Take a Course Pass/Not Pass (P/N): Office of the Registrar

Take a Course Pass/Not Pass (P/N)

This page provides information on deadlines, regulations and policies for taking a course pass/not pass (P/N).

Students should register for the P/N option when they initially register for the course in CAESAR. Students may change their grading option using CAESAR's Update function or by submitting a P/N form (available at the Office of the Registrar) at the Office of the Registrar. See additional rules for McCormick students.
Undergraduate students and students in The Graduate School may change registration from ABC grade to P/N and vice versa through Friday of the third week of classes.

The P/N option may only be used for general education classes and/or unrestricted electives.
The P/N option may not be used for first or second-year language classes in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Latin or Italian.
All pre-requisites must be met before a class may be taken P/N.
Not all classes may be taken P/N. If the class detail section on CAESAR says "Student Option" (abbreviated OPT), P/N is available.
Occasionally, a "No P/N" note may also be added to classes.

No more than six classes with grades of P or D (or a combination of P and D) may be taken at Northwestern and offered for graduation.
The P/N option (and classes in which a student earns a D) may not be used for Core, Concentration or Distribution Requirements.

The P/N option may not be used for journalism or IMC classes.
Only one class may be taken P/N per quarter (excluding TN quarter).
No more than six classes with P grades may be counted toward the 45 units required for a degree.
The P/N option may not be used for classes taken in fulfillment of Medill’s social science, elective concentration or distribution requirements.

No more than six P grades earned may be used for graduation.
P/N Option may not be used to satisfy WCAS Distribution Requirements.
P/N Option may not be used for foreign language classes taken toward meeting the WCAS foreign language requirement.
P/N Option may not be used for required major or related classes.
P/N Option may not be used for freshmen seminars.
No more than one-fifth of the total Northwestern classes with grades of P or D (or a combination of P and D) may be offered for graduation.

Music students may not take music classes under the P/N option, except for those courses graded solely with P/N grades.
No more than six P/N classes (in non-music subjects) may be counted toward the degree.
The P/N Option is available to non-music students in all music classes including applied music, except as noted in the class schedule and on CAESAR.

No more than six P/N classes may be counted toward graduation, and 35 of the 45 credits needed for graduation must be C or better.
Classes in the major department may be taken under the P/N option only by permission of the Associate Dean.

To register for the P/N Option for any McCormick class, you must have a P/N slip signed by a staff member in the Academic Services Office (Tech L269). This slip must be taken to the Office of the Registrar to be processed.
No more than eight P/N classes may be counted toward the degree.
Freshmen and sophomores may only take one class P/N per quarter. Juniors and seniors who wish to take more than one P/N class per quarter must obtain a signed P/N slip from the Academic Services Office and present it to the Registrar's Office for processing.
Engineering students who desire to take P/N classes in BIOL_SCI, CHEM, ASTRON, PHYSICS or MATH must obtain a signed P/N form from the Undergraduate Engineering Office and present it at the Office of the Registrar for processing.