Course Repeats
Repeating a course means re-enrolling and retaking the same course. The course with the best grade will retain its earned credits and be included in the GPA. The other course (or courses, if the same class has been repeated before), will no longer earn credit and not be included in GPA calculations.
Students may repeat any course in an effort to improve grades. All repeated courses will appear on the student's academic transcript and will count as attempted credits in calculations of credit completion rate and total credits attempted.
For each repeated course, the highest grade earned will be the only grade included in GPA calculations. When a student withdraws from a repeated course and receives a grade of W, the last letter grade (A, B, C, D, F, P, NC) will be used in GPA calculations.
Individual departments and major programs may limit the number of course repeats that apply to their major or minor. Individual departments and major programs also may determine whether all course attempts and grades received will be used in the GPA computation for program admission or for completion of major.
Repeat Symbols on the Transcript
The following is an example of how a course that has been repeated at Minnesota State Mankato will show on an undergraduate transcript:
First Course Occurrence - MATH 113
The parentheses ( ) indicates that both the credit component and the GPA component of a course have been removed from a student's cumulative totals.
| MATH 113 Trigonometry | 3.00 D | ( 0.00) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Second Course Occurrence - MATH 113
The R and / / indicates that the course counts toward earned credits, attempted credits and in the GPA.
| MATH 113 Trigonometry | 3.00R B | / 3.00/ | 3.00 | 9.00 |
The majority of repeat flags are automatically set by Registration and Academic Records at the end of the semester after grades are posted and before Satisfactory Academic Process (SAPS) is run.
Although every effort is made to process repeats at the end of the semester the course is repeated, there are situations where a repeat flag may be missed. The Notice of Repeated Course form is available to ensure that the repeat flag will be processed in a timely manner.
Appeals for A Third Course Repeat
Students who wish to repeat any course beyond the two-repeat limit must seek permission from the department chair of the course.
These students will file a formal written appeal requesting an exception using the Course Repeat Appeal Form that is available at https://mankato.mnsu.edu/academics/course-planning-and-registration/registration-and-academic-records/registration-forms-contacts-and-information/forms-list-links/ scroll down to “Repeated Course Policy Appeal.”
The appeal must include all of the following:
- current transcripts
- an explanation and justification for the exception
- a supporting statement from the department chair that offers the course
The appeal form must be submitted to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education. Appeal forms must be submitted at least seven calendar days before the first day of the term in which the student wishes to repeat the course. If the appeal is approved, the student will need to register for the course and pay all applicable university charges.
Transfer Repeats
Courses that have been repeated at previous schools and are considered direct equivalents will have a repeat flag set at the time courses are transferred in to Minnesota State Mankato. Courses that do not have direct equivalencies will need to be evaluated by the Department Chair to determine if the courses are considered equivalent. A Repeated Course form needs to be filled out by the student and submitted to the Department Chair for approval/denial on whether the course is considered equivalent and is approved as a repeat. The repeat form is then submitted back to Registration and Academic Records to have the repeat flag set and to have the degree audit updated.
Courses taken at another school and then repeated at Minnesota State Mankato will need to have the Repeated Course form submitted to Registration and Academic Records. Department Chair approval is needed for courses that do not have direct equivalencies.
Courses taken at Minnesota State Mankato and then repeated at another school need to have the Repeated Course form submitted to Registration and Academic Records. An official transcript (sealed envelope or E-Transcript) is also needed from the school where the course is taken. Department Chair approval is needed for courses that do not have direct equivalencies.
Repeatable Courses
Some courses are allowed to be taken more than one time for credit and are not considered "repeats." Examples: Individual Studies, Topics, Internships. Check with the department where the course is offered to determine if the course is repeatable.
Undergraduate Repeat Policy
If you have any questions concerning the undergraduate repeat policy, you can submit a question using Topic: Grades/Grade Changes.
Financial Aid for Repeated Courses
Federal financial aid regulations limit the number of times an undergraduate student may repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course. More information about the financial aid policy for repeat courses is available on the Campus Hub website.
Course Repeats at the Graduate Level
Graduate courses may be repeated, but credit for the course is applicable toward the degree only once. However, all grades earned for that course shall be used in calculating the grade point average. For more information, review the Graduate Scholastic Standards Policy or contact the Office of Graduate Studies.
