Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program

Student Commuter

The Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program (CMEP) allows graduate students in a doctoral program, or in a participating training program that is jointly supported by the Exchange Scholar’s home and host institutions, to enroll at one of the three participating institutions to take advantage of academic courses at any of the other participating institutions that are not available at their home institution. The three institutions in the program are the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.  UIC students are permitted to take a total of three quarters of classes through the CMEP program at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

UIC students who would like to take courses at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or the University of Illinois at Springfield may do so as a concurrent registrant through the UIC Registrar’s Office, and would not be part of this program.

Approved applicants for the Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program will be referred to as Exchange Scholars.  Exchange Scholars pay for class(es) taken at the host institution at the home university, and at the home university rates. Students show proof of payment they made at the home campus, or bill from the home campus, to the host campus liaison.

A graduate student who is approved as an Exchange Scholar will register for a CMEP course(s) (in the equivalent hours of the actual host course(s)) at their home institution, and the actual course(s) at the host institution.  The student will pay the usual tuition and fees to their home institution, with the tuition and most fees waived at the host institution. Exchange Scholars going to the University of Chicago will pay the U of C health fee even though a similar fee is charged at the home institution – neither can be waived.

UIC students who are Exchange Scholars will register for the appropriate section(s) of GC 500 at UIC and the actual course(s) at the host institution.  Registration hours for the UIC GC 500 course should be the equivalent of the hours taken at the host institution, using the same number of sections of GC 500 as courses registered for at the host institution.  Students from other institutions who are coming to UIC as an Exchange Scholar will register for the actual course(s) at UIC and holding course(s) at their home institution.  Since the participating schools have different term structures and start-times for their courses (U of C and NU use the quarter system), it is important to stay in contact with the liaisons on both campuses in order to avoid any registration issues.

Procedures and Application

Carefully read the information, procedures and application instructions provided in the links listed below.  Note that late requests may not be approved.

Program Campus Liaisons Heading link