Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

1350 The Grading System


Return to: 1300 University Academic Regulations  


1350.10 Grades

The following grades are used to specify level of performance in academic courses:

A: Excellent
B: Good
C: Satisfactory
  (Minimum grade required for certain courses, as specified elsewhere in this catalog.)
D: Passing
  A grade of D, while earning credit hours, will not apply toward the degree in courses requiring a grade of C or higher. Georgia State University will allow no more than 12 semester hours of D grades to apply toward degree requirements. Certain programs limit this further. See 1450 D Grade Credit Restriction  for more details.
F: Failure
  This grade indicates failure. No credit toward graduation is given for a course in which a grade of F was received.
WF: Withdrawal while Failing
  This grade indicates failure. No credit toward graduation is given for a course in which a grade of WF was received. A WF and F are treated the same for GPA calculation purposes.

The grades listed below are approved for use in the cases indicated but will not be included in the determination of a student’s cumulative grade point average:

W: Withdrawal
  This symbol indicates that a student was permitted to withdraw from the course without penalty. (See “WF: Withdrawal While Failing” above, and 1332.10 Adding / Dropping / Withdrawing Classes (Student Initiated) )
WM: Military Withdrawal
  This symbol indicates that active-duty military personnel and military reservists (including members of the National Guard) received emergency orders to active duty or reassignment during the term without penalty. (see 1332.45 Military Withdrawal ).
I: Incomplete
 

The notation of I may be given to a student who, for non-academic reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to meet the full requirements of a course. In order to qualify for an “I”, a student must:

  • Have completed most of the major assignments of the course (generally all but one); and
  • Be earning a passing grade in the course (aside from the assignments not completed) in the judgment of the instructor.

When a student has a nonacademic reason for not completing one or more of the assignments for a course, including examinations, and wishes to receive an incomplete for the course, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor in person or in writing of the reason. A grade of incomplete is awarded at the discretion of the instructor and is not the prerogative of the student. Conditions to be met for removing a grade of incomplete are established by the instructor. Registering in a subsequent semester for a course in which a grade of incomplete has been received will not remove the grade of incomplete. (See Changes in Grade, paragraph 2.) No student may graduate with an “I” on his or her record for that degree program. If the requirements to remove a grade of incomplete are not met prior to the deadline, the grade of I will convert to a grade of F.

IP: In Progress
  This symbol indicates that credit has not been given in courses that require a continuation of work beyond the term for which the student registered for the course. The use of this symbol is approved for dissertation, thesis, study abroad and project courses (such as student teaching, clinical practice, and internships). The IP notation may be replaced with an appropriate grade by the instructor. This symbol cannot be substituted for an “I.”This grade is used in the Learning Support Program (LSP) to indicate that a student has demonstrated academic growth in the course; however, the level of achievement is not sufficient to meet all of the course requirements. In LSP, the grade of IP is a permanent grade and does not meet the minimum exit criteria for any course in the program.
S: Satisfactory
  This symbol indicates that credit has been given for completion of degree requirements other than academic course work. The use of this symbol is approved for dissertation and thesis hours, student teaching, clinical practicum, internship, and proficiency requirements in graduate programs. This symbol is also used in a Regents’ Test Preparation Course when the Regents’ Test was passed.
U: Unsatisfactory
  This symbol indicates unsatisfactory performance in an attempt to complete degree requirements other than academic coursework. No credit will be given. The use of this symbol is approved for dissertation and thesis hours, student teaching, clinical practicum, internship, and proficiency requirements in graduate programs. This symbol is also used in a Regents’ Test Preparation Course when the Regents’ Test was not passed.
V: Audit
  This notation is used when a student has audited a course. Students do not earn academic credit for such courses. See 1330.25 Audit Status .
K: Credit-by-examination
  This symbol indicates that a student was given credit for a course based on successful performance on an examination approved for this purpose.
NR: Not Reported
  This symbol indicates that a student’s grade was not reported to the Registrar’s Office by the grade submission deadline. The deadline for reporting grades for the term is published in the online Semester Calendar. The grade will be updated as soon as the instructor reports the grade.
GP: Grade Pending
  This symbol indicates a grade will be assigned pending the outcome of an academic honesty case. See 1380 Academic Honesty .
GH: Grade Hold
  This symbol indicates a grade will be assigned pending the outcome of a reinstatement appeal.

1350.20 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).

Georgia State University has three cumulative grade point averages that are used to determine academic progress and appear on student’s permanent records.

Institutional GPA - Based on courses taken at Georgia State University.

This cumulative grade point average is calculated by dividing all hours attempted at Georgia State University into total quality points earned. Quality points are calculated by multiplying hours earned for each course by the numerical value of the grade earned. (See the following table for numerical equivalents of letter grades.) Credits earned in other institutions, credit by examination, credits that carry S/U grades, CLEP credit, IB credit, AP credit, remedial courses, and courses specifically excluded by University policy are not used in computing the grade point average.

The institutional grade point average is used in determining your academic standing and determines your eligibility for graduation. (A 2.00 is required for undergraduate students for graduation.)

Overall Grade Point Average - Based on courses taken at Georgia State University and transfer grades.

The overall grade point average is calculated by dividing all hours attempted at Georgia State University and those transferred into total quality points earned. Quality points are calculated by multiplying hours earned for each course by the numerical value of the grade earned. (See the following table for numerical equivalents of letter grades.) Credit by examination, credits that carry S/U grades, CLEP credit, IB credit, AP credit, remedial courses, and courses specifically excluded by University policy are not used in computing the grade point average.

