Undergraduate Grade Exclusion Policy

The university implemented the Grade Exclusion Policy in Fall Semester 2013. Under this policy, students may improve the undergraduate LSU and cumulative GPAs by repeating a maximum of three courses (up to 12 credit hours) in which a grade of “D” or “F” was received. Students can exceed the total hours (more than 12 hours) in completing the third course, but students cannot take a third course if they have already excluded 12 hours.

The following rules apply to this policy:

  • students must file a written petition to invoke the policy with the dean's office of the college in which the student is enrolled by the last day to add courses in the semester or term in which the subsequent attempt is made;
  • petitions filed by student athletes must be approved by the both the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled and the Academic Center for Student Athletes;
  • once a petition to exclude a grade has been accepted by the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled, it may not be changed;
  • only three such requests are available to students in their undergraduate careers;
  • the policy will apply to courses attempted prior to the 2013 fall semester or thereafter, but the subsequent attempt(s) must be made beginning with the 2013 fall semester;
  • the repeated grade must be in the same course rubric and number taken at LSU (if a course is cross-listed, the course must be repeated under the same rubric as it was originally attempted);
  • the policy will apply to LSU dual enrollment courses;
  • the policy can only apply to courses that have been scheduled (for the current or a future term);waitlisted courses are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • transfer courses are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • special topics, independent study, and research type courses are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • variable credit courses are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • courses in which incomplete grades have been awarded are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • courses offered through the Division of Continuing Education are not eligible for grade exclusion;
  • academic programs may opt to exempt certain courses from this policy.

View a list of courses ineligible for grade exclusion

  • withdrawal from a course for which an exclusion has been approved will not result in the original grade being excluded, but will count toward the three courses or 12 credit hour exclusion limit;
  • once a grade exclusion is applied to a course, the quality points and credit hours attempted and earned will be removed from the calculation of the LSU and cumulative GPAs only. Past semester GPAs will not be recalculated;
  • grade exclusions do not retroactively change the status of the student’s semester academic honors (e.g., Dean’s List) or result in a refund of tuition or fees;
  • grade exclusions do not result in a recalculation of a student’s academic standing (e.g., scholastic warning, probation, or drop) at the end of a previous semester or term;
  • the exclusion adjusted GPA will not be used in determining both Latin Honors and University Medalists. All grades will be used to determine Latin Honors and University Medalists.
  • the excluded grade will be annotated on the transcript with the symbol “E” to denote that the grade was excluded;
  • upon communication to the University Registrar by the Dean of Students or designee, the policy may not be used to exclude a grade assigned as a result of academic dishonesty;
  • students may invoke the policy multiple times for the same course;
  • once a student has earned a degree, the grade exclusion policy cannot be invoked with respect to any course attempted prior to earning the degree.

Many graduate and professional schools re-compute GPAs in the process of considering an applicant for admission to such programs. The re-computation of GPAs may include restoring the cumulative GPA effects of initial attempts at courses repeated under this policy.