Graduate Grading System

The University uses the following letter grades on the graduate level to indicate the record of achievement in courses taken:

Undergraduate Grading System
Letter Grade	Quality Point	Weight
A	Superior	4.00
A-		3.67
B+		3.33
B	Good	3.00
B-		2.67
C+		2.33
C	Satisfactory	2.00
C-	(School of Business/Theology)	1.67
D+	(School of Business/Theology)	1.33
D	Poor but Passing (School of Business/Theology)	1.00
F	Failure	0.00
FSA	Failure - Stopped Attending	0.00
I	Incomplete	0.00
AU	Audut	0.00
NA	Never Attended/Never Participated	0.00
NR	No Record/Not Reported	0.00
NSA	No basis for grading - Stopped Attending	0.00
IW	Incomplete Withdrawal	0.00
WD	Withdrawal	0.00
FI	Failure-Unresolved Incomplete	0.00
Some Graduate Seminars Only
S	Acceptable	0.00
U	Unacceptable	0.00
IP	In Progress	0.00

The following are explanations and regulations that apply to certain grades listed above:

I – Incomplete: Indicates noncompletion of assignment(s) or failure to take the examination for a course. Students must obtain written permission to receive an incomplete by submitting a Course Adjustment Form to the professor before the officially scheduled final examination. The professor will indicate on this form the amount of time allowed for completion of this work, up to a maximum of 12 months or by the time the student has graduated (whichever comes first). If the missing course requirements are completed within this time period, the professor must file an online change of grade in Banner Self-Service within 10 working days. Effective with Fall 2007 courses, if a grade of “I” is not resolved within the time allotted, this grade will be changed automatically and permanently to “FI.” In extenuating circumstances a written request for a limited time extension to complete course requirements may be submitted in advance of the one-year deadline by the student to the professor and dean of the college in which the course was offered, with a copy to the Office of the Registrar for approval. The grade “I” is not counted in determining class standing, eligibility or grade point average. An unresolved “I” grade will count in the calculation of the grade point average when it changes to “FI” after the one year period.

Although a student’s GPA is not affected by an “I” grade, the fact that the student receives no credit for the course may impact academic eligibility and, as a consequence, the student’s eligibility for financial aid. An unresolved “I” grade may also impact the student’s eligibility for financial aid and academic standing when it changes to an “FI” grade, as an “FI” grade affects both the grade point average and the credit completion ratio.

An “incomplete” grade cannot be given when a student does not complete any course requirements or fails to attend class meetings. A student who receives an “I” grade may not attend class meetings in a future semester in order to make up outstanding requirements. Students who must attend all class meetings to complete requirements for an “I” in a course must register for the course. Full tuition is due in this circumstance.

IW – Incomplete Withdrawal: If, within 12 months, or by graduation (whichever comes first), a grade of “NR” has not been resolved, it is automatically changed to “IW.” The grade “IW” indicates that the student has not satisfied within the permissible time period all outstanding requirements for the course in which an “NR” was received. An “IW” grade is not reversible; it does not count in determining class standing, eligibility or grade point average.

WD – Withdrawal: Withdrawal from a class with written permission incurs no academic penalty. Appropriate forms must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Withdrawal will be allowed up to the end of the fourth week of the semester without faculty or dean signature during Fall and Spring semesters. Students may request a course withdrawal by submitting a Course Adjustment Form. After the end of this initial period, withdrawals require signatures of the faculty member and dean. Under normal circumstances withdrawal will be allowed only through the Friday of the eighth week of each semester. Withdrawal after that date will be allowed by the respective deans’ offices only under exceptional circumstances. A “WD” is not reversible; it is not counted in determining class standing, eligibility or GPA.

When students receive a “WD” grade, their grade point average is not affected. However, the fact that the student receives no credit for the course may affect the student’s academic eligibility, and, as a consequence, the student’s eligibility for Title IV financial aid.

F – Failure: When students receive an “F” grade in a course, no academic credit or quality points are awarded for that course. Their GPA is, of course, negatively impacted by a failing grade. The “F” grade is not counted in determining class standing, but its statistical effect is factored into the calculation of GPA and, consequently, it also affects eligibility issues.

When students fail a course that is required in their program of study, they must successfully repeat that course in order to establish degree eligibility. When students fail a free elective, they are not required to make up the course.

Any time a course is repeated, associated charges (tuition and fees) will be applied.

When students successfully repeat a course at Seton Hall that they have failed, the original “F” grade remains on their transcript with the repeated designation, but is no longer factored into the students’ GPA.

