Special programs

Creative Writing for the Media

This program is taught by faculty from the theater, performance studies, and radio/television/film departments. Students selected during their sophomore year are given assignments in a variety of genres, which are then critiqued by colleagues. Each assignment emphasizes the conventions of a particular medium and allows students to gain experience writing under pressure. The program sponsors several workshops with visiting professional writers.

Honors Program in Medical Education

The Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME) is designed for unusually gifted and highly motivated students who seek careers in medicine or medical science. HPME students participate in a flexible, individualized program that shortens the length of premedical study by one year. A select group of freshmen are admitted to the program each year and are simultaneously admitted to Northwestern University Medical School.

Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program

The Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program is a special admission program available to 48 first-year students in either the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Communication. This set of fall and winter seminars (which satisfies the WCAS freshman-seminar requirement) tackles the age-old question: What is the nature of the "good society?" Intended for students who are interested in the natural and social sciences as well as those who plan to major in the humanities, the program has been uniquely developed to give freshmen an opportunity to explore the humanities under the guidance of some of Northwestern's most prominent faculty members.

Music Theatre

Offered cooperatively by the School of Communication and the School of Music, this program permits students majoring in theatre or voice to create a second area of specialization. Voice majors take acting and related theatre courses, while theatre majors work with a member of the voice faculty.

Auditions for this selective program are held spring quarter for freshmen and sophomores. Students take a minimum of seven courses, including those in the history of music and lyric theatre, dance and musical theatre techniques, and voice and actor training.

Animate Arts

This undergraduate adjunct major provides an interdisciplinary approach to studying and creating new digital media. Its curriculum tightly integrates education in the arts and in technology - particularly computer programming. It incorporates several areas of study ranging from art theory to music and dance. A primary focus of this major is to provide students with multiple opportunities to actively integrate various art forms with technology in the development of creative projects.

Northwestern Debate Society

The oldest continuous debate program in the country, the Northwestern Debate Society helps students develop analytical and communication skills through research, individual coaching, discussion, and intercollegiate competition. Each year members compete in two-person policy debate tournaments across the nation. The society also sponsors two debate tournaments on campus. Northwestern has placed first in the National Debate Tournament twelve times, more than any other college or university.

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