P/NP or S/U Grading

For previous-term deadline exceptions, see P/NP & S/U Grading Deadline Exceptions.

P/NP Grading

An undergraduate student in good academic standing may request to take specific courses on a P/NP basis. Such requests must be submitted and confirmed by the 40th day of instruction.

Undergraduates should contact their dean's office for information regarding the requirements or restrictions of their particular college; see:

The grade of P (Pass) is awarded to undergraduate students for work in courses that otherwise would receive a grade of C– or higher. Units thus earned are counted in satisfaction of degree requirements but are not counted in determining your grade point average.

Not more than one-third of the units taken in residence on the Davis campus and presented for graduation by an undergraduate student may be in courses taken on a P/NP basis; Davis Division Regulation A545². For information regarding additional conditions and/or restrictions, consult your dean's office. If you plan to attend graduate or professional school, you may also wish to consult with Pre-Graduate/Law Advising services regarding P/NP grading.

If you received a previous letter grade in a course, you may not repeat it using the P/NP option. However, if you took a course P/NP previously, you may repeat it for a letter grade.  If you receive an incomplete in a course you took for a letter grade, you may not complete the course on a P/NP basis.

If you previously took the course for a letter grade, you may not change the grading basis of a course you are repeating in Schedule Builder.

For registration information regarding how to select P/NP grading for a course, see P/N or S/U Grading Options.

P/NP usage can be complex; students should consider potential consequences related to satisfactory academic progress, time to degree, financial aid, and postgraduate study requirements. If you have P/NP usage questions, consult your advisor.

P/NP Grading in Beginning Language Courses

To enforce Davis Division Regulation 536³, a student who has completed a second or more advanced year of high-school-level coursework in a foreign language in tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade shall be awarded credit for Course 1 (or its equivalent) in that language only if a student takes the course on a P/NP basis. Enforcement of this regulation occurs in the sixth week of the quarter. For more information, contact the Office of the University Registrar.

S/U Grading

The grade of S (Satisfactory) is awarded to graduate students for work in graduate courses that otherwise would receive a grade of B- or better and for work in undergraduate courses that otherwise would receive a grade of C- or better.

In accordance with Davis Division Regulations A546¹, graduate students, under certain circumstances, may be assigned grades of S/U, but units earned in this way are not counted in calculating the grade point average. The purpose of the S/U option is to encourage graduate students to explore academic coursework in areas unrelated to their academic discipline. Graduate students must contact Graduate Studies to request to take a letter-graded course on an S/U grading basis. Petitions to elect S/U grading must be signed by your graduate advisor for approval and filed with Graduate Studies by the end of the fifth week of the quarter (25th day of instruction). A graduate course in which a C, D, or F grade is received may not be repeated with the S/U option.

In specifically approved courses, instructors assign only S/U grades. Such courses count toward the maximum number of units graded S allowable toward the degree, as specified by each degree program.

If you previously received a letter grade in a course, you may not repeat it using the S/U option. If you receive an incomplete in a course you took for a letter grade, you may not complete the course on an S/U basis. Ensure the grade mode you have selected reflects letter grading. For registration information regarding how to select S/U grading for a course, see P/NP or S/U Grading Options.

P/NP & S/U Grading Deadline Exceptions

P/NP Deadline Exception; Spring 2023: Extended to May 19, 2023. Posted May 5, 2023

The campus recognizes the stresses that students and instructors faced in their academic and personal lives. To reduce academic uncertainty and increase flexibility while trying to adapt to remote instruction, the Academic Senate and administrative partners modified the P/NP deadlines for the following quarters:

  • Spring 2020: Jun 4, 2020; COVID-related
  • Summer Session I 2020: Jul 24, 2020; COVID-related.
  • Summer Session II 2020: Sep 4, 2020; COVID-related.
  • Fall 2020: Dec 11, 2020; COVID-related.
  • Winter 2021: Mar 12, 2021; COVID-related.
  • Spring 2021: Jun 3, 2021; COVID-related.
  • Summer Session I 2021: Jul 23, 2021; COVID-related.
  • Summer Session II 2021: Sep 3, 2021; COVID-related.
  • Winter 2022: Mar 11, 2022; COVID-related.
  • Spring 2022: Jun 2, 2022; COVID-related.
  • Summer Session I 2022: Jul 22, 2022; COVID-related.
  • Summer Session II 2022: Sep 2, 2022; COVID-related.
  • Fall 2022; Dec 2, 2022—UAW strike-related.

All other terms/quarters are unaffected.

For the latest updates regarding P/NP & S/U grade options and deadline extension information, see Academic Policies & Guidelines for Changes in Campus Operating Status.