Program Overview

Northwestern University Academic Catalog

School of Professional Studies

The School of Professional Studies offers various undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as certificates, to cater to the diverse needs of students.

Undergraduate Programs

• Biological Sciences: BSGS
• Communication Studies: BPhil Com
• Economics: BPhil, BSGS
• English: Writing: BPhil, BSGS
• Enterprise Leadership: BS
• Health Sciences: BS
• Humanities: BPhil, BSGS
• Information Systems: BPhil, BS, BSGS
• Organization Behavior: BPhil, BSGS
• Psychology: BPhil, BSGS
• Social Sciences: BPhil, BS, BSGS
• Strategic Communication: BS

Graduate Programs

• Data Science: MS, MS Analytics and Modeling Specialization, MS Analytics Management Specialization, MS Artificial Intelligence Specialization, MS Data Engineering Specialization, MS Technology Entrepreneurship Specialization
• Global Health: MS
• Health Analytics: MS
• Healthcare Administration: MS
• Health Informatics: MS, MS Clinical Informatics Specialization, MS Health Administration Informatics Specialization, MS Health Technology Informatics Specialization
• Information Design and Strategy: MS, MS Communication with Data Specialization, MS Content Strategy Specialization, MS Learning Design Specialization, MS UX/UI Specialization
• Information Systems: MS, MS Artificial Intelligence Specialization, MS Data Science Specialization, MS Database and Internet Technologies Specialization, MS Digital Transformation Specialization, MS Health Informatics Specialization, MS Information Systems Management Specialization, MS Information Systems Security Specialization, MS Project Management Specialization
• Liberal Studies: MA, MA Interdisciplinary Studies Specialization
• Literature: MA, MA American Literature Specialization, MA British Literature Specialization, MA Comparative and World Literature Specialization, MA Film, Literature, and Visual Culture Specialization, MA Interdisciplinary Studies Specialization
• Prose and Poetry: MFA, MFA Dual-Genre Specialization, MFA Fiction Specialization, MFA Nonfiction Specialization, MFA Poetry Specialization, MFA Publishing and Professional Development Specialization
• Public Policy and Administration: MA, MA Data Analytics for Public Policy Specialization, MA Global Health Specialization, MA Global Policy Specialization, MA Public Administration Specialization, MA Public Policy Specialization
• Regulatory Compliance: MS, MS Clinical Research Specialization, MS Quality Systems Specialization
• Sports Administration: MA, MA College Sports Management Specialization, MA Sports Analytics Specialization
• Writing: MA, MA Dual-Genre Specialization, MA Fiction Specialization, MA Nonfiction Specialization, MA Poetry Specialization, MA Publishing and Professional Development Specialization

Certificates

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

• Advanced Accounting: Certificate
• Advanced Studies in Biology for Health Professions: Certificate
• Advanced Studies in Psychology: Certificate
• Artificial Intelligence: Certificate
• Biology for Health Sciences: Certificate
• Business Essentials: Certificate
• Business Writing/Communication: Certificate
• Change Management: Certificate
• Corporate Communication and Branding: Certificate
• CPA Accounting: Certificate
• Creative Writing: Certificate
• Data Science: Certificate
• Digital Content Management: Certificate
• Fundamentals of Accounting: Certificate
• Health, Science and Society: Certificate
• Human Resources: Certificate
• Law and Policy: Certificate
• Leadership: Certificate
• Math for Data Science: Certificate
• Pre-Clinical Psychology: Certificate
• Pre-Graduate Business Administration: Certificate
• Pre-Medicine: Certificate
• Pre-Physical Therapy: Certificate
• Pre-Physician Assistant: Certificate
• Programming: Certificate
• Public Health: Certificate
• Research and Analytics: Certificate
• Social Justice: Certificate
• Specialized Studies: Certificates
• Strategic Communication: Certificate
• Strategic Management: Certificate
• Strategic Marketing: Certificate
• Writing for Print and Digital Media: Certificate

