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Registration Hints

CAESAR Registration  – Northwestern has an online registration system called CAESAR.  Students use CAESAR to register for Kellogg PhD classes and other graduate classes at Northwestern, such as Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Math, etc.  CAESAR cannot be used for Kellogg MBA registrations.  Students can access Northwestern's schedule and course information on the Web and then register through CAESAR.  CAESAR should also be used to double-check your registration and your student account status.  Additionally CAESAR allows you to print an unofficial transcript.

The Graduate School’s Academic Programs List– This is a great resource for students looking for graduate-level classes in other programs. There are links to program and department websites with information about courses they offer.

Northwestern University’s Departments List – Most non-Kellogg required and elective classes for Kellogg PhD students are offered under theWeinberg College of Arts & Sciences (WCAS) such asEconomics, Mathematics,Political Science,Psychology,Sociology,Statistics, etc.  Students should visit the individual programs for more course information, such as course descriptions, syllabi, scheduling information, etc.


Independent Studies – When appropriate, PhD students register for independent study (499) projects with one or more professors.  Usually an independent study project is undertaken in the student’s second year of study. You should:

  • Contact Ligia Amarei with the name of the instructor and department. These requests will be forwarded to Student Affairs so the sections are created in CAESAR.
  • Once the section is created, you will be informed and then you will register for the independent study through CAESAR.  When you register, remember to include the number of credits!


Registering for an MBA Class – If a student wants to register for an MBA class, he/she should discuss this registration with the PhD coordinator. Permission is required for this type of registration.  Once permission is granted, the registration request should be sent to Ligia Amarei by e-mail.

PhD students do not have access to the MBA course bidding system; therefore, PhD registration must be entered by hand by Kellogg’s Student Affairs Office. To register, students should send Stephanie an e-mail with your registration request. PhD students must register BEFORE MBA bidding begins or they cannot be guaranteed a spot in the class. Here is the information needed:

  • Your name
  • Quarter of registration (fall, winter, spring)
  • Department number, course number, & section number
  • Course title
  • Instructor's name

Students cannot add or drop MBA classes through CAESAR. This has to be done by e-mail to Ligia who will contact the Kellogg Registrar for you.