Repeated Courses

This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.

At NDSU, repeating a course is defined as retaking the same course on a student's NDSU academic transcript in an attempt to improve a grade. The course repeat option to improve one's academic record is available to students who have not graduated. Repeats are processed at the end of a semester after grades have been posted to academic records. Exceptions to repeated courses cannot be considered due to the GPA impact on student records. The following criteria applies to repeated courses: 

  1. Credit earned in any given course (or equivalent course) is applicable to a degree requirement only once.
  2. If a course is completed at NDSU first and an attempt is made to repeat that course at another institution, the credit is considered duplicate and is not eligible for transfer back to NDSU.
  3. An NDSU student may register for a Tri-College course to repeat a course previously taken at NDSU (see Tri-College rules and restrictions).
  4. All grade entries remain on the student's academic record, but only the credits, grades and related honor points for the most recent attempt will be calculated in the cumulative grade point average and credits for graduation.  Previous attempts are excluded from cumulative totals and marked as 'Repeat Excluded'.
  5. Students forfeit the previous letter grade no matter what letter grade is earned when the course is repeated and the most recent course is marked 'Repeat Included'.
  6. There is no limit to the number of different courses that may be repeated unless otherwise restricted by an academic department.
  7. A student is limited to a maximum of three attempts in any course.  An "attempt" includes any instance in which the student earns a letter grade for the course (A - F; including transfer).  The three-attempt limit does not apply to courses identified as "May be repeated" in the course description.  A student can petition for exception to this limitation through established university procedures.
  8. Courses taken for A-F grading may not be repeated under the pass-fail grading option.
  9. Repeat attempts made in semesters following a degree posting will remain on the academic record along with the new grade, but will be excluded from GPA and credit calculations. The repeated course will be marked "Repeated: Post Degree-Not Included in Cum Totals."

NOTE: Repeating courses has impacts to financial aid eligibility and can effect a student's completion rate.  For more information contact NDSU One Stop.