Prospective Graduate Students
Explore & Apply
Our Charge
Preparing and inspiring scholars to transform our world.
From admission to graduation, The Graduate School (TGS) supports graduate students throughout their experience, awarding doctoral and master’s degrees in more than seventy disciplines. We are a resource throughout your academic journey.
Find Your ProgramApplication StepsPoints of Pride
See what makes TGS special, by the numbers
A Stipend for the 21st Century
$33,504
annually for PhD students through fellowships or assistantships. More on stipend rates
Support for Parents
12 weeks
paid parental leave for PhD students who are new parents. All family resources
A smooth transition
34%
of students are international, supported through language and other programs. See all supports
Connected to Campus & City
7 miles
between our Evanston campus and Chicago. Travel by free buses and trains. U-Pass transit programs
Ongoing Inclusion
1:1
mentor/mentee pairings in our Diversity Peer Mentor Program. More diversity initiatives
Funding Your Studies
Fellowships, grants, assistantship options, and more
TGS provides most doctoral students with a stipend and scholarship to pay tuition costs; they are supported for a minimum of five years. For master’s students, external grants and loans make graduate study accessible.
Funding OptionsTGS Spotlight
TGS is home to more than 3,200 PhD and 1,400 Master’s students, from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Get to know our diverse community.
Happenings at TGS
Don't miss news, opportunities and announcements.
News
Announcing the 2020 Presidential Fellowship Winners
“I am pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the Presidential Fellowship. Please join me in congratulating these remarkable students on this momentous achievement.”
Read the complete message from Dean Woodruff.
Events
Last day for graduate students to change grading status to or fro...
May 29, All Day
Last day for graduate students to change grading status to or from P/N for Spring classes, where allowed.
Last day to drop a class for Spring. (No tuition adjustment after...
May 29, All Day
Last day to drop a class for Spring. (No tuition adjustment after April 24)
Announcements
Registration Guidelines for Summer 2020
Below are guidelines regarding summer enrollment for students in The Graduate School. If you have questions that are not answered below, please email gradservices@northwestern.edu.
TGS PhD and MFA Virtual Recognition Ceremony on June 19, 2020
We hope you are well and safe. Given President Schapiro’s May 1 message to graduates that Northwestern will host a virtual Commencement ceremony on June 19, 2020 and invite this year’s graduates to attend an in-person ceremony in June 2021, we want to share our plan at TGS.