Credit / No Credit Grading
Students are permitted to take a maximum of 16 quarter units of courses with Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grades, with the following specifications:
- no more than 4 units CR/NC in major or support courses, subject to approval by the student's major department or equivalent unit;
- no more than 4 units CR/NC in General Education courses.
Undergraduate students are given a grade of CR for accomplishment equivalent to a grade of C- or better. NC is given for D+ or lower grades. Graduate students are given a grade of CR for accomplishment equivalent to a grade of B- or better. NC is given for C+ or lower grades.
The applicant for a CR/NC grade must have at least a 2.0 cumulative Cal Poly grade point average. This requirement is waived for first-time students. Classes taken CR/NC have no effect on the GPA.
This policy pertains to courses that are normally graded, not to CR/NC-only courses. No more than two courses may be selected for CR/NC grading in any term.
As of summer 2021, students who have received a grade reduction as a result of academic dishonesty are NOT eligible to receive a CR/NC grade in a course in which the grade has been impacted by academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating and/or plagiarism). In this case the CR/NC grade will revert to the letter grade issued by the course instructor.
Sources:
Academic Senate Resolution: AS-479-97/CC "Resolution on Credit/No Credit Grading" (PDF). Adopted: 29 April 1997.
Cal Poly Catalog: "Credit/No Credit Grading".
Last updated: 7/10/2023