NUterm to offer students greater academic flexibility

Northeastern is launching a new academic option for rising sophomores this summer that will provide students greater flexibility to customize their learning experiences and offer numerous co-curricular activities that build class spirit and enrich student life.

Registration is open for the program, which is called NUterm and will run concurrent to the Summer I half-semester during May and June. Students typically have the summer off following their first year, though many pursue a variety of academic activities such as courses or research experiences on their own initiative.

Students can earn up to eight course credits through NUterm, which would give them the opportunity to fit in an extra co-op, global experience, or research project; sample a new field of interest or dive more deeply into their major; or pursue a minor, a second major, or a PlusOne graduate program. By participating in NUterm, students can gain greater flexibility in their academic paths, including the option to graduate in four years while benefitting from co-op and other experiential opportunities.

“This is about creating the most flexible educational experience possible so our students can personalize their academic pathways,” said Jane Brown, vice president for enrollment management. “It is also an opportune time to strengthen friendships and class affinity.”

What’s more, rising sophomores participating in NUterm will still have July and August to enjoy their summer vacation. Participation in NUterm will not increase a student’s cost of attendance at Northeastern; students earn, and pay for, the same number of credits overall.

Students will live together in the same residence halls. NUterm will feature a series of co-curricular activities on and off campus to help students master new skills and explore extended communities: Boston, New England and beyond. Planned on-campus events will include a weekly faculty speaker series, beginning May 12, in which top faculty scholars introduce their research and discuss timely topics of national and global significance.

Students can earn up to eight course credits through NUterm, which would give them the opportunity to fit in an extra co-op, global experience, or research project. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.

Students can earn up to eight course credits through NUterm, which would give them the opportunity to fit in an extra co-op, global experience, or research project. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.

NUterm’s myriad academic and co-curricular offerings for rising sophomores include courses, research and service opportunities, and programs connected to general themes or a common interest such as creativity, leadership, and innovation. International programs including Dialogue of Civilizations and study abroad are also available during May/June. Northeastern will be adding more courses and experiential learning opportunities unique to NUterm in the future.

Among the new, distinctive academic offerings currently available through NUterm are:

Creativity Lab: An opportunity for students, guided by faculty mentors, to collaborate on creative projects and to present the work in progress to their peers for critique. For example, a theatre major might direct a play she has written or a journalism major might design an online or traditional publication.
Freshman Summer Business Study Abroad Program: Students will study in France, China, or Spain, where they will learn about business and politics in Europe and Asia as well as cross-cultural communication and business ethics.
How Lawyers Think: Students will be introduced to legal analysis by exploring the history of American legal thought. Explores how innovations in legal theory helped shape policy responses to some of America’s biggest governance challenges.
Learning Economics Through Games With Lab: In this eight-credit set of courses, students will apply concepts from microeconomics, probability, and game theory to analyze games and the strategies employed in playing them. Students will learn economic history through playing and discussing games and collectively design their own game.

“NUterm is exciting because it provides great flexibility for our students to take any academic path they want to take,” said Susan Ambrose, senior vice provost for undergraduate education and experiential learning. “Increased choice empowers students to achieve their educational goals and career aspirations.”

More information is available on the NUterm website, and students are encouraged to seek guidance from their academic advisers about how NUterm fits into the their individual academic plans.