Course Repetition

Fullerton College follows course repeatability guidelines to ensure academic integrity and facilitate students' progress towards their educational goals. Course repeatability refers to the policy that governs how many times a student can retake a particular course and earn credit for it.

At Fullerton College, most courses can be taken for credit only once. However, certain courses designated as repeatable may allow students to enroll and earn credit multiple times. These repeatable courses typically involve topics that require ongoing practice, skill development, or exploration. Examples include physical education courses, performance-based arts courses, and certain laboratory or studio courses.

In cases where a course is repeatable, each repetition is recorded on the student's transcript, and credit is granted accordingly. However, it's important to note that units earned from repeatable courses may count towards a student's total unit load limitations for financial aid or degree requirements.

Fullerton College's course repeatability policy aims to strike a balance between providing students with opportunities for skill refinement and ensuring that they make consistent progress towards their academic goals. By adhering to these guidelines, the college supports a fair and equitable learning environment for all students.

Passing Grade: A course in which a student has earned an “A,” “B,” “C,” “CR” or “P” may only be repeated as indicated in the catalog. Students who earn a passing grade in a course with an approved C-ID number may not enroll in any other course within the District with the same C-ID.

Once a student has completed the maximum number of allowable repetitions, a student may be blocked from registering in this course. Active participatory courses that are grouped by related content in the areas of fine arts and physical education will count toward the maximum allowable repetitions. A student may file a petition for an exception in the Admissions and Records Office. This petition must be approved before the student will be permitted to register.

Substandard Grade: Students may repeat the same course no more than two times in colleges within the District in which substandard grades (“D,” “F,” “NC,” “NP” or “W”) were assigned. Students may file a Petition to Repeat a Course to request additional repeats due to verifiable extenuating circumstances. Petitions may be filed in the Admissions and Records Office. Students may repeat the same course or courses with matching C-ID numbers no more than two times in colleges within the District in which substandard grades (“D,” “F,” “NC,” “NP” or “W”) were assigned. Students may file a Petition to Repeat a Course to request additional repeats due to verifiable extenuating circumstances. Petitions may be filed in the Admissions and Records Office.

Alleviation of Substandard Grades: Course Repeat Adjustment Request (request to exclude "D", "F", "NC" or "NP" Grades)

If a student previously received a "D", "F", "NC" or "NP" in a course taken at Fullerton College and repeats the same course, the student may file a Course Repeat Adjustment Request to exclude the substandard grade(s). On repetition, the last grade earned will count towards the grade point average and the previous grade(s) will be discounted or forgiven. Only the first two substandard grades within North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) may be excluded in GPA calculations. The student's permanent academic record will be annotated such that all course work that has been taken and forgiven or repeated will remain legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history.

Courses that are deemed comparable based on a matching C-ID number may not be used to exclude a substandard grade of another course.

Fullerton College reserves the right to adjust repeated courses without the Course Repeat Adjustment Request Form before processing any student-initiated petitions, graduation applications, and/or GE certification requests.

California Code of Regulations and Course Repeatability: Prior to Fall 2013 courses that develop similar skills (a) at increasingly sophisticated levels of practice, and/or (b) that are applied to different content (such as a drama course in which students master increasingly demanding roles in different plays) may have been offered as repeatable courses. Recent changes have been made to portions of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations governing repetition of credit courses. The general rule from this change in Title 5 is that district policy may not permit a student to repeat a credit course if the student received a satisfactory grade on the previous enrollment. A satisfactory grade would include A, B, C, CR, or P. Title 5 regulations allow for exceptions to the general rule that include:

  • Courses properly designated by the district as repeatable,
  • A subsequent enrollment due to significant lapse of time,
  • Variable unit courses offered on an open-entry/open-exit basis,
  • Extenuating circumstances,
  • Occupational work experience courses,
  • Students with disabilities repeating a special class,
  • Legally mandated courses, and
  • Courses necessary as a result of significant change in industry or licensure standards.

For an additional enrollment to be allowed for any of the exceptions listed above except the first bullet the student must meet the circumstances specified in the regulations for the specified exception. For a course to be designated as repeatable by the district it must meet certain criteria. The new regulations on course repetition apply to a district meaning that a student may not repeat a course or its equivalent taken at either Fullerton College or Cypress College.

Beginning with the Fall 2013 semester district policy may designate only three types of courses as repeatable:

  • Courses for which repetition is necessary to meet the major requirement of a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) for completion of a bachelor’s degree,
  • Intercollegiate athletics, and
  • Intercollegiate academic or vocational competition.

Courses that do not fall under one of the three types listed above may not be designated as repeatable. Student enrollment in a repeatable course is limited to what is necessary for the first two years of undergraduate education which equates to a maximum of four enrollments. In some instances, depending on the course, the number of enrollments may be less than four. In the determination of the total number of enrollments a district must count all prior enrollments by a student in a course or courses that should be equated.

Additional enrollment limitations have been placed on active participatory courses that are related in content in physical education (PE), visual arts, and performing arts. As indicated above all active participatory courses in these areas, if they do not meet one of the three criteria that allow it to be repeatable, can only be taken once for credit. If there exists a group of courses related in content in physical education, visual arts and performing arts that are active participatory then a student is limited to a total of four enrollments within each group of these courses.

Lapse of Time: Students may repeat a course where the student has received a satisfactory grade and there has been a “significant lapse of time” since completion of the class. Fullerton College has defined a “significant lapse of time” as five (5) years. Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances may submit a Petition to Repeat a Course. Petition forms are available on the Admissions and Records website. (Title 5, Section 55043).