Grading Policies

Because grades have a bearing on the award of fellowships and on vital deci­sions concerning a graduate student's career, the Electrical Engineering faculty, with the concurrence of the Dean of the Graduate School, has adopted the following policy concerning course grading:  Electrical Engineering majors are required to register on an A/F basis for all courses in their graduate program except those courses offered only on an S/N basis (only seminars are graded on an S/N basis in this Department).

Grade Point Average
     • Master’s students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program.
     • PhD students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 to remain in the program.

Degree Program Form
Grades of C- and below do not count toward degree program requirements.

Retaking Courses
The Graduate School discourages the retaking of courses to improve grades. If a course is retaken, appropriate tuition and fees will be assessed. All registrations and grades for the course remain on the student's transcript and are calculated into the cumulative GPA.

If a course is retaken, all registrations and grades for the course remain on the student’s transcript and are calculated into the cumulative GPA.

Grading Scale
There are five permanent grades given for a single course for which credit shall be awarded, which will be entered on a student's official transcript: A-B-C-D-S grades including pluses and minuses, as follows, and carry the indicated grade points. The S grade shall not carry grade points but the credits shall count toward the student's degree program if allowed by the college, campus, or program.

These definitions apply to grades awarded to students who are not enrolled in graduate programs, but the grade points are the same no matter the level or course of enrollment.

Instructors are permitted to hold graduate and undergraduate students who are in the same class to different standards of academic performance and accomplishment. The syllabus must make clear what the different standards will be for the different groups of students who may be enrolled in the class.

A	4.00	Represents achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet  course requirements.
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00	Represents achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet  course requirements.
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00	Represents achievement that meets the course requirements in every respect.
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.00	Represents achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet  fully the course requirements
S		Represents achievement that is satisfactory, which is equivalent to a C- or better.
N		Represents achievement that is unsatisfactory.
I		Indicates that the work of the course has not been completed. The instructor of  the course must agree to give an incomplete being awarded. For graduate and  professional students, an I is to remain on the transcript until changed by the  instructor or department.  If a student graduates with an I on the transcript, the I will remain permanently  an I. A student may petition his or her college, within a year of graduation, to  complete the work in the course and receive a grade. The degree GPA would be  frozen upon graduation but the cumulative GPA would reflect the change in GPA  if a student chooses to complete the work and change I to a grade within a year  of graduation.  If a student officially withdraws from a course during the first two weeks of classes,  there shall be no record of that course registration entered on the student's transcript.
W		There shall be a symbol W, withdrawal, entered upon a student's record when  the student officially withdraws from a course in accordance with procedures  established by the student's college or campus. The W will be entered on the  transcript irrespective of the student's academic standing in that course if the  student withdraws from the course during the third through eighth week of class  (second or third weeks of summer sessions). Withdrawal in the ninth or later  week of classes (fourth or later in summer sessions) shall require approval of  the college and may not be granted solely because a student is failing the course;  there must extenuating non-academic circumstances justifying late withdrawal.  All grades for all courses each period (quarter or semester) shall be submitted  to the Office of the Registrar no later than 72 hours after the last final examination  for that term.  Academic dishonesty in any portion of the academic work for a course shall be  grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the entire course.