Academic Standards

University Grading System

Instructors are required to assign a final grade for each student registered in a course. The following grades are used to report the quality of a student’s work at the University of Denver:

Grading

Grade Symbols	Grade Points	Interpretation
A	4	excellent
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3	good
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2	satisfactory
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0
D-	0.7	minimum passing
F	0	failure

If a student ceases attending classes or submitting assignments (and has not earned a passing grade) and if the student has not made arrangements for an incomplete (I), a failing (F) grade must be assigned.

Failing (“F”) grades may also be assigned under the following circumstances:

• A student drops a course without permission and/or official notice to the Office of the Registrar.
• A student’s academic work is judged failing as a result of a finding of academic dishonesty.

If a student registers for a class but never attends any sessions, then a grade of Never-Attend ("NA") should be assigned instead of a failing (F) grade.  A never-attend (NA) grade is treated like a failing (F) grade and will show up as an NA on the student's transcript.

An incomplete (“I”) is a temporary grade that may be given to a student at the instructor’s discretion when illness, necessary absence or other reasons beyond the control of the student prevent completion of course requirements by the end of the academic term. Incomplete grades may only be given in the following circumstances:

• The student’s work to date is passing.
• Attendance has been satisfactory through at least 60 percent of the term.
• An illness or other extenuating circumstance legitimately prevents completion of required work by the due date.
• Required work may reasonably be completed in an agreed­ upon time frame.
• The incomplete is not given as a substitute for a failing grade.
• The incomplete is not based solely on a student’s failure to complete work or as a means of raising his or her grade by doing additional work after the grade report time.
• The student initiates the request for an incomplete grade before the end of the academic term.

Appropriate grades must be assigned in other circum­stances. A failing grade and last date of attendance should be recorded for students who cease attending class without authorization. Students who are unable to complete a course and who do not meet these circumstances should consider dropping the course.

The following provisions for incomplete grades apply:

• Instructors are to record the incomplete initially in MyDU under the Grade Entry page. When the student's work has been completed, the instructor then submits the final grade using the Change of Grade Process through MyDU. Steps for this process can be found at http://www.du.edu/registrar/records/changinggrades.html.
• It is in the student’s best interest that incomplete grades be made up by the end of the following academic term. Incomplete grades must be made up and final grades submitted within one calendar year from the date the incomplete was recorded.  
• The course work may be completed while the student is not enrolled.
• Incomplete grades appear on the transcript for one year. Incomplete grades do not affect the grade point average. After one year, or at the time of graduation, incomplete grades will change to “F” and affect GPA. This policy affects incomplete grades given in fall 1995 and there­after. Prior to 1995, unchanged incompletes remained on the permanent record as part of hours attempted and were calculated as a failing (“F”) grade in the GPA.
• An incomplete grade may not be considered passing for purposes of determining academic standing, federal financial aid eligibility, athletic eligibility or other purposes.
• Notation of the original incomplete status of the grade remains on the student’s transcript along with the final grade.
• An incomplete should not be assigned when it is neces­sary for the student to attend additional class meetings to complete the course requirements. Students who receive an incomplete grade in a course must not register again for the course in order to remove the “I.”
• An incomplete is not to be assigned where the normal practice requires extension of course requirements beyond the close of a term (e.g., thesis or project­ type courses).

NC: registered for no credit

W: a notation that the course is withdrawn without preju­dice; zero grade points per quarter hour; no hours credited

Use of intermediate grades (plus and minus) is at the dis­cretion of the instructor.

See Grade Appeals for more information.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The GPA is determined by multiplying the credit points (for example, “B+” = 3.3) by the number of credit hours for each course. Total the credit hours attempted, total the credit points and divide the latter by the former. Grades of NC, I, P+, P, NP and W are not included in the GPA. Incom­pletes that are not completed within one year are calculated as an “F” in the GPA. All grades for repeated courses are included in determining GPA. Undergraduate, graduate and specific program GPAs may be calculated separately.

Pass/Fail

In general, undergraduates may not take a course for pass/fail credit.

Change of Grade

Grades submitted by instructors at the end of the quarter are final and not subject to change by reason of revision of judgment on the part of the instructor. Grades cannot be changed on the basis of second trial, such as a new examination or additional work undertaken or completed after the grade report has been submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Grades may only be changed due to one of the following:

 1.   Correction of Error in Grading

 2.   Grade Appeal

 3.   Completion of an Incomplete Grade

An instructor of a course is the only individual who can change a grade. In the event of error, the faculty member should initiate the Change of Grade Process through MyDU. Steps for this process can be found at https://www.du.edu/registrar/faculty-staff-resources/grading-guide. Any correction or appeal of a grade must take place in the quarter following the one in which the grade was given.

