I’m a UCSB transfer who might fail a class that I took pass/fail. I got into UCLA, but I’m worried that not passing the class might affect my admission status. Can anyone comment on this?
I’m not really sure.
Was it a major or a gen ed class? Do you still have enough units to qualify?
NP is neutral to them. So as long as everything else is fulfilled (units, req, IGETC, etc) I believe you will be OK.
I wouldn’t say it’s neutral. It depends on what the course is.
On the UC counselors site it is called neutral.
“AR, NP, NG and W Grades
•How UC review AR, NP, NG, W grades?
These grades are neutral and have no effect on GPA or credit awarded.”
It was a major class, but a lower-division one. UCLA has a policy whereby you can substitute upper-division classes taken at UCLA for lower-div ones. I expect to get all A’s and A-'s in my other classes, which are upper-div history classes
It was a major class, but a lower-division one. UCLA has a policy whereby you can substitute upper-division classes taken at UCLA for lower-div ones. I expect to get all A’s and A-'s in my other classes, which are upper-div history classes
You can’t take a major class P/NP. All courses for your major must be taken for a letter grade. So my understanding is that, even if you had gotten the P, the best you could hope for was receiving elective credit. Is this course you got the NP part of your prereqs?
@lindyk8 I get that a NP is neutral in terms of gpa or units -units and GPA is unchanged. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the NP is disregarded in terms of admissions and admission reuirements.
Actually, in some situations you can take a major course P/NP. It’s rare, but there are exceptions.
I am only going by what I have read and been told re NP as it does not indicate an F, only below a C. Of course, anyone can look at any grade negatively, including a B-. However, as there is no clear understanding of the true grade or circumstance of a NP (and as it is consistently linked with AR and W by the UC, both of which are ignored), I will personally stick by the neutral designation.
Regardless, as it pertains to OP, I do not think she/he will get a rescind. 
I think it really depends on whether the NP course is a prereq for the major. If it’s a prereq, then there may be an issue - the requirement wasn’t fulfilled.
Well that may be, I don’t know. And definitely if a requirement was not fulfilled, there could be an issue.
I agree it seems a bit odd that NP is placed in the neutral category, but I was told one reason is they see P/NP as a way for students to explore other disciplines and take risks with courses outside their comfort zone. (I’m not sure it’s really used for that purpose by students.) it has words to that effect on some UC page. So maybe that’s why they are possibly more lenient with it?
The thing is, this is one of many lower-division sequences that I have the opportunity to take. So by pass/failing this class, I would have to take a different sequence of lower-divs. I did have the physical option of pass/failing the class on UCSB’s registration page. Essentially, this course is kind of an optional pre req; I don’t have to take this course specifically, there are other lower-divs that could fulfill the same pre-major requirement.
When you look at the transfer requirements on the UCLA website, is the course/ course sequence listed among the requirements to be accepted to UCLA? If it’s not, then you may be fine. If it is, then you’re possibly/ probably not fine. Regardless of whether the System allows you to take the class as pass/no pass, it doesn’t negate the fact that major requirements 99% of the time need to be taken for a letter grade. I have the physical ability to take major courses as pass/ no pass as well, but I know according to my department that is not allowed.
@laserduck The only way you can tell if the major course will be accepted for P/NP will be if it’s noted somewhere. It’s not that common and you can’t just decide on your own if it can be taken P/NP, although I seem to be getting from you it’s a pre-req to a pre-req, so is not really part of the major requirements. If so, you should definitely be able to take it P/NP. (For instance, if you need a calc series with letter grade, you can take precalc P/NP.)
Since you’re a UC>UC transfer, in reality I have no idea how it will play out, . Anyway, I guess you’ll find out soon enough, but I kind of still think they’ll let it slide.
So the requirements for transferring as a History major are this: one semester or two quarter courses of Western civilization or world history
two semester or three quarter courses from histories of the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Near East, or science and technology
I have completed all of these requirements. Also, in UCLA’s history program list of requirements, I have the option of taking a different pair of lower-div classes. I pass failed the western civilization sequence, but I can take the world history sequence and be just fine.
Basically, nothing in my admission contract or the UCLA history transfer requirements say anything about pass failing a class. I also failed a pass fail class in fall, when my grades were used for admission, and I still got into UCLA.
It’s confusing on my end to totally get all this but you seem to be saying you completed the major reqs, right? The UCLA course in question is merely recommended (or a pre-req to one)?
Isn’t it common knowledge that all major pre-reqs and upper division work have to be completed with a letter grade? It’s specifically on the website and assist (I think).
I believe the course in question is a pre-req to major reqs, @luckyname, but not sure.
Also, just to bring up a rarely allowed option, you can sometimes take a major course P/NP. It’s noted on most of the individual UC pages as well. I do not know what courses or majors these are, but they do note the possible P/NP option. Here is L&S at Berkeley:
That link says that P/NP is NOT appropriate for most major reqiurements. I know most is not all, but… IJS
"Guidelines for Passed/Not Passed Grades
For the following requirements, letter grades are required, and the P/NP option is not appropriate: Entry Level Writing, Reading & Composition, Foreign Language, Quantitative Reasoning, and most major requirements (check with department for possible exceptions).
Courses taken to fulfill the American Cultures requirement and the L&S Seven Course Breadth requirement may be taken P/NP."
I know this isn’t the point of this thread, but I don’t want someone to read this post, and think they can start taking major classes P/ NP all willy-nilly.