CHICAGO FIELD STUDIES

How CFS Credit Works

Chicago Field Studies (CFS) follows an experiential learning model where coursework is connected to field experience in the form of an internship.  While a CFS course requires an internship for enrollment, the academic credit and grade received are based on the academic work performed in the class.

Our courses offer “variable” credit options, typically 1-4 or 2-4.  Credit levels correspond to weekly internship hours and coursework amount.  

Relationship between units of credit and weekly internship hours:  

1 credit = 10+ hours/week 
2 credits = 15+ hours/week 
3 credits = 20+ hours/week 
4 credits = 25+ hours/week 

Note: these weekly hour amounts are minimums. You can choose to intern more hours per week than your credit level requires, but you cannot work less. 

Relationship between credits and amount of coursework: The higher the units of credit, the more academic work will be required (typically in the form of an additional assignment per credit level). As a result, students in the same course may have different amounts of coursework based on credit levels. 

The grade that you receive will be weighted by the number of credits you take.  For instance, if you enroll in a CFS course for four credits, your grade for the course will count four times in your GPA. If you enroll in a CFS course for one credit, the grade will count once. 

Students typically decide on their credit level for the CFS course well before the start of the quarter. When determining credit level for a CFS course, a student typically considers the internship arrangement they have agreed to as well as any other courses or commitments they need to fulfill that quarter. Once enrolled, a student must finalize their credit level in Caesar by the end of the regular drop/add period (typically by the end of Week 1). 

CFS can be done more than once by most students. Weinberg students are able to count at most 6 units of internship course credit toward their Weinberg College degree. See Weinberg's Internship for Credit page for more details. 

Students from other schools should check with their academic advisors. Any CFS units taken beyond your home school's internship credit limit (e.g. beyond 6 for Weinberg) will count toward your GPA and appear on your transcript, but will not count toward your degree. See CFS Eligibility for more details. 

CFS course credits may count toward majors and minors as well. Check with your major/minor advisors to see how CFS credits might count for you. 

WCAS Degree Requirements

For Weinberg students who started at Northwestern before Summer 2023, many CFS classes will count for one credit toward Weinberg Distribution Requirements, see table below.

For Weinberg students who started at Northwestern in or after Summer 2023 (including transfer students), see below for which CFS courses currently fulfill a Weinberg degree requirement. We  will update this page if additional CFS courses receive approvals. 

For students in other Northwestern schools, please check with your academic advisor to see if this or other CFS classes count towards any requirements for you. 

III = Social and Behavioral Sciences

IV = Historical Studies

VI = Literature and Fine Arts

*If you haven’t satisfied area III yet, 393 will satisfy area III first and then if you take another area III later, you can submit a request to the Registrar to have 393 satisfy area IV at that time.

WCAS Guidelines for Internships