Graduate
McCormick PhD Student Registration Requirements

In addition to program-specific curriculum and registration requirements, McCormick has conditions for taking time away from studies for an internship (CRDV 510) or registering for unfunded research (TGS 512). You can find both enrollment policies below.

Crown Family Internship

This internship is an elective program that lets PhD students get practical experience in industry or at national laboratories in areas closely related to their research. These internships can provide impetus for the intern’s thesis and may lead to future employment.

TGS 512

TGS 512 is an unfunded registration. It is reserved for PhD students past their 20th quarter who are no longer providing research or instructional services for the university.

Permission numbers are required to enroll in TGS 512, and the following restrictions must be followed:

  • Students cannot register for TGS 512 in their first 20 quarters unless granted an exception by their advisor and the Dean’s Office. Students can request an exception by emailing mccormick-gradprograms@northwestern.edu.
  • Students cannot alternate TGS 512 registration with another full-time, funded registration without Dean’s Office approval.
  • Students cannot register for more than 2 quarters of TGS 512 without an academic performance plan.

If a student requires a third (or more) quarter of registration, the advisor and student are required to:

  • Agree to an academic performance plan for the upcoming quarter; and
  • Set goals at the end of the second (or higher, N) quarter and meet at the end of the third (or higher, N+1) to discuss progress and determine if the student remains in good academic standing, as defined by their program handbook and TGS.