Credit / No Credit Grading
IMPORTANT NOTICE: COVID-19 Updates
Summer 2021
On May 4, 2021, the Academic Senate passed "Resolution on Suspending Credit/No Credit Grading Restrictions for Summer 2021 in Response to COVID-19" (AS-917-21).
- Courses taken in the Summer of 2021 will not count toward the 16-unit limit as specified in "Resolution on Credit/No Credit Grading" (AS-479-97).
- The 4-unit Credit/No Credit limit for General Education courses is suspended through the Summer of 2021.
Summer/Fall 2020
On June 2, 2020, the Academic Senate passed "Resolution on Suspending Credit/No Credit Grading Restrictions for Fall Quarter 2020 in Response to COVID-19" (AS-902-20).
For additional information on the CR/NC policy for Fall 2020, visit the Office of the Registrar's webpage here: registrar.calpoly.edu/term-information.
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Deadline for Fall 2020: Tuesday November 24, 2020 — Last day to change CR/NC option via Student Center (11:59 p.m.). Students should speak with an advisor to see how CR/NC will effect their record before changing their grading option. More information can be found here: https://registrar.calpoly.edu/fall-student-planning-calendar.
For general information on this and other matters related to Cal Poly's response to the coronavirus, visit the "Frequently Asked Questions" webpage here: https://coronavirus.calpoly.edu/frequently-asked-questions.
The standard Credit/No Credit policy can be found in the section that follows.
Note about Academic Dishonesty
Students who have received a grade reduction as a result of academic dishonesty are NOT eligible to receive CR/NC or to withdraw from the course in which the grade for the course has been impacted by academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating and/or plagiarism). All CR/NC will revert to the letter grade issued by the instructor for the course.
Please review our "Cheating and Plagiarism" webpage for more information.
Summer 2021
Students are permitted to take a maximum of 16 units of courses credit/no credit (CR/NC) 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 Cal Poly grade point average. This requirement is waived for first-time students. Classes taken CR/NC have no effect on 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 Credit/No Credit grading in any term.
Source: AS-479-97/CC "Resolution on Credit / No Credit Grading" (pdf)
In the Catalog: This policy is also included here in the Cal Poly Catalog, which may also include certain procedural considerations.
Last Updated: March 30, 2022