Flexible grading option

Learn about the Credit Granted (CG) grade available to UCalgary students. 

Credit Granted (CG) 

This option supports your breadth of learning and encourages you to explore courses outside your area of study.

A course with a CG grade may count toward your degree requirements but it won’t impact your grade point average (GPA). If you attain the minimum-required grade in an eligible course, you can request a CG grade. “CG” will appear on your transcript in place of the letter grade you would’ve received. Eligible students can submit a request for a CG grade for a limited number of courses. This must be done within a specific time frame at the end of each academic term.

  • Consult with faculty advisors before applying for a flexible grade (CG).
  • CG grades won’t be reversed once approved and on the student record.
  • CG grades may impact a change of program request. Consult your current faculty and the faculty you want to join before requesting a CG grade.
  • Students in joint programs should consult both faculties before applying.
  • CG grades  could impact your ability to meet admissions requirements for future programs. This includes graduate schools and professional programs.
  • CG grades may not be accepted or recognized as transfer credit at other institutions. Each institution decides whether to recognize CG grades based on their own institutional regulations.
  • CG grades won’t affect your student loan or UCalgary scholarship application. They may impact your eligibility for external scholarships and some internal UCalgary faculty-selected awards. CG grades may also impact your eligibility for dean’s list and convocation awards.
  • CG grades may impact your eligibility for certification or licensing requirements in certain fields.

Undergraduate students

To be eligible for a CG grade, you must: 

  • Be an undergraduate student completing an undergraduate-level course; be admitted to a degree program.
  • In most cases, you must have achieved a minimum final grade of C- or above in the course you want to receive a CG in. A higher grade may be required by your faculty (see faculty regulations above).
  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Meet any specific requirements set by your home faculty, as well as the faculty offering the desired course (see faculty regulations below).
  • Be enrolled in a maximum of 9 units (3 regular courses).

Graduate students

To be eligible to receive a CG grade, you must:

  • Be enrolled in a graduate program that allows CG grades (see graduate program regulations above).
  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Achieve a minimum final grade of "B-" or above in the course for which you wish to request a CG.
  • Not have any prior CG grades. A maximum of one  regular course (up to three units) may be taken for a CG grade over an entire graduate program. Students enrolled in laddered pathways can only have a CG grade for a total of one regular course throughout the entire laddered pathway.

On this page

Connect with your faculty advisor

Please consider carefully how requesting a CG grade may impact your academic progression and future plans, including program-change requests, graduate school applications and/or licensing. 

If you’re considering requesting a CG grade, we strongly recommend connecting with a faculty advisor to review your faculty regulations in relation to your academic plan.

Faculty regulations and eligibility 

Individual faculties and graduate programs have specific regulations regarding the CG grade. The regulations relate to impacts on academic review, grades, awards, Dean’s list, graduation and so on. Check your faculty regulations at the links below. Connect with a faculty advisor to discuss the option and impacts of a CG grade. Consult the regulations for your home faculty and the faculty offering the desired course when considering a CG grade before the application deadline.

Arts

Cumming School of Medicine – Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies

Cumming School of Medicine – Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours

Haskayne School of Business

Faculty of Kinesiology

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Nursing

School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape

Faculty of Science

Schulich School of Engineering

Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Werklund School of Education

Open Studies

  • Open Studies students are not eligible for the CG grade.

Please review the Calendar entry (linked below) for your program for more details about CG eligibility. CG may be permitted only for certain courses or credentials within a particular graduate program, and may impact eligibility for internal awards.

Graduate students outside of the programs below are not eligible to apply for a CG grade.

Arts

Haskayne School of Business (PhD only)

Faculty of Kinesiology

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Nursing

School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL)

Faculty of Science

Schulich School of Engineering

Faculty of Social Work

Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV)

Request a CG grade in your Student Centre

Application for a CG grade can be found in your Student Centre. The application is:

  • under the Exams and Grades tab, or
  • a form under the My Service Request tab.

Note: the CG application is only available during the application window.

If you receive a grade after the CG application period, submit a Late Flexible Grade service request in your Student Centre. You must submit your late CG application within two business days of the final grade being posted. If the late flexible grade request is approved, it will be posted to your student record within 30 days of approval.

FAQs

Eligibility/regulations

Review the faculty and graduate program regulations (linked above) to confirm if you’re eligible to request a CG grade.

If you take a CG grade for a course, the CG grade won’t impact your grade point average (GPA). A CG grade could impact how your GPA is calculated for change of program, Dean’s List, honours and awards. Check your faculty or graduate program regulations.

Each faculty has specific regulations (see the table above).

For undergraduate students, the maximum number of units contributing toward a degree will not be more than nine in any faculty. In some faculties, fewer than nine units are allowed. 

For graduate students, a maximum of three units may be taken for CG over an entire graduate program.

No. Undergraduate students can only receive CG grades in undergraduate courses.

Yes. Graduate students can receive a CG grade for a maximum of three units in undergraduate courses.

Any student found to have engaged in academic misconduct won’t be eligible to receive the CG grade.

No, CG grades are irreversible once they’ve been posted to your student record.

Academic review/planning

CG grades may meet prerequisite requirements. Check your faculty or graduate program regulations.

CG grades may meet degree requirements. Check your faculty or graduate program regulations.

CG grades may impact your ability to gain admission to a graduate or professional program. Contact the institution offering the program to discuss the impact of the CG grade in relation to the program requirements.

Application process and eForm troubleshooting

Most CG applications submitted via the CG form in your Student Centre will result in an immediate grade change. Applications that require manual review will be processed within 5-7 business days. It will be reviewed, processed and posted on the student record once approved throughout and after the application period. CG applications submitted via the Late Flexible Grade service request will be processed within 30 business days after submission.

Authorize – means the application has been approved 

  • Action: System will post CG grade
  • Processing time: Instant 

Pending – means the application will be manually reviewed 

  • Action: Application will be manually reviewed
  • Processing time: 3–5 business days 

Withdrawn – means the student has withdrawn the application 

  • Action: Application will be withdrawn
  • Processing time: Instant  

Denied – means the application has been manually reviewed

  • Meaning: Application has been manually reviewed, student/course/plan is ineligible
  • Action: Application will be closed
  • Processing time: Instant 

Executed – means the CG grade has been posted 

  • Action: System posts CG grade for approved course
  • Processing time: 1 minute 

Only eligible courses with eligible final grades will be in the form. Contact faculty advisors for more information about the flexible grade option.

Error messages can happen for many reasons. They normally indicate a student’s ineligibility due to faculty regulations, or as a result of the student's academic standing. For questions related to CG eligibility, contact your faculty advisor.

Continue to monitor your grade status in your Student Centre; submit a service request for a late flexible grade request  within two business days after your grade is posted. Do so by clicking Late Flexible Grade Request Form in the My Student Record section of Student Centre.

Honours and awards

CG grades may impact your ability to receive an honours degree. Please review your faculty regulations.

CG grades may impact internal UCalgary award selection, particularly for convocation awards. Review your faculty or graduate program regulations. If you’re applying for or have received scholarships from external agencies, contact that organization. They can provide details about the impact of the CG on scholarship criteria (such as the application and renewal requirements).

CG grades may impact your eligibility for the Dean’s List. Please review your faculty regulations.