Incomplete (I) Grades

According to Davis Division Regulations A540¹, the grade of Incomplete (I) may be assigned when a student’s work is of passing quality and represents a significant portion of the requirements for a final grade, but is incomplete for a good cause as determined by the instructor; good cause may include current illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a recent death in the immediate family, a large and necessary increase in working hours, or other situations of equal gravity.

In courses listed in the UC Davis General Catalog, earning credit for a course requires your final grade to be a D- or higher for letter graded courses, or C- or higher for P/NP courses.

Incomplete grades are not included in your grade point average at the end of a quarter. However, it is recommended that students not delay the clearance of incomplete grades to avoid jeopardizing graduation. At the time of graduation, any remaining I grades will be calculated as a not passing grade (F, NP, or U) when computing your GPA. This may affect the GPA required to earn a degree.

If your instructor is no longer affiliated with UC Davis, contact the department offering the course for assistance.

Life Cycle of an Incomplete Grade

An I grade must be replaced with a final grade by the end of the third succeeding quarter (excluding summer sessions) of academic residence, or the grade reverts to a not passing grade (F, NP, or U).

If a student’s degree is conferred before the expiration of the time limit for an I-grade conversion, the graduated student shall have until the end of the third quarter succeeding the quarter in which the I grade was assigned to replace the I grade. If the time limit expires after a degree has been conferred and the incomplete grade has not been replaced, the incomplete grade shall remain on the student’s record.

If the degree has not been conferred, and the work has not been completed by the end of the term three calendar years after the grade incomplete has been assigned, and during which the student has not been in academic residence, then the I grade shall remain on the student’s record, unless the course is repeated. The three-calendar-year limit for the completion of courses assigned the I grade shall apply to all and only those courses in which the I grade is assigned on or after September 1, 2010.

Incomplete Grade Removal

You may replace an I grade with a passing grade and receive unit credit and grade points provided you satisfactorily complete the coursework as specified by the instructor by the end of the third succeeding term of academic residence. To remove the incomplete, you must contact the instructor offering the course who initiates the incomplete grade change via the Online Grade Change Tool.  For more information, see Grade Changes. Upon the completion of the online grade change, the professor or the department offering the course submits the online petition to the Office of the University Registrar.  Students can use OASIS to see pending and past grade changes submitted on their records.

Extension of Incomplete Grade

For justifiable reasons, students may petition to extend the I grade past the end of the third succeeding quarter. Petitions to extend the I grade must be obtained from the dean's office for undergraduate students or from Graduate Studies for graduate students. Requests for extensions must be submitted before the I grade lapses to an F, NP, or U grade. The extension cannot be made retroactively. For more information regarding retroactive changes, see Grade Changes.

Repeating a Course with a Previous Incomplete Grade

Undergraduate & Graduate Students

You may not re-enroll in a course if you have an unresolved incomplete grade for that course. To remove the I grade, you must contact the instructor who initiates the incomplete grade change via the Online Grade Change Tool. For more information, see Grade Changes. If the incomplete grade remains on your record because work has not been completed within three calendar years in which you were not in academic residence, contact the Office of the University Registrar

Undergraduate students can use OASIS to see pending and past grade changes submitted on their record.