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Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option
The principle of the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option is to encourage you to take courses outside the area of your specialization with the view of enabling you to acquire knowledge and skills in a variety of fields.
Where permitted by faculty and program regulations, you may take one elective course per term to be graded under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option, to a maximum of 10% of your credits taken at McGill to fulfil the degree requirements.
If you decide to have an elective course graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U), you must do so before the Course Change deadline on Minerva (www.mcgill.ca/minerva) as part of the Student Menu > Registration Menu > Quick Add or Drop Course Sections Menu. You cannot make any changes after the Course Change deadline even if you selected the option by mistake. If the course is a multi-term course, you must select the S/U option by the Course Change deadline of the first part of the course.
The instructor will report grades in the normal fashion. Grades of A through C are converted to "Satisfactory" (S), and grades of D, F and J are converted to "Unsatisfactory" (U). The courses taken under the S/U option will be excluded from the grade point average calculations, but they will be included in the attempted credits total. Credits for courses with a final grade of S will also be included in the number of credits earned.
Note: To be considered for in-course awards, including Dean's Honour List designations, and/or the renewal of entrance scholarships, you must complete at least 27 graded credits in the regular academic session, not including courses completed under the S/U option.
Note: The S/U option is not available via Minerva to Visiting, Exchange or Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement (IUT) students. These students must first contact their home university to ensure that a course taken under the S/U option is acceptable to their home university and that the credits are transferable. After receiving approval from their home university and before McGill's Course Change deadline, they must then consult their McGill faculty Student Affairs Office for approval. Students in the faculties of Arts or Science: as of summer 2010, you will need to go to the Service Point (see www.mcgill.ca/students) to make this request. However, it is important that you also see a Faculty adviser in Dawson Hall to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/students/advising.
Note: Special Students are not eligible to select the S/U option.
For further information, contact your departmental adviser or student affairs office, as appropriate.
Note for Engineering:
- You will only be permitted to take a course under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option if you are in satisfactory standing.
- B.Eng. and B.S.E. students may use the S/U option for Complementary Studies courses (i.e., Group A Impact of Technology on Society and Group B Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies and Law). You cannot use the S/U option for courses in any other category of the Engineering programs. If you choose not to use the S/U option, a grade of D is acceptable as a pass for these Complementary Studies courses.
- B.Sc.(Arch.) students may use the S/U option for elective courses taken outside the School of Architecture. You cannot use the S/U option for courses in any other category of the Architecture program. If you choose not to use the S/U option, a grade of D is acceptable as a pass for these elective courses.
- You cannot use the S/U option for courses that are taken to satisfy a minor.
Note for Management: The S/U option is not available on Minerva for Management students. Requests for the S/U option can only be made during the official add/drop period. Please contact the BCom Office (www.mcgill.ca/desautels/bcom/contact) for details on the conditions that apply.
Note for Music: The S/U option is only applicable to non-music electives.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2010-2011 (last updated Apr. 22, 2010) (disclaimer)