Academic Policies
Use the links below to jump directly to a specific academic policy section:
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, requires that students be advised of their rights concerning education records and of the information that the University of California, Merced, has deemed public information.
Your Rights as a Student
FERPA governs and protects your rights to your individual education records. The primary rights protected under FERPA allow you to:
- Inspect and review your education records.
- Seek an amendment to your education records.
- Consent to the disclosure of your education records.
- Obtain a copy of the official UC Merced FERPA Policy.
Education Records
Education records include all records maintained by UC Merced that relate directly to the student, with the following exceptions:
- Personal notes kept by staff that are not shared with others.
- Law enforcement and public safety records maintained solely for law enforcement purposes.
- Employment records where employment is not connected to student status (note: work-study student employee records are covered by FERPA).
- Records related to treatment by a health care professional used exclusively for the medical or health treatment of the student.
School of Engineering Compliance
Your academic advisor cannot release details about your academic status, record, or other information without your explicit written permission. To release this information, you must contact your advisor and file an official release form.
For more information about how UC Merced handles student privacy, please review the Office of the Registrar’s Website.
Course Repeat Policies
Students may only repeat courses in which they received a grade of D+ or lower. Students are not automatically allowed to repeat a course; explicit permission must be obtained from an academic advisor.
Repeat Limits
The School of Engineering has a strict repeat policy:
- Students are allowed to repeat a course only once.
- If a course is failed a second time, the student may face dismissal from the School of Engineering.
- Students may petition to repeat a course a second time. Contact your academic advisor to discuss this option and obtain the required petition form.
Repeat/Replace Policy
The second grade replaces the first grade for GPA calculations for the first 16 repeated units. After 16 units, the second grade will be averaged into the cumulative GPA. In both cases, both grades remain on the permanent official transcript. If you plan on repeating or replacing a failing grade at another UC campus, you must complete a Subsequent Repeat form.
Student Academic Standing
Academic Notice
An undergraduate student is placed on academic notice if one of the following occurs:
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The student’s semester grade-point average is lower than 2.0, or
- The student’s cumulative University of California grade-point average is lower than 2.0.
Academic review occurs at the end of each academic semester. When a student is placed on academic notice, the university will send an official notification, and the student’s transcript will reflect “Academic Notice” for that semester. While on academic notice, students remain under the direct supervision of their respective school or advising unit..
Subject to Academic Dismissal
An undergraduate student is subject to academic dismissal from the university if either of the following occurs:
- The student has been on academic probation for two or more semesters, and their cumulative GPA is lower than 2.0.
- The student’s semester GPA is lower than 1.5, and their cumulative GPA is lower than 2.0.
Subject to Academic Dismissal Appeals
When a student is academically dismissed, the university will notify them via their official UC Merced email address.
- Appeal Process: Students may be given the opportunity to submit a written appeal.
- Deadlines: A student subject to academic dismissal who fails to complete the appeal process within the prescribed timeframe will be automatically dismissed.
- Reinstatement: Students whose appeals are approved will return on special academic probation. If an appeal is denied, the official transcript will reflect “Academic Dismissal” for that semester.
For full details on criteria and deadlines, please visit the UC Merced Academic Appeals Page.
Academic Reentry
Students who have been academically dismissed may apply to return to the university. Please review the Academic Reentry Guidelines to review timelines and eligibility requirements online.
