Course Repeat Petitions

Deadlines:

Summer and Winter Sessions: Submit petition no later than 3 weeks before the start of the session.

Spring 2025 Semester: Submit petition no later than January 6, 2025.

If there is an extenuating circumstance and a late course repeat petition is recommended, a student’s academic advisor (listed on the myUMBC Profile) may notify the Academic Success Center directly at undergraduatepetitions@umbc.edu and case-by-case consideration will be given.

UMBC Course Repeat Policy

Students may not register for a course more than two times. Students are considered registered for a course if they are enrolled after the end of the schedule adjustment period. Students may petition the Academic Success Center for a third and final attempt of a course taken at UMBC [or] another institution. An attempt is defined as enrollment in a UMBC course (or its equivalent at another institution) in which the student has received a grade or an official withdrawal noted on the transcript.

Things to consider BEFORE submitting a course repeat petition:

  • Course repeat petitions MUST be on file and complete three weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the course repeat is requested. To meet this deadline and reduce the risk of class sections filling/closing before the petition is considered, students should prepare early such that adequate time is available to complete the Course Repeat Petition – Student Checklist.
  • Courses that have been added to students’ schedules, prior to the start of the semester, are subject to review. Unapproved course repeats classes may be removed and/or will not be calculated towards a student’s graduation requirements.
  • In general, students are not permitted to take any other repeats at the same time when a third and final attempt of a course is involved. This includes courses taken for a second or third attempt unless there is a recommendation otherwise on file from an academic advisor/Undergraduate Program Director. If the academic advisor/Undergraduate Program Director deems that more than one course repeat in a given semester is warranted then consideration will be given when the review is conducted.
  • Students who have a cumulative GPA that is below a 2.0 may be required to show grades from the most current semester before a course repeat decision will be made for the next available semester. Also, any decisions regarding academic probation, suspension or dismissal must be final before the course repeat decision will be rendered. Students who are suspended may not be considered for a course repeat petition.
  • For fall/spring course repeat petitions, the overall course load may not exceed 16 credits. For summer/winter sessions, the repeated course should be the only course planned given the fast pace of the condensed sessions.
  • Grades earned in past course repeat attempts (second or third attempts) will be considered when reviewing any future course repeat petitions.
  • When repeating a class for a third and final attempt, students should plan to take the class at UMBC. Only with the recommendation of an academic advisor will a course repeat be considered at another institution. If the academic advisor recommends a third and final attempt of a course outside of UMBC, then a Verification of Transferability (VOT) must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for review and approval before a course repeat decision will be made.

Course Repeat Petition Student Checklist:

Students must prepare a written success plan that includes:

  • Personal Statement: Students must prepare a personal statement that demonstrates a commitment to passing the repeated course if permission is granted. The statement must also acknowledge the reason that the student is in a position to repeat a course for a third time and must convey the types of changes that will be made in order to be successful.
  • Time Management Plan: Students must prepare a statement that discusses their time-management plan. The statement must show adequate time for schedule of classes, study and tutoring, extracurricular activities, and any work responsibilities.
  • Alternate Academic Plan: Students must prepare a statement that discusses an alternative academic plan in the event that they fail to successfully complete or pass the repeated course if permission is granted.
  • For the purposes of a third and final attempt in a course, students are required to meet with their academic advisor to discuss the written success plan and to verify that a course repeat is an appropriate option. Students pursuing a Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Computer Science major are required to meet with the respective Undergraduate Program Director (UPD) instead of their academic advisor.
  • At the conclusion of the meeting (face-to-face, email, online, phone, etc.), the student must request that the academic advisor/UPD send an email to undergraduatepetitions@umbc.edu so that the petition can be processed in a timely manner. Recommendations from the academic advisor/UPD should be sent to this email address as soon as possible after the student meeting to prevent delays in the petition review and course registration process.

For the purposes of a third and final attempt in a course, students will be required to actively use tutoring support through a formal resource at UMBC such as:

In the event that formal tutoring support is not available at UMBC for a particular course [or] the request is to repeat the course at another institution, an alternate tutoring arrangement can be made.

When filling out the course repeat petition form in step 4, you will be required to acknowledge your understanding of this requirement and the expectations that come with using tutoring support.

Upon completion of all steps listed above students must submit an online course repeat petition form to be considered for a third and final attempt.

Submit a Course Repeat Petition