Grades

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Office of the Registrar
Kolligian Library 122
Phone: 209-228-7178
Email: registrar@ucmerced.edu
Web: registrar.ucmerced.edu

Grades

The work of all students on the UC Merced campus is reported in terms of the following grades:

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Credit Toward Degree Requirements

A course in which the grade A, B, C, D, P or S is received is counted toward undergraduate degree requirements. A course in which the grade F, NP or U is received is not counted toward degree requirements. Grades of I or IP are not counted until they are replaced by grades A, B, C, D, P or S. Course minimum grade requirements may differ depending on the program. Students should check with their academic advisor to confirm.

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Grade Points

Grade points are assigned as follows: A+ = 4.0, A =4.0, A-= 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- =1.7, D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D-= 0.7, F = 0.0. The grades P, S, NP, U, I and IP carry no grade points and the units in courses so graded are excluded in determination of the grade point average.

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Grade Point Average

A student’s grade point average is computed on courses undertaken in the University of California, with the exception of courses undertaken in University Extension. Grades A, B, C, D and F are used in determining the grade point average; grades I, IP, P, S, NP and U carry no grade points and are excluded from all grade point computations. Grade point average is calculated by dividing the accumulated number of grade points earned by the accumulated number of units undertaken.

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Change of Grade

All grades except Incomplete and In Progress are considered final when assigned by an instructor at the end of a term. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational or procedural error has occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed as a result of re-evaluation of a student’s work. No final grade may be revised as a result of re-examination or the submission of additional work after the close of the semester.

Grade changes for “clerical” errors (such as incorrect addition of points), upon documentation, are automatically granted. Requests to interchange P, NP, S or U grades with normal letter grades based upon student need (such as to allow graduation or to meet entrance requirements for professional school) do not involve clerical or procedural errors and are automatically denied. Thus, students should exercise the Passed/Not Passed or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading options with caution.

Students are reminded of their responsibility to be aware of the procedures and regulations contained in this catalog and the Schedule of Classes, to verify their class schedule and to familiarize themselves with the expectations of their instructors. No changes, except completion of an I grade as noted above, can be made to the student’s record once he or she has graduated.

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Grade I (Incomplete)

The grade of I may be assigned when the instructor determines that a student’s work is of passing quality and represents a significant portion of the requirements for a final grade, but is incomplete for a good cause (good cause may include current illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a recent death in the immediate family, a large and necessary increase in working hours or other situations of equal gravity). It is the student’s responsibility to obtain written permission from the instructor to receive an I grade as opposed to a non-passing grade. An Incomplete form is available from the Office of the Registrar’s website and must be filed prior to the end of the final examination period. If, however, extenuating circumstances exist where submission of the I grade form is not possible before the end of the final examination period, an instructor may submit an I grade; however, the form, including student and instructor signatures, must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the first day of instruction of the next semester (which would include the summer sessions). If the form is not received by the Office of the Registrar before the first day of instruction of the next semester, then the I grade will revert to an F, NP, or U.

If an I grade is assigned, students may receive unit credit and grade points by satisfactorily completing the coursework as specified by the instructor. Students cannot re-enroll in the course to complete an I grade. Doing so would result in the course being recorded twice on the transcript.

I grades are not counted in computing the grade point average. An I grade received in the fall term must be replaced by the first day of instruction in the following fall term. An I grade received in the spring or summer terms must be replaced by the first day of instruction in the following spring term.

Except as noted below, any I grade that has not been replaced within the deadlines will revert to an F, NP, or U. The grade will retroactively be counted in computing a student’s grade point average.

Filing a Graduation Application with an outstanding Incomplete grade on your record or with outstanding transfer work may prevent degree conferral, and you will be required to re-file for a later term. Exception: If a degree is conferred before the end of the deadlines above following the assignment of an I grade, the grade will not be converted to an F, NP, or U. However, the student still has the option of removing the I grade within the deadlines above. Students with 15 or more units of I on their record may not register without permission of the appropriate dean.

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Grade IP (In Progress)

For a course extending over more than one semester where the evaluation of the student’s performance is deferred until the end of the final semester, provisional grades of In Progress (IP) shall be assigned in the intervening terms. The provisional grades shall be replaced by the final grade if the student completes the full sequence. The grade IP is not included in the grade point average. If the full sequence of courses is not completed, the IP will be replaced by a grade of Incomplete. Further changes in the student’s record will be subject to the rules pertaining to I grades.

