Grade Replacement Policy

The UC grade replacement policy allows a student to repeat University of Cincinnati coursework, with the final grade awarded for the most recent class enrollment calculated into the cumulative grade point average rather than the final grade awarded for the original class enrollment. The total number of replaced University of Cincinnati credit hours may not exceed 12 undergraduate semester hours. Students may repeat up to a maximum of four undergraduate semester courses.

Note: Grade replacement for repeated courses is not available for graduate courses.

The number of credit hours replaced is based upon the sum of the credit hours associated with the original class. Both the original and the repeated class are designated on the student's transcript as "Approved Grade Replacement." Only the final grade awarded to the most recent class, however, is calculated into the cumulative grade point average. If the final grade received for the repeat class is a lesser grade than the final grade awarded for the original class, that lesser grade will replace the original grade in the grade point average calculation. In instances where quarter credit hours are replaced by semester credit hours, excess hours previously earned will be reported as "progress" hours and will be included as "N" hours.

University of Cincinnati requires students to register and pay tuition whenever repeating a class. Instructors may not alter a previously-assigned "I" grade, or any other letter grade previously reported, by allowing students to repeat classes without registering and paying tuition for those classes.

The student must complete a Grade Replacement Application and submit that form to the College office offering the current class. The College will review the grade replacement request and forward approved grade replacements to the Registrar's Office for processing. This approval process ensures that the requested replacement class is academically appropriate to serve as a replacement for the original class, even if this replacement class is offered by a different UC college or within different term calendars. The Grade Replacement Application is available online from the Office of the Registrar.

Once the student has submitted the form, thereby identifying the intent to use the current or most recent class for grade replacement, that decision is irrevocable. In the case of a current class, if the student withdraws from the class after petitioning for a grade replacement, that class does count towards the maximum number of classes that the student may repeat—but the "W" grade resulting from the withdrawal does not replace the final grade awarded for the original class.

If the student does not submit the required grade replacement application for the specific class(es) desired, both the original class final grade and the repeated class final grade will be calculated into the student's cumulative grade point average.

Students are not permitted to use grade replacement for an "F" grade imposed as a sanction for academic misconduct.

Approved Grade Replacements will not retroactively alter academic actions, decisions or sanctions that resulted from the original grade and/or original term grade point average.

Student retaking a class under the Grade Replacement Policy cannot enroll in that class on a pass/fail or an audit basis. The grade replacement policy should not be used in situations where the original grade received was "W", "WX", "S", "P", "N", "NG", "T", "NP", or "IP." Those grades do not have an effect on the grade point average.

Students who have graduated may repeat a course, but University decisions that were made based on the recorded grade point average at the time of graduation are not subject to modification. Examples of unalterable University decisions or actions are the following: graduation with Latin honors, departmental honors, Phi Beta Kappa, class rank, and any probation noted on the student's record on the date of graduation. Students who replace a grade after graduation so as to increase the grade point average for application to a professional school are advised that transcript compilation services and/or admissions committees will disregard the UC grading policy and will apply their own quality point formulas.