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8.1: Retaking Undergraduate Courses for a Grade
1. A student may retake a course twice without requiring approval. After two retakes, students must submit a petition to retake a course again.
2. A course must be retaken for a letter grade unless the course is offered only on an S/U basis.
3. If a course is retaken at NS, the grade and credits earned replace those from the earlier attempt when calculating GPA, total credits, and Latin honors eligibility. For instance, if a student earned a D and retakes the course at NS and earns a B, the B and the credits earned in the retake will be included in their GPA and total credits toward graduation but the original grade and credits will not. If the student receives an F on the retake, only the F will be included in their GPA and they will lose the credits for the course.
a. If a student retakes a course from NS at another institution and transfers the course to NS, the most recent grade earned at NS will be calculated into the NS GPA but the student will lose any credits for the course that counted toward their total credits taken at NS. For example, if a student took ENG 101 and earned a C- and 3 credits at NS, then retakes the course at CSN and earns a B, the B from CSN will not replace the C- in the student’s NS GPA; however, 3 credits will be removed from their total credits taken at NS.
4. Students who earned a C- or lower in a transfer course may retake it if there is an equivalent at NS. Students who retake a transfer course receive the NS course credits regardless of the number of credits the course carried at the transfer institution. For example, a student retaking a 4-credit transfer course as a 3-credit equivalent NS course will receive 3 credits for the retake. If it is unclear whether a transfer course has an NS equivalent, faculty in the appropriate discipline will decide.
5. If the number of credits for a course has changed, a retake earns the current number of credits. For example, if a 5-credit course was reduced to 4 credits, the 5-credit original grade would be replaced by 4 credits of the retake grade.
6. If a student drops, withdraws, or is administratively dropped for non-attendance from a retake attempt, the most recent completed grade and earned credits remain in the student’s GPA and total credits. A retaken course from which a student withdraws (with a grade of W) is counted as a retake attempt.
7. All retakes, including grades earned, appear on the student’s academic record and transcript.
8. Once a student graduates and their degree is posted, they cannot retake a course to be applied to that degree or their graduating GPA.
9. A student’s current academic status or standing (such as being on academic notice or warning) does not change if the student enrolls to retake a course.
8.2 Considerations Regarding Retaking Courses
Graduate and professional programs and other educational institutions may not accept course retakes or may include grades from all attempts when calculating GPAs for admissions decisions.
Students receiving financial aid or veterans benefits should meet with staff from those offices before retaking a course, since it may affect their eligibility or benefits.
8.3 Petitioning for an Additional Undergraduate Course Retake
After their two allowed retake attempts, students must complete the Additional Course Retake Petition Form, available from the Registrar, for additional retakes. They should submit at least two weeks before the first day of the term in which they wish to retake the course; the deadline will not be extended.
Students must explain the extenuating circumstances that require another retake attempt, why the course is essential to their academic program or goals, and what plans or changes they have made to improve their performance in the course if their petition is approved.
The petition is routed to the dean (or designee) of the school that houses the course. Within 5 calendar days, the dean (or designee) will approve or deny it; they may include specific requirements (for example, meeting with a success coach, advisor, or the course instructor). If approved, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student by NS email of the decision and of any requirements that must be completed. Once any required documentation is submitted, the Registrar’s Office will authorize an additional retake for the approved term and notify the student that they may add the course in their Student Center. The student must add the course by the deadline to add classes for the term, published in the academic calendar.
8.4 Retaking Graduate Courses
A graduate student who earns a grade that does not meet program requirements must retake the course. One retake attempt is allowed. Credit for the course will only be granted once unless the course is repeatable (see 8.5 below). The retaken grade replaces the original grade in the student’s graduate cumulative GPA, even if the retaken grade is lower than the original grade.
Graduate students cannot retake a class if they have earned a grade that meets their program’s minimum requirements.
Graduate programs may publish their own policies on retaking courses; graduate students should refer to the policies or handbook for their program. If a graduate program has no specific policies on retaking courses, then the provisions in this section apply.
8.5 Repeatable Courses
A repeatable course is one that students can take more than once while receiving separate grades and credits each time, up to the stated maximum. The academic catalog indicates which courses are repeatable and for how many total credits. For instance, the catalog states that BIOL 399: Internship “may be repeated to a maximum of six credits.” Grades earned in repeatable courses do not replace earlier grades in the course; the grades and credits from all attempts are calculated into the student’s GPA and total credits, up to the maximum credits allowed.
Some academic programs limit the number of repeatable course credits that can be applied to major requirements. Students should refer to the academic catalog and speak to their advisor to clarify any limitations.
8.6 Related Information and History
– Additional Course Retake Petition Form (available from the Office of the Registrar)
8.6.1 Revisions History
– Approved by Dr. David Cooper on 2/4/2025; Berna Rhodes-Ford, 8/21/2025; Dr. Gwen Sharp, 10/20/2025; and Acting President Amber Lopez Lasater on 10/20/2025.