Master's Degree Requirements

The Graduate School at Northwestern University offers the degrees of:

  • Master of Arts (MA)
  • Master of Science (MS)
  • Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

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Each student's program of study for a master's degree must be approved by the student's academic program. Each student enrolled in a master's program must have an adviser who advises on plan of study and degree requirements. The adviser must be a member of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty. In addition to requirements directly related to awarding of a degree, all students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress and standards of academic integrity.  

Registration and changes of academic program regulations apply to all students across degree programs and disciplines. These policies are subject to change without notice.

Master's Courses

To be eligible for a master's degree, a student must successfully complete at least nine quality letter-graded course units (ABC, not P/NP or S/U) authorized for graduate credit.

Credit earned at an undergraduate institution or at another graduate school or a professional school may, with program approval, be applied toward the program's coursework requirements, but not toward The Graduate School’s minimum coursework requirement. Specific course requirements for the master's degree are listed by program. 

No more than one-third of the total units presented for the master's degree may be Independent Study.

Master's Timeline

Students must complete all the requirements for the master's degree within five years of the date of their initial registration in The Graduate School, which falls on the last day of the 20th quarter. Students who do not complete their degree within five years and were not previously granted deadline extensions related to approved leaves will not be considered in good academic standing and will be placed on academic probation by The Graduate School. Individual programs may have stricter deadlines.

Master's Degree Completion

Graduation Requirements

To receive the master's degree, a student must:

  • Complete all required coursework and requirements for the master's degree.
  • Complete an Application for a Degree form and receive program approval of the form by the date specified in the Academic Calendar.
  • Complete the Master's Degree Completion form and receive program approval of the form by the date specified in the Academic Calendar. 
  • Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and no X, Y, K, or NR grades on the transcript. All grades must be entered and Change of Grade forms submitted by the grade deadline specified in the Academic Calendar.
  • If required by the program, engage in a culminating academic experience, such as a thesis or oral presentation, or pass a final exam as a part of the program of study for a master's degree. Programs will determine the nature of this culminating experience requirement, with the approval of The Graduate School, and the corresponding number of units of credit, if any. Students who are completing a thesis must have a thesis committee. A minimum of two individuals, both of whom must be members of the Northwestern University Graduate Faculty, must serve on a master's thesis committee.  The Graduate School does not collect master's theses or documentation of the academic culminating experience.

Students who are petitioning for a master's on the way to the PhD in their PhD field of study must first submit the Masters in Primary Field of PhD Study form. After the form is approved by The Graduate School the student must submit both the Application for Degree and Master's Degree Completion forms in their master's record in GSP.

Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree

  • Students in a combined bachelor's/master's (accelerated master's) degree program earn two degrees: a bachelor's degree from their undergraduate school and a master's degree from The Graduate School.
  • Students may complete the combined degree program concurrently (i.e., complete the degree requirements for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time ad receive both degrees in the same term) or may complete the undergraduate degree first and then complete the master’s degree after the bachelor's is awarded. Students in the combined degree program may not receive the master’s degree before the bachelor’s degree.
    • Students who finish their undergraduate degree concurrently with their master’s degree will remain categorized as “undergraduate” for their entire term of study (no more than twelve quarters, typically). Students who receive their undergraduate degree (after twelve quarters) but have remaining graduate course work to complete will be given graduate student status upon awarding of the bachelor's. 
    • Students in the combined degree program who receive both degrees in the same quarter will have a single undergraduate transcript and GPA that reflects all coursework completed for both the bachelor's and master’s degrees. Students who matriculate into the master’s program after earning the bachelor’s will have an undergraduate transcript that displays all coursework (undergraduate and graduate) taken prior to bachelor’s conferral, and a separate graduate transcript and GPA for the master’s coursework taken after bachelor’s conferral.
  • Combined degree (bachelor’s/master’s) students must meet The Graduate School’s minimum course requirements to earn the master’s degree. Students must successfully complete at least nine quality letter-graded course units (ABC, not P/NP or S/U) authorized for graduate credit in addition to completing the minimum number of units of credit needed for a bachelor’s degree (42 or more units, depending on the degree and school). The Graduate School allows a maximum of three units to count towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Individual programs may have more strict requirements. Students must speak with both their undergraduate and graduate advisers to ensure that both sets of requirements are met without exceeding the limits of double counting.
  • Courses presented for the master’s degree must have an average 3.0 GPA and follow the grading requirements of The Graduate School. Courses with grades of D or CR cannot be used to meet The Graduate School’s minimum requirements for the master’s degree.