Repeating a Course

Bellevue College allows students to repeat courses for various reasons, and we provide guidelines for when and how that is allowed.

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General Information

The following information is taken from college policy 3010 Course Repeat.

Does BC allow students to repeat a course?

  • Students can repeat courses to improve their skills, course grade, and grade point average (GPA).
  • When students repeat a course, the college places a notation next to the original grade on the transcript.
  • The original grade remains on the transcript, but is not included in the GPA calculation.

What are the rules for repeating a course?

The course repeat sign (R) is used for the same course taken at BC, and only for courses with a letter grade of A – F.

  • In keeping with state rules, the college uses the highest grade earned when determining a student’s GPA.  
  • Other schools may not accept the course repeat notation on a student’s transcript. To avoid problems, students should check with other schools prior to transferring their credits. 

Students may not enroll in a course more than three times, unless the college catalog states differently.

  • This rule applies to enrollment in credit and Adult Basic Education (ABE/ESL) courses, including courses accepted by the college as transfer credit.  
  • This rule does not apply to non-credit community education courses.   

The Financial Aid Office has other rules for students who wish to repeat a course and receive funding.

Students must enroll for the course they wish to repeat and pay tuition and fees. 

What happens after repeating a course?

  • Students do not need to earn a higher grade.
    • If students earn a lower grade, the higher grade is kept in the GPA calculation and the lower grade receives the course repeat notation.
    • If students earn the same grade, the college excludes the original grade from the GPA calculation.  
  • Requesting the repeat notation
    • If the repeated course was originally taken summer 2021 or earlier, please request the repeat notation by submitting the course repeat request form.
    • If the coursework (both original and repeat) are taken fall 2021 or later, the system will apply the repeat notation automatically and a request is not needed.

What if I need to take a course a 4th time?

Students cannot be reported for courses funded with state dollars if enrolled more than three times for the same course – this is defined as two repeats in addition to the original enrollment. Students with extenuating circumstances may receive permission to enroll in a course for a 4th attempt. You may request to take a course more than three times by following the process outlined here.