GPA Replacement Policy 

The University of Denver allows degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students to repeat most courses in order to meet the minimum grade requirement for a required course, subject to limits imposed by individual schools and colleges. When a student repeats a course, grades from all attempts appear on the student transcript, and all grades are used in computing cumulative and major grade point overages, total credits, and academic standing. This policy adds the option of GPA replacement to the option of repeating a course.

Additional Details: 

In order to invoke GPA replacement policy for a course, a student must have received an eligible grade in a prior attempt of the course. Grades of C-, D+, D, D- or F are eligible for repeat/replace for undergraduate students, and grades of B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or F are eligible for repeat/replace for graduate students. Once a student invokes the GPA replacement policy for a course, that decision is irrevocable.

When GPA replacement is invoked, the grade from the latest attempt of a course replaces the grade from the most recent prior attempt of the same course in the cumulative GPA.

Grades from all attempts of a course appear on a student's transcript, with those attempts that have been replaced appropriately indicated. The replaced grade is excluded from cumulative grade point average and credit totals in the official academic record; the grade from the latest attempt is included, even if the grade earned in the latest attempt is lower than the replaced grade.

Students should consider whether this is the best way to improve their GPA. Most students will find that when they repeat a course, there is only a small impact on their overall GPA. Another way to increase GPA is to take additional courses and do well in them. Finally, if a student is repeating a course to increase their GPA for their graduate or professional school applications, it is useful to know that these schools may calculate a student's GPA differently.

A student may wish or need to strengthen their knowledge of a particular topic in order to prepare for future classes. This can be a good reason for repeating a course. Undergraduate majors and minors require students to achieve a minimum grade of "C-" in order to count toward graduation requirements. In some programs, Graduate students are required in to receive a B- or better in their coursework.

A course will not necessarily be easier the second time around. If a student chooses to repeat a course, they should maximize their chances for success by utilizing available resources and practicing good study habits.

Eligibility:

• This policy may be invoked only by currently enrolled, degree-seeking University of Denver undergraduate or graduate students. Sturm College of Law students may not invoke this policy and are subject to the academic and grading policies of the Law School.
• Students who have graduated are not eligible for GPA replacement for courses taken prior to earning their degree.
• The policy applies only to undergraduate or graduate courses taken and repeated at DU. Classes ineligible for grade replacement are FSEM, special topics courses and courses designated in the catalog as repeatable for credit (e.g. independent study/research, internship, field experience, thesis/dissertation hours, directed research/study, performance).
• Undergraduate students may request grade replacement for up to 4 classes. 
• Graduate students may request grade replacement for up to 2 classes.
• If a student receives a low grade in a class due to academic dishonesty, that grade is not eligible for GPA replacement via this policy.
• Once a student invokes the GPA replacement policy for a course, that decision is irrevocable.
• Courses taken for GPA replacement must be taken for a letter grade.
• Students may request grade repeat/replace only if the particular course is offered again. There is no guarantee that all courses are offered on a schedule that would permit repeat for every student.
• No retroactive adjustments or transactions for prior terms will be performed as a result of repeating a course, including changes to academic standing, or eligibility for honors, athletics, or financial aid.
• Some academic units may limit the number of times a student can enroll in a given course. Such limits must be observed when invoking this policy.
• Grades of incomplete are not eligible for repeat with GPA replacement.
• Requests to invoke the GPA replacement policy must be completed by the last date for course withdrawal.
• A request to invoke the policy will be approved as long as the exact same course (subject code, course number) is selected, and the student has enough grade repetition credits left to cover the course. Once the grade repeat/replace credits are fully used, then there will be further no GPA replacement and all subsequent grades will be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
• If a student invokes the grade repeat/replacement policy but drops or withdraws from the course before the end of the term, this attempt does not count against the number of credits a student is allowed to repeat, and the grade from the most recent prior attempt stands.
• All occurrences of the course along with associated grades will remain on the student's academic record as well as on the official transcript. Only the replacement grade will be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
• Tuition is charged for all course attempts. There may be federal financial aid implications for the number of times a specific course is repeated. Students are responsible for checking with the Office of Financial Aid regarding course repeats and aid eligibility.