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In addition to the traditional A-B-C-D-F grades, instructors at the U of M 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? A+'s are recorded on your transcript. If you are interested in pursuing graduate work or entering a professional school (Law, Medical, Pharmacy, etc.), the A+'s will help your candidacy.
- The U of M does not assign a "D-" grade.
| 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 Quality Hours you attempted in courses in which grades of A+ through F are assigned. Grades of AD, CR, I, IP, NC, S, T, U, W, and WD 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 | QUALITY
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 Quality Hours: 3 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 =17.00 hours
- Determine your total Quality Points:
- For each course, multiply the number of Quality 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 Quality Hours to determine your GPA: 43.50 / 17 = 2.558 (GPA is carried to three decimal places, with no rounding).
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 1999 grades, the cumulative statistics shown with Fall 1999 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 U of M GPA. Your Lottery GPA can be lower than your U of M GPA. Your Lottery GPA takes into account all of your attempts at a particular course whereas your U of M GPA will only count the second and successive attempts at a repeated course. 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. | AD | Audit. The "AD" grade is assigned to you if you had permission to register in a course on an audit basis. The audit grade is based entirely upon attendance in the course and is awarded at the discretion of the instructor. | | 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 practicums, research, dissertation, etc. | | 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 practicums, 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 U of M 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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