Q. If I apply to the IGP Program, can I get financial support?
A. Yes, all students who are admitted are offered full tuition coverage and a stipend. IGP students continue to receive both the tuition coverage and stipend as long as they progress satisfactorily through the program.
Q. What is the current stipend?
A. For 2009-10, the stipend is $27,000, with an additional one time allowance of $500 for moving expenses.
Q. Is health insurance provided?
A. Yes, the cost of NU student health insurance is provided for all IGP students who select this coverage. The IGP pays the premium during the first 18 months, while the cost is paid by the thesis advisor subsequently.
Q. Does the IGP conduct applicant interviews?
A. Yes. The IGP selects approximately 90 applicants to visit Chicago (at our expense) on three weekends in February and March. Qualified applicants who cannot attend a formal weekend may be able to visit on an alternate date, though this is discouraged.
Q. Does the IGP interview foreign applicants?
A. Yes. Foreign applicants residing in the US will be eligible for in-person interviews if selected by the admissions committee. Selected applicants from outside the US may be interviewed by phone.
Q. How many students does IGP matriculate each year?
A. 25-35.
Q. What is the deadline for applications?
A. The deadline has been extended to December 15. Applications after this deadline will be accepted only with IGP permission.
Q. Can I obtain a paper application?
A. No - the NU Graduate School no longer issues paper applications.
Q. Are there special forms for my recommendation letter writers to use?
A. If you or your recommenders are sending letters by mail, please attach the IGP evaluation form with the letter. If the letters are submitted on-line via the Apply Yourself web site, no additional form is needed. Click here for details.
Q. Do I need to take the GRE exam?
A. Yes, but only the general test; the subject test is NOT required.
Q. Where do I send my GRE scores?
A. GRE scores should be sent from ETS to the NU Graduate School, using code 1565. No department code is needed.
Q. Do you have a cut off for GPA or GRE scores?
A. No, all application materials are considered together, and no one indicator is weighed more heavily than others. Recent entering classes have had an average GPA of 3.5, and average GRE scores of 550 Verbal and 650 Quantitative. However, there is a large range of scores around these averages.
Q. Is the TOEFL required for foreign applicants?
A. Yes. The Northwestern University Graduate School requires 600 on the written test, 250 on the computer based test, or 100 on the internet test for admission to the university. The IGP cannot waive this requirement except for applicants with undergraduate or graduate degrees from institutions where English is the language of instruction.
Q. Do I need to know what type of research I want to do when I start?
A. No, lab rotations during your first year will give you an opportunity to explore many types of research before you have to select your dissertation lab and project.
Q. Can I start in Winter or Spring quarters?
A. No, the IGP only admits students for the fall of each year. However, matriculating IGP students may work in research labs during the summer prior to registration in the Fall.
Q. Does IGP offer a Master's degree?
A. No, we offer only the Ph.D.
If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Steve Anderson, IGP Associate Director, by phone at 312-503-1140 or by email at sja314@northwestern.edu
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