UC Santa Barbara General Catalog

Passed/Not Passed Grades

Passed/not passed grades (P/NP) are not included in the computation of university grade-point averages. Courses graded P, however, are acceptable for unit and appropriate degree credit. P grades will be assigned only for coursework equivalent to a C or better on the letter-grade basis. NP grades will be assigned for work equivalent to a C- or below. No credit is given for courses graded NP.

Graduate students may take undergraduate courses P/NP with the approval of their graduate advisor, provided the course is offered P/NP.

Undergraduate students in good standing may undertake courses on a P/NP basis subject to the following limitations and provided they meet the following conditions. Subject to the same limitations and conditions, a student on probation may select the P/NP option only when the course is offered exclusively on a P/NP basis.

1. The course is open to all qualified students on this basis and is so designated in the Schedule of Classes.
2. The course is not required or accepted for the student’s major or minor. Courses in the major or minor, whether lower- or upper-division, in or outside of the major department, must be taken for a letter grade. With prior approval of appropriate faculty committees, a department may specify that certain “major” or “minor” courses may be taken P/NP. Courses for which such approval has been granted are identified in the department entries in this catalog.
3. They elect this option at the time of registration or thereafter, but not later than the end of the seventh week of classes. Students are responsible for determining whether they are qualified to enroll in courses on a P/NP basis according to the requirements stated here.
4. At the time of graduation, they will have completed at least 120, or two-thirds, of their units earned in residence at UCSB on a letter-grade basis. There is no limit on the number of courses that may be taken P/NP during a single quarter. The limitation on the number of units taken P/NP does not apply to students who are majoring exclusively in Creative Studies.
5. They have not been restricted or prohibited from the use of the P/NP option due to having earned an excessive number of NP grades. Students with more than 8 units of NP grades in one quarter or with more than 20 units of NP grades in all terms of university enrollment combined may be so restricted. In the case of repeated courses in which the initial grade was NP, the original NP will not be included in this 20-unit total.
6. College of Letters and Science: Students who take courses in their major department in excess of minimum major or minor requirements may elect the P/NP option for those courses. College of Engineering: All courses that can apply to the major must be taken for a letter grade, including those taken in excess of minimum requirements. College of Creative Studies: Students should consult their faculty and staff advisors regarding P/NP grading option availability for major requirement courses.