Pass/Fail FAQs

On this page

• General pass/fail FAQs
• FAQs for BGS majors

LSA requires a student to have a major/minor GPA of at least 2.0 to graduate, which includes all courses required for the major and in the major subject area. These FAQs are meant to help clarify these expectations as they relate to pass/fail and prevent issues, such as

• having to retake courses,
• not receiving credit for second attempts, 
• needing to uncover pass/fail grades prior to graduation, and 
• not having an eligible GPA.

General Pass/Fail FAQS

How do I know if a course counts as part of my major or minor?

Two kinds of courses cannot be taken pass/fail (unless the department allows it or got approval from the LSA Curriculum Committee):

• Courses required for a major or minor
• Courses in the subject areas that belong to that department, even if they aren't being used to fulfill a requirement

Both are listed in the same place:

1. Go to the LSA Majors & Minors page
2. Select the major or minor
3. Click Requirements
4. Look at the required courses
5. And then scroll to Distribution Policy to see the department's subject areas. If you don't see distribution policy information explained in the requirements, it's best to reach out to a departmental advisor.

If you aren't sure about a course, check with an advisor in the department before electing to take it pass/fail.

Can I take a prerequisite for my major or minor pass/fail?

It depends on the major or minor. 

• Most majors and minors require all prerequisites to be taken for a grade.

• Some majors and minors have specific grade requirements for prerequisites (e.g., Economics requires at least a grade of C for ECON 101, 102, and MATH115). 

• Others (such as MCDB) allow a mix of pass/fail and graded prerequisites. 

To find information on prerequisites:

1. Go to the LSA Majors & Minors page

2. Select the major or minor

3. Click Requirements

4. Scroll to Prerequisites or Grade Policies. If no information is provided, the prerequisites must be taken for a grade (Example: Spanish major). 

Example:

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Major

Grade Policies

The introductory biology sequence must be taken for a grade. Prerequisites other than introductory biology may be taken pass/fail; however, it is not recommended, especially for chemistry. Remember that at least a C- must be earned to pass a course taken pass/fail.

How do the pass/fail rules work for courses in another school or college?

LSA's pass/fail restrictions are based on a course's relationship to your major or minor, not on which school or college offers it.

• A course from another school cannot be taken pass/fail if it's required for the major or minor, or if it's an elective or cognate option for that major or minor. 
• For example, a Ross course that's a cognate for your major cannot be taken pass/fail.
• A course from another school that has no connection to your major or minor can generally be taken pass/fail.

 Notes:

• The school offering the course may have its own rules about pass/fail. A course LSA allows may still not be available pass/fail through the offering school. Students should check with the offering department.
• Students in other schools and colleges taking LSA courses follow their own school's pass/fail policy, not LSA's.

I’ve registered for a major elective but now want to take it pass/fail. Can I do that?

If the initial add/drop deadline has passed, no.

If the initial add/drop deadline is still ahead, maybe: 

• If the course is 1) crosslisted with another department and 2) will not be used to fulfill a major/minor requirement and 3) will only be used to fulfill a distribution requirement, you can ask your major or minor advisor to put in an exception to exclude it from your major or minor.
• Then, you can request an override from the department and use the swap feature in Wolverine Access to change the subject code
• See Changing cross-listed courses for more.

I took a course pass/fail that counts toward my major or minor. What happens to it?

It depends on whether the course is required or an elective:

• Required courses: will be uncovered during the degree audit process. This means the letter grade the instructor originally recorded will appear on the transcript and in your degree audit.
• Elective courses: may stay covered, but a course that stays covered cannot be used toward the major or minor.

Note: Uncovered grades will count toward your GPA. Talk to an advisor before you uncover your grades if you're unsure how they might affect your GPA. 

I took a major elective pass/fail during Winter 2022 and now want to use it to fulfill a major or minor requirement. Is that possible?

• If it was elected pass/fail before declaring your major or minor, you can request it be uncovered to fulfill a major or minor requirement.
• If it was elected pass/fail after declaring your major or minor, you cannot request it to be uncovered. 

FAQS for BGS Students

What happens to upper-level courses (300 or higher) I took pass/fail prior to Fall 2025?

Courses taken prior to Fall 2025 will not have letter grades uncovered. The pass/fail will be honored and credits earned will still count towards the upper-level requirements. 

What happens if I elect an upper-level course pass/fail at the time of registration or during add/drop?

• You can change the course back to graded any time between when registration opens and the end of the initial add/drop deadline.
• If you don’t change it, the course remains pass/fail for the term, and the grade will be uncovered during the degree audit process.

What happens if I request to switch an upper-level course from graded to pass/fail after the initial add/drop deadline?

LSA Student Records will deny the request because changes like these are only allowed during the initial add/drop period. See Add/Drop for more information.

What if I took an upper-level course pass/fail prior to declaring BGS?

• If you took the course prior to Fall 2025, the grades will not be uncovered and will still be allowed to count towards the upper-level requirements.
• If you take the course in Fall 2025 or later, the grades will be uncovered. You or your advisor can email lsa.student.records@umich.edu to request to have the grades uncovered at the time of declaration.

What about mandatory pass/fail courses?

Courses which are only offered in the C/NC (credit / no credit) or P/F (pass/fail) grading patterns may still count towards upper-level requirements.