Clearing Probation

Probation

• Assigned when a student in good academic standing earns a term GPA of 1.000 to 1.999.
• Continued when a student who begins the term on probation earns a term GPA of 2.000 to 4.000 and a cumulative University GPA of 0.000 to 1.999.
• Cleared when a student who begins the term on probation earns both a term and cumulative University GPA of 2.000 to 4.000.

Strict Probation

• Assigned when
  • a student in good academic standing earns a term GPA of 0.000 to 0.999.
  • a student who begins the term on probation earns a term GPA of 1.500 to 1.999.
• Continued when a student who begins the term on strict probation earns a term GPA of 2.000 to 4.000 and a cumulative University GPA of 0.000 to 1.999.
• Cleared when a student who begins the term on strict probation earns both a term and cumulative University GPA of 2.000 to 4.000.

Suspension

• Occurs when a student who begins the term on probation earns a term GPA of 0.000 to 1.499; or
• Occurs when a student who begins the term on strict probation earns a term GPA of 0.000 to 1.999.

This depends on a number of factors. You should take into account how many credits you’ve taken at UW-Madison, what your cumulative GPA is, and how many credits you plan on taking each semester. You should use the GPA Calculator and meet with your academic advisor to create a tentative timeline.

When picking out courses, you want to keep a couple things in mind: credits and content.

A credit refers to how many hours are spent in class per week. A three credit class meets for about three hours per week, while a five credit class will meet for five hours per week.

There is no minimum or maximum number of credits that a student on probation has to take. However, it is recommended that you do not take more that 12-13 credits in order to avoid too heavy a course load.

It is also important to pick courses that you believe you will do well in. It’s best to meet with an advisor who can discuss courses that would play to your strengths and help you make degree progress.

It is possible to retake a course(s) you have passed (this is often referred to as taking a course “on a refresher basis”). However you will not receive credit for the same course twice.

Each time you take a course it will get calculated into the term GPA and cumulative GPA.

Once you have passed the course, repeated courses do not get calculated into the L&S GPA minimums for intermediate/advanced level work or the GPA requirements in the major.

• Credits carried on a refresher basis count toward the maximum credits permitted each term.
• Grades in refresher courses count only in the University grade point average (GPA) which may be significant in determining your probationary status and eligibility to continue.
• Credits in a repeated course do not count toward the L&S undergraduate degree unless the course was failed the first time.
• Repeating a course will not remove from your official records the prior grade(s) earned in that course.

It is also possible to retake a course that you have failed in residence.

• The original grade of “F” remains permanently on your record and is averaged into the term and overall grade point average (GPA).
• The failure will be counted as zero grade points per credit in computing your term and overall GPA.
  • If you repeat a failed course, the course will appear on your transcript twice (or multiple times) with the original grade of “F” recorded and the new grade(s) also recorded.
  • Both grades (or multiple grades) will be counted in determining all applicable quality of work requirements.
  • Multiple failures in the same course all count in your GPA. Also, grades do not get averaged when a course is taken multiple times.
  • A course failed in residence at UW-Madison may be repeated for degree credit at another school. However, the new grade earned out of residence will not have an impact on your UW-Madison GPA.