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Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option

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Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option

The principle of the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option is to encourage you to take courses outside the area of your specialization with the view of enabling you to acquire knowledge and skills in a variety of fields.

Where permitted by faculty and program regulations, you may take one elective course per term to be graded under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option, to a maximum of 10% of your credits taken at ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ to fulfil the degree requirements.

If you decide to have an elective course graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U), you must do so before the Course Change deadline on Minerva (www.mcgill.ca/minerva) as part of the Student Menu > Registration Menu > Quick Add or Drop Course Sections Menu. You cannot make any changes after the Course Change deadline even if you selected the option by mistake. If the course is a multi-term course, you must select the S/U option by the Course Change deadline of the first part of the course.

The instructor will report grades in the normal fashion. Grades of A through C are converted to "Satisfactory" (S), and grades of D, F and J are converted to "Unsatisfactory" (U). The courses taken under the S/U option will be excluded from the grade point average calculations, but they will be included in the attempted credits total. Credits for courses with a final grade of S will also be included in the number of credits earned.

Note: To be considered for in-course awards, including Dean's Honour List designations, and/or the renewal of entrance scholarships, you must complete at least 27 graded credits in the regular academic session, not including courses completed under the S/U option.
Note: The S/U option is not available via Minerva to Visiting, Exchange or Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement (IUT) students. These students must first contact their home university to ensure that a course taken under the S/U option is acceptable to their home university and that the credits are transferable. After receiving approval from their home university and before ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ's Course Change deadline, they must then consult their ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ faculty Student Affairs Office for approval. Students in the faculties of Arts or Science: as of summer 2010, you will need to go to the Service Point (see www.mcgill.ca/students) to make this request. However, it is important that you also see a Faculty adviser in Dawson Hall to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/students/advising.
Note: Special Students are not eligible to select the S/U option.

For further information, contact your departmental adviser or student affairs office, as appropriate.

Note for Engineering:
  • You will only be permitted to take a course under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option if you are in satisfactory standing.
  • B.Eng. and B.S.E. students may use the S/U option for Complementary Studies courses (i.e., Group A Impact of Technology on Society and Group B Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies and Law). You cannot use the S/U option for courses in any other category of the Engineering programs. If you choose not to use the S/U option, a grade of D is acceptable as a pass for these Complementary Studies courses.
  • B.Sc.(Arch.) students may use the S/U option for elective courses taken outside the School of Architecture. You cannot use the S/U option for courses in any other category of the Architecture program. If you choose not to use the S/U option, a grade of D is acceptable as a pass for these elective courses.
  • You cannot use the S/U option for courses that are taken to satisfy a minor.
Note for Management: The S/U option is not available on Minerva for Management students. Requests for the S/U option can only be made during the official add/drop period. Please contact the BCom Office (www.mcgill.ca/desautels/bcom/contact) for details on the conditions that apply.
Note for Music: The S/U option is only applicable to non-music electives.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2010-2011 (last updated Apr. 22, 2010) (disclaimer)
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