Repeating a Course

Repetition of courses taken at Washington and Lee in order to change the grade received is governed by the following rules. Students may petition for exceptions to these policies by petitioning the Committee on Courses and Degrees.

Adding and Dropping Deadlines and Consequences

A student may re-enroll in a course at Washington and Lee for which a grade has already been received. However, if the student remains enrolled in the course beyond the end of the third week of the term, the former grade and degree credit (if any) is forfeited, and the former credit is removed from the category of ‘work calculated.’ The grade received on repetition becomes the grade of record (i.e., used in the calculation of all cumulative grade point averages) although the original grade remains on the student’s transcript. If the student drops the course before its completion, the grade of record will be F and will be treated as any other grade received in that term. Withdrawal from the University while repeating a course reinstates the original grade and credit, if any. Degree credit is awarded only once for any course. 

Limits on Repeating Courses

Only the first 12 credits of courses repeated will result in a new grade replacing the original grade as grade of record. If the student attempts the repetition of more than 12 credits, all grades beyond 12 credits will be grades of record and computed in the grade-point average.

Cannot Repeat with Declared Pass/Fail Grade

Except for those courses graded Pass/Fail only, no course may be repeated Pass/Fail and no passing grade or grade of F may be raised by re-examination, except as provided for under ‘Deficiencies in the Senior Year.’

Repeating a Course that is a Prerequisite for a Course Already Taken

After receiving a grade in the original course, a student may not repeat that course after having passed another course for which the original course is a specific prerequisite.

Off-Campus Repeats

If a student repeats a course at another institution in order to receive transfer credit, the previous W&L grade will not change and will remain in the student’s grade-point average. A student may wish to repeat a W&L course during summer school to better prepare for additional coursework in the discipline, but the summer credit and grade would not transfer to W&L.

Questions?

Students should consult with their advisers before repeating a course. Specific questions may be addressed to the University Registrar at registrar@wlu.edu.