Pass COVID/No Pass COVID (PZ/NZ) FAQ
During the 2020-2021 academic year, students have the option of selecting the "Pass COVID/No Pass COVID (PZ/NZ)" grading option. Pass COVID (PZ) is awarded when a grade of D- or higher is earned in the course. Courses in Spring 2021 in which PZ is earned will satisfy major, minor, and General Education requirements.
If you have additional questions about selecting PZ/NZ, please contact a college-level advisor.
Factors to consider when choosing PZ/NZ
No decisions are necessary until 11:59 p.m. Central Time, May 27, 2021, so these factors should all be considered carefully. This is not an exhaustive list!
- Have I talked with my academic advisor and considered their recommendation?
- Is a specified letter grade required in the course for eligibility to transfer into a different major or as a prerequisite for enrollment in a subsequent course? Note: For changes effective Fall 2021 and beyond, courses used to satisfy LAS major declaration criteria must be taken for a letter grade, not PZ/NZ.
- Is graduate or professional school in my future? If so, do I have the information I need to be confident in my decision about how the programs in which I’m interested view PZ/NZ on the transcript?
- Many health profession schools will not accept PZ/NZ or the equivalent in prerequisite courses. Be sure to check directly with any such schools if a health profession is in your future plans.
- PZ/NZ can negatively affect a student’s competitiveness when applying to law school.
- Is a career with outside licensure or accreditation in my future? If so, do I have the information I need to be confident in my decision as to how these professions view PZ/NZ on the transcript?
- If an internship is part of my academic plans, what are the impacts of PZ/NZ on my eligibility for this internship?
- If in an honors program, is this a course I’m taking for honors credit? Honors (H) grading is incompatible with PZ/NZ, so I lose the ability to have the honors designation if I elect PZ/NZ.
- Am I confident the letter grade posted for my course is accurate? Is it possible my grade could have been miscalculated? If I have any questions or uncertainty about this, have I discussed them with my instructor?
Not after the deadline. As students have until after the end of the semester and the posting of grades to make this decision, there will not be flexibility after the May 27, 2021 deadline to elect or rescind PZ/NZ. You are expected to consult with your advisor and other relevant sources (e.g., academic mentor, pre-health/pre-law advising if applicable, etc.) to feel confident you are making the right choice. You have until 11:59 p.m. Central Time, May 27, 2021, to make this decision.
Engage in your courses. Decisions can be made until 11:59 p.m. Central Time, May 27, 2021, which means you will be able to see your final grade when it is posted and make a decision accordingly.
Students on academic probation are permitted to select courses for PZ/NZ grading for the Spring 2021 semester.
No. Electing PZ/NZ grading mode automatically rescinds the Grade Replacement request.
Declaring a course as PZ/NZ
- An online form will be made available after final grades are available in Self-Service.
- The deadline to submit this form to elect or rescind PZ/NZ grading is Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
- Standard letter grades will continue to appear until processing of PZ/NZ requests is complete.
Yes. This is a course-by-course decision. You may request none, one, two... all of your courses to be PZ/NZ. As noted above, there is no limit on the number of courses/hours a student can place on PZ/NZ status this semester. Your request(s) should consider both your progress in the individual course as well as your overall academic load for the semester.
No. The decision to elect PZ/NZ grading is your decision as a student; however, seeking advice from your academic advisor or college office is important in helping you make your decision.
Impacts of choosing PZ/NZ
The grades of PZ and NZ will not be included in the calculation of your GPA.
You should check with the college into which you intend to transfer to find out specifics. Some programs/majors require or at least recommend certain letter grade minimums. Note: For changes effective Fall 2021 and beyond, courses used to satisfy LAS major declaration criteria must be taken for a letter grade, not PZ/NZ.
For graduate and professional programs, GPA is an important consideration, and specifically science GPA, for many health professions (e.g., for medical schools, biology, chemistry, math, physics). PZ/NZ is not calculated into your overall GPA, and courses on PZ/NZ status won’t be calculated into your science GPA. Pre-Health advising recommends maintaining the graded option for the sciences, particularly prerequisite courses.
As always, you should check with each graduate or professional institution to which you intend to apply as to if/how they are modifying their admissions criteria for students’ Spring 2021 coursework.
We anticipate that going PZ/NZ in a limited number of courses is not going to impact candidacy for most jobs or internships, but you should check directly with the entity from which you have received the offer and consult with The Career Center if needed.
Employment that involves professional accreditation or licensure is more likely to be impacted. Students pursuing these fields should definitely consult with their academic advisor. For example, requirements to be a Certified Public Accountant vary state to state, so consultation with your advisor about your specific situation is critical.
Because scholarships, fellowships, grants, and even some loans have specific requirements for GPA and/or minimums on graded credit, all students with any type of financial aid should consult directly with the Office of Student Financial Aid about their individual situation.
Yes. As long as you pass with a PZ, credit is earned and the course will fulfill certification requirements.
Other questions
Possibly; please check with your college’s honors director or with the Campus Honors Program.
PZ/NZ is incompatible with Honors (H) grading, so you will not earn honors for classes switched to PZ/NZ. Please discuss with your college’s honors program director to help you make the most well-informed decision.
To be eligible for Spring 2021 Dean's List recognition, students must: 1) earn a minimum of 12 hours of UIUC course credit with standard letter grades; 2) be in good academic standing as defined by their college at the end of the term; and 3) have a grade point average in the top 20 percent of their college class.
Degree-seeking UIUC students may elect PZ/NZ for a NetMath course if you began or completed the course between January 25, 2021 and May 14, 2021. Courses completed prior to January 25, 2021 and courses completed by non-degree students prior to becoming degree-seeking students (for example, a high school student taking NetMath) are not eligible for PZ/NZ grading.
The grades of PZ and NZ will appear just like any other grade on your transcript; however, as stated above, these grades will not impact the calculation of your GPA. The university’s Transcript Key – Grade Explanation Information will be updated to include PZ and NZ as grades and symbols excluded from calculation of GPA.