 |
In addition to the traditional A-B-C-D-F grades, instructors have the option of assigning
several "+" and "-" grades as well. Instructors do not have to use +/- grading, and
in some instances it may be their department's policy not to. Check with your instructor
if you want to know if he or she is using +/- grading.
Please note:
- Only grading scales for undergraduate and graduate level courses are discussed here.
Law courses have a separate grading scale; refer to the Law School's Academic Regulations for information.
- An A+ is not worth any more quality points than an A. What is the advantage, then? The A+ is recorded on your transcript. If you are interested in pursuing graduate
work or entering a professional school (Law, Medical, Pharmacy, etc.), any A+ is likely
to help your candidacy.
- UM does not assign a "D-" grade.
- When you repeat a course, the first attempt is excluded from your Cumulative GPA.
Your second attempt and any subsequent attempts are used in calculating your Cumulative
GPA. For a fuller discussion of repeated courses, see Repeated Course/GPA Scenarios.
- The "W" grade is not used in calculating GPA. (See Grades That Are Not Calculated in the GPA below.)
| THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS GRADING SCALE |
| GRADE |
QUALITY
POINTS
|
| A+ |
4.00 |
| A |
4.00 |
| A- |
3.84 |
| B+ |
3.33 |
| B |
3.00 |
| B- |
2.67 |
| C+ |
2.33 |
| C |
2.00 |
| C- |
1.67 |
| D+ |
1.33 |
| D |
1.00 |
| F |
0.00 |
Calculating Your GPA
Your GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of Quality Points you earned by the number of GPA Hours you attempted in courses in which grades of A+ through F are assigned. Grades of AD, CR, I, IP,
NC, S, T, U, and W do not have Quality Point values and are, therefore, not included
in the GPA calculation. (These grades are discussed below.)
The first attempts of courses that have been repeated are excluded from the cumulative
GPA.
Each term, your semester and cumulative GPA will be indicated with your grades. Let's
look at an example of calculating your GPA:
| EXAMPLE: GPA CALCULATION |
| SUBJECT |
GPA
HOURS
|
GRADE
EARNED
|
QUALITY
POINTS
|
| ENGL 1020 |
3.00 |
B+ (3.33) |
9.99 |
| PHYS 1002 |
1.00 |
A- (3.84) |
3.84 |
| PHYS 1020 |
3.00 |
C+ (2.33) |
6.99 |
| CHEM 1010 |
4.00 |
B- (2.67) |
10.68 |
| HIST 2020 |
3.00 |
A (4.00) |
12.00 |
| POLS 1101 |
3.00 |
F (0.00) |
0.00 |
- Add the GPA Hours: 3 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 =17.00 hours
- Determine your total Quality Points:
- For each course, multiply the number of GPA Hours for that course times the number
of Quality Points indicated on the grading scale above. Example: ENGL 1020 is a 3.00-hour
course. Multiply 3.00 hours x 3.33 (the Quality Points for a B+); the product will
be 9.99 Quality Points earned for ENGL 1020.
- Add the Quality Points for all courses: 9.99 + 3.84 + 6.99 + 10.68 + 12.00 + 0 = 43.50
Quality Points.
- Divide the total Quality Points by the total GPA Hours to determine your GPA: 43.50
/ 17 = 2.55 (GPA is carried to two decimal places, with no rounding).
Repeated Courses and Your GPA
Most courses can be repeated. Learn the rules governing repeated courses and how repeats
can affect your GPA by going to Repeated Course/GPA Scenarios.
Viewing Your GPA
You can view your current GPA by calling up your Academic Transcript (Unofficial Transcript).
Also, once a semester's grades are official, you can view your latest GPA by clicking
on the "Final" link in the lower right-hand corner of the Student Grades channel.
Cumulative Statistics
Please note that the cumulative statistics you view online are the most recent cumulative
statistics. Even if you choose to view a past term's grades, the cumulative statistics
will be current through the last term you completed. For example, if you view Fall
2007 grades, the cumulative statistics shown with Fall 2007 will include any additional
credits and grades earned during later semesters.
Lottery Scholarships (Undergraduates Only)
The GPA used to determine your continued eligibility for Lottery Scholarships is not
the same as your UM GPA. Your Lottery GPA can be lower than your UM GPA. Your Lottery
GPA takes into account all of your attempts at a particular course whereas your UM GPA will only count the second
and successive attempts at a repeated course. Lottery rules allow only one repeated course to be deducted from the Lottery GPA calculation.
Also, you need to be aware that Lottery rules stipulate that "W" grades are figured
into your Lottery Scholarship eligibility. Any course in which you receive a "W" grade,
is considered an attempted course for Lottery purposes. "W" grades are not used in
calculating your Lottery GPA, but the "W" hours do count toward the maximum hours
allowed by a Hope Lottery Scholarship.
Grading Scale in Individual Courses
The grading scale of each course (i.e., the number of points required in that course to earn an A, a B, etc.) is determined
by the instructor of the course. This information should appear in the syllabus you
receive for the course.
Re-calculation of GPA by Professional Services & Professional/Graduate Schools
Some professional evaluation services (e.g., AMCAS, LSDAS) and professional or graduate schools may re-calculate the grade point
average according to their grading scale and guidelines.
Grades That Are Not Calculated in the GPA
The following grades have no quality point values.
| AU |
Audit. The "AU" grade is assigned to you if you had permission to register in a course on
an audit basis and if you met the instructor's standards for both attendance and class
participation.
|
| CR |
Credit Received. The "CR" grade indicates satisfactory completion of a course in which you had permission
to register on a credit/no-credit basis.
|
| I |
Incomplete. The "I" grade indicates that you have not completed the course for some unavoidable
reason that is acceptable to the instructor. If you are an undergraduate student,
you must complete the work within forty-five (45) days from the end of the semester
or the grade will change to an "F". If you are a graduate student, you have ninety
(90) days from the end of the semester in which to complete the work.
|
| IP |
In Progress. The "IP" grade may be used in certain research courses to allow you time to complete
projects, field work, etc. Most courses graded IP require you to re-enroll in the
course the following term.
|
| NC |
No Credit. The "NC" grade indicates unsatisfactory completion of a course in which you had permission
to register on a credit/no-credit basis.
|
| S |
Satisfactory. The "S" grade is limited to certain types of courses approved for S/U grading, such
as practicum, research, dissertation, etc.
|
| SA |
Satisfactory. The "SA" grade is used to indicate the satisfactory completion of a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project. It is assigned only for the final enrollment. The "IP" grade is assigned for all
prior enrollments in thesis, dissertation, or capstone project.
|
| T |
Continuing. The "T" grade is used in certain pre-approved courses in which the completion time
varies and may exceed the regular enrollment period. If you receive a "T" grade, you
must enroll in the course again the following semester in order to receive credit.
|
| U |
Unsatisfactory. The "U" grade is limited to certain types of courses approved for S/U grading, such
as practicum, research, dissertation, etc.
|
| W |
The "W" grade indicates that you dropped the class. (Technically, the "W" stands for
"Withdrew from the course," but essentially it means you dropped the course.)
With regard to both your UM and Lottery GPAs, a "W" is not punitive because it has
no quality point value. However, "W" grades can affect your continued Lottery Scholarship
eligibility since they count in the total number of hours allowed under the scholarship.
Please read "Lottery Scholarships (Undergraduates Only)" above.
|
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