Pass/Not-Pass and Study Abroad

Students studying on Co-Sponsored, Exchange, or Direct-Enroll program types have the opportunity to request any course to be graded in the Pass/Not-Pass mode while abroad. However, there are important factors to consider before deciding if this option is right for you. 

Students on Departmental Programs will receive letter grades by default, and the Pass/Not-Pass option is not available.

If Pass/Not-Pass (P/N) is available on your program type, it's also important to understand when a course is eligible to receive a letter grade. Only courses in approved academic areas can appear on your Purdue transcript as a letter grade. Each program has specific academic approvals, tied to a college or academic unit, which dictates what can come in as a letter grade. Be sure to refer to this for your program to understand which areas are eligible.

Information on approved academic areas can be found on each individual program webflyer on the Purdue Study Abroad website. If the class you are taking is within one of these academic areas, you will receive a letter grade by default. If it is outside of the approved areas, it cannot receive a letter grade and will receive P/N by default. Take a moment to check the approvals for your program now! 

 

Once you know the academic approvals, the next thing to understand is how Pass/Not-Pass works, so you can make the best choice for yourself and your plan of study.

If electing to take a course Pass/Not-Pass, a few things you should know:

• You will take the course in a graded mode during your program, and the professor teaching the class will grade you normally.
• Once you return to Purdue, if a P/N approval form is on file for a course (or courses), the Purdue Study Abroad Office will translate the grade to Pass or Not-Pass prior to posting this on your Purdue transcript. In short - your overseas transcript will show a grade, but your Purdue transcript will show either Pass or Not-Pass.
• An equivalent grade of C- or higher must be earned to receive a P (Pass)
• Grades below C- will receive and N (Not-Pass)
• P/N Courses do NOT count into your GPA
• Courses graded as P/N often do not count towards specific degree requirements, and taking a course in this manner may make it ineligible to meet major, minor, or other degree requirements. Please consult with your academic advisor to ensure this will not cause you any issues before electing to take any courses P/N.
• P/N cannot be reversed, so even if your plan of study changes later (i.e. you add a minor, change your major, etc...) you cannot request the course is changed back to a letter grade to meet a requirement.
• Many professional schools, graduate programs, or even some employers may not like to see P/N on transcripts, so consider your future plans as well to avoid potential impacts.

In short, while some students see taking a course as Pass/Not-Pass as a benefit, it may actually harm you in the long run. You need to carefully consider any consequences and be willing to accept those consequences before opting to take a course in this manner. Because of the restrictions towards your plan of study, it is typically safest to only utilize this option when you are taking a course purely for the joy of taking the course and you know it isn't going to factor into your plan of study. 

We often see students choose to pick a class they feel is more "fun" and take this in the P/N grading mode - such as if a program has a culture class that looks interesting, or a required language class when you're not a language major or minor. However- keep in mind that when you find a class interesting, you're more likely to do well. We often have students ask to reverse the grade to a letter grade because they received an A in the class and want this to be able to factor into their GPA. Even in this case, we cannot reverse the grading mode, so they are stuck with a Pass. Therefore, taking a course as Pass/Not-Pass may actually impact your GPA negatively. 

Sometimes students may not do as well as they hoped in some of their graded classes, but do fairly well in a class they thought was "safe" to take as Pass/Not-Pass. In the end, they realized that taking all classes for a grade would have actually helped their GPA.

While P/N can be a good option in some cases, it does have consequences that students should be aware of before deciding to take a course in this manner. A good discussion with your academic advisor and/or your study abroad advisor before making a decision is crucial in ensuring you understand if this is the right decision for you.

BOTTOM LINE: If you need courses to count for degree requirements and want to graduate on time, do not take courses in unapproved areas or opt to take courses in approved areas for P/N, unless you have a written statement from your academic advisor that the course will still count towards your requirements. Never assume! 

The deadline for making the decision to take a course P/N is no later than the 8th week of a study abroad semester or, for shorter programs, prior to 50% of the program's duration. The exact date for this is listed on your My Study Abroad page next to the P/N form. Be sure to take a minute to locate this and note the exact date for your program. Forms submitted beyond the deadline will not be accepted and the deadline is not negotiable. 

Note: The start date for a program is listed at the top of your My Study Abroad page and this is the date used to calculate your P/N deadline. This reflects the official start of the program and often includes orientation. The deadline is calculated from your official program start date, which may not correspond with the first day of attendance of a particular class or with Purdue's start date. Follow the date on your My Study Abroad page for your specific program to know when your deadline is.