Bachelors and Masters Grading Scale
Most bachelor's and master's courses taken at Walsh are recorded by letter grade (A-F); the 4-point system (4.000) is used to compute the grade point average (GPA). Grades are awarded according to the following system:
*Not included in computing hours, grade points or GPA. Included in computing hours, but not included in computing grade points or GPA.
For all bachelor's degree programs, the grade of “C” (2.000) is the minimum acceptable grade for many courses. As a graduation requirement, an undergraduate student must maintain a 2.000 for both the overall cumulative grade point average and for the cumulative grade point average in their major. For undergraduate degree programs, satisfactory academic progress is a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or better.
For all master's programs, including dual degree programs and graduate certificates, the grade of “C” (2.000) is an acceptable grade for the purposes of course completion for all courses. However, a 3.000 overall cumulative grade point average must be achieved as a requirement for graduation. Satisfactory academic progress is a cumulative grade point average of 3.000.
“AU” (audit) denotes that the student is enrolled in a course for no grade and no credit. Upon completion of the course, a grade of “AU” will be noted on the student’s academic transcript. The decision to audit a course should be made at the time of registration. Once the add/drop period ends, a student cannot change their registration status from credit to audit or from audit to credit. A student desiring to audit a class must pay full tuition and fees. A designation of “AU” will be allowed only once per course. A grade of “AU” will automatically be issued to a student who repeats a course in which they have previously received equivalency transfer credit, an exclusion, waiver or advanced standing. After grade replacement, once a course has been completed at Walsh with a grade of “C” or better, all subsequent attempts will receive a grade of “AU” and no credit.
“I” (incomplete) is a temporary grade used by an instructor in cases when the student is unable to complete course requirements because of illness or other justifiable circumstances.
An incomplete grade can only be issued if:
The student must initiate the request for an incomplete grade with the instructor of the course. If the incomplete grade is granted, the instructor will issue an “I” grade when submitting their final grades. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor and make arrangements for completing the remaining work within the four-week timeframe. If the coursework is not completed within the four-week period, the grade of “I” will be changed to the grade of “F” (failing). The student will be notified of the grade change.
“NR” (no grade reported) is a temporary grade indicating the final grade has not yet been submitted. The “NR” grade will be replaced by the appropriate letter grade (A-F) when submitted by the instructor.
“N” (not passing) is only used in courses that are graded on a pass/no pass basis and indicates that the course has not been completed successfully.
“P” (passing) is only used in courses that are graded on a pass/no pass basis and indicates that the course has been completed successfully.
“W” (withdrawal) indicates the student has withdrawn from the course. This grade earns no credit for purposes of graduation and is not included in a student’s grade point average computation. However, the grade does appear on the student’s academic transcript. A student may withdraw from the same course no more than twice during their academic career. Withdrawing from separate sections of courses that are equated will be considered separate withdrawal attempts. A letter grade of A through F will be issued on a student’s academic transcript when the withdrawn course is repeated for the third time.
Doctoral Grading Scale
Most doctoral courses taken at Walsh are recorded by letter grade (A-C and F); the 4-point system (4.000) is used to compute the grade point average (GPA). Grades are awarded according to the following system:
Grade of “C” or Better
Students in the D.M. program may earn a grade of “C” (2.000) one time only. A second grade of “C” (2.000) will result in automatic dismissal. If there are extenuating circumstances, a student may appeal the dismissal. Reentry into the program will be determined by the D.M. Program Chair. The Program Chair’s decision may be appealed to the Doctoral Committee, chaired by the Provost. Any work below the level of “C” (2.000) is considered failing and will be issued the grade of “F” (0.000). Grade of “F”
A student who earns a grade of “F” (0.000) in any one course will be automatically dismissed from the program. If there are extenuating circumstances, a student may appeal the dismissal. Reentry into the program will be determined by the D.M. Program Chair, and that decision may be appealed to the Doctoral Committee.
Grade of “NG”
A grade of “NG” (No Grade) will be used as a placeholder for D.M. students who are completing their dissertation courses.
Grade of “NR”
A grade of “NR” (No Grade Reported) is a temporary grade indicating the instructor has not yet submitted his/her final grades. The “NR” grade will be replaced by the appropriate academic grade once it has been submitted by the faculty member.
Grade of “I”
A grade of “I” (incomplete) is a temporary grade used by an instructor in cases when the student is unable to complete course requirements because of illness or other justifiable circumstances. An incomplete grade can only be issued if:
The student must initiate the request for an incomplete grade with the instructor of the course. If the incomplete grade is granted, the instructor will issue an “I” grade when submitting their final grades. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor and make arrangements for completing the remaining work within the four-week time frame. If the coursework is not completed within the four-week period, the grade of “I” will be changed to the grade of “F” (failing). The student will be notified of the grade change.
Grade of “W”
A grade of “W” (Withdrawal) indicates the student has withdrawn from the course. This grade earns no credit and is not included in a student’s grade point average computation, but the grade does appear on the student’s academic transcript. A student may withdraw only one time from each course during his or her academic career. A letter grade of A to C or F will be issued on a student’s academic transcript when the withdrawn course is repeated. A student who withdraws from only one course in a semester must meet with the D.M. Program Chair to develop a plan of work. A student who withdraws from all courses in a semester must stop out of the program. The student, if in good academic standing, would be eligible to join the next D.M. cohort group (generally one year later).
