Academic Standards

Grading System

A student completing a course at UCM will receive a final grade in the course of an A, B, C, D, or F.  Graduate courses may not be taken for Pass/Fail credit. Only grades A through F impact grade point average. The grading system used in evaluating a student’s work is as follows:

* CR and SC credits do not count towards 5000/6000-level requirements, with the exception of graduate transfer hours approved by a program coordinator.

** For more information about withdrawal grades, refer to the section Changes in Class Schedules , and either the Calendar in this catalog or the UCM Student Handbook. Course withdrawal and refund dates can also be found in MyCentral in the Student Records and Registration tab, under Registration using the “Check Refund and Withdrawal Dates” link. 

Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA)

Graduate cumulative grade point average includes only graduate credit completed at UCM.  If transfer work is accepted into the graduate degree/certificate program, the transfer work is posted as credit only; grades do not transfer to UCM.  Transfer work may not be used to change academic standing.  All UCM grades, including all grades of courses that have been repeated (up to six hours of repeated grades may be petitioned for exclusion from the GPA calculation) are included in the computation.

In order to compute grade point average, total quality points earned are divided by total hours attempted. Each semester hour is assigned a grade point value as indicated below:

1. Each semester hour of A is assigned 4 quality points.
2. Each semester hour of B is assigned 3 quality points.
3. Each semester hour of C is assigned 2 quality points.
4. Each semester hour of D is assigned 1 quality point.
5. Each semester hour of F is assigned 0 quality points.
6. Each semester hour of CR, LD, LW, NC, SC, W, or WA is not considered.
7. Each semester hour of U and NR is not considered until a grade is assigned.

Minimum Grades and Grade Point Averages Required

No grade below a C may apply to the degree/certificate program. In addition, no more than six semester hours of credit with a grade of C will be applied toward degree/certificate requirements.  In order to receive a degree or certificate, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in each of the following areas:

1. All work attempted at UCM
2. All work taken to satisfy degree/certificate requirements at UCM

UCM does not freeze grade point average upon graduation. Additional courses taken at the graduate level at UCM will continue to impact the GPA.

Academic Renewal

Graduate students returning to UCM after an absence of five (5) or more calendar years may petition for Academic Renewal. Academic Renewal will allow the student a “fresh start” towards a graduate degree or graduate certificate program. The renewal will affect all graduate courses taken prior to the absence. The following rules apply:

• Academic renewal does not remove coursework or grades from the student’s academic transcript. A notation on the transcript will indicate the granted Academic Renewal.

• Transfer work prior to the Academic Renewal may not be applied to a graduate program.

• Coursework affected by a breach of academic integrity is not included for Academic Renewal.  

• Coursework and credit hours forgiven by this policy cannot be used to meet any degree/certificate requirements (prerequisite, graduation, certification, etc).

• Any degree/certificate requirements met prior to the designated Academic Renewal term(s) will need to be retaken.

• All grades earned will be removed from the student’s cumulative and UCM GPA calculations, but will remain as a matter of record on the transcript.

• The student must petition for Academic Renewal through the Graduate Studies office with approval made in consultation with the graduate programs. Students will still need to apply to the university and be accepted by the program and meet current program admission requirements.

• Once the Academic Renewal has been approved and processed, it cannot be rescinded.

• Students may utilize the benefits of Academic Renewal once.  

Students who receive financial aid must meet with a Financial Aid Counselor in Student Financial Services to determine how Academic Renewal could impact federal or state financial aid. Awarding of scholarships after Academic Renewal will be determined by the awarding body. Students who have ever received GI Bill® benefits at any institution must contact Military and Veteran Services regarding the impact of Academic Renewal. Student-athletes must contact the Senior Associate Athletic Director to determine how Academic Renewal impacts athletic eligibility and athletic scholarship.

Academic Standing

Student academic standing is determined by the cumulative graduate GPA of their latest completed semester. Students can find their academic standing in MyCentral and on the Central Degree Audit. Academic standing is calculated at the end of each semester and students who are not in good standing are notified via campus email from the Registrar’s Office.

Good Academic Standing

Graduate students who have both a 3.00 or above cumulative and UCM grade point average are in good academic standing and are eligible to enroll for classes.

Academic Probation

Academic Probation begins the semester in which their cumulative GPA is below 3.00. Students on academic probation may continue to enroll in classes. Students are encouraged to seek advice from their faculty advisor about future enrollments and a plan to return to Good Academic Standing.

