What is credit/no credit?
The credit/no credit grading option is designed to encourage student exploration of areas of academic interest that might otherwise be avoided for fear of poor grades.
How does a course taken for credit/no credit affect my GPA?
Students who earn at least a D− in a CR/NC course will receive credit hours with a final grade of CR on the transcript. Students who earn a grade of F will not receive credit hours and will have a final grade of NC on the transcript. In either case, the course will not affect the student’s GPA. (effective Fall 2022)
Can the credit/no-credit option be used for any course?
Courses taken for credit/no credit cannot be used to meet any General Education, major, or minor requirement, including courses taken to complete the foreign language requirement. The CR/NC option may not be used with courses graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
When can I choose the credit/no-credit grading option?
Students must choose the credit/no credit option during the first half of the course term (e.g., the first 8 weeks of the semester, the fourth week of the summer session, or by the fourth week of an 8-week course).
How do I elect to take a course for credit/no credit?
EXP students must meet an academic advisor to complete a credit/no credit form in office.
What should I do if I later want to take the course for a grade?
If students later want to return to the traditional grade option, they must file an amended request with an academic advisor no later than the original deadline to select CR/NC.
Are there any restrictions on using the credit/no-credit option?
Yes. These are as follows:
- Full-time students in good academic standing may elect up to two CR/NC courses in a semester. (one course if summer term).
- Full-time students on Low GPA Warning or College Academic Warning, formerly called probation, may elect one CR/NC course in a semester. (effective Fall 2022)
- Part-time students may elect one CR/NC course in a semester.
- A maximum of 18 hours of CR/NC may be counted toward a degree.
Is it okay to take a course for credit/no credit if I’m planning to attend graduate school?
Be careful about using this option if you plan to apply to professional or graduate school. These programs may consider applicants with a significant number of non-graded courses less favorably than those with none or very few. Likewise, some schools may convert the NC symbol to a failing grade in computing a pre-admission GPA.
For example, passed courses taken CR/NC at Illinois will NOT be included in the calculation of your LSAC-generated GPA. However, LSAC counts courses with ‘NC’ grades as ‘F’ in your LSAC-generated GPA.