BA/BS in Liberal Arts and Engineering

 

NOTE: This Catalog describes Weinberg College BA requirements that pertain to students who matriculated at Northwestern after spring quarter 2023. Refer to the Archives if you are following BA requirements described in the 2018-2019 through 2022-2023 editions.

Qualified Northwestern undergraduates with strong interests in the liberal arts as well as engineering may elect to earn both a bachelor of arts degree from Weinberg College and a bachelor of science degree in an engineering field from the McCormick School (BA/BS), typically with five years of enrollment. Students may pursue most major combinations from the two schools, with some exceptions (for example students cannot combine the McCormick degree in computer science with the Weinberg College major in computer science, or the McCormick degree in materials science with the Weinberg College minor in materials science). Students must complete all requirements of both schools including a major in each, are subject to all regulations of both schools, and must meet or exceed the required units of credit and quarters of enrollment described for the dual bachelor's degree by the Undergraduate Registration Requirement. The following policies also apply.

  • Units of credit may be double-counted toward both degrees, except as specified below with respect to major requirements. In other words, students are not required to complete 93 units of credit for the dual degree (45 for the BA plus 48 for the BS) but they must satisfy all requirements in both schools. To verify completion students are required to follow the graduation petition procedures of both schools.
  • A single course may be used to fulfill a specific BA degree requirement and a specific BS degree requirement if the course is so designated by the rules of both schools, but Weinberg College has restrictions limiting double-counting of courses towards more than one major or toward both a major and a minor. Courses used to satisfy engineering major program requirements are subject to these double-counting rules with regard to the student's Weinberg College major (units vary). Students should consult a major adviser about allowable course substitutions when needed.
  • Students who start in McCormick and add the BA in sophomore year or later are considered to have satisfied the requirements of a College Seminar and a First-Year Writing Seminar if they have successfully completed DSGN 106-1, DSGN 106-2, ENGLISH 106-1, and ENGLISH 106-2.
  • Occasionally students may be exempted (by decision of the Weinberg College associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs) from the rule requiring a minimum of 34 units of credit in Weinberg College disciplines (for more information see the Weinberg College section of this catalog describing Requirements).
Interested students most often begin their studies in the McCormick School. To do the necessary planning, they should consult with a Weinberg College Adviser and the McCormick School Undergraduate Engineering Office as soon as possible after enrolling at Northwestern, and submit an application before the end of sophomore year (application instructions can be found on the Registrar's Office webpage under Add or Remove Dual Degree Program). Students should meet regularly with advisers in both schools to discuss their progress toward completion of both sets of requirements.