Course Repeat Petition Steps

Course repeat petitions can apply in 2 situations:

  • A student earns a C- or below in their 2nd attempt of a course, they will need to file a Course Repeat Petition (CRP) to request to take the course a 3rd time at SDSU.
  • If students currently declared into the I/O or Neuroscience emphasis earn a C, C+ or B- in a course that requires a B, they will need a CRP to take the course a 2nd time.
    • Note: For courses where a grade of a C or higher is earned, retaking the course will not benefit a student's GPA in any way (even if they have only taken the course one). This is due to the fact that course repeat can only apply toward courses where a C- or lower was earned. 

Course Repeat Petition requests are not automatically approved. If the course to be retaken is a lower-division course, students may choose to find an equivalent course at another school to meet the requirement. See "Alternative Options" at the bottom of this page.

 

Course Repeat Petition Links to an external site. Deadline

Students can file this type of petition once their grade from the prior attempt is posted until about one week prior to the start of a term.

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Steps to File a Course Repeat Petition

Note: This is the process for Psychology students; the process may differ by department.

  1. Meet with a Psychology peer advisor to review your options and decide if you want to file a course repeat petition. If you decide to file a course repeat petition, the following will be discussed in session:
    • A plan to succeed in moving forward toward degree completion.
    • And, if applicable:
      • How any low GPAs will be addressed.
      • If a retroactive withdrawal will be filed and for which term and courses.
      • Completing a needed requirement with a different course.
      • Taking an equivalent lower-division course at a community college.
  2. Write a Letter of Justification that details serious and compelling circumstances that interfered with previous course attempt(s) as well as a specific plan with concrete steps you will undertake to succeed (taking fewer courses, working less, working with TAs or other support sources). Saying that you will study harder (or similar) is not enough of a plan to be approved. Be sure to also address any other situations from #1 if they apply to you.
  3. Send the letter via email to psychology.advising.sdsu@sdsu.edu to be reviewed by the Director of Psychology Advising. You will be informed of the decision for your request within 1-2 weeks. 
    • In order for your petition to be processed, you must have cleared all registration holds and have already registered for your other courses.
    • If your petition is approved, the Office of the Registrar will notify you. At that point, you will be able to enroll yourself in the class.

 

Alternative Options to Consider

Although sometimes it may seem that requesting a Course Repeat Petition is the next step, there are other options that may better suit your needs. It is important to remember that there is no GPA advantage to taking a course for a 3rd time at SDSU because the grades from the last 2 attempts will be averaged no matter where taken.

Exception: For courses that students originally earned a C or higher but are being retaken to earn a B or higher to satisfy an emphasis pre-major requirement, only the first grade will be factored into the student's GPA. This is due to the fact that course repeat/forgiveness can only apply toward courses where a C- or lower was earned. Though the second grade cannot count in the student's GPA, earning a B or higher would be able to satisfy the corresponding pre-major requirement. 

 

Consider whether you would be more successful if you were to:

  1. Take the course with the same vs. different professor.
  2. Repeat the same course or choose a different course (if aiming to satisfy a specific GE/graduation requirement).

 

Below are alternative options based on the type of requirement:

  • Lower-division PSY requirements: Take an equivalent course at a community college (CC); research options through SDSU TAP Links to an external site. and/or refer to our Prep for the Major at CCs document, which identifies which courses across our local community colleges would be equivalent to lower-division PSY pre-major courses at SDSU.
  • Lower-division GE/graduation requirements: Choose a different GE course that satisfies the requirement or take an equivalent CC course.
  • Upper-division PSY requirements: For courses that apply toward Breadth or Additional Units, you can choose to complete a different course to satisfy the corresponding category.
  • Upper-division GE/graduation requirements: Choose a different GE course that satisfies the requirement you are aiming to complete.