Grades
Required Grades
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required in the approved degree plan for the graduate program or graduate certificate. Grades of D or F do not apply toward a graduate degree but are used to figure grade point averages. Courses may be repeated for credit, in which case the last grade of record is the official grade. Minimum grades required for stem work (assigned prerequisites) are noted on the initial degree plan and/or certification plan. Courses taken outside official program(s) are not subject to these grade requirements unless so specified by the program adviser on the degree plan.
Grades
Grades, with numerical values corresponding to these letters, are recorded as follows:
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Excellent, 90-100 |
| B | Good, 80-89 |
| C | Average, 70-79 (May not apply towards a graduate degree in some programs.) |
| D | Passing, 60-69 (Does not apply towards a graduate degree.) |
| F | Failure, below 60 (Does not apply towards a graduate degree.) |
| I | Incomplete: given to a student who is passing but has not completed a term paper, examination or other required work. The instructor and the student are required to complete the standard university contract form for each course in which the temporary grade of I has been assigned. The grade of I will be used only to allow a student who has encountered some emergency such as illness or an accident an opportunity to complete the requirements for a course. A grade of I reverts to a grade of F one year from the close of semester/term in which the grade was originally recorded if the course requirements have not been satisfied. Not valid for Research/Project/Thesis/Dissertation courses. |
| Q | Dropped: given when a student has officially dropped or withdrawn from the university before or on the midsemester point as indicated on the official university calendar, regardless of student's standing in class. Also given after the midsemester point to a student who is passing at the time the official drop is processed. (A student who is not passing receives the grade of F under such circumstances.) |
| S | Satisfactory: used to report research project, thesis and dissertation progress in master’s and doctoral programs. Satisfactory progress but not yet completed the proposal or final defense. |
| U | Unsatisfactory: used to report research project, thesis and dissertation progress in master’s and doctoral programs. |
| X | No grade posted by instructor: used to indicate that no grade was posted by the instructor teaching the course. |
| CR/NC | Credit/Noncredit: used for courses that do not meet the normal or traditional framework of course scheduling and do not lend themselves to letter grading. |
The instructor may assign an (S/U) grade if the student (does/does not) make satisfactory progress. An instructor must assign a letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) when a student completes the research project, thesis proposal, thesis final defense, dissertation proposal and dissertation final defense on or before the published deadlines.
Student must continuously register for research project/thesis/dissertation classes until the final graduate requirements are completed.
Satisfactory (S)/Unsatisfactory (U)
If a student does not complete his/her dissertation, thesis or project during a given semester or term, and he/she is making satisfactory progress in that semester or term, the notation SATISFACTORY (S) OR UNSATISFACTORY (U) is given as a grade. An S or U notation in the research project, thesis or dissertation courses remain indefinitely as S or U on the student's transcript should the student's committee approve the student for a nonthesis degree program at some later date, or should the student not complete the degree. The S or U cannot be changed with a change-of-grade form.
Change of Grade
After being reported to the Office of the Registrar, grades other than I may not be changed unless an error has been made by the instructor. Students should review their end of semester final grades closely to ensure their accuracy. If an error or discrepancy should occur, the student should contact the appropriate professor and/or the Office of the Registrar immediately for resolution of the discrepancy. It is recommended that those changes occur no later than the beginning of the next semester. Under no circumstances will grades be changed after one calendar year.
Repetition of a Course
The first time a student repeats a course, only the higher of the two grades earned, whether passing or failing, will be used in calculating the student’s cumulative grade point average. Grades that do not carry grade points are excluded from the calculation. A grade of QF is treated as an F and carries grade points for purposes of this policy.
The grade exclusion-provision is not applicable to courses that may be taken for additional credit. A student may use the grade-exclusion provision only once for a particular course. If a student enrolls in the same course more than two times, no additional grade will be excluded, and all subsequent grades will be included in the cumulative grade point average.
All grades earned in a course remain part of the student’s academic record. The grade-exclusion provision applies only when the course is repeated at this university. Grades earned at another institution will not be used to replace or exclude a grade earned at this university.
Students who have earned their first bachelor’s degree from this institution may not repeat courses that were used to fulfill the requirements for that degree for purposes of grade point average calculation.
After repeating a course, it is the student’s responsibility to verify that the grade point average is accurately reflected on the student record. Questions about this should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.
Repeated Grade Notation
Repeated course(s) and grade(s) are not removed from the official or unofficial transcript. The repeated grade and grade points will be removed from the cumulative grade point average only. The repeated course will be identified with the letter “E” next to the quality points on the transcript. Repeating a course after graduation will not change your graduation grade point average.
Scholastic Probation/Suspension
A graduate student pursuing a specific program is placed on scholastic probation if, at the end of either long semester or the second summer session, the cumulative grade point average of the student's graduate program falls below 3.0. If the probationary status is not removed during the next full semester for which the student enrolls (combined summer terms count as one full semester), the student's academic standing will change to suspension. As soon as the academic standing is changed to suspension, any pre-registration courses for future semesters will be dropped. The graduate student must be reinstated before registering for further graduate work.
Reinstatement
The graduate student who is dismissed for any reason may request reinstatement through the graduate dean. The student will be screened by the graduate dean in consultation with the graduate coordinator, department chair and/or program adviser from the academic area in which the student desired to study.
Satisfactory Rate of Progress
A graduate student must exhibit a normal and reasonable rate of scholastic progress. If, in the opinion of the student's committee and the graduate dean, the student has made an unsatisfactory rate of progress, the student may be dismissed from a specific program, even with a grade record that falls within guidelines.
Graduation with Honors
Only students completing undergraduate degrees with superior overall academic records will be graduated with honors.