Pass or No Credit
Pass or No Credit
Pass or No Credit
Students may choose to take approved courses on a Pass (P) or No Credit (NC) basis. Only those courses included on this chart may be taken as Pass or No Credit. Students wishing to exercise the Pass or No Credit option must do so no later than the last day of the withdrawal period for the term and only 10% of credits earned may be taken as Pass or No Credit as per policy.
To submit a Pass or No Credit Grading request, students should send an email from their Rowan email account to registrar-records@rowan.edu with the following information:
Student Name (Last, First):
Banner ID#:
Term:
CRN:
TITLE OF COURSE:
SUBJ:
CRSE #:
SECTION:
Upon receipt, the Registrar’s office will:
- Verify that the student is eligible, based on the 10% limit, not taking into account the semester for which the expanded option was widely available (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2020-2021, Spring 2021)
- Verify that the course is eligible, based on the approved list and any major restrictions
- Process the request in Banner
- Respond to the student via email that the selection was processed, copying the faculty member and advisor
Due to the emergency move to remote learning beginning in the Spring 2020 term in response to COVID-19, Rowan implemented an expanded option for most students (excluding those in DO, MD, or PhD programs) to choose Pass or No Credit grades instead of letter grades for their Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2020-2021, and Spring 2021 courses ONLY. See FAQs below for more information.
Pass or No Credit FAQs
What is the process for requesting the Pass or No Credit option?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: To submit a Pass or No Credit Grading request, students should send an email from their Rowan email account to registrar-records@rowan.edu with the following information:
Student Name (Last, First):
Banner ID#:
Term:
CRN:
TITLE OF COURSE:
SUBJ:
CRSE #:
SECTION:
Upon receipt, the Registrar’s office will:
- Verify that the student is eligible, based on the 10% limit, not taking into account the the semester for which the expanded option was widely available (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2020-2021, Spring 2021)
- Verify that the course is eligible, based on the approved list and any major restrictions
- Process the request in Banner
- Respond to the student via email that the selection was processed, copying the faculty member and advisor
For Spring 2021 courses, Winter 2020-2021 courses, Fall 2020 courses and Spring 2020 courses ONLY: Students may choose Pass or No Credit for courses in these terms until the date they graduate. Please send an email for your Rowan email address to registrar-records@rowan.edu to submit your request with your name and Banner id, the term, course number and CRN, earned grade and new Pass or No Credit choice
How is it determined whether I earn a Pass or a No Credit grade?
Do graduate courses allow the Pass or No Credit option?
Graduate courses do not allow the Pass or No Credit option, however, in response to the COVID-19 emergency, some graduate courses did allow Pass or No Credit grading for specific semesters. Minimum grades required for a Pass were determined by each graduate program and are available below:
What is the process for requesting the Pass or No Credit option in the case of an IN?
Instructors will enter the IN (Incomplete) course grade in Banner. Once the missing work is completed and graded by the instructor, the instructor will submit the final course grade of P or NC to the Registrar’s office. If the student does not complete the work, the IN will turn into a grade of F at the end of the semester according to the university’s Grading System Policy.
Do I need to alert the instructor of the course of my intention?
No, students should request the P or NC option from the Registrar for eligible courses by the end of the withdrawal period using the email process outlined at the top of this page. Instructors do not need to approve requests.
How will P or NC grades impact my GPA?
P or NC grades do not count toward GPA. They neither raise nor lower your GPA.
Who can request the P or NC option?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: Undergraduate students may request Pass or No Credit grading for certain approved courses. However, based on the student's program(s) of study, Pass or No Credit may not be an option.
For Spring 2021 courses, Winter 2020-2021 courses, Fall 2020 courses and Spring 2020 courses ONLY: Undergraduate and graduate students except those who were, at that time, enrolled in a MD, DO, or PhD degree program could request the P or NC option. Please be aware, however, that in programs leading to certification or licensure, a P grade may not be accepted as verification that the necessary program learning outcomes were attained.
What is the benefit of taking Pass or No Credit? Is this better than a D letter grade?
You should always try to earn a letter grade if you can. Letter grades and/or a minimum GPA may still be required if you want to go to graduate school or pursue professional licensure. If you were unable to devote your full attention and effort to a class and you don’t feel a letter grade represents your academic performance, the Pass (P) grade allows you to earn the credits with no impact on your GPA.
How does the Pass or No Credit option impact financial aid eligibility?
The impact of P or NC grades on Satisfactory Academic Progress is unchanged. P or NC grades do not affect GPA; however, all grades, including the original grade(s) from repeated coursework, are calculated into cumulative GPA. Courses with the NC grade do not count as completed coursework and therefore will affect the PACE element of your Satisfactory Academic Progress. Please see the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy or email financialaid@rowan.edu.
