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Undergraduate Academic Status: Academic Notice and Disqualification

Academic standing is calculated at the end of each semester after deductions have been made for approved course repeats and after year-old Incomplete grades have been included in your grade point average (GPA) as grades of "IC."

The SDSU campus GPA includes all courses taken through the San Diego or Imperial Valley Campus, Special Sessions courses offered through SDSU Global Campus, and any Open University courses taken after spring 1998. Open University courses taken prior to spring 1998 as well as all extension courses are considered transfer credit and do not count in the SDSU GPA.

A student is in good academic standing when their overall cumulative GPA and SDSU GPA are 2.0 or higher. If either overall cumulative GPA or SDSU GPA fall below a 2.0, a student will be placed on academic notice. Being on academic notice means that a student's academic performance is below the state minimum required for graduation and that improvement is required. Students are placed on academic notice at the end of the semester when their SDSU GPA and/or cumulative GPA is less than 2.0 (less than a "C" average).

Students on academic notice are subject to academic disqualification. Disqualified students must reapply to SDSU. You must meet the admission criteria that exist at the time you reapply in order to be considered for readmission. Readmission is not automatic and is not guaranteed. Current admission criteria are available on the Office of Admissions website.

A student will be removed from academic notice when they have raised their GPA to 2.00 or higher in all college work attempted and in all work attempted at SDSU.

Undergraduate Academic Notice and Disqualification Policy Effective Fall 2024

While on academic notice, your SDSU and cumulative GPAs must remain above the disqualification range for your student level. If your GPA falls below the disqualification range, you will be placed on Academic Disqualification.

  • First-year (29 units or less) will be academically disqualified if their SDSU or cumulative GPA is below a 1.50;
  • Sophomore (30-59 units) will be academically disqualified if their SDSU or cumulative GPA is below a 1.70;
  • Junior (60-89 units) will be academically disqualified if their SDSU or cumulative GPA is below a 1.85;
  • Senior (90 units or higher) will be academically disqualified if their SDSU or cumulative GPA is below a 1.95;
  • 2nd Baccalaureate (0+ units) will be academically disqualified if their SDSU or cumulative GPA is below a 1.95.

If you are disqualified, you are no longer a student at SDSU and you cannot enroll in SDSU classes, or classes through SDSU Global Campus, for a minimum of one year. To return to SDSU after a year, you must reapply to the University and be subject to the policy and admission standards in effect at the time of your application.

If you are in an approved Second Baccalaureate program, you will be placed on academic notice once your GPA falls below a 2.00. Academic status will be calculated the same as that of an undergraduate student.

Between fall 1997 and summer 2022, students on probation were required to maintain a term grade point average (GPA) of 2.00. Students falling below a 2.00 in any term after going on probation, were subject to academic disqualification. Students maintaining a term GPA of at least 2.0 were permitted to continue on probation for a maximum of three semesters.

The student's campus and cumulative GPAs were required to be at least a 2.00 at the end of the maximum 3 semesters of probation. Students who did not meet this criteria were subject to academic disqualification.

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, SDSU students were not placed on academic probation after the spring 2020 semester regardless of term, SDSU, or cumulative grade point averages. Students who were on probation in the spring 2020 semester were not subject to disqualification, nor was the semester counted toward the three maximum semesters of probation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I determine my academic status?
To determine your academic status, you should refer to your my.SDSU and your unofficial transcript.
When you are placed on academic notice or are academically disqualified, a note will appear under the semester GPA information. Your unofficial transcript will also list all SDSU courses you have taken in chronological order. Under each term, you will see a column for Attempted, Earned, Grade, Points, and REF. Attempted means units attempted or the number of units a course is worth. Earned means the number of units you earn for completing a course with a grade of D- or higher. Grade is the grade you earned for a course. Points are the grade points you earned for each course you received a grade for. REF stands for reference codes which may appear on your unofficial transcript. For each semester that you complete courses, you will receive term totals, which will show you the total number of units attempted and earned, the total grade points earned, and grade point average for the semester. Below your term totals, you will see your SDSU cumulative totals. Your SDSU cumulative totals include all of the coursework you have completed at SDSU.

Select image to enlarge.

Unofficial Transcript snippet Unofficial Transcript totals for semester classes Unofficial Transcript totals
How do I calculate my GPA?
To calculate your grade point average (GPA), divide your total grade points by your total number of units attempted. Units earned with a "CR" (Credit) grade are not included in the computation. A grade of "I" (Incomplete authorized) is not counted in the GPA computation until one calendar year has expired, at which point it will be charged as an "IC" (Incomplete charged) and count as an "F" in the calculation. Summer term and Open University courses are included in the SDSU GPA. Extension courses are calculated only in the cumulative GPA.
Referring to your transcript, use this formula:
GPA = Total Grade Points / Total Units Attempted
How do I calculate grade points?
For every course unit, you receive grade points based on the grade you earned. SDSU offers a plus/minus grading system, but not all instructors use it.
Grade Point Conversion Chart
A = 4.0 C + = 2.3 D - = 0.7
A - = 3.7 C = 2.0 F = 0
B + = 3.3 C - = 1.7 WU = 0
B = 3.0 D + = 1.3 I = 0
B - = 2.7 D = 1.0 IC = 0
To calculate your grade points, multiply the number of course units by the number of grade points for the grade you earned. Referring to the chart above and your transcript, use this formula:
Number of Course Units X Number of Grade Points = Total Grade Points
Example: If you earned a B+ in a 3-unit class, your grade point total for that class would be:
3.3 grade points X 3 units = 9.9 total grade points
How do I get off academic notice?
Course forgiveness is the most effective and efficient way to get off academic notice.
What is course forgiveness?
Course forgiveness allows you to retake a class and "forgive" the first grade. Course forgiveness can only be used on original grades of "C-" or lower. The courses must be the exact same course and must be repeated at SDSU. The original grade remains on your transcript, but does not get calculated into your GPA. The second grade replaces (forgives) the original grade. Review the course forgiveness section for more information.
How many courses can I take with course forgiveness?
You may request a maximum of 16 units for course forgiveness as part of the 28-unit course repeat limit. Note that you can repeat the same course only once for course forgiveness.
What if I earn a lower grade using course forgiveness?
The second grade you earn in the course counts, even if it is lower than your original grade.

See your major advisor or Assistant Dean to establish an academic plan to help you get off academic notification. Students who have been disqualified from SDSU can see an advisor to develop an academic plan to prepare for readmission to SDSU.

You will discover that there are many additional advising resources on campus. For more information review the Seeing An Advisor web page.

The Department of Counseling and Psychological Services offers the Bounce Back Retention Program to students on academic notice. This one-unit course teaches various academic skills such as time management, test taking, study skills, and how to increase resilience by strengthening the ability to bounce back from adversity. More information about the Bounce Back program can be found on the Counseling and Psychological Services website.