Distribution courses are primarily outside the School of Communication, except for a small number of Communication Science and Disorders courses, which may be used to satisfy the MST distribution category for students not majoring or minoring in Human Communication Sciences.

In some circumstances, students may request to apply Northwestern courses not on the approved lists to fulfill a Distribution requirement. Please note that certain types of courses may not be used in such substitutions, including college seminars and first-year writing seminars, senior thesis seminars, independent study & research courses, and professional linkage seminars. Courses in a language other than English, in which the focus is primarily on basic language skills (speaking, writing, or grammar, for example) should also not be proposed for substitutions.