This GPA is used by some departments that require admission to a major. See specific admission requirements within the program descriptions.

HOPE Grade Point Average: The HOPE grade point average is calculated by dividing all hours attempted since high school graduation. This will include credits attempted for remedial courses. The calculation of this GPA does not include plus or minus attributes. For example, both a B+ and B- will be treated as the equivalent of a B. All grades from previous institutions attended are calculated in this grade point average.

This GPA is used to determine eligibility for the HOPE scholarship.

All grade-point averages are rounded to the hundredth place. For example, 2.676 is rounded to 2.68.

All attempts at all academic courses taken are included in these calculations, based on the definitions listed above, of the total number of grade points earned and the total number of semester hours attempted.

The numerical value (grade point) for academic letter grades are as follows:

A+ 4.30
A 4.00
A- 3.70
B+ 3.30
B 3.00
B- 2.70
C+ 2.30
C 2.00
C- 1.70
D 1.00
F 0.00
WF 0.00
IP 0.00

The symbols I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), W (Withdrawal), S (Satisfactory), U (Unsatisfactory), V (Audit), K (Credit-by-examination), and NR (Not Reported) do not have numerical equivalents and are not used in calculating grade point averages. The Department of Veterans Affairs defines the U and V as non-punitive grades; however, veteran students should notify the veterans’ counselor immediately upon receiving a grade of U or V.

1350.25 Repeat to Replace Policy

Under the conditions outlined below, undergraduate students who have retaken courses and earned a higher grade may request to have the first grade excluded from their institutional GPA. If the request is approved, the Office of the Registrar will make appropriate notations next to the original course and the retaken course on the student’s official transcript. Grades for all attempts of the course will appear on the student’s official transcript regardless of whether or not the grade has been excluded from the student’s GPA. This policy has no effect on any GPA requirements set by state or federal laws/regulations (such as the GPA requirements set by the HOPE scholarship program). A copy of the request and approval will become part of the student’s permanent record file. The attempt to repeat a course must be made in Fall 2011 or thereafter. Students who have repeated courses prior to this date will not be allowed to delete earlier attempts from their GPA calculation. Academic Colleges may prohibit students from repeating certain courses.

An undergraduate student may request to have a grade excluded from GPA computation under the following conditions:

  • Before requesting to apply the repeat-to-replace policy, a student must have retaken the same undergraduate course (or the renumbered substitute for that course) at Georgia State and earned a higher grade in the course retaken.
  • No more than a total of four-course grades (from four different courses) may be replaced and excluded from the student’s GPA.
  • A student may request repeat-to-replace for a course repeated during the intended semester of graduation. Requests must be submitted before the end of the second week of classes. Such requests will only be honored if the student needs a higher grade in the course to graduate.
  • Once a request has been approved the request cannot be revoked or reversed.
  • This policy applies only to the first recorded grade in a course that a student has repeated. For example, suppose that a student took a course three times. The student may use the second or third grade to replace the first grade. The student may not use the third grade to replace the second grade.
  • Only grades that are part of a student’s institutional GPA may be replaced. For example, Ws, Ss, and Us cannot be replaced.
  • This policy does not apply if the original grade was assigned as a result of a violation of the Academic Honesty policy. (The University maintains internal records of violations of the Academic Honesty policy. In addition, in some cases, violations of the Academic Honesty policy are noted on the transcript. Whether the violation is recorded internally or on the transcript, a student may not replace a grade that was awarded as a result of a violation of the Academic Honesty policy.)
  • The Repeat-to-Replace applies only to degree-seeking students pursuing their first associate-level or bachelor-level degree at Georgia State.
  • Students may not use this policy to replace grades awarded prior to semester conversion (for example, quarter courses).

1350.30 Changes in Grade

A course grade that has been reported by the instructor to the Office of the Registrar and recorded on the student’s academic record cannot be changed except in the following circumstances:

  • Error in grade. If a student believes that there is an error in a grade, the student should discuss the situation with the instructor. A request for a change of grade assigned by an instructor who has left the University should be addressed to the chair of the department.
  • Removal of an Incomplete. A student receiving a grade of I (incomplete) is expected to consult with the instructor within the prescribed time limit and to complete all necessary work. The period of time given to a student to remove a grade of I is established by the instructor, subject only to the maximum time limit set by the University. The University requires that a grade of I be removed no later than the end of the second academic term after the grade of I was assigned (whether or not the student was enrolled during these two terms). The Office of the Registrar will assign a grade of F at the end of the second academic term unless the Office of the Registrar receives an approved grade change request from the instructor. (If the student enrolled for S/U grading, a U will be assigned.). Using the grade change request process, instructors may or may not change this F/U to an authorized academic grade (i.e., A, B, C, D, S, or WF) but may not change it back to an I. Instructors may not change an I to a W unless an Emergency Withdrawal is awarded. In exceptional cases, departments may authorize students to have an I grade for more than two semesters. Such authorizations must be approved by the department chair. The authorization to extend the I beyond two semesters must be renewed each semester. Registering in a subsequent semester for a course in which a grade of incomplete has been received will not remove the grade of incomplete. (See Changes in Grade, paragraph 2.) No student may graduate with an “I” on his or her record for that degree program. If the requirements to remove a grade of incomplete are not met prior to the deadline, the grade of I will convert to a grade of F.

1350.40 Posthumous Grades

When a student passes away before completing all assignments in a course, that student will be awarded a grade of W in the course. However, if the student has completed more than half the work required for the course and earned a grade of A or B in that work, the instructor may award the student an A or a B.

See 1490.40 Posthumous Undergraduate Degrees  concerning requests for a posthumous degree.