registration-graduation/registration-graduation-forms.html
Intensive Course Sequences
Complete One Year of Curriculum in Nine Weeks
Intensive course sequences compress three quarters of academic work into one summer. Each course counts as one credit and carries its own tuition. Each sequence meets five days per week for three weeks. Individual courses in any intensive sequence may be taken separately, subject to prerequisites and department approval. Please view individual course descriptions for full details.
Intensive course sequences available in Summer 2024: (*Summer 2025 intensive course sequences will be listed January 27, 2025.)
Sciences
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
General Physics
College Physics
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.
All changes in registration must be made through CAESAR or the Office of the Registrar; 847-491-5235; nu-registrar@northwestern.edu.
Refund Policy and Schedule
Summer Session is billed per class, which is different than fall, winter, and spring. This creates different policies regarding drop and withdrawal dates and how this might affect your tuition refund. Please be sure you understand the drop/withdrawal policies for summer, including how a drop could affect your financial aid. (See additional information below.)
Information can be found on the Registrar's Office website.
Information can also be found on the Student Finance website.
Information can also be found on the Financial Aid website.
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 so students must submit a drop form before the first day of class in order to receive a full tuition refund.
Because Summer Session classes meet for various durations and have different start and end dates throughout the summer, please visit the Student Financial Services Withdrawal Calculator (click on the SPS and Summer Session tab) to calculate any potential refund due.
For more specific details regarding tuition and refunds please contact:
Office of Student Finance - Evanston Campus
847-491-5224
studentaccount-ev@northwestern.edu
Office of Student Finance - Chicago Campus
312-503-8503
studentaccount-chicago@northwestern.edu
Credit and Grades
Credit
Northwestern students earn one unit of credit per course unless otherwise noted (e.g., Field Study and Study Abroad courses).
Auditing Courses
Course auditing is not allowed in Summer Session.
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
Transcripts for courses taken in summer are available through the main registrar's office. 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.