L&S Incomplete (I) and Extended Incomplete (EI) Grade Information

This page explains policy and deadlines for assigning grades of I (Incomplete) and EI (Extended Incomplete) for L&S undergraduate students.

L&S Policy and Guidance for the use of the Incomplete (I) and Extended Incomplete (EI) Grade

What is the Incomplete (I) grade?

Incomplete (I) is a temporary grade assigned by an instructor when a student is not able to complete course work at the end of a term due to unforeseen circumstances.  After completion of the course work subject to L&S policy and guidance, the Incomplete (I) grade will be changed to the letter grade earned by the course work.

L&S Policy for Assigning the Incomplete (I) Grade

Instructors of a course may assign the Incomplete Grade (I or IN) if an L&S student:

has completed at least 75% of the coursework and is missing only a small amount of graded work and

is passing the class up to that point and

was unable to complete the class by the end of the semester because of unforeseeable circumstances and

can reasonably complete the remaining work in a timely fashion and

has been in communications with the instructor and agreed upon a plan to complete course work.

Deadlines:

All instructors who assign an Incomplete grade are responsible for setting deadlines for the student so that a final grade may be entered into the student’s record prior to the campus deadlines:

Incomplete grades assigned in Spring or Summer Term must be updated before the Friday of the eighth week of following Fall Term.

Incomplete grades assigned in Fall Term must be updated before the Friday of the eighth week of following Spring Term.

Effective Fall 2025, Incompletes must be resolved by the dates above, whether or not the student assigned the Incomplete grade is currently enrolled at UW-Madison. For more detail, see UW Policy 1094,

It is not appropriate to require a student to retake the course to satisfy an incomplete. A student does not need to be currently enrolled at UW-Madison in order to make up the work needed to remove an Incomplete (I or IN) grade from their records. 

Process for assigning and resolving an Incomplete Grade (I)

The Incomplete (I) grade will lapse into a Failure (F), unless a grade for an incomplete is submitted electronically or the time limit has been extended via the Non-Roster Grade Change eForm by the instructor before the end of the eighth (8th) week of classes.

L&S instructors may and are encouraged to consult with L&S Academic Deans’ Services if they have any questions.

Instructor's responsibilities:

Ensure that the student’s situation qualifies for a grade of (I or IN) per L&S policy (above)

Consult with the student, determine, and communicate clearly the plan for coursework completion, and associated deadlines.

Assign the Incomplete grade in Faculty Center (if appropriate)

Assign the final grade once the student has completed the work and before the Friday of the 8th week of classes in the following Fall or Spring Term.

Student's responsibilities:

Reach out to the instructor to discuss options as soon as possible when they believe they cannot complete a course by the end of the semester, and if they meet the qualifications above.

Discuss with the instructor what they must do to complete the course and what the deadlines are. .

Complete the required work by the assigned deadline, per their agreement with the instructor.

Extended Incomplete (EI)

More about Extended Incomplete

In rare cases, an instructor may determine that it is not possible for a student with an Incomplete grade to complete the remaining work before the lapsing deadline for the following Fall or Spring Term. In such cases, instructors are encouraged to consult with L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services (ADS) to determine whether the student may qualify for an Extended Incomplete (EI). 

If a student does qualify for an Extended Incomplete, the instructor must submit a grade change via the Non-Roster Grade Change eForm. Once an instructor submits the eForm, the EI grade change request will be routed directly to the L&S ADS worklist for review.

Deadlines for resolving an Extended Incomplete

The deadline for instructors to submit a grade in place of an Extended Incomplete is the last class day for the term.

The student must complete and submit the remaining work prior to the last class day to allow time for grading, submission, and processing of the final grade.

If the grade for the Extended Incomplete (EI) is not submitted for processing by the last class day of the term, the Extended Incomplete will lapse to a grade of "F".

The deadline for an Extended Incomplete cannot be extended beyond the last class day of the term.

Special Situations - academic standing and graduation

If a student is suspended because the Incomplete has lapsed to an F or has been changed to a low grade, enrolled students will be withdrawn from the current term. Permission to continue in the current term requires consultation with an L&S academic dean. Students who do not consult with a dean or are not granted permission to continue will be withdrawn from the current term using an effective date within the refund period closest to the time of the student's actual withdrawal.
Students may not graduate if an unresolved Incomplete is on their record; a final grade must be reported before their degree can be awarded. Once all degree requirements are met and all grades are resolved, students will be eligible to graduate on the official graduation date for the term when the work was completed.
- For example, if a student plans to graduate in May and gets an incomplete in a spring course, they will need to complete the work by the degree conferral date for that spring term, in order to be eligible for a May degree. If they complete the work over the summer, their degree will be conferred in August.
- See “What is my graduation date” section of Graduation page for more information.

For Incomplete Grades Assigned before the Fall 2025 Term

Students who were assigned an Incomplete grade in or prior to Summer 2025 are required to resolve the Incomplete grades as noted in UW Policy 1094, section IV C.

If student does not enroll in Fall 2025, Incomplete grades will

Lapse unless they are changed before the Friday of the eighth (8th) week of the term in which the student returns to enrolled status; or
Change to PI – Permanent Incomplete five years after their last term of enrollment. See valid grades.

Contact L&S Academic Deans' Services Office with further questions:

Phone: (608) 262-0617

Email: lsdeans@saa.ls.wisc.edu