Retaking a Course
Except for Ph.D. students, a Caspersen student may retake a course in which they have earned a grade of “F.” Master of Arts in Teaching students are required to repeat courses in which they earn a grade lower than B-. In some instances, a student may need to contact the instructor of the course to request a repeat override in order to register for a course a second time. For courses taken for a second time, without Grade Forgiveness (see policy below), both the original grade and the grade earned when the course is retaken appear on the transcript and are calculated in the GPA; credits are awarded only for the second course enrollment, assuming the student earns a passing grade.
Students who have not met the required average of their program at the conclusion of the stipulated number of courses required for a given degree may not seek to meet the required average by taking additional courses without specific permission from the Graduate Academic Standing Committee, in consultation with the Convener or Director.
Requesting Forgiveness of an Earlier Grade
Students may request permission to retake a course and exclude the original grade from their GPA through the grade forgiveness policy. Students will not be permitted forgiveness for a low or failing grade in a course in which they were found guilty of an Academic Integrity violation. Students may not request to use the forgiveness policy when enrolling in a course at another institution.
The grade earned during the second attempt of a course will be counted in the GPA, even if the student earns a lower grade on the second attempt. Each student is limited to a collective total of two grade forgiveness attempts during their entire graduate career. In extraordinary situations, students may petition the Graduate Academic Standing Committee for grade forgiveness for more than two courses. Students may not invoke the grade forgiveness policy more than one time for any given course. Withdrawing from a class after requesting forgiveness in that course will be considered a forgiveness attempt.
Although the earlier grade will still be listed on the transcript, it will be marked with an “E” indicating that the grade has been excluded from the student’s GPA.
The grade forgiveness policy will not be applied automatically. Students must make a formal request for grade forgiveness through a petition to the Graduate Academic Standing Committee. The request to retake a course must be made at the time of registering to retake the course but before the registration has occurred. Approval to retake a course under the grade forgiveness policy is not automatic and must be approved by the program director of the requested course. If grade forgiveness is approved, the student will need to register themselves for the class section in TreeHouse. Grade forgiveness approval does not guarantee seat availability in the class section, nor does it grant approval for any other registration restrictions.