Credit/No Credit Grading - Office of the Registrar - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Google Tag Manager Cal Poly Global Site Tag * Skip to Content * ? * Current Students * Prospective Students * Parents * Alumni my CalPoly login * Contact * * Office of the Registrar Cal Poly and Cal Poly Maritime Academy * Home Registrar Home CLOSE MENU * Plan Your Degree Tools and Resources * Upcoming Training Opportunities * Degree Flowcharts and Curriculum Sheets * Degree Planner * Degree Progress Report * Minors * Change your major * First Year at Cal Poly * Returning Former Students * Double Major * College Advising Centers * Courses-Term Typically Offered Academic Requirements * Catalog * Course Descriptions * GE 2026 Guide * US Cultural Pluralism (USCP) * Graduation Writing Requirement * The American Experience (D1) * Minimum GPA * Academic Residence Other Types of Credit * AP/IB/CLEP Credit * Transfer Credit * Study Abroad * Military Credit (DD214) * Credit By Examination Graduation * Graduation * Commencement * Diplomas CLOSE MENU * Register For Classes Registration Information * Enrollment Appointments * Newly Admitted First-Year Students * Newly Admitted Transfer Students * CSU Fully Online * Academic Progress Gauge * Tuition and Fees * Graduate Students * Leave of Absence * Withdrawal * Degree Planner How to Register * Registration Overview * How to Register with Schedule Builder * Student Center * Class Search * Degree Progress Report (DPR) Resources and Tools * AP/IB/CLEP Credit * Grades * Credit / No Credit Grading Information (CR/NC) * Transfer Credits * Repeating a Course * Special Topic Courses * Summer at Cal Poly * College Advising Centers CLOSE MENU * Student Records Student Records Overview * Transcripts * Grades * Transfer Credits * Dean’s List and Honors * Diplomas Enrollment * Enrollment Verification * Returning Students * Leave of Absence * Withdrawal * Academic Probation and Disqualification Records Resources * Student Privacy (FERPA) * Cheating and Plagiarism Veterans * Veteran Services CLOSE MENU * Forms Forms * Student Forms * Faculty Forms CLOSE MENU * Calendars Calendars * Current Academic Year * All Calendars Academic Year * 2024-2025 Summer through Spring * 2025-2026 Summer through Spring * 2026-2027 Summer through Summer * Calendar Guidelines Important Schedules * Enrollment Schedules * Planning Calendars * Final Exam Schedules CLOSE MENU * Faculty and Staff Curriculum * Courses-Term Typically Offered * Courses Approved for Online Delivery * Topic Courses * Curriculum Handbook * Updates to the Current Catalog * Articulation Academic Scheduling * CourseLeaf CLSS FAQ * Virtual Instruction * Academic Scheduling Overview * Approved Scheduling Time Patterns * Final Exam Schedule * University Lecture Rooms * Resources for Department Schedulers Event Scheduling * University Events: Master Calendar * Facilities and Event Request Form Resources * Upcoming Training Opportunities * Enrollment Monitoring * Summits and Open Forums * Training Guides * Academic Forms * FERPA * Academic Policies * Using Adobe Sign * Student Communications Calendar * Faculty and Staff Communications Calendar CLOSE MENU * Contact Contact Listing CLOSE MENU Credit/No Credit Grading ATTENTION GRADUATE STUDENTS: The information found below applies only to undergraduate students. If you are a graduate student (post baccalaureate student) with Credit/No Credit grading questions, please speak directly with your Graduate Coordinator or the Office of Graduate Education. SEMESTER UPDATES | CREDIT/NO CREDIT POLICY | EFFECTIVE FALL 2026: A new credit/no credit policy, effective Fall 2026 term, was approved January 13, 2026. Link to approved policy. Summary of changes: * Students will be permitted to take a maximum of 12 semester units with credit/no credit grading with specifications outlined in the policy. * If approved by the student’s major program, department or equivalent unit, no more than one course in the Major may be taken for CR/NC grading. * Anything that indicates "4 units" below will change to "no more than one course" * No more than one course in GE may be taken for CR/NC grading. One course may include a 3-unit, 4-unit, or 5-unit GE course. One unit lab courses, not embedded with a lecture course, taken to satisfy the 5C GE requirement may be taken CR/NC without counting against the one course limit for a GE course taken CR/NC. * The deadline for students to choose the CR/NC grading option for eligible courses will be 50% of instruction for the term, or the Friday following that date, whichever is later. This website will be updated with semester information and this new policy in a comprehensive way in July 2026. Selecting Credit/No Credit grading by the quarterly deadline means that you are choosing to complete the class on a pass/fail basis. The grade received (either "CR" for Credit or "NC" for No Credit) is not factored into your GPA. Credit is awarded for grades of a C- or higher. No credit is awarded for grades lower than a C-. The University Credit/No Credit grading policy for undergraduate students states that students may choose to take up to 16 units of coursework with this grading option. This does not include courses that are already designated to be graded as CR/NC, as noted in their course description. Students must have a 2.0 CPSLO GPA and can select no more than 8 units (two classes) as CR/NC in one term. Of the 16 units: * 4 units can be from GE courses (or a 5 unit GE course), unless double counting in Major or Support courses * 4 units can be from Major or Support courses if your department allows it * Most majors do not allow Credit/No Credit grading in Major or Support courses. Check your college information below under Step 3. * The remaining units can be used for free electives Courses