Course Enrollment and Course Repetition

"Course enrollment" occurs when a student receives an evaluative (A, B, C, D, F, P, NP) or non-evaluative (I, IP, RD, W) symbol for a course. Enrollments include any combination of withdrawals and repetition. Non-evaluative grades of EW and MW are not counted as an enrollment for purposes of course repetition. A student may withdraw and receive a "W" symbol on their record for enrollment in the same course no more than three times.

"Course repetition" occurs when a student who has previously received an evaluative symbol in a particular course re-enrolls in that course and receives another evaluative symbol.

MiraCosta College, in accordance with Title 5, allows repetition of credit courses, including work experience education and internship studies, to occur only under the following circumstances.

The Course Has Been Designated as Repeatable

If a course is designated as repeatable in its catalog description, then it meets one of the following criteria:

• It is a major preparation course for which a UC or CSU campus requires a specific unit amount.
• It is either an intercollegiate athletics course in which a student athlete is registered to participate in an organized competitive sport sponsored by the district or a physical conditioning course that supports it.
• It is an intercollegiate academic or vocational competition course that is sanctioned by a formal collegiate or industry governing body.

When a course is repeated under the Repeatable Course provision, the grade received each time shall be included for purposes of calculating the student’s grade point average.

Repetition to Alleviate Substandard Coursework

Students may repeat a non-repeatable course in which they earned a substandard or nonevaluative grade (D,F,NP,W).

• If they receive a satisfactory grade after repeating the course once, they may not repeat the course a second time under the Repetition to Alleviate Substandard Coursework provision.
• If they repeat the course and receive another substandard grade, they may repeat the course one additional time.
• If upon the second repetition they receive another substandard grade, they may not repeat the course a third time under the Repetition to Alleviate Substandard Coursework provision except by petition to the Committee on Exceptions.

Upon each repetition of a course to alleviate substandard coursework, the most recent evaluative grade earned will be computed in the student’s cumulative grade-point average and annotated on the student’s permanent academic record.

A student may alleviate up to two substandard grades for repetition of a repeatable course provided that no additional enrollments are permitted beyond the four-enrollment maximum established for repeatable courses.

In determining transfer of a student’s credits, MiraCosta College will honor similar, prior course repetition actions by other accredited colleges and universities.

Repetition to Meet a Legally Mandated Training Requirement

A student may petition the Committee on Exceptions to repeat a course if legally mandated.

A legally mandated training course is a course that is required by statute or regulation as a condition of paid or volunteer employment. A student may repeat a course to meet a legally mandated training requirement for credit any number of times; however, the student must certify or document the mandated training each time.

When a course is repeated to meet a legally mandated training requirement, the grade received each time shall be included for purposes of calculating the student’s grade point average.

Repetition Due to a Significant Change in Industry or Licensure Standards

A student may petition the Committee on Exceptions to repeat a course as a result of a significant change in industry or licensure standards. Such courses may be repeated for credit any number of times.

When a course is repeated due to a significant change in industry or licensure standards, the grade received for the repeated class will reflect on the student’s transcript but will not earn units and the course will be average in the GPA calculation .

Repetition Due to Significant Lapse of Time/Recency

Students may petition to the Committee on Exceptions to repeat a course in which they earned a satisfactory grade if it has been at least 36 months since the student took the course and one of the following:

• The district has established a recency prerequisite for a course or program.
• An institution of higher education to which the student seeks to transfer has established a recency requirement that the student will not be able to satisfy without repeating the course.

Students must submit a petition to the Committee on Exceptions with supporting documentation as appropriate when petitioning for repetition due to significant lapse of time. The grade received for the repeated class will reflect on the student’s transcript but will not earn units and the course will not be calculated in the GPA.

Repetition Due to Extenuating, Emergency, or Extraordinary Circumstances

A student may petition to the Committee on Exceptions to repeat a course based on a finding that the student’s previous grade (whether substandard or passing) is, at least in part, the result of extenuating, emergency, or extraordinary circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illness, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. The student must provide the Committee on Exceptions with supporting documentation.

The grade received for the repeated class will reflect on the student’s transcript and the previous graded attempt (if applicable) will be excluded. It will still reflect on the student’s transcript but will not be calculated in the GPA.

Repetition of Special Classes for Students with Disabilities

A student may repeat a special class for students with disabilities any number of times based on an individualized determination that such repetition is required as a disability-related accommodation for that particular student for one of the following reasons:

• The student’s continuing success in other general and/or special classes is dependent on additional repetitions of a specific special class.
• The student needs additional repetitions of a specific special class as preparation for registration into other regular or special classes.
• The student has an educational contract that involves a goal other than completion of the special class in question and repetition of the course will further achievement of that goal.

The district policy may allow the previous grade and credit to be disregarded in computing the student’s grade point average each time the course is repeated. In such a case the student will be referred to Admissions and Records to file a petition with the Committee on Exceptions.

Enrollment in Work Experience Education and Internship Studies

Students may earn a maximum of 14 units during one enrollment period (semester or summer session) in work experience education and internship studies courses. (For more information, please see Work Experience Education.)

 (Source: MCCD Board Policy/Administrative Procedure 4225. All MiraCosta College board policies and administrative procedures are located on the Board of Trustees webpage.)