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Grading Options

Unless otherwise stated in the course description, each course is letter graded with a P/NP or S/U option (unless required for your major or graduate program), not including Freshman Seminars which are always P/NP courses.

Students have until the end of the second week of each semester to change the grade option on a course after obtaining advisor permission and submitting the appropriate form to the Students First Center. After the second week of each semester and up until the last day of instruction for that semester, a student may only change the grade option on a course with the approval of their School dean using the Petition of Academic Policy form at registrar.ucmerced.edu/policies/petition-academic-policy. Students in good standing who are changing a grade option for a course from a letter grade to a P/NP option must conform to the rules guiding the taking of courses on a P/NP basis (see section on Passed/Not Passed).

Grade Passed/Not Passed (P/NP)

Undergraduate students in good standing who are enrolled in at least 12 units may take certain courses on a passed/not passed (P/NP) basis. Students may enroll in one course each term on a P/NP basis (two courses if they have not elected the P/NP in the preceding term), not including Freshman Seminars which are always P/NP courses.

Changes to and from the P/NP option must be made during the enrollment period. No changes can be made after the first two weeks of classes without the approval of the appropriate dean. A student may not repeat on a P/NP basis a course that was previously taken on a letter-graded basis.

The grade P is assigned for a letter grade of C- or better. If the student earns a grade of D+ or below, the grade will be recorded as NP. In both cases, the student’s grade will not be computed into the grade point average.

Credit for courses taken on a P/NP basis is limited to one-third of the total units taken and passed on the UC Merced campus at the time the degree is awarded. A course that is required or a prerequisite for a student’s major may be taken on a P/NP basis only upon approval of the faculty. Schools may designate some courses as passed/not passed only. Students do not have the option of taking these courses for a letter grade.

Grade Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)

The grade of S is awarded to graduate students for work in graduate courses that otherwise would receive a grade of B or better.

Graduate students, under certain circumstances, may be assigned grades of S or U, but units earned in this way will not be counted in calculating the grade point average. Forms to elect S/U grading are available from the Graduate Division’s website at gradstudies.ucmerced.edu and must be signed by the student’s graduate advisor. Graduate students may request to take no more than one course per term on an S/U grading basis. A graduate course in which a C, D or F grade is received may not be repeated with the S/U option.

In specific approved courses, instructors will assign only Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grades. Such courses count toward the maximum number of units graded S allowable toward the degree, as specified by each degree program.

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Mid-Semester Grades

Mid-semester grades provide students in lower division courses with early feedback (both positive and negative) about their academic performance. Mid-semester grades provide an opportunity for students to receive positive reinforcement and motivation if they are doing well, and to identify those who are struggling. Mid-semester grades allow faculty, advisors, and services on campus to intervene with students who are in academic difficulty, while there is still time in the semester. Mid-semester grades for all lower division courses only are reported at the end of the eighth week of the semester, and all grades are submitted as letter grades for letter-graded courses (regardless of whether the student has elected to take the course as P/NP). If a course is P/NP only, all grades will be submitted as P/ NP. Mid-semester grades are notational grades which are used to help ensure the academic success of UC Merced students in lower division courses. These grades are not recorded in any permanent record or on a student’s academic transcript.

All mid-semester grades of D+, D, D- or F on any course requires freshmen-only students to attend a one-hour Academic Success Workshop. Attendance is mandatory and a hold for future semester course registration will be placed for non-participation in the one-hour workshop. Sophomores with a D+, D, D- or F grade are encouraged to attend an Academic Success Workshop, however, they can have the hold for future semester course registration released by meeting with their academic advisor.

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Final Grades

After grades are recorded for a semester or summer session, they are available online via MyStudentRecord (accessible via MyUCMerced). With the availability of online grade reporting, students can print their grade reports from the Internet.

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Dean’s Honor List

Undergraduate students will be eligible for the Dean’s Honor List if they have earned in any one semester a minimum of 12 graded units with a 3.5 grade point average or better with no grade of I or NP. Dean’s Honors are listed on student transcripts. Any student who has been found to violate the academic integrity policies during an academic year will not be eligible for the Dean’s Honor List during that academic year.

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Chancellor’s Honors List

Undergraduate students who are placed on the Dean’s Honor List for both semesters in a single academic year (fall and spring) will be placed on the Chancellor’s Honor List for that academic year.