Grading Information for Students

Request S/U grading, or change back to A to E grading. Note: This form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. by the date listed on the Academic Calendar. Requests made after the deadline will not be authorized. 

Undergraduate students may request S/U grading in certain undergraduate courses or sections that are normally graded A to E. Graduate students cannot request S/U grading in undergraduate or graduate courses.

If you select S/U grading for a course normally graded A to E, your final grade will appear as #S/#U. Whereas, final grades for courses and/or sections designated by departments or schools as S/U graded will appear as S/U on your academic records. 

Students can only request S/U grading twice during their academic career and only courses below the 300-level can be S/U opted. These two courses are in addition to any courses designated by departments or schools as S/U graded. 

The grade of S is defined as equivalent to the grade of C or higher and is acceptable to fulfill graduation requirements. The grade of U (C- or lower) is unsatisfactory and is not acceptable to fulfill graduation requirements. 

Please be aware of the following: 

• A grade of U earns you no credit, while grades of C-, D+, D and D- do earn you credit. 
• If you’ve requested S/U grading and the S/U option deadline has passed, you may not change back to A to E grading — even if you’re doing better than expected in the course. This rule cannot be appealed. 
• Some undergraduate majors prohibit S/U grading for some required core courses. Check your major requirements in the Undergraduate Bulletin. 
• UAlbany cannot guarantee that S opted credits will transfer or be applicable at other institutions. A few students have reported disadvantages when presenting these credits to some graduate and professional institutions. 

We encourage you to discuss your options with your academic advisor before submitting the S/U Option Request Form. 

If you’ve missed the deadline for requesting S/U grading, you can Request an Exception to Course S/U Deadline. Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Education regarding this type of request. 

An Incomplete grade (I) is a temporary grade assigned at the discretion of the course instructor when the student has been unable to complete a class for reasons considered extenuating and beyond the student’s control. Those reasons must be documented at the time of the request. 

Students must send their instructor a written request for an incomplete grade by the last day of classes for that semester. Visit the Academic Calendar for exact dates. 

Please be aware of the following: 

• Students who are conducting work for an incomplete grade should not re-register for or attend the class in a subsequent semester. 
• Students should conduct work related to an incomplete grade independently, with guidance from the instructor.
• Incomplete grades that exist after the stated deadline will be converted to failing grades.  
• A failing grade will not be converted back to an incomplete grade, except for extenuating circumstances approved by the Office of Undergraduate Education.  
• Requests to change converted grades are also subject to the official Timeline for Grade Changes and the approval of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. 
• Incomplete grades can affect academic standing, financial aid eligibility, athletic eligibility, degree progress, etc. 
• If you are receiving financial aid, speak with the Office of Financial Aid before you request an incomplete grade to determine how an incomplete grade could affect your eligibility. 
• Students who are conducting work for an incomplete grade but who aren’t registered for any additional coursework do not have access to campus services, including the University Libraries, computer rooms, bus services, Brightspace, etc. Note: If a student needs to access Brightspace to complete the work of an Incomplete, instructors can request that a Brightspace course be reopened.
• Undergraduate students are not eligible to graduate if they have incomplete grades — even if the incomplete grades are not applicable toward their degree. 

We encourage you to discuss your options with your academic advisor before requesting an incomplete grade.