What is the deadline for requesting the P or NC option?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: Students wishing to exercise the Pass or No Credit option must do so no later than the last day of the withdrawal period for the course.
For Spring 2021, Winter 2020-2021, Fall 2020, and Spring 2020 Courses ONLY: While semester deadlines were in place at the time of the specific semesters, the University has determined that students may choose Pass or No Credit for courses in these terms until the date they graduate.
What if I change my mind? Can I change back to a letter grade later?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: Because students are opting to receive only a P or NC grade before the end of the withdrawal period, there will be no record of an original letter grade, so the P or NC will remain as the final grade.
For Spring 2021, Winter 2020-2021, Fall 2020, and Spring 2020 Courses ONLY: You will not be able to change your selections via Self-Service Banner, however, you may submit a request to change back to a letter grade using the email process outlined below:
Send an email to registrar-records@rowan.edu from your Rowan student email account with this information for each course:
Student Name (Last, First):
Banner ID#:
Spring 2020 Course:
CRN:
TITLE OF COURSE:
SUBJ:
CRSE #:
SECTION:
Earned letter grade:
P or NC choice:
What if I choose a P grade in a prerequisite course with a minimum grade requirement?
The course will fulfill the pre-requisite regardless of any minimum grade requirement. This means that if there is a minimum grade requirement of C- to fulfill the pre-req, the P grade fulfills the minimum grade requirement even if your letter grade was below a C-. However, before taking the next course in the sequence, you are strongly advised to consult with the instructor or your advisor regarding your chances for success in the subsequent course. It may be in your best interests to retake the course even if you earn the P grade.
What if I earn the NC grade in a prerequisite course?
You do not earn credit for the NC grade and will need to retake the pre-requisite course.
What if I am repeating a course to improve an earlier grade?
If your earlier grade in a previous semester was an F, a retake with a grade of P will replace it. A grade of NC will not replace an earlier attempt; the earlier grade (F or otherwise) will remain.
How does a Pass or No Credit affect a student’s GPA in a second attempt?
While NC does not impact a student’s overall GPA, a Pass will positively impact GPA in a repeat scenario by removing the previous poor grade from the calculation.
Can students choose a grade option for one course and the Pass or No Credit option for another course?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: Students may choose Pass or No Credit grading for as many courses in a term as are eligible, however, only 10% of credits earned may be taken as Pass or No Credit as per policy.
For Spring 2021 courses, Winter 2020-2021 courses, Fall 2020 courses and Spring 2020 courses ONLY: Yes. Students can choose a grade option for one course and the Pass or No Credit for another course.
Will every student who requests a Pass (P) for a grade be granted that or is there a review process?
There is no review process beyond the eligibility criteria.
How are Pass or No Credit grades viewed by competitive graduate programs such as medical school programs?
You should always try to earn a letter grade if you can. This may be especially important in upper-level science courses or pre-requisites for medical, dental, or professional school.
Will students need to confer with an advisor before deciding whether or not to choose Pass or No Credit grading or acknowledge in some way that they have read background information about the implications of their choice?
It is highly recommended that students discuss their decision with their academic advisor. However, students are expected to make informed and carefully considered decisions and are responsible for the implications.
Where there is programmatic accreditation, will Pass or No Credit option allow students to sit for board exams?
You should consult with your academic advisor before making the Pass or No Credit decision.
How will the Pass or No Credit option impact academic honors?
Bearing in mind that neither the Pass (P) or No Credit (NC) have GPA implications, academic honors will be determined as they normally are. Qualifications for academic honors at Commencement are based upon the student's academic average at the end of the first term of the senior year. Students’ transcripts indicate academic honors based upon the cumulative grade point average achieved at the end of the senior year. For further information, please see the Academic Honors Policy.
Will a Pass or No Credit prevent a student from being named to the Dean's List?
Dean’s List for a semester is based on 12 semester hours of letter (A-F) graded classes. This remains unchanged.
What will show on the Rowan transcript if a student decides to take a P grade? Will there be just the P or the P with the letter grade?
Only the grade of P will show on transcripts.
Will there be a record of my earned grade available if I should need it at some point?
For Fall 2021 and going forward: Because students are opting to receive only a P or NC grade before the end of the withdrawal period, there will be no record of an original letter grade, so the P or NC will be the only grade on record.
For Spring 2021, Winter 2020-2021, Fall 2020, and Spring 2020 Courses ONLY: Earned grades will remain in the Banner system, if a student should need to report them to a graduate or other institution in the future. Requests for this information can be sent to registrar@rowan.edu.
If I choose the Pass option will I receive credits that count toward my overall requirement of 120 earned credits?
Yes. If you choose the Pass (P) option you will earn the credits associated with that course.
You must fulfill the minimum requirements for number of credits and GPA for your program. Grades for which you earn NC will not count toward graduation. P grades will, but with no effect on your GPA.