The D.M. Program Chair will review each student’s academic performance periodically. To remain in good standing, students must maintain a minimum cumulative 3.000 Grade Point Average (GPA) in Walsh College coursework taken after admission to the Program. Students with a GPA below 3.000 will be placed on academic probation. Students who do not meet the terms of the academic probation will be dropped from the Program.
A student’s cumulative grade point average is computed by dividing the total grade points earned to date by the total number of hours attempted. Grade point average calculations are carried out to the third position after the decimal point. Grade points are calculated by multiplying the number of credit hours for the course by the number of points earned on the grading scale. For example, a grade of B for a 3-credit hour course produces 3 (credit hours) x 3 (points for a grade of B), or 9 grade points. The grade of “F” (0.000) is included in the calculation of cumulative grade point averages. When a student repeats a course under the Course Repeat Policy, both grades will appear on the academic transcript, but only the better grade will be used to compute the cumulative grade point average. If, after the one-time replacement, the course has not been passed, all subsequent grades will be factored into the cumulative grade point average along with the better of the original and replaced grades. Only courses taken at Walsh are used to determine a student’s grade point average.
In addition to maintaining an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.000, undergraduate students are required to maintain a 2.000 grade point average in their major courses. A student’s major grade point average is computed by dividing the total grade points earned for all major courses by the total number of hours attempted in those courses. All courses taken within the major, credit hours attempted, and grades received will be used to compute the student’s major grade point average, with the exception of those courses and grades that have been replaced under the Course Repeat Policy. Courses repeated under this policy will be excluded from major grade point average calculation. Please refer to the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Catalog for each individual program for the courses that are used to compute the major grade point average.
A student’s semester grade point average is computed by dividing the total grade points for that semester by the number of credit hours attempted. Grade point average calculations are carried out to the third position after the decimal point. The grade of “F” (0.000) is included in the calculation of grade point averages.
Grades may be viewed online by logging in to the Walsh Student Portal. Click on Self-Service for Students and select My Academic Records.
A student who questions or wishes to clarify a grade must contact the instructor and provide specific arguments for the grade change to resolve the dispute within four weeks after the start of the next semester. A request by a student to dispute their grade after this four-week period will not be considered.
If an error has been made, the instructor must submit an official change of grade to the Registrar and Director of Records and Registration certifying reasons for the change of grade. Upon receiving documentation from the instructor, the Registrar and Director of Records and Registration will change the grade and post the grade on the Walsh Student Portal (click on Self-Service for Students and select My Academic Records to view). In exceptional or unusual circumstances, the Registrar and Director of Records and Registration may determine that additional signature approval must be obtained by the department chairperson and/or chief academic officer (or approved designee) prior to processing the grade change.
Step 1 – Instructor
Contact the class instructor involved to resolve the problem. If resolution cannot be achieved at the instructor level, a student can petition the chair of the department involved. The student may not proceed to step two until the final grade is discussed with the instructor.
Step 2 – Department Chair
The department chair will investigate the matter and attempt to resolve the issue. The chair will notify the student and the class instructor of the decision. The student may not proceed to step three until the final grade is discussed with the department chair.
Step 3 – Final Appeal
If resolution cannot be achieved at the departmental level, a final review may be conducted by the chief academic officer. It must be demonstrated to the chief academic officer that an instructor’s evaluation was based entirely or in part on factors that are inappropriate or irrelevant both to academic performance and applicable professional standards. In this case, the chief academic officer will have the student’s performance reassessed and good faith evaluation established. The decision of the chief academic officer is final.
*If the Instructor or department chair do not respond to your initial correspondence within seven business days, please contact the Academic Office at 248-823-1635 for assistance.
Undergraduate credit is earned for a course only when the student is issued a grade of “D-” (0.700) or better, except for those specific courses, or their substitute(s), in which a grade of “C” (2.000) or better is required. All grades from Walsh undergraduate coursework will be used to compute the student’s undergraduate cumulative and major grade point average, with the exception of those grades that have been replaced under the Course Repeat Policy. Grades replaced under this policy will be excluded from the cumulative and major grade point average.
Undergraduate students may enroll in approved graduate level (500 or 600 level) courses for up to 12 semester credit hours. All graduate courses taken and grades received under this status will be reflected on the student’s undergraduate transcript and will be used in computing the student’s cumulative grade point average for purposes of graduation. Students are responsible for paying graduate-level tuition and course fees. Please note that students cannot switch from the undergraduate version of a course to the graduate version of the course after the add/drop period ends in any given semester.
An undergraduate student who wishes to take a graduate course to fulfill their undergraduate degree requirements should contact the Admissions and Academic Advising office to determine if the course may be applied as advanced standing to any Walsh graduate degree program.
All grades from Walsh graduate coursework will be used to compute the student’s graduate cumulative grade point average, with the exception of those grades that have been replaced under the Course Repeat Policy. Grades replaced under this policy will be excluded from the cumulative grade point average. A graduate student may enroll in undergraduate courses. Students must complete a non-degree application for admissions in order to take an undergraduate course. Grades received in an undergraduate course will be noted on a non-degree transcript and will not be computed in the student’s graduate cumulative grade point average.
All grades from Walsh doctoral coursework will be used to compute the student’s doctoral cumulative grade point average. With approval of the Doctoral Program Chair, a doctoral student may enroll in a graduate level course. All graduate and doctoral level coursework will be computed in the student’s doctoral cumulative grade point average.