*Please note: some transfer credit courses taken beyond the last 10 years may not be approved.

Undergraduate degree candidates may satisfy up to one-half of their graduation requirements with coursework completed at other institutions. Transfer credit is awarded for courses taken at an accredited institution, passed with a grade of C (2.0) or better and similar in focus and classroom hours to courses at Northwestern.

Composition courses taken at other institutions cannot be counted towards the SPS requirement, but they can be transferred in as elective credit.

SPS does not accept military or lifelong learning, data processing or Microsoft applications training for credit. It does not evaluate graduate or professional coursework for credit. Approval of independent studies, field experience, externships, and seminars need to be requested by petition.

Upper-level courses are more rigorous than lower-level courses. Therefore, lower-level classes taken at other institutions may not count as upper-level courses even if the content and title appear similar.

All previously completed courses are evaluated, regardless of when they were completed. All transcripts from previous institutions must be submitted with the undergraduate application. Students offered performance-based or transfer admission will receive an evaluation of their transfer credit upon admission.

Transfer Credit Policy for Preclinical Psychology

Students in the Preclinical Psychology post-baccalaureate certificate program may transfer up to six semester hours, or nine quarter hours of academic credit. A transcript and grade of B or better are required for transferred courses in the program. Courses audited or taken with the pass/no credit option cannot be applied toward a certificate program. Courses earned for a bachelor's degree at SPS may not be applied retroactively toward certificate requirements. Required courses that have been completed by students-at-large may be applied toward the completion of a certificate, subject to the approval of the Registrar's Office.

Transfer Credit Policy for Premedicine, Prephysical Therapy, & Prephysician Assistant

Students in the Premedicine, Prephysical Therapy, and Prephysician Assistant post-baccalaureate certificate programs may transfer up to eight semester hours or twelve quarter hours of academic credit. A transcript and grade of B or better are required to transfer courses for this program. Courses audited or taken with the pass/no credit option cannot be applied toward the program requirements. Courses earned for a bachelor's degree at SPS may not be applied retroactively toward certificate requirements. Students who have completed up to two courses as a student-at-large may apply for a certificate and ask that those courses be included in the certificate. If students complete additional courses (beyond two) as a student-at-large, a petition to the Student Affairs Committee requesting  an exception to policy should be submitted.  

Transfer Credit for the CPA Accounting Certificate Program

Students in the CPA Accounting Certificate program may transfer up to three comparable credit courses that have been completed at other schools prior to admission to SPS. The courses must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution and must have carried academic credit. The courses should be introductory in nature, such as Introduction to Financial Accounting, Introduction to Managerial Accounting, or Income Tax. Transferring courses should be considered only if the courses were completed recently and the student feels adequately prepared for advanced courses. SPS recommends that students admitted to the CPA Accounting Certificate program consult with their SPS academic adviser before transferring previous courses.

Please note that SPS requires an official transcript showing the grade for the course in order to transfer the credit. If the course was not taken at the institution where the student earned an undergraduate degree, those transcripts should be sent to the SPS Registrar. If the course appears on a transcript submitted as part of the application for admission, no additional transcripts are needed. Courses previously applied toward a Northwestern University bachelor’s degree may not be transferred into the certificate program.

College-Level Examination Program Credit

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to demonstrate knowledge and gain college credit in a variety of areas. CLEP credits can satisfy prerequisites or reduce the number of courses needed for a degree. SPS accepts up to 11 units of credit from CLEP tests. Accepted CLEP credits would count toward the maximum 22.5 credit transfer limit.  

Students must submit a petition to the Student Affairs Committee to take a CLEP exam that can be counted toward a degree before registering for the test. It is helpful to consult an academic advisor before submitting the petition.

The CLEP page of the SPS website lists each exam, the minimum score required to receive credit, the units earned for successful completion of the exam and the equivalent SPS course for which students will earn credit. Please note that “1xx” indicates a 100-level course for which there is not an exact SPS equivalent. All official score reports are required to be on file in the SPS Registrar’s Office for credit to be awarded.

Advanced Placement Credit

The College Entrance Examination Board administers AP tests for high school students applying to colleges and universities. In nearly all subject areas, SPS counts a score of 4 or 5 on an AP test as one to two units of credit toward program requirements or electives; please check the Advanced Placement Credit Table for acceptable subjects and scores. AP tests do not satisfy major, minor or foreign language requirements. All official score reports must be sent at the time of application to the

Registrar’s Office
339 East Chicago Avenue
Eighth floor
Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008

Scores are required to be on file for credit to be awarded.

International Baccalaureate Examination Credit

Results of higher-level International Baccalaureate examinations are evaluated for possible award of academic credit. A score of 5 or higher on a higher-level IB examination currently receives course credit. All official score reports must be on file in the SPS Registrar’s Office for credit to be awarded.