CSULB Enrollment Services

What is an "Incomplete" grade?

If you cannot complete all the assigned work for a class in time for grading and there is still a possibility for earning credit, you may be allowed to take an "Incomplete" to extend the time you have to finish the assignments and receive a grade. To receive an "Incomplete" you must:

Have "unforeseen, but fully justified" reasons for not completing the class work (Policy Statement 02-12).
Bring all relevant information to the class instructor and agree with the instructor's terms for how and when you will satisfy the remaining class requirements.
Make sure that the class instructor completes and files the Requirements for Assigning an Incomplete Grade form. On this form, the instructor will record the terms by which you have agreed to complete the class work.
Keep a copy of the completed form for your own records.
Complete the work within one year of the end of the semester in which you took the class, or within a shorter period as specified on the form. You may receive an extension of the one-year completion period only for compelling reasons such as serious illness or military service, and only with the prior permission of the class instructor, department chairperson, and the college dean.

After you have submitted your completed class work to the instructor, he/she will assign your final grade for the class. If you do not submit any work, you will receive the grade indicated by your instructor on the Requirements for Assigning an Incomplete Grade form. If the instructor did not indicate a grade on this form and you do not submit any work under the agreement, you will receive an "F" in the class.

You should not re-enroll for an "Incomplete" class.

What is the difference between a "WU" and a "W?"

The grading symbol "WU" indicates an Unauthorized Withdrawal, signifying that a student enrolled in a course but failed to attend or to drop the course in a timely manner. When a student does not officially withdraw from a course and fails to complete the course requirements, the instructor assigns the "WU" grade, which is equivalent to an "F."

If a student enrolls in a course but officially withdraws from that course after the second week of instruction, the grading symbol "W" will appear on the student's transcript. The "W" is not a punitive mark; it carries no connotation of amount or quality of work completed. Refer to the Schedule of Classes or go to Dropping and Withdrawing from Classes ) for more information regarding course withdrawal deadlines to avoid receiving a "WU" grade.

What is the "Credit/No Credit" option?

You can request "Credit/No Credit" (CR/NC) grading for a class; go to Request Credit/No Credit. A "CR/NC" grade will not affect your GPA. You will receive "Credit" or "No Credit" according to the tables below:

Credit/No Credit for Undergraduate Students

If you earn this letter grade:	You will receive:
A, B, or C	Credit (CR)
D, F, or WU	No Credit (NC)

Credit/No Credit for Graduate Students For course levels: 100 and 200

If you earn this letter grade:	You will receive:
A, B, or C*	Credit (CR)
D, F, or WU	No Credit (NC)

* A few classes in the Graduate College of Education award Credit for "A" and "B" grades only.

Credit/No Credit for Graduate Students For course levels: 300, 400, 500, and 600

If you earn this letter grade:	You will receive:
A or B	Credit (CR)
C, D, F, or WU	No Credit (NC)

"CR/NC" Restrictions

In certain majors you may not take required courses for "CR/NC." Check with your program department for college and departmental restrictions on your grading options.

If you are an undergraduate, you must limit your "CR/NC" classes to:

24 total units
12 upper-division units
8 units per semester

These "CR/NC" limits include classes taken under the previous "pass/fail option." You may exceed the limits only with the following "CR/NC" classes:

Classes that you take outside CSULB
Classes that offer "CR/NC" grading only
Credit that you earn by examination only

You may not reverse your decision and request a letter grade after the deadline for adding classes unless you declare a new major after that deadline and your newly declared major requires a letter grade for the class in question. Under this option, the change must be requested no later than the last day of instruction. The grading option may not be changed retroactively after the end of the semester.

How do I repeat ("Repeat-Delete") a class?

If you are an undergraduate or pursuing a second Bachelor's degree, you may repeat an undergraduate class in order to exclude the original grade from your GPA. Although no longer calculated into your GPA, the original grade will remain visible on your academic record. To “Repeat-Delete” you must:

Courses Taken at CSULB

Repeat a class that you took at CSULB in which you received a grade of “D,” F,” “WU,” or “NC.”
Take exactly the same class that you wish to repeat. If the class is no longer offered at CSULB, you must ask your department to approve a substitution and file a Petition for Exception to Academic Policy with Enrollment Services (BH-101).
Your GPA will be adjusted automatically after the end of the term in which you repeat the class, unless any of the following conditions apply:
- You originally took the class before the Fall 1988 term.
- The class has a different name or number than when you took it originally.
- You are requesting to repeat a class that is designated “repeatable” in the CSULB Catalog under Repeatable Classes.
If any of the above conditions apply, file a Notice of Intent to Repeat a Course with Enrollment Services (BH-101).
Earn a grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” or “CR” when you repeat the class. If you earn a grade of "D," "F," "U" or "WU," both the original and subsequent grades will be calculated in your GPA; however, units earned will be applied to the degree only once.

Courses Taken at Another Institution

You may petition to repeat a class in which you received a “D,” F,” “U” or “WU” at another institution and exclude the grade from your GPA, provided that the appropriate CSULB department specifies an equivalent class. Pick up a Request for Repeat-Delete of a Transfer Course form at Enrollment Services (BH-101) and submit it with an official transcript from the institution where you first took the class. You may only repeat a course once, and you must meet all other requirements listed.

How do I audit a class?

To audit a class -- attend without receiving a recorded grade or academic credit -- you must meet the following requirements:

Count the class in your total number of units when paying your registration fees.
Request to audit before the deadline to file for an Audit grade option.
Attend class regularly.

You may not reverse your decision and request a letter grade after the deadline for adding classes.

If you believe a grade was given in error, you should notify the instructor. Changes to final grades can be made only on the authority of the instructor and only in the following cases:

computational or recording error
evaluation of additional assignments or examinations to satisfy an "Incomplete" contract
the results of a grade appeal - refer to Grade Appeals in the current University catalog

All requests for grade changes must be initiated within one term after which you received the initial grade.

How can a grade be changed?