<p>How is auditing a course different from pass/fail option?</p>
<p>Things may have totally changed – but I thought that an audited course was one that you did not receive credit for and (consequently) were not responsible for the graded work. I don’t believe it shows up on your transcript (WARNING – I attended Cornell Many years ago, so this may be totally wrong).</p>
<p>In any event, back in the day, I audited a couple of courses. Basically, if it was a large lecture course, I just showed up for the lectures, and did the reading (when I had time). For a smaller course, I would speak with the professor before hand, and ask permission to sit in on the lectures. </p>
<p>Most profs are totally into someone wanting to take their course because they’re interested in the subject matter, even if they aren’t going to get credit. I did this for two courses and had no problem with the profs.</p>
<p>undergrads are no longer allowed to audit courses</p>
<p>if you’re a grad student, it shows up on your transcript but is marked as an audited course.</p>