Understanding Credit/D/Fail

The Credit/D/Fail option was created by the Yale Faculty to encourage academic experimentation and to promote diversity outside of students’ programs. Students have six opportunities–for a total of six credits–to choose Credit/D/Fail, two of which expire after the first year of enrollment. For a more detailed explanation of Credit/D/Fail policies, see Grades in the Academic Regulations section of Yale College Programs of Study.

  • Note that some courses earn .5 credits and some earn 1.5 credits.
  • All Yale College courses, other than independent study courses, that are offered in Yale College during the fall and spring terms are available for election under the Credit/D/Fail option.  
  • Courses in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and in the professional schools of the University are not available for the Yale College Credit/D/Fail option.
  • Up to two courses may be taken Credit/D/Fail per term, as long as students also enroll in at least two courses taken for a letter grade or pass/fail.
  • If a student earns a D or F grade in a course taken under the Credit/D/Fail option, that course will not count toward the six course credit limit.
  • Majors specify how many courses taken Credit/D/Fail may count toward major requirements. See major requirements in Yale College Programs of Study.
  • A student may not apply any course credit earned with a grade of Credit (CR) toward satisfaction of the distributional requirements for the junior or senior year (except for early L1-L5 courses).
  • Work completed under the Credit/D/Fail option cannot earn acceleration credit.
  • Policies may differ for Eli Whitney students. See Eli Whitney Students Program(Link is external) for more information.

How it Works

Students have until the last day of classes to elect the Credit/D/Fail option. Once Credit/D/Fail has been selected, the change may not be reversed. Students are not required to disclose to the instructor of a course whether they have enrolled in the course for a letter grade or have chosen the Credit/D/Fail option.

For those courses taken Credit/D/Fail, the instructor provides a letter grade in FGS (faculty grading system) and the Registrar’s Office converts grades of A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, and C– into the notation CR, which is entered on the student’s transcript. Grades of D+, D, D–, and F are entered on the transcript as reported. 

How students Elect Credit/D/Fail

  1. Log into Yale Hub(Link is external).
  2. Select the Course Enrollment tab and click “Yale College Change Course from Letter Grade to Credit/D/Fail.”
  3. Change the drop-down selection from “YC – Letter Grade” to “Credit/D/Fail.”
  4. Click “Submit Changes” to save the conversion.
  5. A confirmation of the change will be sent to your Yale email account. If you do not receive the confirmation email, your change was not processed. You can confirm all your course grading modes by viewing your “Course Schedule Details by Term” in Yale Hub. 

If you are considering a course withdrawal or have problems converting to Credit/D/Fail grade mode, contact your residential college dean. Note that credit, D/Final conversions are final and cannot be changed.