Repeated Courses for Undergraduate Students
Effective June 1, 2015
*This revision is effective January 1, 2017
Courses Designated as “Repeatable for Additional Units”
A small percentage of Boston University courses (e.g., special topics or variable-unit directed study courses) are explicitly designated as “repeatable for additional units”; they can be taken more than once for units toward graduation. Depending on the course or the student’s academic program, there may be limits on the allowable number of repeats and/or total units applicable to degree completion.
Courses Not Designated as “Repeatable for Additional Units”
Most Boston University courses are not designated as “repeatable for additional units.” The following policy applies to all such courses that are nonetheless repeated, e.g., because the student has not earned the minimum grade required for their current or intended degree program:
- When a course not explicitly designated as “repeatable for additional units” has been taken for a grade, that same course can be taken again for a grade only once.
- When a course not explicitly designated as “repeatable for additional units” has been taken P/F, that course may not be repeated for units.
- Repeated courses receive units toward the degree only once. For example, a student who takes the same 4-unit course twice receives 4, not 8, units toward the total required for completion of their degree program.
- Students should consult with their advisor about the usefulness of repeating a course.
Grades for Repeated Courses
When a course has been repeated, all of the units and grades earned are included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average (GPA). The grade for the repeated course does not replace the original grade. This grading policy applies to all repeated courses, whether or not they are designated as “repeatable for additional units.”