Graduate Certificates

• Data Science: Analytics and Modeling, Graduate Certificate, Analytics Management, Graduate Certificate, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Data Engineering, Graduate Certificate, Technology Entrepreneurship, Graduate Certificate
• Global Health: Global Health Leadership, Graduate Certificate
• Health Analytics: Health Analytics, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Health Data Science, Graduate Certificate
• Health Informatics: Health Informatics Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Studies in Health Informatics, Advanced Graduate Certificate
• Healthcare Industry: Healthcare Industry, Graduate Certificate
• Information Design and Strategy: Communication with Data, Graduate Certificate, Content Strategy, Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Studies in Information Design and Strategy, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Learning Design, Graduate Certificate
• Information Systems: Database & Internet Technologies, Graduate Certificate, Information Systems Management, Graduate Certificate, Information Systems Security, Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Studies in Information Systems, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Project Management, Graduate Certificate
• Liberal Studies: Interdisciplinary Studies, Advanced Graduate Certificate
• Literature: Interdisciplinary Studies, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Literature, Graduate Certificate
• Predictive Analytics: Data Science, Advanced Graduate Certificate
• Public Policy and Administration: Climate Change Communication, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Global Policy, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Policy Analysis, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Public Administration, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Public Policy and Administration, Graduate Certificate, Public Policy, Advanced Graduate Certificate
• Regulatory Compliance: Interdisciplinary Studies in Regulatory Compliance, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Regulatory Compliance Graduate Certificate
• Regulatory Policy & Health Systems: Regulatory Policy and Health Systems, Graduate Certificate
• Sports Administration: College Sports Management, Graduate Certificate, Esports, Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Studies in Sports Administration, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Sports Analytics, Graduate Certificate, Sports Communication, Graduate Certificate, Sports Management, Graduate Certificate
• Writing: Creative Writing, Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Studies in Writing, Advanced Graduate Certificate, Publishing and Professional Development in Writing, Advanced Graduate Certificate

Data Science, Advanced Graduate Certificate

Prior to applying to this program, students must have completed MSDS 420-DL Database Systems and MSDS 422-DL Practical Machine Learning or are expected to possess equivalent knowledge and skills.

Curriculum

To earn a certificate, students must complete any four of the MSDS electives:

• MSDS 402-DL: Research Design for Data Science
• MSDS 403-DL: Data Science and Digital Transformation
• MSDS 410-DL: Supervised Learning Methods
• MSDS 411-DL: Unsupervised Learning Methods
• MSDS 413-DL: Times Series Analysis and Forecasting
• MSDS 431-DL: Go and AI-Assisted Programming
• MSDS 432-DL: Foundations of Data Engineering
• MSDS 434-DL: Data Science and Cloud Computing
• MSDS 436-DL: Technology Product Engineering
• MSDS 440-DL: Conversational AI Assistants
• MSDS 442-DL: AI Agent Design and Development
• MSDS 450-DL: Marketing Analytics
• MSDS 451-DL: Financial Engineering
• MSDS 452-DL: Graphical and Network Models
• MSDS 453-DL: Natural Language Processing
• MSDS 454-DL: Applied Probability and Simulation Modeling
• MSDS 455-DL: Data Visualization
• MSDS 456-DL: Sports Performance Analytics
• MSDS 457-DL: Sports Management Analytics
• MSDS 458-DL: Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
• MSDS 459-DL: Knowledge Engineering
• MSDS 460-DL: Decision Analytics
• MSDS 462-DL: Computer Vision
• MSDS 464-DL: Intelligent Systems and Robotics
• MSDS 466-DL: Applied Generative AI for Enterprises
• MSDS 470-DL: Technology Entrepreneurship
• MSDS 472-DL: Management Consulting
• MSDS 474-DL: Accounting and Finance for Technology Managers
• MSDS 475-DL: Project Management
• MSDS 476-DL: Business Process Analytics
• MSDS 480-DL: Business Leadership and Communications
• MSDS 485-DL: Data Governance, Ethics, and Law

In some cases, students who have completed equivalent coursework previously may be allowed to replace the required course with another course in the field.

Please note that courses completed in the certificate program cannot be transferred to the corresponding graduate degree.