Undergraduate

FAQ

Frequently asked questions and answers regarding administrative issues for undergraduate students of philosophy

General

Study Abroad

Departmental approval for courses taken abroad
Non-philosophy courses taken abroad
Study abroad, but keep in touch with philosophy

For Majors and Minors

Petition to graduate
Departmental evaluation of credits from another four-year institution
Departmental recognition of credits from another Northwestern department as philosophy credits towards the major

General

Q. Where can I make suggestions, air ideas, and make informal complaints, or participate otherwise in departmental life?

A. In general, any faculty member you're comfortable talking to will be happy to help, advise or direct you to the right place. More specifically, our undergraduate advisors and Director of Undergraduate Studies are glad to get your input and will take it to the right places. Just so you see it matters: when a group of undergrdautes organized themselves recently, we helped them found and maintain the Undergraduate Philosophy Society (UPS) at NU, and we recently were able to adjust the rules for honors theses because students had told us about their needs, contraints and preferences. So: if there's anything on your mind, please GET INVOLVED and GET IN TOUCH.

Study Abroad

Q. What should I do to get departmental approval for courses I have taken abroad or at other universities?

A. Because the material of classes offered at different universities can differ significantly from those at our department, you need to get departmental recognition for the courses you have taken at other universities. In particular, the department's committee of undergraduate advisors has to decide whether a specific course can count as equivalent to one of the core requirements (History of Philosophy, Logic, Ethics), and which level (200, 300) corresponds to a course that is not a core requirement. In order to get the departmental recognition, please hand in the following materials to your undergraduate advisor:

FOUR copies (yes, 4!) of the syllabus and course description of the course you wish to have checked OR (preferably) an electronic copy of the syllabus and course description.
If not specified in these materials, we also need a precise explanation of the assignments you fulfilled.
A filled-in form from the College called "Petition for Credit for Courses taken abroad" (to download, you need Acrobat Reader).
Please note (not on the form, but on a separate piece of paper or in your email) which course you would like each of the courses taken abroad to be recognized as; this is the only way of making sure that your abroad-courses are not credited as a NU-philosophy course that you actually have already taken.

Once the departmental undergraduate program committee has decided about your request, you will be notified by your advisor to pick up the form and return it to the Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising, 1908 Sheridan Road, for further processing with the Registrar.

Q. Will courses taken abroad or at other universities be recognized that were offered at other departments than philosophy?

A. Generally no. In exceptional cases, the committee may decide otherwise, but the general policy is to honor only courses from philosophy departments.

Q. What should I do if I want to study abroad, but keep in touch with philosophy?

A. Wonder. Think. Work at becoming a good person. Read. Write. Email others in the philosophy community. In any event: Before you leave, see our study abroad expert, Mark Sheldon.

For Majors and Minors

Q. What should I do to petition to graduate?

A. The person in the department who will take care of your petition to graduate is your undergraduate advisor. She or he is responsible for ensuring that you either already have or will be able to fulfill your requirements. For this purpose, please follow these steps:

Go over the requirements for the major at our department, and check those classes you have already taken. Make sure you know exactly which requirements are still missing.
Regarding the classes you plan to take in your senior year, make sure that these classes are offered, and when. In order to find out, either follow this link to the yearly planner, or ask Betty Chau Nguyen at the department office for help.
Get a form to petition to graduate.
Fill the form in as indicated; again, filling in the classes still missing is important.
Print out a provisional transcript as a control of the classes recognized by the college.
Make an appointment with your undergraduate advisor, or drop in during her or his office hours. To this appointment, please bring:

your transcript
your filled-in form
any evidence of the department's recognition of courses you have taken at other universities or abroad (see below for more on this).

