Grades

Records of academic achievement (courses and grades) are maintained by the University Registrar.

Notes about Grades

General Notes

  • Grades and symbols used to record academic progress are listed in the following grading system table.
  • Each school determines its own grading system.
  • Students are graded according to the grading system of the school in which the class is taught.
  • Additional regulations apply to courses taught on a credit/no credit(CR/NC) basis; see below.
  • You can view the detailed grading system in the University of Virginia Undergraduate Record.

Grade Points & Grade Point Average (GPA)

  • Grade points are assigned to all grades listed in the grading system table.
  • A grade point is the value for the grade multiplied by the credit hours of the course.
  • Grade point averages are calculated by totaling the number of grade points earned, then dividing that total by the number of credits carried toward the GPA.
  • The University has two online calculators; one through UREG and one through SFS.

Grading Options

Graded Credit

All general education requirements, major requirements and minor requirements must be taken for a grade. Do not select the CR/NC or Audit option (see below) without first speaking with your Association Dean and obtaining the instructor's permission.

Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) Grade Option

You may not use this option for any required classes. All classes for the major, minor, general education, certificate requirements, etc. must be taken for a grade.

With the instructor's permission, you have the option of receiving the grades CR (credit) or NC (no credit) in place of A-F grades. This option is selected when you enroll in a class and before the add deadline of the semester is which the class is taken. Do not use this option for any course that will count toward the College's requirements, your major(s) or minor, for admission to a professional school or for another institution you may wish to attend later.

Not all instructors in the College permit this grading option, and the McIntire School of Commerce disallows the option entirely. Instructors have the right to deny students permission to take courses on a CR/NC basis; thus, you should seek permission before selecting this option.

It is your responsibility to confirm with the instructor the minimum academic level of achievement for the grade of CR.

  • No more than two courses may be taken on a CR/NC basis in any semester or in summer session, exclusive of physical education courses.
  • Student who enter the College out of high school may count a maximum of 24 credits of CR/NC courses toward a degree.
  • Second-year transfer students are permitted to submit up to 18 credits of CR/NC work toward a degree; for third-year transfer students, a maximum 12 credits of CR/NC work are allowed.
  • Students may not use a CR/NC course to repeat a course in which a grade has already been given. If this should occur, the credits in the CR/NC course would not count toward graduation.

You may take no more than two courses (exclusive of physical education courses) per semester on a Credit/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. In total, new first-year students who are admitted directly out of high school may take no more than 24 of the 120 credits required for graduation, including KINE/KLPA.

Audit (AU) Grade Option

You may audit courses with the permission of the instructor. Courses successfully taken on an audit basis have the symbol AU (audit) recorded in the grade column of the academic record.

As no credits or grade points are earned in audited courses, these courses are not applicable toward a degree BUT they DO count toward a student's semester course load. Instructors have the option of deciding whether students may or may not take their courses on an audit basis.

A grade of W is recorded for any student who discontinues the audit after the drop deadline or who fails to meet the instructor’s standards.

Changing a Grading Option

You must obtain the permission of the instructor in order to change a grade option for a course in which you have enrolled. The deadline is the same as the deadline to add a course. If you have the instructor's permission and you are within the add deadline you may use the SIS (Student Information System) to change a grade option.

Extension of Time/Incomplete Grade

The Faculty has adopted a policy that, unless authorized by the Dean's office, students must complete all course work before taking the final examination. Instructors are not authorized to extend the time for completion of course work without the Association Dean's approval. A complete and signed Request for An Incomplete Grade or Request for Examination Postponement should be returned via DocuSign by the deadline shown on the College calendar.

The symbol IN (incomplete) is used when additional course work is required or examinations need to be taken in order to fulfill the requirements of a given course.

A grade of IN automatically converts to F four weeks after the end of the examination period.

Grade Changes & Appeals

Grade Changes

No grade may be changed after it has been submitted to the University Registrar without the approval of the Association Dean.

The Association Dean is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to the University Registrar except when an instructor certifies that, because of errors in calculation or transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted. Extra work to raise a grade, once submitted, is never permitted.

Time limit
The College limits the time in which a grade change may be approved to the fall or spring semester following the one in which the grade was received, except when there is indication that the student violated the integrity of the course (e.g., honor violations).

Grade Appeals

Grade appeals may only relate to errors in computation of the FINAL grade and not to the quality of a student’s work. Appeals may result in a lower grade being awarded.

Students who wish to appeal the computation of a grade or other classroom issue must first attempt to resolve the issue with the instructor of the course. Absent a satisfactory outcome, the student may appeal to the relevant department chair or program director.

If this path proves unsuccessful in the resolution of the matter, the student may appeal to a Committee of Associate Deans in the College of Arts & Sciences. The written appeal should be addressed to the Committee on Final Grade Appeals and mailed to or dropped off with the College of Arts & Sciences, 101 Monroe Hall, P.O. Box 400133; [email protected].

Students have one term beyond when a grade posted to submit an appeal. The appeal of a grade from a course offered during a student's final term before graduation must be appealed before graduation.