In general, students are not granted permission to retake at another institution a course they failed at Seton Hall.

If students were to retake the course at another institution for transfer to their Seton Hall record, no statistical adjustment would be made. In this case, the “F” would continue to be calculated into the average. Students earn credits, but no quality points, from transferred courses.

Poor academic performance can affect eligibility for financial aid. In general, it is recommended that students repeat courses at Seton Hall that they have initially failed so that they may improve their GPA. Any time a course is repeated, associated charges (tuition and fees) will be applied. Students on probation should consult with their adviser to determine how to improve their academic performance and raise their GPAs.

AU – Audit Option (no credit): Students who register as auditors are expected to attend class regularly but are not obligated to take tests or comply with any other course requirements. Please note: There are two audit options available:

Audit Declaration at Registration: Students who declare an audit option at the time of registration by filing an Audit Declaration are assessed tuition of $600 per credit plus fees. Audit declaration is restricted to open courses at in-person registration sessions immediately prior to the beginning of a semester. Audit declaration is not allowed in computer, computer-based, laboratory, graphic arts, applied art, applied music, independent study, thesis or dissertation, online or off- campus courses. Audit declaration also is not allowed in closed courses.

Students who file an Audit Declaration subsequently may not rescind that declaration and switch to credit status. Auditors who withdraw from a course for which they have filed an Audit Declaration will not receive any refund. Within the add/drop period, auditors may drop a course for which they have filed an Audit Declaration; they will receive a refund of tuition only, not fees.

Standard Audit Option: Students who wish to audit a class may submit this request on a Course Adjustment Form available in the Office of the Registrar. Auditors may enroll for any course for which they are qualified. They may be dropped from a course by the professor if their presence impedes normal class progress. They may not change from audit to credit or vice versa after the fifth week of class or the first third of the course meetings in Summer Session. Regular tuition and fees are assessed for the standard audit option.

The designation of “AU” is noted on the transcript. “AU” is not used in determining class standing, eligibility or GPA.

U – Unsatisfactory: When students receive a “U” grade in a course, no academic credit or quality points are awarded for that course. Their GPA is negatively impacted by this grade. The “U” grade is not counted in determining class standing, but its statistical effect is factored into the calculation of GPA and, consequently, it also affects academic eligibility.

FSA Failure – Stopped Attending: The FSA grade indicates that student stopped attending the class without officially withdrawing and any work submitted was not sufficient to pass the class. The student receives no academic credit or quality points for the course. For the purposes of GPA calculation, this grade is equivalent to an F.

NA – Never Attended/Never Participated: An NA grade indicates that an enrolled student has never attended (or never participated in an online class). An NA grade is not reversible. It is not factored into the GPA.

NR – No Record: When a faculty member does not enter a grade for student, the Registrar will enter an NR grade for the student. The NR grade indicated that the faculty member has not graded the student for the course. This grade is not factored into the GPA.

NSA – No Basis for Grading-Stopped Attending: The NSA grade indicates that a student stopped attending a class without officially withdrawing and submitted no meaningful work, resulting in no basis for grading. This grade is not factored into the GPA.

Grade Point Average

To calculate weighted averages, the quality points assigned to grades are multiplied by the number of credits assigned to the course in which the grade is received. For example, a grade of “B+” in a 2-credit course represents 6.66 quality points; a grade of “A” in a 3-credit course equals 12 quality points and so forth. The sum of the quality points that the student has earned then is divided by the sum of credits attempted which re-graded “A” through “F.” The resulting figure when truncated to four decimal places is then rounded by adding .0005 and truncating all but three digits to the right of the decimal.

Seton Hall University calculates grade point averages by student level. So, a student who has completed a graduate degree and then begins study for a second degree in another academic area will have a single GPA which is cumulative and calculated on an ongoing basis. It will include all graduate course grades. Similarly, a student who begins studies in one academic area and then changes to a new program will have a cumulative graduate GPA which includes all undergraduate courses taken at Seton Hall.

Academic Good Standing

A grade point average of 3.0 is considered the minimum standard for satisfactory completion of coursework. Students who have accumulated two “C” grades or one “F” grade will undergo a record review by the appropriate faculty to determine future standing. Graduate students whose grade point averages are below 3.0 must receive clearance from their department/dean in order to register. Some colleges and programs have additional criteria for retention and good standing. In all cases, students are subject to these requirements.

