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Grades
At the end of every academic term courses will be graded using letter grades to denote student performance. Final
grades will be assigned and recorded only for students who are registered for the specific course. The academic
performance expectations for graduate students are the B grade level (i.e., Very Good) or higher.
Grade Point Averages
The Grade Point Average (GPA) is a calculated value representing the student’s academic performance for a
specific period of time. The Office of the Registrar calculates, records, and reports a Semester GPA and a Cumulative
GPA for each student at the end of each academic semester (regular semester or Summer session).
The GPA is a numerical average of the value of the student’s final grades for the specific semester or cumulatively
on a 4.00 quality point (QP) scale, weighted to reflect the credit hours assigned to each course and reported to
two (2) decimal places. Grades in courses that do not carry University degree credit are not included in the GPA
calculation.
The Semester GPA is the sum of quality points (credit hours x quality points for the letter grade assigned) for each
course taken during the academic semester divided by the total number of credit hours attempted during the same
academic semester.
The Cumulative GPA is the sum of quality points (credit hours x quality points for the letter grade assigned) for all
courses taken at the University inclusive of the current academic semester, divided by the total number of credit
hours attempted for all degree-credit courses taken at the University inclusive of the current academic semester.
Both Semester and Cumulative GPAs may be affected by the exclusion of certain grades as provided under University
policy. Grades excluded from GPA calculations are designated as such in the student’s academic record and on
all transcripts.