Access to pass/fail grading was liberalized for courses designed to be delivered in-person but moved online due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at many universities in the spring 2020 semester. There was little research to inform liberalizing access to pass/fail grading as a tool to support student performance and persistence during times of disruption, and concerns were raised about the academic performance and retention of students who made use of this grading option. This quantitative study, grounded in self-determination theory, examined academic and student characteristics of 100 master's degree students who took at least one pass/fail graded course during the spring 2020 semester to explore the direction and strength of relationships between the use of pass/fail grading, student characteristics, and academic performance. The results did not reveal decreased performance or persistence related to the use of the pass/fail grading. For students who took at least one course for pass/fail grading in the spring 2020 semester, there was no significant difference in the spring 2020 semester grade point average by race/ethnicity but there was a significant difference in the cumulative grade point average at graduation between Black and White graduates. No significant differences in semester grade point average or cumulative grade point average were found between men and women or among academic programs. Additionally, no significant relationships were found between the number of semesters or frequency of use in each semester of the pass/fail option and grade point average or student characteristics. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]