Dismissal/Suspension

Dismissal constitutes permanent separation from the University. Suspension constitutes removal from the University for a stipulated period of time. Dismissal and suspension are generally based on the student’s unsatisfactory academic progress. Dismissed and suspended students are not in good standing with the University and are not eligible for financial aid.

Repeated Courses

A student may repeat a course in order to earn a higher grade. Any time a course is repeated, associated charges (tuition and fees) will be applied. The student must repeat the course at Seton Hall; no statistical adjustment is made when a student repeats a course at another institution. No credit is awarded when a student retakes at another institution a course for which he or she has earned credit at Seton Hall. When a course taken at Seton Hall is repeated at Seton Hall, only the higher grade is used in the calculation of the GPA. In this case, the lower grade will remain on the transcript with the designation “E” to denote its exclusion from the GPA. Credit (if any) attached to the lower grade is rescinded; only the credit attached to the higher grade is applied to the student’s record. This statistical adjustment will be made only when the student repeats the exact course with the identical course number.

If the student receives the same grade on the course when it is repeated, the more recent grade will be excluded from the student’s record. If a student receives a lower grade when the student repeats the course, the higher grade will remain applied to the student’s record, although the lower grade will be reflected on the individual’s transcript, but will not be calculated into the student’s GPA.

Students must inform their adviser if they are repeating a course for a better grade. While there is no limit to the number of times a student can repeat a course, excessive repeated courses may impact on satisfactory academic progress requirements.

Financial aid regulation limit funding for course repeats under certain circumstances.

Grade Change Requests

A request for a grade change must be made in writing to the instructor no later than four months from the date of the submission of the final grade in the course. (Incompletes are not final grades and are governed by stated University policies.) If the matter is not resolved within 10 class days from the submission of the request for change, the student has recourse to use the University grievance policy. If the dean’s office determines that extraordinary circumstances warrant a waiver of the grade change deadlines, that office can so certify to the Office of the Registrar to arrange for grade change processing.

Grade Changes and Graduation

After clearance for graduation, the student’s academic record is finalized, and no grade changes may be authorized. Graduating students who have a pending grade appeal must advise the University Registrar in writing of this fact.

Commencement

Commencement takes place once a year in May when degrees for the preceding Summer and Fall terms also are awarded. Participation in Commencement Exercises is restricted to those graduates who completed degree requirements in the prior Summer and Fall semesters and to confirmed degree candidates completing requirements as of May. The Office of the Registrar determines eligibility to participate in Commencement.

Diploma Policy

Diplomas are normally available three months following the degree completion date. A student’s name appears on his or her diploma exactly as it appears on the University’s computerized database. Students must file a name change request in the Office of the Registrar by the appropriate deadline in order to have their diploma reflect that change. Changes in first or last name require official documentation (e.g., marriage certificate or court order). The addition of a middle name or initial does not require supporting documentation. When a student files his or her online Application for Graduation, the student may make changes in middle name online; changes in first or last name must be requested separately.

Diplomas are released upon determination of academic eligibility and financial clearance. Graduates who have an unresolved financial obligation to the University will not receive their diplomas until cleared by Student Financial Services. Graduate students whose program requires the completion of a thesis or dissertation will not receive their diploma until the thesis/dissertation is submitted for binding.

Transcripts

Transcript requests should be filed well in advance of any deadline. Normal processing time for transcripts ranges from 48 to 72 business hours. Transcripts reflecting the award of a graduate degree will not be available until the Office of the Registrar has confirmed the eligibility of the candidate for the degree.

Current students may order transcripts online via Banner Student Self-Service, using the PirateNet portal. Former students may order transcripts online, using the link on the Registrar’s home page. The transcript fee is $6.00 per copy.

Complete information detailing the procedure and charges for transcript requests is available online at the Registrar website.

The University reserves the right to withhold transcript services from students who have an outstanding financial obligation to the University.

Name and Address Change

Changes in personal data, including change of name, address, next of kin and expected graduation date, should be reported in writing to the Office of the Registrar. Students may also update their address and other information online. Requests for changes in first or last name require accompanying official documentation (e.g., marriage certificate or court order). Graduating students must file name change requests by April 1 preceding the May commencement date. Name changes and changes in student identification numbers will not be made after a student has graduated.

The University uses official names on all records in compliance with federal guidelines and University identity management policies.

Students may update their personal information, including address, telephone, personal email and emergency contact online within Banner Self-Service.

Seton Hall Student Identification Number (SHU ID)

Upon admission to the University, every student is assigned an 8-digit student identification number. Students should use this number for general identification purposes.