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What is the Graduate School's grading policy?

The following letter grades and their achievement equivalents are used by instructors in the Graduate School to evaluate a student's performance in a course. Quality points corresponding to each letter grade determine a student's academic average and eligibility to graduate. Each grade, A through F, has a specific quality point value. The quality points earned in any course equal the quality point value of the grade multiplied by the number of semester hours credited. The quality point average (QPA) is found by dividing the total quality points earned by the total number of semester hours credited in those courses for which quality point grades have been assigned. 

All graduate students must maintain a quality point average of at least 3.00 to graduate. (For the effect of BC, C, F, UW and U grades, refer to Academic Review.) Normally, graduate courses are not repeated for a higher grade. 

* Note: CD and D grades may not be given to graduate students. This includes graduate students in undergraduate classes that may carry graduate credit.
Grade Achievement Quality Points
A Excellent 4.00
AB   3.50
B Satisfactory 3.00
BC   2.50
C Minimally acceptable on a limited basis for graduate credit 2.00
F Failure 0

Quality points are not affected by the following grades: 

W Withdrawal (before withdrawal deadline) *
UW Unexcused Withdrawal 
S/U Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory † 
CR Completed Requirement of enrollment in a course that carries no credit 
Au Audit
I Incomplete
X Missed Examination 
IX Both Incomplete and Missed Examination 

Notes
*Signifies an official withdrawal with the approval of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Programs. 

† Refer to S/U Grading, below

‡ Carries no graduate credit. Students must register for the course as auditors, attend class meetings regularly, and fulfill such other requirements as may be assigned in writing by the course instructor no later than the second meeting of the class after registering for audit. 

If an instructor has not submitted a grade for a student by the deadline, the designation of NG (no grade) may appear on the student's grade report. This designation will not be included on the student's official Marquette transcript. 
Any student desiring that a copy of his or her grades be sent to his or her parents should contact the Office of the Registrar. 

S/U Grading

In certain units, a few select graduate courses are offered for S/U grades only. Courses of this type usually are limited to practica, department colloquia, or special seminar courses. Students should check the individual course descriptions in the Graduate Bulletin and in the registration Schedule of Classes to determine whether a course is offered on this basis.

Under no circumstances may the undergraduate S/U option be exercised by a graduate student taking an undergraduate course for graduate credit. Further, graduate students required to take undergraduate courses as prerequisites or to remedy deficiencies may not take those courses for S/U grades. For the effect of U grades, refer to Academic Review.

Grade Changes

There are two types of grade adjustments: changing a temporary grade (X, I, or IX) to a permanent grade, and correcting a permanent grade.

Temporary Grades -- X, I, OR IX

Graduate students who do not complete course requirements during the term in which the class is offered may be given one of the following temporary grades after consultation with their instructor: X, when one or more examinations are missed; I, when the course work has not been completed; or IX, a combination of missed examinations and incomplete course work.

A request to change an X, I, or IX to a permanent grade, or a request for an extension of time, must be submitted to the Graduate School before the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar. It is the student's responsibility to initiate this process and to pay a grade change fee before the deadline date which is approximately six weeks into the next fall or spring term. For X, I, or IX grades accrued during the summer session, they must be changed before the deadline date which is approximately six weeks into the next fall term. X, I, or IX grades that are not changed or extended by the Graduate School will become permanent grades on the student's record.

Correcting a Permanent Grade

Changing a permanent grade because of miscalculation on the part of the instructor or a misunderstanding between the instructor and the student, may be initiated by either the student or the instructor. Changing a permanent grade should be done within six months of the end of the term. There is no grade change fee for this procedure.

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