Credit-No Credit (CR-NC)
Last updated: 05/22/2023
Last updated: 05/22/2023
The Office of the Registrar has provided a form allowing students to choose the CR-NC option for all eligible classes starting May 10, 2023.
Credit (CR): Undergraduate students must perform at or above the 2.0 level; graduate students must perform at or above the 3.0 level.
No-Credit (NC): Below 2.0 for undergraduate students, below 3.0 for graduate students.
For spring semester 2023 only, students have the option to choose CR-NC until the end of the semester. This means, students will be able to review their posted spring 2023 course grades beginning May 10, 2023, and will have until 11:59 p.m. (EST) May 17, 2023, to select the CR-NC grade reporting option.
Students may use the CR-NC grade reporting option for any course, except those that are:
Students should consult with their academic advisor before choosing the CR-NC option to ensure this option is beneficial to their long-term academic goals. MSU will return to the CR-NC policy listed in Academic Programs effective Summer 2023.
For the spring 2023 semester only, the CR-NC grade reporting option can be applied to all courses, except those that are being audited, are already being taken for Pass/No Grade (P/N), are subject to external accreditation agencies that require a numeric grade (which includes Construction Management and Urban and Regional Planning). The timeline to choose CR-NC begins May 10, 2023 and goes until 11:59 p.m. (EST) May 17, 2023. CR-NC allows students to choose to receive a CR-NC on their transcript rather than a numeric grade for a course. GPA calculations do not include CR and NC grades. CR (Credit) means that numeric grades of 2.0 or above will earn credit and display a CR. NC (No Credit) means that no credit is granted and grades below a 2.0 (1.5, 1.0, 0.0) will display an NC.
To ensure continuity of funding, students receiving financial support from third parties (TPC) (such as their employer, high school, military benefits, prepaid college savings programs, etc) that require numeric grades should contact their program directly.
To earn the honors option, the numerical grade submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the instructor must meet the department's minimum Grade requirements for Honors Options.
For the spring 2023 semester only, the CR-NC grade reporting option can be applied to all courses, except those that are being audited, are already being taken for Pass/No Grade (P/N), are subject to external accreditation agencies that require a numeric grade. The timeline to choose CR-NC begins May 10, 2023, and goes until 11:59 p.m. (EST) May 17, 2023. Graduate CR-NC allows students to choose to receive a CR-NC on their transcript rather than a numeric grade for a course. GPA calculations do not include CR and NC grades. CR (Credit) for graduate students means that numeric grades of 3.0 or above will earn credit and display a CR. NC (No Credit) for graduate students means that no credit is granted and grades below a 3.0 (2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.0) will display as NC.
Students should first understand the impact of choosing the CR-NC grade reporting option by discussing it with their academic advisor prior to the end of the term. Students should keep in mind the impacts of their decision as it relates to admission to graduate/professional schools, Dean's List or Board Award eligibility, or licensure requirements. Academic advisors will be able to help students make the best choice.
Beginning May 10, 2023, students will be able to see their Spring 2023 posted grades. After checking the posted grades, students can determine if the CR-NC option should be used for one or more classes. The form to request the CR-NC grade reporting option will open on May 10 (exact time TBD). Once submitted, the form will automatically route to the Office of the Registrar for posting. Once the student chooses the CR-NC option it cannot be reversed. The underlying numeric grade is available behind the scenes if a student should need to know this information for future graduate or secondary program admissions.
Courses taken as CR-NC will have no impact on student GPAs. Courses taken as CR-NC will not count towards Dean’s List or Board Award calculations.
If a student already has a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 (3.0 for graduate students) then having a numerical grade recorded as a CR will not negatively impact a student’s future aid eligibility. NC grades, though they do not affect a student’s GPA, are still counted as attempts in the Pace of Completion and Maximum Timeframe. So, receiving NC grades can result in a student being put on financial aid Warning or Disqualification, just as dropping the course can.
For more details on the financial aid SAP policy see Satisfactory Academic Progress on the Office of Financial Aid website. Students who are not sure how receiving a CR or NC grade will impact their aid eligibility should contact the Office of Financial Aid (517-353-5940, finaid@msu.edu) to review their individual situation and how a switch to CR may affect their financial aid.
Colleges, departments, and programs will have access to the grades originally assigned by the instructors when they make decisions about using the CR-NC option. Students should contact the college, department, or program to review their individual situation.
Students with VA educational benefits, please note that if you complete the term and elect No Credit for one or more courses, entitlement will be used for the entire term, and you will receive full payment.
Military benefits users include those using:
If the class you took at another university is a Spring 2023 course and if it reports a numeric grade to MSU, it is eligible for CR-NC. For grades that are posted after the course selection period the student must contact the academic college and request a Grade Change, which will prompt the academic office to complete an Administrative Action form on behalf of the student.