Q. How do I get specific course credits for courses I have taken at another university before coming to Northwestern?

A. Generally, if your courses were taken at the philosophy department of another four-year, degree-granting institution (i.e., college or university), there should be no problem to get credits. However, what specific course your credit will count for has to be determined by the department's Undergraduate Advising Committee. In order to get this evaluation, please bring the following to your advisor:

FOUR copies (yes, 4!) of the syllabus and course description of the course you wish to have checked OR (preferably) an electronic copy of the syllabus and course description.
If not specified in these materials, we also need a precise explanation of the assignments you fulfilled.
A short note explaining which course of our program you would think these already taken courses are equivalent to, or for which elective you would like this to count.
A filled in form from the College called Application for credit for non-Northwestern courses.

Once the departmental committee for undergraduate advising has made its decision, you will be notified by your advisor to pick up the form and return it to the Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising for further processing.

Q. How do I get specific course credits towards my philosophy major for courses I have taken at another Northwestern department?

A. Our departmental rules for the major in philosophy allow you to have at most one course taken in another department recognized as a philosophy course. Obviously, this is only possible insofar as the course in question had an unquestionably philosophical content. However, what specific course your credit will count for has to be determined by the department's Undergraduate Advising Committee. In order to get this evaluation, please bring the following to your advisor:

FOUR copies (yes, 4!) of the syllabus and course description of the course you wish to have checked OR (preferably) an electronic copy of the syllabus and course description.
If not specified in these materials, we also need a precise explanation of the assignments you fulfilled.
A short note concerning what course of our program you would think this course to be equivalent to, or for which elective you would like the course to count.

Q. When should I fill out the Petition to Graduate?

A. You should consult the Weinberg web site here. To file the Petition to Graduate, you should make an appointment with your adviser. Make sure to bring the appropriate completed form as well as your Academic Progress report, so that you can review your major or minor program with your advisor. If you do not know who your adviser is (or if your adviser is unavailable), please e-mail Betty Chau Nguyen and she can assist you in finding the relevant person.

Q. May I request a permission number to register, or request that you save a space for me in a class, prior to the opening of the registration period?

A. No. Permission numbers will not be sent out nor will spaces be saved weeks or days before your registration begins.

If you are a major or minor, then you may request your permission number any time either after you receive the Notice of Pre-Registration Class List from the office, which is usually after 3:00 pm on the Friday preceding pre-Registration. Your requests will not be answered until Monday morning.

If you are a non-major or minor, then you may request a permission number only after the start the opening day of registration.

Q. I want to take a Philosophy 399-0 Independent Study class. Can I have a permission number?

A. Independent Study is by Instructor Consent. Please present a proposal to your intended instructor. If the instructor approves, then have that instructor e-mail the approval to Betty Chau Nguyen. If you have received an e-mail approval from the instructor, you may forward the e-mail approval to Betty. Upon receipt of the instructor approval, Betty will send you a permission number.

Q. Add week/Late registration has ended. I need to get a permission number for a class. What should I do?

A. After add week/late registration ends, permission numbers will not work without the completion of an add slip and the intervention of the dean.

You are urged to regularly consult the Registrar's Academic Calendar which lists all such deadlines for the entire school year. You will find this in Caesar, and at this link: http://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/calendars/index.html

Q. I have a Time Conflict; I have to drop/add; I need to know when registration starts; I need help with Caesar; I have another Registration issue. What should I do?

A. Go to the Office of the Registrar at http://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/. If you do not see your issue in the list, type it in the 'Ask a Question' box.

MAJORS AND MINORS: Here are some handy Weinberg links:

Weinberg Undergraduates page: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/

Site map: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/sitemap.html

Degree requirements: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/degree/

Majors and minors – list of options: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/majors/list.html

Major worksheets: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/majors/worksheet.html

Distribution requirements – rules: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/degree/distro/rules.html

Distribution requirements – eligible courses: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/degree/distro/courses.html

Rules and policies: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/rules/

Forms and documents: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/forms/

AP tables: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/freshmen/credit/apcredit.html

Study abroad: http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/studyabroad/