Section 10. Scholastic Standing
10.10 Acceptable Grades
10.20 Acceptable Average
10.30 Grades of S and U
10.40 Grades of Incomplete
10.50 Audit
10.60 Change in Record
10.10 Acceptable Grades
10.11: Graduate work will be evaluated by letter grades, with only grades of B- or better carrying graduate credit for courses at the 400 level. A graduate student who does not achieve this minimum grade must either retake the course and earn a B- or better in it or take in its place a course approved by the major professor or program committee. In courses numbered 500 or above, grades of C or better shall be credited toward the degree. Any such course in the Program of Study in which a student receives a grade lower than C shall be retaken or replaced by a course approved by the major professor and the program committee and by the Dean of the Graduate School.
10.12: If a student receives a grade of D, F, or U, that student’s status will be reviewed immediately by the Dean of the Graduate School in consultation with appropriate faculty members in the department.
10.20 Acceptable Average
10.21. To qualify for continuation in the degree program and for graduation, a grade point average of at least 3.00 in all work taken is required. (Amended March 6, 2023)
10.22. If a student does not maintain an average of 3.00 or above, the student’s status will be reviewed immediately by the Dean of the Graduate School in consultation with the appropriate faculty members of the department. Such review may result in the student being placed on provisional status or dismissed. Students who are permitted to continue on provisional status must achieve a cumulative average of 3.00 or better in graduate level coursework by the end of the next semester in which they are enrolled, or for part-time students, after the completion of 9 additional credits. Students who do not achieve the necessary average of 3.00 after one semester must meet with their major professor and program director and submit a program of study and a written plan outlining the steps to increase their GPA to the Graduate School in order to register for courses in subsequent semesters. After a second semester with a GPA below 3.00, a registration hold will be placed on the student’s account; a detailed plan will be required in order for the student to register. After three semesters on provisional status, the student will be dismissed and will be unregistered from future enrolled courses. (More stringent timeframes or policies may be applied by individual programs with Graduate School approval.)
Students subject to automatic dismissal shall have the right to appeal to their Dean within five days of the date of notice by filing with the Dean a written statement explaining the extenuating circumstances and stating the reasons why the dismissal action should not prevail.
The appeal shall be reviewed by the Graduate Student Academic Appeals Board (Appendix A.26), which shall confirm the dismissal or continue the student on provisional status. The decision of the Graduate Student Academic Appeals Board shall be final.
10.23. Any course in which a student earns a failing grade (a grade of C- or lower for 500-600-level courses, a grade of C+ or lower for 400-level courses) cannot be used for program credit, unless it is retaken. If the course is retaken and a satisfactory grade achieved, it may then be used to satisfy degree requirements. In all cases any failing grade must be included in the grade point average and appear on the transcript.
10.30 Grades of S and U
10.31. Certain courses do not lend themselves to the A-F grading scale (e.g., research, seminar). For these courses, only grades of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) shall be given to all students enrolled. To qualify as an S/U course, the course must be approved by the Faculty Senate after recommendation by the Curricular Affairs Committee and/or the Graduate Council. S/U courses shall be so labeled in University catalogs and bulletins. An S/U course is not to be counted as a course taken under the Intellectual Opportunity Plan (see U.M. 8.10.14.). Grades of S or U are not included in calculating grade point averages.
10.40 Grades of Incomplete
10.41. For graduate students a grade of incomplete (I) shall be given in place of a grade when the work of the semester has been passing but has not been completed because of illness or for some other reason which, in the opinion of the instructor, justifies such a report. Instructors must accompany such reports with a written explanation to their department Chair and with copies sent to the student and to the Dean of the Graduate School. To remove the grade of incomplete, the student must make satisfactory arrangements with the instructor, or in the instructor’s absence, with the instructor’s department Chair.
10.42. If an incomplete is not removed within one calendar year of receipt, the student loses the right to make up the work and the incomplete remains on the permanent record. If circumstances warrant, the instructor may, with the approval of their department Chair and the Dean of the Graduate School, extend the time limit. If the instructor is absent, the department Chair, with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, may extend the time limit for completing the work.
10.50 Audit
10.51. Audited courses will under no circumstances be counted for credit toward an advanced degree.
10.60 Change in Record
10.61. In accordance with section 8.56.10 of the University Manual, no grade shall be changed after it has been reported to, and recorded by Enrollment Services except upon written request by the instructor to the dean of the instructor’s college, and with the subsequent approval by that dean. Approval for a change in grade will not be granted solely for additional work submitted after the semester is completed. Entries to a student’s academic record (removal of incompletes, change of grades, etc.) shall not be changed after three years. Appropriate academic deans shall be authorized to allow exceptions for extraordinary reasons. Written explanations for such changes will be provided to the Dean of the Graduate School and the instructor of record.