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Grading System for Undergraduate Students
UW Tacoma uses a numerical grading system. Instructors may report grades from 4.0 to 0.7 in 0.1 increments and the grade 0.0. The number 0.0 is assigned for failing work or unofficial withdrawal. Grades in the range 0.6 to 0.1 may not be assigned. Grades reported in this range are converted by the registrar to 0.0. Numerical grades may be considered equivalent to letter grades as shown in the chart below. Some instructors use their own grade scale which they include in their course syllabus.
| Letter Grade | Numerical Grade |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 - 3.9 |
| A- | 3.8 - 3.5 |
| B+ | 3.4 - 3.2 |
| B | 3.1 - 2.9 |
| B- | 2.8 - 2.5 |
| C+ | 2.4 - 2.2 |
| C | 2.1 - 1.9 |
| C- | 1.8-1.5 |
| D+ | 1.4 - 1.2 |
| D | 1.1 - 0.9 |
| D- | 0.8 - 0.7 (Lowest passing grade) |
| E | 0.0 (Failure or unofficial withdrawal; no credit earned) |
Grading System for Graduate Students
At the graduate level, instructors may report grades from 4.0 to 1.7 in 0.1 increments. Grades below 1.7 are recorded as 0.0 by the Registrar and do not count toward residency, total credit count, or grade and credit requirements. A minimum grade of 2.7 is required in each graded course that is counted toward a graduate degree. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. Numerical grades may be considered equivalent to letter grades as follows:
| Letter Grade | Numerical Grade |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 - 3.9 |
| A- | 3.8 - 3.5 |
| B+ | 3.4 - 3.1 |
| B | 3.0 - 2.9 |
| B- | 2.8 - 2.5 |
| C+ | 2.4 - 2.1 |
| C | 2.0 - 1.7 |
| E | 1.6 - 0.0 |
Other Letter Grades
Definitions for the following letter grades that may also be used:
| Letter Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| CR: Credit Awarded | Credit in a course offered on a credit/no-credit (C/NC) basis only or in courses numbered 600, 601, 700, 750 and 800. The minimum performance level required for a CR grade is determined, and the grade is awarded directly by the instructor. CR is not computed in GPA calculations. |
| NC: Credit Not Awarded | Credit not awarded in a course offered on a credit/no-credit (C/NC) basis only or in courses numbered 600, 601, 700, 750 and 800. The grade is awarded directly by the instructor and is not included in GPA calculations. |
| S: Satisfactory |
Satisfactory grade for courses taken on a satisfactory/not-satisfactory (S/NS) basis. An S grade is automatically converted from a numerical grade of 2.0 or above for undergraduate classes and 2.7 or above for graduate classes. The grade S may not be assigned directly by the instructor, but is a grade conversion by the Office of the Registrar. Typically, undergraduate students may elect this option only for free electives and cannot be used to satisfy a university, college or department course requirement unless the quarter is deemed as one of extraordinary circumstances where courses will count towards prerequisites, major and degree if the student earns an S grade. With the approval of their program advisor, graduate students may elect to be graded S/NS in any numerically graded course for which they are eligible. A maximum of 25 credits of S/NS grades may be applied to an undergraduate degree. S is not computed in GPA calculations. For graduate students, see an academic advisor. Read about late grading options during Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters. |
| NS: Not Satisfactory |
Not Satisfactory grade for courses taken on a satisfactory/not-satisfactory (S/NS) basis. A grade less than 2.0 for undergraduate classes and 2.7 for graduate classes is converted to NS. NS is not included in GPA calculations. No credit is awarded for courses in which an NS grade is received. Read about late grading options during Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters. |
| I: Incomplete |
"Incomplete" given at the discretion of the faculty only when a student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work until within three weeks of the end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. Instructors are not obligated to grant a student's request for an Incomplete. Instructors will use the designated process of their school for students to request and for instructors to approve the awarding of an Incomplete grade. For undergraduate students, an Incomplete not made up by the end of the next quarter is converted to a grade of 0.0. However, an instructor can assign a grade other than 0.0 even if the student does not complete the assigned course work. The submitted grade will replace the "I" on the transcript. If no grade is submitted the Incomplete will convert to a grade of 0.0 and the "I" will be removed from the official transcript. If a default grade was submitted by the instructor this grade will replace the "I" on the transcript. An instructor may approve an extension of the Incomplete removal deadline by contacting the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the quarter following the quarter in which the Incomplete grade was assigned. Extensions, which may be granted for up to three additional quarters, must be received before the Incomplete has been converted into a failing grade. In no case can an Incomplete received by an undergraduate be converted to a passing grade after the lapse of one year. For graduate students, an Incomplete grade does not automatically convert to 0.0 but remains a permanent part of the student’s record. To obtain credit for the course, a student must successfully complete the work and the instructor must submit a grade. In no case can an Incomplete received by a graduate student be converted to a passing grade after a lapse of two years or more. |
| W: Official Withdrawal | Official Withdrawal or drop from a course from the third through the seventh week of the quarter for undergraduates. A number designating the week of the quarter is recorded with the “W” when a course is dropped. It is not computed in GPA calculations. Effective through Summer 2020. |
| HW: Hardship Withdrawal | Grade assigned when a student is allowed a hardship withdrawal from a course after the fourteenth calendar day of the quarter. HW grades are not computed in GPA calculations. Effective through Winter 2020. |
| RD: Registrar Drop | "RD" is assigned when a student is allowed to withdraw from a course(s) after the 14th calendar day of the quarter (click here to learn more about Current Quarter Drop and Former Quarter Drop policies). It does not impact cumulative GPA or academic standing. Effective beginning Spring 2020. |
| N: Hyphenated Course | N: Indicates that the student is making satisfactory progress and a final grade will be given at the end of the quarter the work is completed. Used only for hyphenated courses (courses not completed in one quarter) and courses numbered 600, 601, 700, 750 or 800. An N grade carries with it no credit or grade until a regular grade is assigned. |
X Missing Grade Annotation
If after the grading deadline a student has not been assigned a grade by the instructor, the system will insert an X missing grade annotation that appears on the student's record. The GPA is not affected and no credit is granted. The student does not receive credit for the course until a passing grade is submitted.
