Out-of-Class Work. No more than 30 degree credits are awarded for out-of-class work, such as independent study, research, cooperative education courses, and approved School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) internship courses. In those uncommon cases where credit may have been awarded for life experiences, these credits are viewed as out-of-class work. Students wishing to register for more than 8 credits of independent study/research/internship in any one semester must have the approval of the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education in the School of Arts and Sciences.
Pass/No Credit Courses. Students who have completed 90 or more credits may take up to two courses (8 credits maximum, one course per semester) on a Pass/No Credit basis in their pen/ultimate semesters. Grades of A, B, and C correspond to Pass; grades of D and F to No Credit.
The following courses are not eligible to be taken Pass/No Credit:
- Courses taken toward fulfillment of major, minor, or SAS Core Curriculum requirements. The Pass/No Credit option may not be exercised if the course potentially will satisfy an outstanding degree requirement.
- Courses through Rutgers Study Abroad
- Honors seminars and department-based honors courses and honors sections of courses
- Courses taken in pursuit of a second degree through SAS
Forms to request the Pass/No Credit option are available in the
SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services or online at
sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/forms and must be submitted by the deadline noted on the form. Once the Pass/No Credit option is in place, it may not be reversed.
The above restrictions do not apply to courses that are only offered on a pass/no credit basis.
Repeating Courses. A Rutgers University transcript records all courses taken at Rutgers University and the outcome (grade or withdrawal). Students may not repeat, for degree credit, courses bearing the same or equivalent course numbers, with the exception of courses explicitly designated as repeatable for credit.
Grades of F or D. The repeated course policy was revised in fall 2014. The below policy applies to Ds earned in the fall 2014 semester or later, and to Fs earned in any semester.
In general, when a course is repeated in which the student previously earned a grade of F or D, both the original grade and the new grade remain on the transcript and in the cumulative grade-point average. However, for up to 16 credits in no more than four courses, the grade of F or D will be removed from the Rutgers cumulative grade-point average if the student repeats the course. The original grade of F or D will remain on the transcript with an E prefix attached (no degree credit earned and grade does not compute in the GPA); the repeated grade will have an R prefix (degree credit is earned and grade computes in the GPA). For further explanation of these and other grade prefixes, see the section on
grading under University Policies and Procedures.
This policy may be applied anytime during the undergraduate years, but only once for a given course. The course must be repeated at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. If the student earns an F or D a second time, only the second grade will enter the cumulative grade-point average. This policy may not be applied to punitive grades of F given for reasons such as academic dishonesty. Use of this policy to remove a grade of F or D from the cumulative grade-point average does not qualify a student for retroactive nomination to the Dean's List nor does it rescind unsatisfactory academic standing status.
The addition of appropriate prefixing to repeated courses will occur by the end of the semester during which the repeated course has been taken. If a student believes that they repeated a course and the appropriate prefixing was not applied based on the policy above, the student may email
undergrad@sas.rutgers.edu with their name, RUID, and the course that they repeated.
Grades of D Earned Prior to the Fall 2014 Semester.¿¿The repeated course policy was revised in fall 2014. The below policy applies to Ds earned prior to the fall 2014 semester.
When students have earned a grade of D prior to the fall 2014 semester and choose to repeat the course, credits and grades are computed in the cumulative grade-point average for both courses, but credit is subtracted from the degree-credit total for the repeated course. The repeated grade is denoted by the addition of a K prefix (no degree credit and grade computes in the GPA). If the student earns a grade of D when taking a course for a second time and chooses to repeat the course yet again, all three grades are computed into the cumulative grade-point average, but the student receives degree credit only once because credit can be earned only once for a given course.
Grades of C and Above. When students earn a grade of C or better and choose to repeat the course, it must be repeated for E credit. Courses with E prefixes do not lead to graduation credit and the grades are not computed in the cumulative grade-point average. Repeating such courses is strongly discouraged.
Change of Grades.¿ Students are responsible for obtaining prompt information about their grades each semester, the requirements for a change of grade, and the requirements for the removal of a temporary grade. Under normal circumstances, the original grade cannot be changed once the next full semester has ended or after a student has graduated. In special situations, such as continued illness, this requirement may be waived with the consent of the faculty member and the Dean for Undergraduate Education.
Summer Session and Winter Session Courses. Students may register for the Rutgers University Summer Session via¿
WebReg or in person at the Summer Session office. Students who have earned a minimum GPA of a 2.0 at Rutgers University may register for Winter Session courses via¿
WebReg or in person or in person at the Winter Session office. Students may take no more than 12 credits during the summer. We strongly recommend no more than 6 credits in any single Summer Session interval. During Rutgers Winter Session, students may take no more than two courses for a maximum of 4 credits.
Students on probation must obtain prior approval from an Academic Standing advisor before registering for courses during the Winter Session.
Achieving the full benefit of instruction typically requires some time for reflection about the course content. For this reason, students should always consult an advisor before enrolling in Summer or Winter Session courses.
First-year students are not eligible to register for Winter Session courses.
Students wishing to take short-session courses at other institutions must obtain prior approval from departments offering similar courses at Rutgers and from an academic dean. Except when taken as part of an approved Study Abroad program, courses from institutions outside the United States taken during summer or winter sessions will generally not be accepted. Transfer preapproval forms are available online at¿
sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/forms and from the
SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services.
Attendance and Cancellation of Classes. In accordance with Rutgers University regulations, attendance is expected at all regularly scheduled meetings of a course and individual courses may set policies for maximum absences.
Students missing an occasional class for unverifiable illness or personal circumstances do not require written documentation or verification from a dean. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the student to submit the absence through the Rutgers Self-Reporting Absence website,
https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra, which automatically generates email notification to faculty teaching the student. It is up to the instructor to determine if accommodations are warranted to allow students to make up work that counts toward their semester grade.
Students may obtain a note from the Office of the Dean of Students to authenticate an extended absence that is supported by appropriate documentation. Faculty notified of authenticated absences should make reasonable accommodations to allow students to make up work that counts toward their semester grade.
Absences due to religious observance, participation in university-sponsored events or activities such as intercollegiate athletics, or documented chronic illness are treated as authenticated absences. Authenticated absences do not waive the overall policy for attendance. Students who must, for any reason, miss more than an occasional class should consult with their instructors and an academic advisor.
It is the policy of the Rutgers University not to cancel classes on religious holidays. For information on the
cancellation of classes¿due to inclement weather, see the University Policies and Procedures section.
World Language Proficiency. Two years of a high school world language or one year of college-level world language or demonstrated proficiency in the elementary level of a language other than English, sufficient to enroll in an intermediate level course, is required for admission to the SAS.
Students with two or more years of a world language in high school, or whose native language is not English, are invited to continue study of that language at the level of placement as indicated by the Rutgers Placement Test. Students with a concern about their placement results should reach out to that world language department to discuss an appropriate starting point for college level study. Only students beginning study of a new world language are eligible to earn credit for elementary level language study.
Graduate Courses. Students may register for graduate courses with the approval of the instructor, graduate director of the department offering the course, the dean of academic affairs of the graduate school in question, and the
SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services, typically after completing at least 84 credits. For the Graduate Course Request Form see:
https://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/forms
School of Arts and Sciences 
