A powerful combination of personalized career mentors and an engaged alumni and program network has supported extremely competitive placement and compensation rates for MSES graduates. 

The data below reflect graduate-reported total target compensation ("TTC" = annual base salary + target bonus) for the full-time role that they accepted following the MSES program. They do not include signing bonuses (reported by ~50% of graduates) or other forms of compensation (e.g. options, stock grants, etc):

Career Support

MSES Career Support

MSES Students can access general career support through Northwestern Career Advancement and the McCormick Engineering Career Development Office. Both offices provide support with basic job search tasks, like resumes and mock interviews, as well as hosting job boards. The MSES Program provides a comprehensive “energy & sustainability layer” on top of these services. This includes (1) career seminars, (2) career mentors, (3) peer support, (4) access to an extensive professional network, (5) opportunities to explore industries and companies, and (6) practical experience. 

Practical Experience

One of the best ways to stand out as an applicant is to have practical experience in energy and sustainability on your resume. MSES provides several ways for students to achieve this, including through their capstone course: ISEN 498 – Project Practicum, but also through the NU Sustainability Fellowship, and helping students find internships and externships.

ISEN 498: Project Practicum

The culmination of the MSES Program is ISEN 498: Energy & Sustainability Project Practicum. It’s a practical course focused on experiential learning, providing students with real-world project experience. The course is almost solely centered on a 10-week, team-based consulting project for a corporate, non-profit or government partner of Northwestern University. Students gain “on the job” training on how to successfully manage and deliver a project, exposure to leading companies and organizations, problem-solving abilities, formal presentation and collaboration skills, and teamwork experience. Learn more about the project practicum, including examples of past projects here.

NU Sustainable Fellowship

SustainNU and The Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) jointly run the NU Sustainability Fellowship program, with a mission to support student funding, contribute to thought leadership in energy & sustainability, and support the local community. In groups of 4, students selected for the fellowship will spend 10 weeks exploring a “big topic” in energy and sustainability for a real client. Operating similarly to the Project Practicum course, the fellowship builds practical experience in energy & sustainability and offers a $3,000 tuition grant to each student who participates. Learn more about the fellowship here.

Internships

MSES Students frequently participate in internships during the program. Internships are often secured through opportunities shared by the MSES Program in the cohort LinkedIn group or by individual searches. Given students’ academic responsibilities, they can typically handle 10-15 hours per week from January to June for an internship. In the past, internships have turned into full-time positions for MSES Students. 

McCormick Engineering Career Development Office

The McCormick Engineering Career Development (ECD) office enhances each student’s unique career plan by offering both students and employers a mutually beneficial means of connecting with the world beyond the classroom. Its mission is to provide all McCormick students with the tools necessary for lifelong career management and to forge relationships with employer partners for this end.

As a McCormick student, you can take advantage of all the ECD has to offer, including:

• Career Advising (both by appointment and walk-in)
• Career Fairs, Workshops, Networking Sessions, etc.
• Resume Support and Interview Skills Training (I.e. mock interviews)
• Job Search Training, McCormick Connect, Handshake

We've broken down the aid process into three simple steps.

1. Request financial aid consideration. 

When completing the application for admission, be sure to indicate that you are requesting consideration for financial aid by checking “yes” in the financial aid interest box. International candidates seeking financial aid are evaluated in a need-aware manner, meaning that your request for financial aid will be taken into consideration by the admission committee and that the process will be more competitive. 

If you did not initially check this box, you must email [email protected] to change your designation prior to the appropriate Early/Regular Decision financial aid deadline listed below.

2. Complete and submit the CSS Profile.

The College Scholarship Service Profile is completed and submitted online through The College Board website. Northwestern's CSS Profile code is 1565.

If you cannot submit the CSS Profile from your country or if submission of the CSS Profile would cause significant financial hardship for your family, please complete the International Student Application for Financial Assistance (ISAFA) and submit the form via the Undergraduate Financial Aid Secure Document Upload.

Applicants submitting the International Student Application for Financial Assistance may be required to submit additional documentation. Should we need more information, you will be notified directly. 

COMPLETE THE CSS PROFILE

3. Complete and submit federal tax forms.

Once you have filed the CSS/Financial Aid Profile you will need to submit a copy of your parents' national tax forms from the most recent tax year, OR, if your country does not have an annual tax form, an official statement/letter of earnings from each parent's employer verifying income with official signatures and/or seals.

All tax or earnings documents require official translation into English (if converted to U.S. dollars, the conversion rate must be indicated) and submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid. You may submit the documents via the Undergraduate Financial Aid Secure Document Upload or via email (PDF preferred) to [email protected]. Be sure to include "International Tax Document" in the subject line of the email.

Deadline to submit financial aid materials: 

• Early Decision applicants: December 1 (submit as early as October 1)
• Regular Decision applicants: February 1 (submit as early as October 1)

Award Notification

For students meeting the financial aid deadline for their application plan, financial aid award notification will be sent with or soon after your acceptance letter. This allows you to make an informed decision about Northwestern with full knowledge of the financial commitment necessary from your family. Northwestern issues four-year aid awards for international applicants in order to ensure a student will begin knowing how to plan financially for all four years of undergraduate study.