Pass/Fail Option
The aim of the pass-fail (P/F) option is to encourage students to take intellectual risks, to explore the breadth of Amherst’s open curriculum, and to reward students for engaging fully in all their courses. Under this option, students may elect to declare one course per semester, and no more than four courses over four years, to be taken pass-fail. A declaration of pass-fail requires the permission of the student’s advisor(s) and must be made before the first day of the exam period. If a student designates a course pass-fail, the student’s transcript will have a “P” recorded in the case of passing grades (“D” or higher). No grade-point equivalent will be assigned to a “P.” If the letter grade assigned by the instructor is an “F,” an “F” will be recorded on the student’s transcript and will count toward the student’s GPA and class rank. Once students have declared a course pass-fail, they cannot later opt for the grade. Students admitted as first-year students may elect the pass-fail option four times during their Amherst College career. Transfer students admitted as sophomores shall have three pass-fail options, and those admitted as juniors shall have two.
Students may not take a first-year seminar pass-fail. Departments and programs may decide not to accept courses taken on a pass-fail basis in fulfillment of major requirements. Each department’s and program’s policy on accepting pass-fail grades toward major requirements must be included in the Amherst College Catalog and in other departmental and program materials.