Students will receive grades according to the following scale:
A = 4.0 points
A- = 3.7 points
B+ = 3.3 points
B = 3.0 points
B- = 2.7 points
C+ = 2.3 points
C = 2.0 points
C- = 1.7 points
F (fail) = 0.0 points
Student grades will be assigned according to the following criteria:
(A) Excellent: Exceptional work for a graduate student. Work at this level is unusually thorough, well reasoned, creative, methodologically sophisticated, and well written. Work is of exceptional, professional quality.
(A-) Very good: Very strong work for a graduate student. Work at this level shows signs of creativity, is thorough and well-reasoned, indicates strong understanding of appropriate methodological or analytical approaches, and meets professional standards.
(B+) Good: Sound work for a graduate student; well-reasoned and thorough, methodologically sound. This is the graduate student grade that indicates the student has fully accomplished the basic objectives of the course.
(B) Adequate: Competent work for a graduate student even though some weaknesses are evident. Demonstrates competency in the key course objectives but shows some indication that understanding of some important issues is less than complete. Methodological or analytical approaches used are adequate but student has not been thorough or has shown other weaknesses or limitations.
(B-) Borderline: Weak work for a graduate student; meets the minimal expectations for a graduate student in the course. Understanding of salient issues is somewhat incomplete. Methodological or analytical work performed in the course is minimally adequate. Overall performance, if consistent in graduate courses, would not suffice to sustain graduate status in “good standing.”
(C/-/+) Deficient: Inadequate work for a graduate student; does not meet the minimal expectations for a graduate student in the course. Work is inadequately developed or flawed by numerous errors and misunderstanding of important issues. Methodological or analytical work performed is weak and fails to demonstrate knowledge or technical competence expected of graduate students.
(F) Fail: Work fails to meet even minimal expectations for course credit for a graduate student. Performance has been consistently weak in methodology and understanding, with serious limits in many areas. Weaknesses or limits are pervasive.
Master’s students need a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 to graduate and are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 throughout their academic career. Doctoral candidates are required to maintain a 3.3 GPA.
A GPA below the required minimum is grounds for dismissal. Students who have less than the required cumulative GPA during any semester are placed on academic probation and closely monitored for academic progress. Students placed on academic probation may be prevented from future registration and/or restricted in the number of courses they can take during a given semester.
Students with more than two “Incomplete” grades on their transcript are considered to be in academic jeopardy and will be placed on probation and restricted from registration. A student whose GPA remains below the required minimum for two consecutive semesters may be asked to withdraw from the School.
