Student Resources

Download the HSOR Program 2025-2026 Course Schedule for the upcoming year. Our program's course schedule is confirmed one year in advance to allow students to arrange professional schedules accordingly. Several courses in our hybrid format fall outside of the traditional quarterly dates in the university's academic calendar, so please review the HSOR course schedule carefully. Students can review the program course schedule (linked above) to confirm course offerings per quarter.

Students on the part-time schedule can review the HSOR part-time schedule to confirm dates for classes in conjunction with the HSOR course schedule. 

Course registration details and deadlines will be announced in advance of each quarter. Students register for courses in CAESAR.

Core HSOR courses are listed on the Courses page. Students may also choose electives from other graduate programs at Northwestern, such as the Master's in Public Health.

For course registration support, including PUB_HLTH course registration, please email Elizabeth Wolfson.

The Graduate Student Tracking System is used by students and the program to review completed courses, enter course planning notes and record progress on the Capstone Project.

Course content is accessed through Canvas, the university's course management system. Course sites will appear in Canvas after a student is registered for a course and the instructor has published the course site. HSOR program course sites will be posted one month before each quarter. Courses in other programs are published around the beginning of the quarter. 

The HSOR program utilizes the virtual meeting platform Zoom for its synchronous class meetings. The meeting link for each course is posted in that course's Canvas site. You can also join a meeting by entering the meeting ID at the Northwestern Zoom portal.

You can view your student account and tuition bills by logging in to CAESAR. Quarterly tuition bills are sent on the 10th of the month after a student enrolls in courses. The balance of the bill is due on the first of the following month.

Students who receive tuition support such as employment benefits, sponsored funding or the master's scholarship should confirm their tuition billing plan with the program. Further details on tuition billing and financial aid, including student loan support, can be found on the Student Financial Services page.

Students who live outside the Chicago metropolitan area and are not receiving extra financial support from the program are reimbursed for up to $750 in travel expenses for each quarterly residency.

Our campus office location is 633 N. Saint Clair, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611. Most HSOR classes are held in the building's 18th floor classroom.

Once you've accepted, The Graduate School Admissions Office will send an email with your Northwestern NetID activation details. Activate your NetID as soon as you receive it, then set up your university email account. Your Northwestern email address will be used for all academic correspondence from faculty, student account notices and communications from The Graduate School and university.

Once you have been matriculated as a student in The Graduate School (typically two weeks before the start of a quarter), log in to CAESAR to enter your Emergency Contact information in your student profile. All new students will have a hold on their account until these details are entered. Get instructions for updating emergency contact details here.

All Northwestern University students will be required to read and acknowledge the Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA) on an annual basis. This acknowledgment is a mandatory step in the registration process. 

The FRA replaces the previously published Financial Regulations pamphlet, consolidating essential information about student financial obligations into a more accessible and efficient format. 

Failure to complete the FRA within 30 days of assignment will result in a registration hold, and students will be unable to register for classes until the acknowledgment is submitted. 

How to Access: 

To review and sign the Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA): 

• Log in to CAESAR; Student Homepage appears 
• Go to Student Agreements tile 
• Under To Do, click on Student Financial Responsibility Agreement 

For a step by step guide, please see the FRA Knowledgebase: Preventing or Removing the FRA hold 

Northwestern University requires all students to review and familiarize themselves with the University Student Handbook. Students must annually attest that they will abide by all policies contained in the handbook. 

• Review the Northwestern University Student Handbook. 
• Complete the Student Handbook Attestation in CAESAR.  
• For a step by step guide, please see the Knowledgebase: Student Handbook Attestation.  

Students enrolled half-time (2.0 or 2.5 course units a quarter) or full-time (3.0 or more units a quarter) must submit proof of immunization to the University Health Service within one month of accepting admission. If a student enrolls in two courses and does not have an up-to-date health record, a $100 fee is assessed and a registration hold is placed on the student account. The health record form and submission instructions are found on the Health Service website.

All degree-seeking students are required to carry health insurance that meets minimal criteria. The Northwestern University Student Health Insurance Plan (NU-SHIP) is the designated student insurance option that meets mandated requirements. Degree-seeking students will be automatically enrolled in and billed for this coverage plan unless they waive coverage during open enrollment periods.  To complete the online waiver in CAESAR, refer to the instructions on the NU-SHIP webpage and have details about your existing insurance coverage available.  

If you are waiving NU SHIP coverage you must do so during the open enrollment period. 

Northwestern’s physical student ID card is called a Wildcard. You can upload your ID photo online beforehand, or you will be asked to have your photo taken in the Wildcard office.

New students should pick up their card during the first week or two on campus, and remote students should plan to go to the Wildcard office during their first trip to campus. Obtain your card by bringing your government-issued photo ID to the Wildcard office in Abbott Hall, Room 100, 710 Lake Shore Dr. (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For further information about photo requirements, the Wildcard discount program, card replacement and more, visit the Wildcard site.

The Graduate School requires admitted students to submit official transcripts from all previous academic institutions attended before the end of the first quarter of enrollment. Students should ask their schools to mail transcripts to:

The Graduate School Office of Graduate Admission
633 Clark St.
Evanston, IL 60208-1113

International transcripts must be accompanied by a third-party translation. For any questions about transcript requirements, email tgsadmission@northwestern.edu.

For current FSM computer requirements, please review this document. 

Master’s and Methodology Certificate students should acquire a license for the statistical software Stata, which is used in biostatistics and quantitative methods courses. At a minimum, students should purchase an annual or perpetual license of Stata/BE. Students planning to analyze large data sets (e.g. public data sets) may want to consider other versions of Stata. Visit https://www.stata.com/order/new/edu/gradplans/student-pricing/ to view pricing and purchase details.

The HSOR MS program holds class in the 633 N. St. Clair building on Northwestern's downtown campus. The building requires badges for both elevator and door access.

Elevator access: you will need a photo badge to access the 18th, 19th, and 20th floors of the building. To acquire your elevator badge, please send a photo of yourself to Elizabeth Wolfson and Ryan Splitt at your earliest convenience.

Doors: you will need a white card to enter the locked doors on the 18th, 19th, and 20th floors. This card is separate from the elevator badge.

You will receive your elevator badge and white card on the first day of your first residency (unless you make a special request to receive them earlier).