CR/NC and S/U

Information about the CR/NC and S/U grading policies

The “grading mode” of a course refers to the type grade that will be assigned by the instructor at the conclusion of a course. At Occidental, most courses receive a letter grade, though there are some courses that are only offered with the Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading modes. These two alternate grading modes are similar, but have some key differences: 

  • CR/NC. Students earning the equivalent to a C or higher will receive a grade of CR, while NC is equivalent to a C- or below. CR/NC courses can not be used to fulfill Core, major, or minor requirements. Courses with this grading mode have no impact on a student’s GPA. Some 0-, 1-, and 2-unit courses are only offered using the CR/NC grading mode. 
  • S/U. Students earning the equivalent to a D or higher will receive a grade of S, while students earning the equivalent to an F will receive a grade of U. Unlike the CR/NC option, courses taken S/U are able to fulfill major, minor, and Core requirements. Courses with this grading mode have no impact on a student’s GPA. All FYS courses use the S/U grading mode.

In some cases, students may have the option of choosing either the CR/NC or S/U grading mode for a course that would normally receive a letter grade. These grading modes come with restrictions, however, so it is important that students review the information on this page carefully. In addition, some graduate programs, professional school, and fellowship programs may have a preference for letter grades, so students are strongly encouraged to discuss their options with their faculty adviser and, when relevant, with advisers from the Pre-Health, Pre-Law, and/or National and International Fellowships offices before making a decision.

See below for more information about each of these grading modes!

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The official policies governing these grading modes can be found in the “” section of the Catalog. 

 

Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)

The Credit/No Credit policy is intended to encourage students to explore classes in unfamiliar fields without the risk of incurring a low grade because of that unfamiliarity. The Credit/No Credit comes with several restrictions and it is important to discuss these with your adviser prior to making a decision to take a course CR/NC. 

CR/NC Guidelines

  • Courses taken CR/NC can NOT be used to fulfill core, major, or minor requirements. 
  • Students must receive approval from the course instructor and their faculty adviser in order to take a course CR/NC. 
  • Once the CR/NC form has been submitted, the decision is NOT reversible. 
  • A NC grade (equivalent to a C- or below) does not earn units. 
  • If a student changes their major or minor to one that requires a course that has already been taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, the student will either be required to take an examination in that course for a grade or to take an additional course designated by the department chair as a substitute for that requirement. The CR/NC grade will not change on the student's transcript.

 

Process and Deadline

Students wishing to take a course CR/NC must submit the online form by the  deadline listed in  the published . No forms will be accepted after this date. The form can be found on myOxy and is also linked from the Registrar’s Office forms webpage. 

 

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)

Students have the option of choosing the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) mode for one letter-graded course offered in Fall 2023 or later. Students who wish to change a grade to S/U must make the request before the start of the semester when they are expected to graduate.

Restrictions and Guidelines

  • A course that is changed to S/U will no longer be included in the calculations for term or cumulative GPAs. 
  • Students can not request S/U for courses taken prior to Fall 2023.
  • Students can not choose the S/U option for a course taken during their final semester. 

 

Process and Deadline

Students wishing to take a course S/U must submit the online form prior to the start of the semester in which they are expected to graduate. No forms will be accepted after this date. The S/U form will be available once the grades for this semester are posted, and it will be located on myOxy and also linked from the Registrar’s Office forms webpage. 

 

Contact Advising Center
Johnson Student Center

First floor, Room 134

Phone: (323) 259-1341
advisingcenter@oxy.edu