Edit Your Class Options

About Class Options

Departments determine which grade mode(s) are available for a class and, if it's a variable credit class, how many credits you can take it for.

Grading Mode

What It Is How to Set It How to Check It How to Change It
What It Is

Grading mode (a.k.a., grading basis or grading option) identifies how a class will be graded. 

  • Student option: If a department designates a course as student option, then it's your choice whether to take it for a letter grade or as pass/fail.
  • Letter: This is the default grading basis in student-option classes. You'll earn a letter grade that will appear on your transcript (A–F). For many classes, this is your only grading option.
  • Pass/fail: If you change your grading mode in a student-option class to pass/fail, you'll earn either a P/P+ (pass) or an F (fail) grade that will appear on your transcript. A grade of P+ will appear on your transcript if you earn a grade of C- or higher in a student-option pass/fail class. A grade of P will appear if you earn a D+, D or D-. P and P+ grades don't affect your GPA, but F grades do.
  • Pass/fail-only courses: Through Summer 2022, some classes are assigned a grading basis of pass/fail only. A grade of P will appear on your transcript if you earn a grade of a D- or higher in a pass/fail-only class. P grades don't affect your GPA, but F grades do. Credit is only earned with P grades.
  • Satisfactory/unsatisfactory: A grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) will appear on your transcript. Neither grade will affect your GPA, but only S grades earn credit. Beginning Fall 2022, this grading basis replaces pass/fail-only in undergraduate and graduate courses. (Colorado Law still uses pass/fail-only as one of its grading bases.)

If you're considering taking a class pass/fail, check with your advisor or department to determine whether the class could be applied toward your degree and ensure you don't exceed the maximum number of pass/fail credit hours allowed in a given semester. Rules vary by college, school and program, including graduate and Law programs. 

To learn more, see the CU Boulder catalog's .

Note: In Spring 2020, CU Boulder temporarily lifted restrictions on the applicability of pass/fail grades to degree requirements. That change applied exclusively to classes completed in Spring 2020.

You'll be prompted to select your grade mode during registration. To get there:

  1. Log in to .
  2. Find a class you want to take, then click "Add to Cart" (class search instructions).
  3. Select your grade mode and any other class options, then click "OK."
  4. Finish enrolling (class add instructions).

To check the grade mode of your enrolled classes:

  1. Follow this link to Buff Portal's  (you may be prompted to log in).
  2. Select "Check class grade mode."
  3. Select the correct semester. The grade mode will appear in the "Grading" column for each class.

Before the posted deadline for the semester (see calendar sidebar):

  1. Follow this link to Buff Portal's  (you may be prompted to log in).
  2. Select the class you want to edit, then select "Drop/Swap/Edit Class."
  3. Select "Edit This Class," then "Continue."
  4. In the registration system, select the class from the "Classes you are allowed to edit" drop-down, then click "Continue."
  5. Change your grade mode, then click "Next."
  6. Review your change(s), then click "Finish Editing."

If it worked, you'll see a confirmation message. If not, read the error message carefully.

No Credit (Audit)

What It Is How to Set It How to Check It How to Change It
What It Is

If you take a class for no credit, you'll still pay tuition for the class, but you won't earn a grade or credit hours. The class also won't fulfill degree requirements or count toward your enrollment totals for enrollment status or financial aid.

If you're a graduate student, you cannot use these credits towards your TA/RA appointment.

As of Aug. 20, 2020, students can no longer change a class to no credit using standard or beta registration.

Instead, follow these steps:

  1. Search for the class you want to take for no credit and add it to your CU Boulder Class Search shopping cart (class search instructions).
  2. Select "Letter Grade" as your grade mode, then click "Save Changes."
  3. Finish registering for the class (class add instructions).
  4. Follow this link to the  (you may be prompted to log in).
  5. If you're a veteran receiving educational benefits, tick the applicable checkbox.
  6. Under "Class Information," select the radio button to indicate you want to change a class to no credit.
  7. Under "Classes," find the class(es) you want to change to no credit, then tick the corresponding "Change to no credit" checkbox.
  8. Review your selections, then click "Submit."
You'll receive an email to confirm your form submission, and another to let you know we've finished processing your request.

Once we've processed your no-credit request, your will show a grade of NC (no credit) for the class(es).

To cancel your no-credit request and change your class(es) back to letter grade or pass/fail:

  1. Follow this link to the  (you may be prompted to log in).
  2. Under "Class Information," select the radio button to indicate you want to cancel a no-credit request.
  3. Under "Classes," find the class(es) you want to change to letter grade or pass/fail, then tick the corresponding "Cancel this no-credit request" checkbox.
  4. Review your selections, then click "Submit."
You'll receive an email to confirm your form submission, and another to let you know we've finished processing your request.

Variable Credit Hours

What They Are How to Set Them How to Check Them How to Change Them
What They Are

While most courses at CU Boulder are offered for a fixed number of credits, select courses (e.g., independent study, thesis, dissertation) are offered for a range of credits to select from when you add the class to your shopping cart.

To learn more, see the CU Boulder catalog's .

If you're registering for a variable credit class, you'll be prompted to select your credit hours when you add the class to your cart. Here's how to get there:

  1. Log in to .
  2. Find a class you want to take, then click "Add to Cart" (class search instructions)
  3. Select your grade mode and click "OK."
  4. Finish enrolling (class add instructions).

To check the credit hours of an enrolled class:

  1. Follow this link to Buff Portal's  (you may be prompted to log in).
  2. Select the class you want to check.
  3. In the class details, credit hours will appear under the "Credits" heading.

Before the posted deadline for the semester (see calendar sidebar):

  1. Follow this link to Buff Portal's  (you may be prompted to log in).
  2. Select the class you want to edit, then select "Drop/Swap/Edit Class."
  3. Select "Edit This Class," then "Continue."
  4. In the registration system, select the class from the "Classes you are allowed to edit" drop-down, then click "Continue."
  5. Change your credit selection, then click "Next."
  6. Review your change(s), then click "Finish Editing."

If it worked, you'll see a confirmation message. If not, read the error message carefully.

Contact Us

   registrar@colorado.edu
   303-492-6970

Class Option Deadlines

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