Repeating courses and grade replacement policy

Repeating courses

Students who have earned a grade of D- or better in a course may repeat a course but may not earn additional credit toward graduation by repeating the course. Students who repeat the course and earn a passing grade forfeit the credit previously earned. Students who repeat the course and then earn an F do retain credit earned from the previous attempt. In both cases, the original grade remains on the student record, plus the original and subsequent grades are included in the grade-point average if the course is acceptable toward graduation.

Students may also repeat a course in which they have earned an F. The F is not removed from the record and both grades are used in computing the GPA. For more information on repeating a course, see the Student Code.

Grade replacement

If you repeat a course, and don’t elect the grade replacement option, both grades will be averaged into your GPA. If you elect the grade replacement option, the first grade is not used when computing your GPA.

However, you should consider the following:

  • If you take a course for grade replacement, the grade you received each time the course was taken will still appear on your official transcript, and the first course enrollment on the transcript will be permanently identified as a course that has been repeated for grade replacement. This means that graduate and professional schools may take both grades into account when they review your record.
  • If you take a course for grade replacement, and fail it the second time, both grades will be used when computing your GPA.
  • When a course is repeated for grade replacement, the course credit earned will be counted only once toward degree and program requirements.

Eligibility

You are eligible to elect grade replacement if:

  • You are attempting to replace the grade for a University of Illinois course in which you received a grade of C-, D+, D, D-, F, or ABS on the first attempt;
  • You have not previously repeated the course for grade replacement;
  • You have not already been awarded a degree from the University of Illinois;
  • You have not taken more than four distinct courses (10 semester hours maximum) for grade replacement;
  • You do not have an officially reported academic integrity infraction in the course

Electing to replace a grade

If you are considering grade replacement, first see your advisor to discuss whether it makes sense for you to do so. Then, complete an online Grade Replacement Request Form. You will then be notified by LAS as to whether you meet the eligibility criteria to elect the grade replacement option.

Students who wish to elect the grade replacement option must file their intent using this form in the first half of the term in which the course is to be repeated—i.e., the eighth week for a semester course and the fourth week for a half-session course.