Pass/ No Credit Option

The pass/no credit (P/N) option is designed to encourage students to learn more about subjects outside their field of study without endangering their academic standing. This option is available to students admitted into a degree program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. One P/N may be used for every nine courses completed at SCS. Students may take no more than four P/N courses in total and may enroll in no more than one P/N course per quarter. The P/N may be applied toward distribution requirements or electives only. Courses taken P/N are not figured into the grade point average.

At Northwestern, the P/N option is a "blind registration," - the instructors do not know whether a student is taking the course P/N. Faculty assign a grade for the course and it is then converted to a P or an N, as appropriate. Request to take courses P/N must be approved by an academic advisor before the second class meeting. Changing from P/N to a grade also must be done before the second class meeting. The Pass No Pass Option Request Form can be downloaded at www.scs.northwestern.edu/forms.

The P/N option may not be used for English 110, 111, and 205 or any first-and second-year language courses. Consult courses listings for additional restricted courses. Courses taken P/N will not apply toward future admission requirements and are not figured into the GPA. Students in credit PDPs may not take courses P/N.