in the "major" include all concentration courses and all types of elective courses listed within the major curriculum: e.g., technical electives, approved electives, concentration approved electives, etc. CAUTION: Major/Support Courses and CR/NC ANY class that can fulfill any elective area in Major or Support is considered a Major/Support class if you have not already fully satisfied that elective area in a prior term . This includes concentration and/or technical/approved elective lists. As such, if you have not fully satisfied that area in a prior term, you must follow the rules for your major, which can be found elsewhere in this website. You do not have an option for CR/NC. EXAMPLE SCENARIO : * A College of Engineering student's technical elective requirement is not yet satisfied. They are considering taking a course as CR/NC. If the course being considered for CR/NC grading is on the list of technical electives, they cannot enroll in that class CR/NC . They would only be able to enroll in that class CR/NC if they have fully satisfied their technical elective requirement. If a course in your major double counts or double-fulfills a Major or Support requirement as well as a GE requirement, the units would apply as Major/Support CR/NC units and must abide by your major's policy. Please refer to the full policy in the catalog for all components of CR/NC Graduate students please consult your graduate handbook for grading policies. Please review all instructions and policies below before adjusting grading options. STEP 1: Review Grade Setting for the Course Some courses, such as 1-unit KINE classes, are already designated as Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) graded. These courses are exempt from grading changes and do not require any action. Follow the steps below to verify the current grading status of your courses: How to check grading setting * Log into your portal at my.calpoly.edu * Click on "Student Center" from the menu on the left * Click on "Academic Progress" from the menu on the left (the graduation cap symbol) * Click on "Grades" and adjust to appropriate term by clicking "Change Term" in the top right corner. * If the grading basis says "Graded", this means you will receive a letter grade. * If the grading basis says "Credit/No Credit", this means the class is automatically set to CR/NC and does not need to be changed. These units do not count toward the 16-unit limit for CR/NC grading. Check if the deadline to change CR/NC grading has passed It is important to check if the deadline for credit/no credit has passed. * Visit the student planning calendar to view the deadline for this quarter. * All grading selections are finalized at the 80% mark of the quarter (the end of week 8) * Students can change the grading basis as many times as they'd like up until the deadline. STEP 2: Review All Considerations Below Reasons to consider CR/NC * Reducing Stress: To focus on learning the material without the pressure of earning a specific grade. * Exploring Interests: To take a class outside your major or comfort zone without worrying about how it impacts your GPA. * Risk Management: If you are unsure about performing well in a challenging course, CR/NC can minimize potential GPA impact. * Meeting Unit Requirements: To fulfill free elective or unit requirements without needing a letter grade. * Special Circumstances: If personal challenges (e.g., health issues or unexpected events) might affect their performance. * If you have any questions, about credit/no credit policies (prerequisites, change of major, options if already reached limit, etc.) please discuss with an advisor before making the decision. Please continue to read all reasons below. Change of Major If you are considering changing your major, it is encouraged you look up the policy for both majors. You need to abide by the policies for your current major and not your desired major. All curriculum sheets and flowcharts can be found on flowcharts.calpoly.edu. * Reference step 2 on the change of major website to view each major's policy and step 3 below. If you are in an Individualized Change of Major Agreement (ICMA), please reference your ICMA or contact your ICMA coordinator. Some criteria states that you need to complete a specific number of graded units. Specific major criteria can be found on step 2 of the change of major website or reference your email from the department.  Graduate or Professional School If you are considering graduate school or professional school, be aware that some programs may have specific grading preferences. To ensure you meet their criteria, we recommend consulting directly with the respective schools or programs you plan to apply to and inquire on credit/no credit grading preferences or implications in their application process. Cal Poly Pre-Health Career Advising has additional information to consider Cal Poly Pre health Career Advising. Impact on GPA and Financial Aid A CR/NC grade won’t directly affect your GPA. In some cases, choosing CR/NC can help stabilize your GPA, but in others, a letter grade might improve it. Receiving a NC grade can impact your progress to degree and/or Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid. If you have concerns, connect with an academic advisor or the Financial Aid office .  