Continued on Academic Probation

Students who do not increase their cumulative GPA to a 3.00 or above the following semester are continued on probation. Following three consecutive semesters with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 students become “graduate ineligible.” A student may petition Graduate Studies for one additional semester of continued probation before becoming graduate ineligible.

Removal from Probation

A student placed on academic probation will continue on probation until the cumulative GPA is 3.00 or higher. When a student on academic probation raises his/her cumulative GPA to 3.00 or above, the student is removed from probation. Transfer credit may not be used to raise the GPA as transfer grades are not posted for graduate students.

Graduate Ineligible Status

Students who have three consecutive semesters with a cumulative graduate GPA below 3.00 are ineligible to receive a graduate degree or certificate from UCM and will be removed from their degree/certificate program.  Domestic students may continue to take classes as non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. International students may not attend the university if they are removed from their degree program. Graduate students may petition the Graduate Studies office for one additional semester of academic probation within their degree program while they work to increase their GPA to 3.00. 

Reinstatement to a Degree/Certificate Program after Being Graduate Ineligible

Students who are in graduate ineligible status and then raise their GPA to a 3.00 or higher may apply for admission to be reinstated to their degree/certificate program.

Grade Appeals

Students who wish to appeal a grade have until the mid-point of the semester following the semester that the grade was issued.

• For grades issued during the fall semester, the appeal must be made before the end of the eighth week of the spring semester.
• For grades issued during the spring semester, the appeal must be made before the end of the sixth week of the summer term.
• For grades issued during any summer session, the appeal must be made before the end of the eighth week of the fall semester.

These appeals should be directed to the instructor who taught the course in question. Please refer to the current Grade Appeal Procedure in the UCM Student Handbook for information regarding this procedure.  This policy is not for reviewing instances where a student has been accused of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic dishonesty.  Also not covered by this policy are grievances based on discrimination.

Unfinished Work

An instructor, at their discretion, may grant an extension and report a semester grade of U when, for justifiable reasons, (a) the student has not completed the work of the course either because of extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control or (b) because the course is of an individualized nature that requires time beyond one semester. 

Unfinished work is denoted with a U grade on the transcript. Students may not graduate with a U grade on their record. Most U grades will be changed to F grades on the last class day of the subsequent semester if no other grade change has been submitted. Some courses, as designated by the academic schools, may carry the U grade for up to three years if the course is of an individualized nature, e.g., thesis, research report, or similar investigation. Faculty may extend U grades beyond these limits by submitting a grade replacement on a semester-by-semester basis.

Extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are those rare and justifiable events, typically after the last day to drop, that are outside of a student’s direct control and may include but are not limited to death in the family, substantial personal illness, or military deployment. Faculty may set additional requirements for granting a U grade, including the percentage of the course that must have been completed and satisfactory progress in the course at the time of the extenuating circumstances. 

Students with an extenuating U grade do not re-enroll in the class during the subsequent semester but instead, work one-on-one with the instructor. Students are expected to adjust their course load accordingly in order to complete the unfinished work. The Graduate Program Coordinator may restrict or prohibit future enrollment until work is completed. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her instructor concerning the removal of the U grade. 

When extenuating circumstances warrant a grade of U in a course, graduate students have up to one semester to finish the coursework and earn a new grade unless the instructor sets an earlier deadline. If on the last class day of the next semester (fall, spring or summer) a new grade has not been provided, the U becomes an F. 

Courses of an individualized nature. Courses of an individualized nature are those courses, as designated by graduate programs, that may carry the U grade for up to three calendar years and may include but are not limited to thesis, research paper, or other multi-semester projects. 

Active student status is required in order to maintain access to faculty, advisor support, graduate program guidance, library resources, electronic accounts, university research facilities, and other resources. This may be fulfilled by continuing enrollment in additional credit hours of the course in which they carry a U or any additional graduate-level course as guided by the graduate program coordinator. University faculty and staff shall not work with graduate students in that course in any given semester that they are not currently enrolled. Additionally, if a student fails to enroll in coursework and more than one year has lapsed the student must submit an application for readmission to the program before they may return. 

When courses of an individualized nature warrant a grade of U in a course, graduate students have up to three calendar years to finish the requirements and earn a grade unless the instructor sets an earlier deadline. If after three years a grade has not been provided, the U becomes an F.

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