Withdraw & Pass/Fail Guidance

Should I WITHDRAW from a course?

Withdrawing from the course means you are no longer in the course, you don't get a grade, and you don't earn the credits.  One withdrawal per term by the deadline will be approved by your Advisor after submitting the electronic form on the Registrar's website.

The SPRING '24 deadline to Withdraw from a course is Monday, April 8.

Should I put a course on PASS/FAIL?

A course placed on pass/fail no longer satisfies any requirements, but you stay in the class, continue as you normally would, and at the end of the term your transcript shows a grade of either P@ (if you earn a D- or higher), or F@ (if you fail the course). Neither P@ nor F@ impact your GPA. You only earn the credits with a P@.

The SPRING '24 deadline to place a course on Pass/Fail is Monday, April 8.

Withdraw considerations:

  • Students may withdraw from one course per term with Advisor approval between weeks 3 and 11 of each fall and spring semester
    • Visit the UConn Summer and UConn Winter webpages for add/drop and withdrawal deadlines for summer and winter
    • Per the policy in the catalog: "No student is permitted to drop a course after the eleventh week of classes or to drop more than one course after the first ten days of classes unless on the recommendation of the advisor, an exception is made by the dean or designee of the school or college in which the student is enrolled. Exceptions are made only for extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Poor academic performance is not considered a sufficient reason for dropping a course after the eleventh week." Please consult with a Professional Staff Advisor with any questions
  • When a student withdraws from a course after the second week, the Registrar marks the course on the student’s record with a "W" (for withdrawal) instead of a grade, and the student does not earn credit for the course
  • If a student is enrolled in at least 12 credits through the 10th day of the term, that student will be considered "full-time" even if a course is dropped with a "W" mark
  • When a student withdraws from a course, it does not count as an attempt in the context of the University's repeat forgiveness rules, however the attempt could count against the "Satisfactory Academic Progress" (or SAP) ratios if getting financial aid
  • Once a student's request to withdraw from a course is approved, they no longer need to attend nor participate in the course for the remainder of the term

Pass/fail considerations:

  • The deadline to place a course on and/or remove a course from pass/fail can be found on the Academic Calendar each term - students can place a course on pass/fail and then return it back to graded by the deadline (but cannot then again place it back on pass/fail)
  • Students may place a maximum of three courses on pass/fail grading throughout their undergraduate career, and are limited to no more than one course in a term
  • Courses on pass/fail grading cannot satisfy any general education, major, or minor requirements
  • When a student places a course on pass/fail,  it does count as an attempt in the context of the University's repeat forgiveness rules
  • Economics students can place an ECON course on pass/fail, but it will only count towards elective credits should you pass the course. Any courses on pass/fail will not count toward your major courses.
  • Students seeking admission to a Business major may place Business courses on pass/fail, but if/when the student is admitted to a School of Business major, the course will revert to graded (Course Instructors input a course grade in Student Admin even when students place courses on pass/fail); this grade is also evaluated in the context of the application to the School of Business
  • During the semester, the student completes the course and is graded in the usual way by the instructor, and the instructor submits a letter grade which is translated into either a “P@” (for a “D-” or above) or an “F@” on the transcript, neither of which impact GPA; note that a grade below "C" makes the student ineligible for Dean's List

Use the Student Enrollment Request form to request to:

  • Withdraw from a course
  • Place a Course on Pass/Fail
  • Remove a Course from Pass/Fail

Deadline to submit in a Fall or Spring term is available on the Academic Calendar.

The SPRING 24 deadline is Mon. April 8.

When considering a course withdrawal, ask yourself:

  • How are your grades in the course so far? Look at the syllabus to find out how the final grade is calculated. Use the Nexus GPA calculator to see how this will impact your overall term and cumulative GPAs.
  • How much time/energy is this course taking away from your other classes? If you didn’t have this course anymore, could you do better in your other classes?
  • Is this course a pre-requisite for any classes you need to take next term? Is it a required course for your major? If yes, is it offered next term? Will this put you behind or can you rearrange to make it work with your graduation timeline?
  • As a CLAS major, what Scholastic Standing Requirements do you need to meet this semester to maintain your standing? Will withdrawing from a course better enable you to meet your requirements?

When considering whether to put a course on pass/fail, ask yourself:

  • Can this course be considered an elective? Courses placed on pass/fail (and passed) can only count as elective credit.
  • Is it a an Economics course? Economics students can place an ECON course on pass/fail, but it will no longer count toward your minor. Should you pass the course, you will only receive elective credits that do not apply toward your minor credits.
  • Is it a better idea to withdraw? How much time/energy is this course taking away from your other classes? If you didn’t have this course anymore, could you do better in your other classes?
  • Is it a required course that you have to take again anyways? If so, withdrawing tends to make more sense.