Keep in mind that once the deadline passes, you can’t change your grading option. Minors For minor courses, please keep in mind no more than one-third of the courses in a minor can be graded with student-selected Credit/No Credit (CR/NC), except for courses that have mandatory CR/NC grading You can review the policy in the catalog and on the Academic Programs website . Prerequisites It is encouraged that you review the grade requirement for the next course via the flowchart or the Catalog and discuss the best option with an advisor . Some courses, like A1, A2, A3, and B4 GEs, require a C- or better to pass the prerequisite and fulfill the requirement of the course. In this instance, CR/NC could be an option since the grading requirement is the same (a C- is the threshold). However, if the next course in the sequence does not specifically state that the prerequisite is a C- or better, then a D- or higher is a passing grade. If you only need at least a D- for the prerequisite but are taking the class as CR/NC, then you will get NC and the prerequisite will not be met.     In this case, it might be better to choose a letter grading, especially if you receive Financial Aid. Please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss any implications if this applies to you.  STEP 3: Understand if Your Major Allows CR/NC Grading There are 8 majors that allow CR/NC grading in major or support courses. Agribusiness, Art, Journalism, Kinesiology, Liberal Studies, Public Health, Physics, and Statistics (there are limitations with Physics and Statistics). Students are responsible for reading all information listed below from their departments prior to selecting CR/NC grading. Units Eligible to take CR/NC Students must have a 2.0 CPSLO GPA. Students have a maximum of 16 units that can be elected for CR/NC * 4 units can be from GE courses (or a 5 unit GE course), unless double counting in Major or Support courses * 4 units can be from Major or Support courses if your department allows it * Most majors do not allow Credit/No Credit grading in Major or Support. Check your college information below. * The remaining units can be used for free electives Courses in the "major" include all concentration courses and all types of elective courses listed within the major curriculum: e.g., technical electives, approved electives, concentration approved electives, etc. See "Technical Electives |  Approved Electives" in the Frequently Asked Scenario below for more specifics. ANY class that can fulfill any elective area in major or support is considered a major/support class if you have not already fully satisfied that elective area in a prior term . This includes concentration and/or technical/approved elective lists. As such, if you have not fully satisfied that area in a prior term, you must follow the rules for your major, which can be found elsewhere in this website. You do not have an option for CR/NC. EXAMPLE SCENARIO : * A College of Engineering student's technical elective requirement is not yet satisfied. They are considering taking a course as CR/NC. If the course being considered for CR/NC grading is on the list of technical electives, they cannot enroll in that class CR/NC . They would only be able to enroll in that class CR/NC if they have fully satisfied their technical elective requirement. If a course in your major double counts or double-fulfills a Major or Support requirement as well as a GE requirement, the units would apply as Major/Support CR/NC units and must abide by your major's policy. Please refer to the catalog for the full policy about CR/NC . How can I tell if my major or support courses can be selected as CR/NC? You can view your major's policy at the top of your curriculum sheet . If you need help finding your catalog year, you can visit your PolyProfile. From your Cal Poly Portal, click on "Academics tab" along the top header and PolyProfile is listed under resources. You will find the catalog year listed under "Career Programs Plans" next to your Bachelor degree information When is a course not eligible for CR/NC grading? Student Center will allow you to change the CR/NC grading even if the course is not eligible. Please consider the following two factors: Reached limit: If you have reached the limit of CR/NC units allowed, the CR/NC grade will be reverted back to a letter grade by the Office of the Registrar * This does not happen automatically and has to be adjusted manually. Until then, the course is often listed under "course credits not used" in your Degree Progress Report. * If you notice this, email [email protected] to ask about your grade Course not eligible to be selected CR/NC: If a course is not eligible to be selected as CR/NC because your major doesn't allow it or you've used your allowed units, check with an advisor about your options. * In some instances, a course withdrawal might be appropriate, whereas other times you may want to explore repeating the course. You can review information for withdrawals and repeats below: * Withdrawal policy page * Course repeat policy page SELECT YOUR COLLEGE BELOW FOR DETAILED POLICY INFORMATION College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences | CAFES Major Policy Agribusiness One major or support course may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Agricultural Communications No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Agriculture Science No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Agriculture System Management No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC if it does not double-count for a major/support course. Animal Science No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. BioResource and Agricultural Engineering No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC if it does not double-count for a major/support course. Dairy Science No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Environmental Earth and Soil Science No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Environmental Management and Protection No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC. Food Science No major, support, or concentration courses may be selected as CR/NC. One GE course may be CR/NC if it does not double-count for a major/support course. Forestry and Fire Science No major,