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.
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| 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. |