Credit/D/Fail grading

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About Credit/D/Fail 

The Credit/D/Fail (Cr/D/F) grading policy was created to:

  • encourage students' exploration of subject matter outside their program of study
  • emphasize learning and academic exploration of the new and unfamiliar
  • expose students to a broader based curriculum 

The policy was supported by the AMS council and approved by UBC Vancouver Senate in March 2009.

Awarding a Credit, D, or Fail grade

The Credit/D/Fail grading policy allows students in participating direct-entry undergraduate programs of study to choose to take eligible elective courses for a Credit, D, or Fail standing instead of a percentage grade. These standings are awarded as follows:

  • Cr will be awarded for a grade of 55% or higher
  • D will be awarded for a grade of 50-54.9%
  • F will be awarded for a grade of less than 50%, where 50% is the passing grade

Grades on transcripts

Students will be expected to complete normal course work (including exams) and will achieve a percentage grade, but only the standing will be displayed on the grades record and academic transcript in the standings column. No percentage (or letter) grade will be recorded on these documents.

Students will earn credit for courses with a D or Cr standing, but will earn no credit for an F standing. Courses taken for Credit/D/Fail grading will not be counted in the average calculation. Read about possible awards implications.

Program permission and course eligibility

Students must have program permission in order to take courses for Credit/D/Fail standing.

Students in programs of study that do not permit Credit/D/Fail grading may not see program permission information in the course schedule. However, they may see course eligibility for Credit/D/Fail grading on the course schedule or in the course descriptions in the Calendar. 

Read the following Credit/D/Fail policy document for complete information.

 

Determining program permission and course eligibility 

Does your program permit Credit/D/Fail grading?

  1. Log in to the course schedule.
  2. You may see information about Credit/D/Fail program permission in the page header:
    • Credit/D/Fail Grading: Permitted in your program: Your faculty/program permits you to take eligible elective courses for Credit/D/Fail grading towards your degree program.
    • Credit/D/Fail Grading: Not permitted in your program: Your faculty/program does not permit you to take courses for Credit/D/Fail grading towards your degree program
  3. If you do not see any information about Credit/D/Fail eligibility, you are either:
    • Not logged in. You must log in to see Credit/D/Fail eligibility.
    • Not permitted to take courses for Credit/D/Fail (e.g., UBC Okanagan students, visiting, access, unclassified, exchange, post-baccalaureate, graduate, certificate program students).

View the list of programs that do not allow students to take courses for Credit/D/Fail grading on the Policy & information page.

Find eligible elective courses in your program

  1. Check the course details pages in the course schedule and find courses that state: "This Course is eligible to be taken for Credit/D/Fail grading."
  2. Ensure the course is an elective in your program by:

Course eligibility checklist 

I am eligible to take courses for Credit/D/Fail grading if all of the following apply:

  • I am permitted to take Credit/D/Fail courses in my program (log in to course schedule and read the header).
  • I have considered the possible awards implications.
  • The course I'm taking does not require a percentage grade as a prerequisite to a future course I may want to take.
  • The course is an elective in my program.
  • I do not exceed six credits of Credit/D/Fail graded courses this session (Winter or Summer Session).
  • I do not exceed twelve credits of Credit/D/Fail graded courses in total towards my degree program.
  • I have investigated the possible impact of Credit/D/Fail grading on entrance requirements to any Graduate schools, UBC programs of study, and other academic institutions I may wish to attend in the future.

Important information 

Read the other sections under Credit/D/Fail before changing a course from percentage grading to Credit/D/Fail grading:






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