Grade point average (GPA)
The cumulative GPA includes credits granted for courses taken in residence at all campuses of the University of Washington and those with a “DL” (Distance Learning) offered when fully online. The UW transcript also reflects grades for other Continuum College courses that are not residence credit and grades for credit by examination. Credits by exam grades do not affect the student’s UW cumulative GPA.
Computation of GPA
The grade point average for graduation is computed by dividing the total cumulative grade points by the total credits attempted for courses taken in residence at the university. Grade points are calculated by multiplying the number of credits by the numeric value of the grade for each course. The sum of the grade points is then divided by the total credits attempted. Courses elected on an S/NS basis are counted as follows: Satisfactory grades are printed on the permanent record as an S and do not count in the quarterly or cumulative grade point average, but they do count as credits earned toward graduation. Not-satisfactory grades (NS) do not count in the quarterly and cumulative grade point averages and do not count as credits earned toward graduation.
Examples of How to Calculate your GPA:
| COURSE | CREDITS | GRADE | GRADE POINTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWRT 211 | 3 | X | 0.0 | = | 0.0 |
| TMATH 324 | 5 | X | 2.9 | = | 14.5 |
| TCSS 390 | 5 | X | 3.2 | = | 16.0 |
| = 13 total credits attempted | = 30.5 total grade points |
Total credits earned toward graduation: 10
Total graded credits attempted: 13
Total grade points: 30.5
To calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA): 30.5 ÷ 13 = 2.35 GPA
The total graded credits attempted (13 credits), not the credits earned (10), are used in computing the GPA.
| COURSE | CREDITS | GRADE | GRADE POINTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBUS 300 | 5 | X | 2.3 | = |
11.5 |
| TBUS 310 | 5 | X | 2.9 | = | 14.5 |
| TBUS 320 | 5 | X | I | = | 0.0 |
| = 10 credits completed (5 are incomplete | = 26.0 total grade points |
Total credits earned toward graduation: 10
Total graded credits attempted: 15
Total grade points: 26
Grade point average = 26.0 ÷ 10 = 2.60
The student attempted 15 credits, but has received an incomplete (I) for TBUS 320, so only 10 are graded initially; the I is not computed in the grade point average. If the work in TBUS 320 is not made up by the end of the following quarter, the I grade will convert to a numeric grade of 0.0 and the grade point average will be recomputed and the 15 total credits attempted will now used to re-calculate the grade point average. When a grade of 0.0 is received, it is computed in the grade point average, but no credit is awarded toward graduation.
Grading Procedures
Change of Grade
Except in case of error, an instructor may not change a grade that they have submitted to the Registrar. A student who finds administrative omissions or errors in a grade report must make application for review no later than the last day of the student’s next quarter in residence. Grades cannot be changed after the degree has been granted. Students are not automatically notified of grade changes posted and should review their unofficial transcript.
Changing or Appealing Final Grades
Except in case of error, no instructor may change a final grade that they have turned in to the Registrar. Grades cannot be changed after the degree has been granted.
Written Appeal of Grade Error
If a student believes that the instructor made an error in the assignment of a grade, or believe a grade recording error or omission has occurred, the following procedures are required to resolve the matter:
- The student must first discuss the matter with the instructor before the end of the following academic quarter.
- If they are not satisfied with the instructor’s response, the student may submit a written appeal that must include documentation(2) to the director or the dean of the program(3) that offered the course, with a copy of the appeal to the instructor. This must be done no later than 10 class days after your discussion with the instructor. The director or dean will consult with the instructor to ensure that the evaluation of your performance was fair and reasonable or whether the instructor's conduct in assigning the grade was arbitrary or capricious. Should the dean or director believe the instructor's conduct to be arbitrary or capricious(4) and the instructor declines to revise the grade, the director, with the approval of the voting members of his or her faculty, shall appoint an appropriate member, or members, of the faculty of that program to evaluate your performance and assign a grade. The vice chancellor for academic affairs and the provost will be informed of this action.
Once the student submits a written appeal, this appeal, any supporting documentation, and all subsequent actions on this appeal may be maintained and/or recorded in written form for deposit in a department, school or college file.
(1) Final grade means the grade received in the course and reported to the Office of the Registrar.
(2) Documentation means all materials relevant to the grade determination and to the grade appeal process. Examples include grade reports, graded work, syllabus, student/faculty correspondence, etc.
(3) Director or Dean means the administrator responsible for the respective school or program offering the course, which is under appeal.
(4) Arbitrary or Capricious means in a manner deemed to be inappropriately subjective or otherwise inconsistent.
Extraordinary Circumstances Quarter Late Grading Option
Undergraduate and graduate students may amend their original grading options for courses during Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters (ECQ). Review the Extraordinary Circumstances Quarter website for specific information about the following terms that have been deemed an Extraordinary Circumstances Quarter. Students may continue to move between numeric to S/NS grading or from S/NS to numeric for grades earned only in Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters until their degree has been posted. A change of registration fee is assessed for each change of grading option made, except for changes to Spring 2020 courses. Satisfactory (S) grades will count toward degree and graduation requirements.
