Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

History: First Issued: 1969. Last Revised: July 8, 2025.

Related Policies: 
NCSU REG02.20.03 – Attendance Regulations
NCSU REG02.30.01 – Academic Honors

Additional References:
Registration and Records Website
Academic Calendar

Contact Info: Department of Registration and Records(919-515-2572)

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1. CREDIT-ONLY GRADING

1.1 Students may elect to take a course for credit-only. The student’s performance in a credit-only course will be reported as either an S (meaning a satisfactory grade was earned that is equivalent to a C- or better in course performance) or a U (meaning an unsatisfactory grade equivalent to earning a grade lower than a C- was earned).

1.2 Neither an S nor a U grade in a credit-only course will count in the calculation of a student’s grade point average.

1.3 Students earning an S grade in a credit-only course will have the credit hours for the course count toward their cumulative hours attempted.

1.4 Credit-only courses do not count in the calculation of eligibility for the Semester Dean’s List. (See Academic Honors).

1.5 Deadlines to enroll and to elect credit-only grading follow the timelines established in REG 02.20.02 Adding and Dropping courses and published on the Academic Calendar. Exceptions to these deadlines may be considered in accordance with section 4 of this regulation.

2. GRADUATE COURSE ENROLLMENT WITH CREDIT-ONLY GRADING

All courses at the 600 and 800 level are credit-only courses. Credit-only grading is not available for courses at the 500 and 700 level.

3. UNDERGRADUATE COURSE ENROLLMENT WITH CREDIT-ONLY GRADING

3.1. Undergraduate students may enroll in a course for credit-only grading provided the course is approved and scheduled with a credit-only grading option. Credit-only courses may only be taken towards the free electives category of the students’ degree requirements, in courses in Health and Exercise Studies, or in another course authorized to count towards a student’s degree with a credit-only grading basis.

3.2 Undergraduate degree students may count a maximum of 12 hours of credit-only courses towards graduation requirements.

4. EXCEPTIONS

4.1  Students wishing to change the grading basis of a course after the drop/revision deadline must demonstrate serious extenuating circumstances and submit reasonable supporting documentation for review and approval through the schedule revision process linked in the additional references. Examples of serious extenuating circumstances may include, but are not limited to, medical reasons (physical and/or mental health), personal/family emergency, personal hardship, or military service.

4.2 Undergraduate student exceptions require approval by the dean’s designee in the academic office of the student’s college.

4.3 Graduate student exceptions require approval by the dean’s designee in the academic office of the student’s college and the dean of The Graduate School.

4.3 Non-Degree Studies student exceptions require approval from the Department of Registration and Records.