Overview
A grade of Incomplete (noted "I" on the transcript) may be assigned when a student in good standing in a course has completed and passed a majority of the work required for a course but, for reasons beyond the student's control, cannot complete the entire course.
Incomplete grades can only be granted by instructors and instructors are under no obligation to grant students an incomplete grade.
In cases where an instructor agrees to assign an I grade, it is important to arrive at an agreement about exactly what is required in order to finish the course with the instructor. Review the Office of the Registrar's procedures for Incomplete grades
Do not enroll in the same course in which you have taken an I. Doing so, will result in the I lapsing to an F.
If you have 12+ units of active Incomplete grades on your record, you will need approval to continue enrollment into the next semester (see FAQ below).
Guidelines
Students have three possible options to resolve Incomplete grades:
1. Complete & Replace an Incomplete Grade
An Incomplete or I grade is meant to act as a placeholder grade. Once you finish your missing work, the instructor can assign you a final grade, which replaces the I grade in your record. Your grade will match the grading option you chose in the semester you started the course. Incomplete grades are opportunities to complete missing work for a course, not to re-do assignments that were already completed. Because of this, it is important to assess whether you feel you can finish a course with a grade you want before deciding on an Incomplete grade.
You must submit completed coursework in advance of the deadline for grade replacement to give your instructor time to grade. If your instructor has not provided you with a submission deadline, you must submit your work to your instructor at least 30 days prior to the instructor's grade replacement deadline. Instructors must submit the final grade by the deadline (above). Review the Office of the Registrar's information about Incomplete grades.
Graduating seniors who are on the current degree list and have I grades in classes required for the degree must complete the coursework by the last day of the term in order to graduate. If the course is not needed for graduation, the I will remain on the transcript indefinitely.
2. Request an Extension for an Incomplete Grade
Requests for an extension of a deadline for completion of an I grade are subject to instructor approval and require an instructor’s signature. To make a request, print a copy of the Petition to Extend an Incomplete Grade, complete the student portion, ask the instructor to complete and sign the form. You should plan to do this at least 30 days prior to the instructor's deadline to submit this petition. Your instructor will then need to submit the signed Incomplete Extension form to lspetitions@berkeley.edu by the deadline. Extensions of I grades are subject to the approval of the Letters and Science Dean. Requests to extend an Incomplete submitted after the deadline will be automatically denied.
On your form, be careful to note the due date for you to complete your work. If you have any questions, talk with your instructor to make sure you both are on the same page.
Once you have extended an Incomplete, you are allowed to extend the deadline again as long as another signed Incomplete Extension request is approved by your faculty member and submitted to lspetitions@berkeley.edu by the grade replacement deadline. Please submit your request to further extend your incomplete to your instructor by the student completion deadline.
Once you have chosen to extend an incomplete, you cannot decide to retain/freeze that incomplete.
3. Retain/Freeze an Incomplete Grade
Up to two Incomplete grades can be retained permanently on the record (this is often called "freezing an incomplete"). This means instead of a final grade, or the Incomplete lapsing to an F, you will have a grade of “I” on your record. You will not receive units nor other credit for the course, and will not be able to retake the course.
To retain an I grade permanently, submit a Petition to Retain an Incomplete Grade Permanently on Record within the deadline for completing the course. No approval is necessary, but consider carefully before choosing this course of action; it is irreversible, and courses with a permanently retained I grade cannot be taken again while at Cal.
Once you have filled out the form with the appropriate information, you can submit the form to lspetitions@berkeley.edu by the deadline (see the Petition to Retain an Incomplete Grade on Record form for your deadline to submit a request).
Each of these have limitations and are explained in depth in the FAQ below. If you receive an Incomplete grade, one of the above actions must be taken by the deadline or the grade will automatically lapse to an F (or NP if the course was taken P/NP in the original semester).
Deadlines
| I Grade Received | Deadline to Replace*, Extend*, or Retain |
|---|---|
| Fall Semester | First day of instruction the following Fall Semester |
| Spring Semester | First day of instruction the following Spring Semester |
| Summer Term | First day of instruction the following Spring Semester |
*The deadline for grade replacement is the deadline for your instructor to assign a grade. You must submit work a minimum of 30 days prior to the deadline unless you have arranged something different with your instructor. Similarly, the deadline to extend an Incomplete is the deadline by which your instructor needs to submit the signed Incomplete Extension form to lspetitions@berkeley.edu. You should contact your instructor about an extension of your Incomplete a minimum of 30 days prior to the deadline.
Deadlines for finishing coursework for an Incomplete grade apply even to those who are not currently enrolled at Berkeley and to those participating in the Education Abroad and UCDC programs.
These deadlines have no appeal process. The College cannot make exceptions, even for situations where instructors are not responding to communication, so arrange Incompletes carefully.
Incomplete FAQs
Incompletes & Academic Probation
There are a few important points to note regarding how Incompletes may or may not influence your academic status.
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A semester that does not yield grade points will lead to academic probation. For example, if a student takes all courses on a pass/no pass basis, receives all incomplete grades, earns all IPs or NRs, or a combination of the above will fail to achieve a GPA and will be placed on probation.
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If you are placed on academic probation because of a semester or cumulative GPA issue and finish an Incomplete, the final grade has the power to impact your GPA, but will not change your academic probation status. You will still have to clear academic probation.
Blocked Registration for 12+ units of Incomplete
If you have 12 units or more of outstanding incompletes on your record, you will not be allowed to register at Berkeley in the subsequent Fall or Spring semester. Berkeley senate regulations require that you complete some or all of your Incomplete grades before registering for another term. If you have a high number of Incomplete units, you will likely be emailed with specific details about next steps. If you have 12 units or more of outstanding incompletes on your record, L&S advising staff do not enforce this regulation and cannot remove the Excess Incompletes hold nor request an appeal on your behalf. However, L&S advising staff can help support you with plans about how to move forward and make academic progress.
Should I take an Incomplete grade?
Incompletes are a useful option if you experience extenuating circumstances during the term, but otherwise plan to complete the coursework. However, Incompletes can be complicated and challenges with completing them can arise. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How many Incompletes are you working on and what classes are you taking while trying to complete them? It can be challenging to take on a full course load on top of completing incomplete grades and trying to complete too many Incomplete grades by the deadline can be challenging.
- How has the instructor been regarding communication? If your instructor is often difficult to reach, working together to arrange how to complete work and get grading in on time may be challenging.
- Can you and the instructor agree on a clear, timely plan? The clearer your plan and timeline is, the more likely completion of your Incomplete grade will go smoothly.
- Will you be able to do well on your remaining assignment(s) with the timeline agreed upon? Taking a makeup exam within a month of the class ending versus taking the final exam the next time the course is offered are two very different experiences when it comes to retaining the knowledge you’ll need to do well.