The method of evaluation in each course is determined by the individual instructor. The final grade given for any course is based on the sum of evidence that the student gives the instructor, which demonstrates understanding and retention of the material presented in the course.
Graduate Grading Policies
The following is a brief explanation of the letter grades that may be further delineated by a plus sign (+), which is not used for A grades, or a minus sign (-), which is not used for C grades. The numerical equivalent of letter grades is determined by the instructor and is approved by the dean of the school that offers the course.
| A/A- |
Superior, outstanding scholarship and intellectual initiative. |
| B+/B/B- |
Satisfactory performance. |
| C+/C |
Deficient but passing in courses that do not require a minimum passing grade. See program or department standards for minimum passing grades. A grade of C ordinarily is not transferable. |
| P |
Passing grade. This grade carries no quality points and is not calculated in the grade point average. |
| F |
Failure to meet minimal standards. Course must be repeated to obtain credit. See Minimum Grade and Course Repeat Policy for further details. |
| FA |
Failure primarily due to poor or non-attendance. Course must be repeated to obtain credit. See Minimum Grade and Course Repeat Policy for further details.
|
| I |
Incomplete work. An Incomplete is given at the discretion of the instructor and with approval of the school dean when circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent the completion of some course requirements. A majority of coursework must be completed in order for an I to be given. |
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A student who receives a grade of I must complete the work in the time designated by the instructor. This time may be no longer than one semester. Students receiving a grade of I in the semester in which they apply to graduate must complete the outstanding work within the time designated by the instructor, but no later than 30 days after degrees are conferred in any given semester. The Incomplete must be removed by the end of the semester immediately following, including the summer semester. Failure to remove an Incomplete by the time specified will result in a failing grade. A student must then re-enroll and matriculate successfully in the course to obtain credit. |
| IP |
In progress. Indicates a course that has not been completed by the end of the term of enrollment. This grade applies only to courses that are considered thesis-type courses. A student who receives an IP will be required to register for the course again in the following semester. |
| W |
Authorized Withdrawal. A grade of W is given to a student who withdraws from a course up until the last date to withdraw with a grade of W or separates from the university after the last date to drop without academic record. The grade of W carries no credit or academic penalty. It is recorded on the permanent transcript. |
| AU |
Indicates that the course was audited and the student received no credit or grade. |
| NG |
Non-graded course. |
| PASS/FAIL |
A student may register for a course to be taken on a pass/fail basis. The pass/fail option must be approved by the student’s advisor and dean. A student must indicate that a course is to be taken pass/fail at the time of registration and may not change this status after the last day to add a class. |
Consortium Grading and Credit
Grades for consortium courses are sent to Marymount’s registrar by the visited institution. They are recorded as Marymount University credit and calculated into the Marymount University cumulative grade point average.
Grades are recorded onto the Marymount University transcript as soon as they are received. In most cases, this will be after regular Marymount credit has been posted. In such cases, students will need to request updated transcripts.
Consortium credits are converted to Marymount University semester credits and count toward full-time/part-time status at Marymount University. If necessary, grades are converted to the nearest Marymount University equivalent.
A student may repeat a completed consortium course under the following criteria:
- A student fails the course.
- A student fails to earn the minimum grade required for his or her program and has only taken one consortium course.
In order for Marymount to replace a lower grade in a consortium course, students must repeat the same course at the same institution. A course may not be taken a third time through the consortium registration process. It can only be taken for a third time at another institution for transfer credit, and the grade will not be replaced in the GPA calculation.
See Minimum Grade and Course Repeat Policy.
Cumulative Grade Point Average
The cumulative grade point average is determined by dividing the number of quality points a student has earned by the number of measurable credits of work. Quality points per credit are shown as follows:
| Grade |
Quality points |
| A |
4.0 |
| A- |
3.7 |
| B+ |
3.3 |
| B |
3.0 |
| B- |
2.7 |
| C+ |
2.3 |
| C |
2.0 |
| F |
0.0 |
| FA |
0.0 |
Minimum Grade and Course Repeat Policy
All students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0, and their grades are subject to review each semester by the Graduate Studies Committee and their program faculty.
Each program determines the minimum grade for a course to complete a degree or certificate program. Students who do not meet the minimum grade expectation for a course may repeat the course only one time, if repeating the course is allowed by the program, and it cannot be taken pass/fail. If a course is permitted to be repeated, both courses and grades will be recorded in the student’s file and transcript. For calculation of the cumulative GPA and for fulfillment of curriculum requirements, only the credit and the grade of the course with the higher grade will apply, and the credit and grade of the lower-grade course will no longer count. The GPA of the term when the course was originally taken will not be changed. If the same grade is earned, the credit and grade of only one of the courses will apply.
Students must obtain approval from their associate or assistant dean to be enrolled in a repeat course. Any appeals to the policy will be handled at the department level with approval from the associate dean.
Final Examinations
All courses are expected to include a final exam or comparable culminating experience. Final exams are scheduled during a final examination week, which is part of the required contact time for every course. Students should not make travel arrangements prior to determining their final examination schedule because instructors may not schedule alternative or individual examinations in place of the course final exam. The final exam schedule can be found on the Office of the Registrar website.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
At Marymount University, faculty strive to improve the curriculum and teaching by assessing student learning. Each academic degree program of the university has identified learning outcomes and evaluates the extent to which students achieve them. Various measures are used depending upon the nature of the program: comprehensive examinations, theses, portfolio submissions, examples of student work, and/or standardized professional board examinations. Faculty use the results of these measures to continually improve and strengthen the university’s programs.
Individuals interested in additional information can contact the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.