Study Outside Northwestern
Study Abroad
Study abroad is an integral part of many students' Northwestern experience. With early planning, students from all schools and majors are able to study abroad during their time at Northwestern.
The Global Learning Office (GLO), housed within the Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, offers credit-bearing study abroad, exchange, research, and academic internship opportunities for Northwestern University undergraduate students. Northwestern administers or affiliates with more than 150 programs in 50 countries, offering a wide variety of program structures, lengths, terms and academic focuses to meet students’ diverse needs and goals. These credit-bearing global learning opportunities form a crucial part of the Northwestern experience and help prepare students for success in an increasingly interconnected world.
Study abroad is available during the academic year as well as summer and need not delay graduation. To apply, students submit a study abroad application, including signatures from school advisers and, in many cases, department advisers; approval is required before the study abroad experience. All students approved by Northwestern to study abroad remain registered at Northwestern while abroad.
Northwestern is committed to making study abroad financially accessible to all students. Students participating in University exchange programs and some programs administered by the University continue to pay Northwestern tuition. For all other programs, students pay the program fee plus a Northwestern study abroad administrative fee. Northwestern financial aid applies to students participating in Northwestern-sponsored and affiliated programs, and students may also apply for Northwestern grant assistance to help offset the cost of their programs. Additional sources of funding include GLO scholarships, opportunities through the Office of Fellowships, and external scholarships. Students who wish to participate in unaffiliated programs must petition for permission to apply. No financial aid is available from the University for students on unaffiliated programs, and Northwestern cannot process their outside aid.
Study abroad programs vary, and may include language or other academic prerequisites; interested students should consult with study abroad advisers early in their Northwestern careers. Other resources include information sessions, an annual study abroad fair, GLO Student Ambassadors, and detailed information about study abroad programs and policies on the GLO website.
Field Studies and Internships
Many off-campus field studies, internships, and research opportunities sponsored by schools and departments, including McCormick’s co-op program, are available to Northwestern students. The programs vary greatly. Some carry academic credit and/or a stipend. Some are done in conjunction with coursework, while others require full-time commitment and may involve living away from campus. Field study and internship opportunities are available during both the regular academic year and Summer Session. See the individual schools and departments in this catalog for details. Additional information on internship opportunities is available from Northwestern Career Advancement.