Auditing Courses & Grading Options (Pass/Fail)
Current undergraduate students may choose to take some Simmons courses for a Pass/Fail grade or as a formal audit as an alternative to taking the class for a letter grade. The Pass/Fail grading option is not available to graduate students at Simmons.
Pass/Fail
Pass/Fail courses do not affect your GPA when the grade is a pass. A failing grade will affect your GPA. The course will appear on your transcript with a "P" or an "F" as the grade.
Undergraduate students may select one course for the Pass/Fail grading option each semester. Courses taken to fulfill certain requirements may not be taken for the pass/fail option: the Boston Course, the Leadership Course, the Learning Community Integrative Seminar, any course counting toward the Language Requirement, MATH 101, MATH 102, Independent Learning, The Capstone. In addition, certain majors and minors require that courses be taken for a letter grade. It is the discretion of each department to allow or deny students to take courses P/F. Students should check with the department to determine if a course within the major/minor may be taken Pass/Fail.
Decisions regarding Pass/Fail should be discussed with your academic advisor and require advisor's and instructor's signature. Fill out the Pass/Fail form by the deadline below and return to the Office of the Registrar, A-200, or email us.
Questions & Contacts
For questions regarding billing, refunds, or financial aid, please contact Student Financial Services at 617-521-2001.
Formal Audit
A formal audit may be arranged by students wishing to participate in a class, but who do not wish to receive a grade or credit for the course. Conditions for a formal audit are defined by the instructor. Formal audit courses do not affect your GPA. The course will appear on your transcript with an "AU" grade but no credit will be earned from a formal audit class.
Full-time undergraduate students after their first semester may formally audit one course per semester. A formal audit course may not be used to satisfy any university requirements.
Students may withdraw from a formal audit course at any time by filling out an add/drop form and returning it to the Office of the Registrar, A-200.
Fill out a formal audit form with instructor's and advisor's signatures by the deadline below and return to the Office of the Registrar, A-200, or email us. Students wishing to switch from a formal audit to a for-credit grading option must also abide by the deadline.
Students must adhere to the deadlines listed for taking a class as a format audit. After the deadlines have passed, students with extenuating circumstances may petition the Administrative Board to make grading option changes by filling out an the appropriate form with instructor, advisor, and student signatures, as well as a Petition to the Administrative Board form and returning forms to the Registrar's Office. Letters of support are helpful, but not mandatory.
There is no charge for formally auditing a course for full-time undergraduate students. For questions regarding billing, refunds, or financial aid, please contact Student Financial Services at 617-521-2001.
Graduate students wishing to formally audit a course must speak with the instructor and their program director to determine if auditing a course is allowed in their program. If approved, the program director will contact the Registrar's Office to have the graduate student registered for a Formal Audit.
Alumnae/i may request to audit courses for no credit with approval from the instructor of the class. The fee to audit an undergraduate course is generally $250, while fees for auditing graduate level courses vary by program. Contact the Registrar's Office directly if you have questions or would like to audit a class.
Non-degree-seeking students who are not alumnae/i may not formally audit a course, but must take the course for credit. Auditing is a privilege extended to students with a degree from Simmons only. Non-alumnae/i should speak to the appropriate Admissions office to apply as a non-degree student. See our Non-Degree page for more information.