Classroom Experience at Northwestern
Northwestern's calendar operates on the quarter system, in which the academic year is divided into three 10-week terms (for fall, winter and spring) and a summer session of eight weeks. The quarter system allows students to take a greater number of courses and tends to encourage participation in internships and other off-campus experiences. You will take (on average) four courses per quarter or 12 per academic year on the quarter system.
At Northwestern, you will also learn from nationally and internationally recognized faculty who are passionate about teaching. More than 90 percent of our undergraduate-level classes are taught by professors and Northwestern's overall student-faculty ratio is an impressive 7 to 1. As for class size, nearly three-quarters of all undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students. Our professors are inspired by the enthusiasm and intelligence of our undergraduates, and often invite them to participate in their ground-breaking research initiatives, or encourage and mentor students in their own research projects.
Learn more about the faculty in each of our six undergraduate schools:
