Undergraduate Course Forgiveness and Course Repeat
Undergraduate students are eligible to repeat up to 28 units and may apply a maximum of 16 of those 28 repeatable units for course forgiveness. The course repeat policy will be applied to courses taken at San Diego State University.
Course Forgiveness
Course Forgiveness allows undergraduate students to repeat a course where a grade of C- or lower was earned and only the most recent grade will be calculated in the GPA. A course may be repeated only one time for course forgiveness. Course forgiveness is only available to undergraduate students.
- Students can only register to repeat the same course if they previously earned a grade of C- or lower.
- Course forgiveness is automatically applied to the first attempt of a repeated course up to 16 units.
- A maximum of 16 units is allowed for course forgiveness as part of the 28-unit course repeat limit.
- Students may not use course forgiveness for courses in which the original grade was the result of a finding of academic dishonesty.
- Course forgiveness will be processed at the end of each academic term.
- If a student wishes to adjust course forgiveness that was applied automatically, contact the Office of the Registrar via the Contact Us form.
Course Repeat Petition
If a grade of C- or lower has been earned after two attempts, and a third attempt is required, a repeat petition must be submitted for approval to re-enroll. Requests for special consideration of the course repeat policy will be reviewed only by petition and if there is a serious and compelling reason that warrants an exception.
Students must make an appointment with their major advisor to discuss the course repeat policy and determine if the circumstances warrant a petition. The advisor will file the petition via my.SDSU on behalf of the student and ensure that notes have been entered in EAB that correspond to the petition request.
In order to be eligible for approval of the course repeat petition, the student should have no registration holds. Time conflicts between classes are not permitted.
Once a decision has been made students will be notified via their SDSU email. If approved, students will be able to register for the class (if there are open seats) or be added to the waitlist for that term. If the waitlist period has ended, the student will need a permission number from the instructor to enroll. There is no guarantee, even with an approved petition, that the student will be added to a course.
Course repeat petitions may be filed during the following dates:
| Semester | Submit Request Between* |
|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | November 7, 2024-January 27, 2025 |
*We cannot guarantee the processing of a Course Repeat Petition received after the close of the submission period.
Be advised that financial aid may not cover the additional course attempt. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Courses can be repeated at any time prior to the conferral of your undergraduate degree.
Yes. Course forgiveness can only be applied to courses repeated at SDSU.
Course forgiveness only applies to repeats of the same course; they must contain the same number, title, and (for Experimental Topics courses) same subtitle.
No, a CR/NC grade cannot be calculated in the GPA and cannot replace a letter grade in the GPA calculation.
If I earned a grade of NC in a course, does that count toward the limit on attempts for that course?
Yes, any grade in a course will count as an attempt toward the course repeat.
No. If a grade of W is assigned, the attempt will not count towards the course repeat limit.