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Repeating a Course & Grade Replacement

Repeating a Course

Students may attempt the same course at the University no more than twice. Courses that may be attempted no more than twice include:

  • courses completed with a passing or failing grade (i.e., C, D, E, S, P, F, I grades)

  • courses that were audited or withdrawn from (i.e., O, W, E, WO, XO grades). Thus, a student who drops a course any time after the drop deadline has attempted that course. Repeating a course with the Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) counts as an additional attempt.

Certain courses may be repeated and are excluded from the count of attempts:

  • courses included in a complete withdrawal from the University (i.e., WC grade)

  • courses cancelled by the department offering the course

  • courses designated as repeatable for credit

Certain courses may not be repeated:

  • courses with original grades of A or B, except as specifically provided by departments on a course-by-course basis

  • Success Courses

Grading for Repeated Courses

By default for all students, when a completed course with a passing or failing grade is repeated, the cumulative grade-point-average (GPA) will reflect the grades earned in both the first and second attempts. Credit will be applied only once to the degree program, unless the course is designated repeatable for credit by the department.

Undergraduate Grade Replacement Opportunity

Undergraduate students who have not received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona may use the Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) when repeating certain undergraduate courses; graduate students and graduate-level courses are not eligible. GRO offers students the ability to replace grades of C, D, or E by repeating the course. Grades earned using the GRO will replace one previous grade for the course in the calculation of the grade-point-average (GPA), even if the grade from the repeated attempt is lower than the first attempt. Both the original grade and the grade from the repeated attempt remain on the academic record. GRO may be used for a maximum of 3 courses.

The GRO filing process and instructions are accessible on the Office of the Registrar website. GRO filing deadlines are set by the Registrar and published at Dates and Deadlines. When the final grade for the GRO repeat attempt has been processed in the Office of the Registrar, the cumulative units and grade-point-average (GPA) will be adjusted. Grades of I and Y are not final grades. After filing for GRO, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Office of the Registrar of any change that may affect the registration in the course being repeated.

  • GRO may only be used when repeating the same course with the same grading type; students cannot replace a grade in the original course using a different course.

  • The following course types are not eligible for GRO: Credit by Exam, Grade by Exam, Individual Studies courses (i.e., Preceptorship, Directed Research, Internship, Practicum, and Independent Study), Developmental courses (i.e., those with AX/BX after the course number), and courses taken for Pass/Fail grades.

  • GRO repeat attempt grades of O, W, WO or XO count as attempts, but do not replace the grade in the first attempt.

  • If a student passes the first attempt, but fails the GRO repeat attempt, the failing grade is calculated in the grade-point-average (GPA); however, the units earned in the first attempt may be applied toward degree requirements.

Policies or circumstances may limit the opportunity to use the GRO. Neither the department nor the Office of the Registrar is responsible for the loss of this opportunity due to changes in course offerings such as course cancellation, unit change, or time change.

Related Guidelines & Policies:

Related Policies: