How does pass/fail work at UT Austin?

Can I take this class pass/fail?

Under UT’s undergraduate rules, the class must be an elective outside your major. You need at least 30 hours of college credit, unless the course is offered only pass/fail, and you can take at most two pass/fail courses in a semester.

Your college also limits how much pass/fail work can count toward the degree. Ask your adviser to check this particular class against your degree audit before you change it. A course you need for a requirement may be worth more as a letter grade than as extra elective credit.

What happens to my GPA?

UT’s grading policy converts a D− or better to CR for an undergraduate pass/fail course. CR earns credit without grade points; a failing grade remains F and lowers your GPA.

Here’s a worked example with four 3-hour classes: three B’s and one C. Keeping every letter grade gives 33 grade points over 12 hours, or a 2.75. If the C is an eligible elective and becomes CR, the GPA becomes 27 over 9, or 3.00, while you still earn all 12 hours.

How do I change the grading choice?

The One Stop instructions allow changes in the registration system during the first 12 class days of fall or spring, or the first four in summer. After that, meet with your academic adviser.

1. Check how the class counts in your degree audit.
2. Ask your adviser to confirm that it qualifies and that you have pass/fail credit left.
3. Use registration during the early window, or have your adviser handle a later change.
4. Check your schedule to make sure the change went through.

When is keeping the letter grade better?

You can change a course’s grading basis only once. If you may need the class for a later major or a graduate or professional program, check that requirement before spending the switch.

Choose pass/fail for an eligible elective you expect to pass and don’t need as a letter grade. If the risk is an F, switching won’t remove that risk from your GPA.