Graduate Student Handbook

Academic Standing Requirements

A minimum GPA of 2.7 for Master's students must be maintained in order to be considered in good academic standing. If this minimum is not maintained, academic probation or dismissal from the program will be invoked. A 2.7 final GPA must be achieved to graduate in all situations. (Effective Fall 2007 class)

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for PhD students must be maintained in order to be considered in good academic standing. If this minimum is not maintained, academic probation or dismissal from the program will be invoked. A 3.0 final GPA must be achieved to graduate in all situations.

Grading Scale
The grading scale is as follows:

A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	F
4.0	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0	2.7	2.3	2.0	1.7	1.3	1.0	0.0

The Pass/Fail option is NOT permitted for graduate students. The mark of "S" is used to indicate Satisfactory performance and the mark of "U" is used to indicate Unsatisfactory performance in a course taken as thesis/dissertation research (999).

No course may be retaken/re-registered to improve a grade of "C" unless the content is different. (Students may, with instructor's permission, do additional work to improve this grade, however). Graduation may not be postponed for grade improvement if all other graduation criteria are met.

If a grade of "D" or "F" is received in a core or required course, which prevents graduation, the student has three options (Effective FA02 class):

1. At the discretion of the instructor, the student can work with the instructor to improve the grade to "C" or higher with additional course work.
2. At the discretion of the instructor, the student can retake the course by attending the course again (in a subsequent term) without registering or paying additional tuition, and will receive a grade change if earned.
3. If instructor does not agree to either (1) or (2), the student's only option is to register and pay tuition for the course again. Upon successful completion of the retake with the same instructor, the original registration will be changed to "withdraw" with the instructor's permission . [Thus the original course and grade will not be counted toward graduation or GPA; i.e., SEAS will not allow the course to be counted twice toward the degree.]

Incompletes, NR (No Report), and Failures
The mark of "I" is used to designate an Incomplete, "NR" for No Report (no grade submitted), and "GR" (student was not present in class though enrolled). These marks will remain as permanent grades until a Change of Grade is submitted by the instructor of the course for the completion of the requirements.

Master’s students will be permitted to graduate with a failure, "F" grade but must attain all course requirements. An “F” grade will not count towards the course requirements (Effective FA98 class). No grade lower than a “C-” will be counted in courses designated as “core” courses or those courses must be retaken.