Grade Replacement Policy

The grade replacement policy allows undergraduate students to repeat coursework to increase their cumulative grade point average (GPA). This means the grade earned from a repeated class would replace the grade earned from the original class within the cumulative GPA. 

Maximum Courses and Credit Hours

The total number of replaced University of Cincinnati credit hours may not exceed 18 undergraduate semester hours. Students may repeat up to a maximum of six or seven undergraduate semester courses. The number of credit hours replaced is based on the sum associated with the original class. 

GPA and Transcript Impacts

Both the original and 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 GPA. If the final grade received for the repeated class is a lesser grade than the final grade awarded for the original class, that lesser grade will replace the original grade in the GPA calculation. 

Financial Impact

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

How to Request

The student must complete a Grade Replacement Application and submit the application 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. 

Requests Cannot Be Cancelled

Once the student has submitted the application, that decision is irrevocable because they have identified the intent to use the current or most recent class for grade replacement. 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.

Grade Replacements Are Not Automatic

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

Exclusions

Academic Misconduct

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

Repeating As Audit or Pass/Fail

Students retaking a class under the Grade Replacement Policy cannot enroll in that class on a pass/fail or an audit basis.

Original Grade Did Not Impact GPA

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 are not calculated into the grade point average.

Graduate Courses

Grades earned from graduate course registration are ineligible to be replaced even though the student may be an undergraduate student.

Effect on University Decisions, Actions, and Sanctions

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.

Students who graduated may repeat a course, but University decisions made based on the recorded grade point average at the time of graduation are not changed. Examples of unalterable University decisions or actions are graduating with Latin honors or departmental honors, Phi Beta Kappa invitations, class rank, and any probation noted on the student's record on the date of graduation.

Students who replace a grade after graduation—to increase their grade point average for application to a professional school—are advised that transcript compilation services and/or admissions committees may disregard the UC grading policy and will apply their own quality point formulas.