A student may retake a class or carry a course on a refresher basis if the student wishes to repeat a course that they have already passed and earned college credit.  Students will sometimes do this to improve their foundation for more advanced coursework.   Students are required to do all of the work in the course, attend classes on a regular basis, participate in class discussions, and take all exams.  The course counts as part of the regular credit load for the semester/term AND the student earns a final grade that is included in computing the semester/term and cumulative grade point average.  However, credits earned for the refresher course do not count as degree credits.   In other words, degree credit will not be granted for the same course twice (or multiple times).

• Refresher courses will appear on a student's transcript twice or as many times as the student takes the class.
• The second time (or subsequent times) that the refresher course is taken, the credits will not be counted toward the student's degree credits.
• Both (all) grades will be computed in the student's University grade point average - the GPA that appears on the student's transcript.
• The second grade (or subsequent grades) will not be used in calculating the L&S quality of work requirement which includes:
  • a minimum 2.000 GPA on all courses in the major; 
  • a minimum 2.000 GPA on advanced courses in the major; and 
  • a minimum 2.000 GPA on all intermediate/advanced-level coursework taken.

Retaking a Previously Failed Course at UW-Madison

L&S undergraduate students who have earned a grade of "F" may repeat the failed course in residence.  The original grade of "F" remains permanently on a student's record and is averaged into the semester and overall grade point average (GPA).  The failure will be counted as zero grade points per credit in computing the semester and overall GPA.   Repeating a failed course does not remove the earlier failure from the student's record or from his or her cumulative GPA.   More information can be found in the Guide under failures.

• If a student repeats a failed course, the course will appear on the student's transcript twice (or multiple times) with the original grade of "F" recorded and the new grade(s) also recorded.  Both grades (or multiple grades) will be counted in determining all applicable quality of work requirements.  Multiple failures in the same course all count in the GPA and will all appear on a student's permanent records.  
• Multiple failures in the same course all count in the GPA.  Also, the final grade will appear on a student's records each time a student repeats a course.  Grades do not get averaged when a course is taken multiple times.
• Credits in the repeated course do not count toward the L&S undergraduate degree unless the course was failed the first time.
• Credits carried on courses being repeated count toward the maximum credits permitted in a semester.
• A course failed in residence at UW-Madison may be repeated for credit at any other educational institution.  However, the new grade earned out of residence will not have an impact on the student's UW-Madison GPA.