Grading System

Each academic program measures academic performance through a letter grade (4.0) scale. Course grades are determined by an overall percentage grade that is converted to a letter grade.  Programs that include clinical experiences issue grades for those courses as noted below. All required courses and clinical experiences must be successfully completed for graduation.

Grade Legend

Grade Points

The GPA is determined by dividing total quality points (grade points X credit hours) by the total number of credit hours.

Add/Drop Period

Add/drop periods are specific to each academic program as follows:

• DO, DPM, DPT, OTD and PA programs: Students in these programs may not add or drop required courses. Students register for the prescribed curriculum each term.  A student who withdraws from a course(s) due to leave of absence, extended program of study, or program withdrawal will be graded according to the policy outlined in the Academic Catalog and/or applicable course syllabus.
• MHA, MPH, MSA, MSBS, and PhDBS programs: An add/drop period is available at the beginning of each academic term and/or term session. Full tuition will be charged to students withdrawing from a course after the add/drop period.  Note:  Students must register for Public Health Applied Practice Experience (MPH 661), and Integrative Learning Experience II (MPH 660) courses during the regular registration period.

Please note the following exceptions:

• Students in the DO, DPM, DPT, OTD and PA programs may add or drop an elective during the seven days following the course start date. After this time, a grade of W will be assigned to the transcript.
• An add/drop period is available for research electives during the first four weeks of the fall and spring terms; two weeks are allowed for the summer term.  A grade of W will be assigned to students dropping a research elective after the add/drop period.
• Course registration for students accepted into the DO Extended Pathways I or II program is updated to reflect the new approved program of study.  
  • Students accepted into DO Extended Pathways I or II program within the first two weeks of the term: Dropped courses will be removed from the transcript.  
  • Students accepted into DO Extended Pathways I or II program after the first two weeks of the term: Dropped courses will remain on a transcript and will receive a withdrawal grade in accordance with the course syllabus.

Course Withdrawal

In general, if less than 50% of the course content (didactic or clinical) has been given, a withdrawal (W) shall be entered on the student’s record by the Registrar when a student withdraws from a course for any reason.  If over 50% of the course content or rotation days have been completed, a student will receive a WP if they are passing at the time of withdrawal or a WF if they are failing. Students enrolled in a Department of Public Health program are issued a grade of WF when withdrawing after the course midpoint.  Students should refer to the applicable syllabus for course-specific withdrawal information as available, and to the Grading System section of the Academic Catalog for GPA calculation.

The grade of WF may make a student subject to academic review. If the student is required to retake the course (dependent upon the academic program) and fails the course in which the WF was previously given, the failed course retake will count as the second failure in that course for Academic Progress Committee procedures.  The WF remains on the transcript; the F grade for the repeated attempt is posted and calculated into the GPA.  Students should review the Student Handbook for specific requirements regarding course deficiency and academic progress for their academic program.  

COURSE Repeat

When a course is repeated, both the original grade and repeated grade remain on the transcript and both grades are included in the grade point average (GPA).

Incomplete (I) Status

The status of I (Incomplete) indicates satisfactory completion of at least half (didactic) or three-fourths (non-didactic, i.e., clinical rotations, internships, capstone courses) of a course where a small fraction of work remains to be completed, such as the final examination, paper, or assignments. A student may petition for an I for medical, personal or extenuating circumstances beyond their control. A student receiving an I must complete all requirements prior to the agreed upon date. If the requirements are not completed within the specified time, no credit will be given and the I status will convert to an F. Faculty may include specific course or program requirements regarding the timeframe in which a student is eligible to petition for an I status in their course syllabus. If not explicitly stated in the syllabus, the student will need to verify the eligibility date to petition for an I status with the Course Director or Coordinator.

Grade Appeal Policy

A Grade Appeal Policy provides a structured mechanism to protect students and faculty when a student disputes a final course grade. It is intended to balance the right of students to a grading system that is free from inaccurate, unfair, arbitrary or capricious evaluation, while supporting the right of faculty to determine course criteria and grades.

The only acceptable grounds for appealing a final course grade are:

• The course grade was assigned on a basis other than performance in the course; or
• Course faculty used unfair or unequal application of grading standards, including application of grading criteria to a student or group of students in a manner that treated them differently than other students in the same class; or
• The grade was the result of unfair or unannounced alterations of assignments, grading criteria, or computational processes; or
• The student disputes the computation of the final grade or believes the grade was incorrectly transmitted to the Registrar. 

Additional information regarding this policy is outlined in the Student Handbook.