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Grade Point Average

A student is required to maintain at least a B (3.0) average in all work attempted while enrolled in the Graduate School, and a student must have at least a 3.0 overall average to receive a graduate degree. Grades received in foreign language courses taken to fulfill the language requirement are not used by the Graduate School in calculating grade point average.

Grades, GPA, Course Load

1. A degree-seeking graduate student who earned a grade of C+ or below may retake the course under the university-wide grade replacement policy, subject to the policies and limitations of the program.
2. Courses in which grades below B- (2.7) are received are not accepted for doctoral programs.
3. Courses in which grades below C (2.0) are received are not accepted for master’s degree programs or for the removal of academic deficiencies.
4. Courses taken toward the fulfillment of requirements for graduate degrees may not be taken pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
5. Grades received in courses transferred from another institution and/or grades earned while a student was classified as a non-degree student are not included in the calculation of grade point average.
6. Graduate students may not register for more than 15 credits during any one semester.
7. Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 at any time during their graduate career will be placed on academic warning and may be dismissed from their program.

Academic Standing and Dismissal

Students are subject to academic requirements and standards for adequate progress placed both by the Graduate School and by their graduate program.

When a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.00, they will be placed on academic warning. Except in cases where a program has stricter policies approved by the Graduate School, the student has two semesters in which to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 or above.

If a student does not earn a 3.0 GPA in all courses taken in the first of two academic warning semesters, a dean’s administrative stop is placed on the student’s record, and they may be subject to dismissal at the conclusion of that first semester. The final decision on dismissal is made by the Dean of the Graduate School based on departmental recommendation.

If, after the two-semester academic warning period, the student’s cumulative GPA is still below 3.0, a dean’s administrative stop is placed on the student’s record and they may be subject to dismissal. However, if there are extenuating circumstances, the department chair or program director may petition the Dean of the Graduate School for an extension of the academic warning time period. The petition should include an academic plan to raise the grade point average to 3.0 and the conditions under which the student will be dismissed.

If the student’s cumulative GPA is at or below 2.5 a dean’s administrative stop is placed on the student’s record and the student may be withdrawn from course work for upcoming semesters. However, if there are extenuating circumstances, the department chair or program director may petition the Dean of the Graduate School showing compelling reasons for the student to be granted a chance to continue. Such petitions must include an academic plan to raise the GPA to 3.00 and the conditions under which the student will be dismissed from the program.

A provisionally admitted student whose GPA falls below 3.0 has a dean’s administrative stop placed on his/her record pending a review by the major department and the Graduate School. If there are extenuating circumstances, the department chair or program director may petition the Dean of the Graduate School showing compelling reasons for the student to be granted a chance to continue. Such petitions must include an academic plan to raise the GPA to 3.00 and the conditions under which the student will be dismissed from the program.

Students are also subject to academic requirements and standards for adequate academic progress placed by their graduate program. Based upon , an academic dismissal decision is made by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the program’s recommendation. Should the student be dismissed from the program, a dean’s administrative stop is placed on the student’s record and the student is withdrawn from classes for any future semesters.

English Proficiency

A student who is noticeably deficient in the written and/or oral use of the English language cannot obtain an advanced degree from CU Boulder. Each program judges the qualifications of its students in the use of English. The department chair or program director is responsible for deciding whether a student is proficient in the use of English.

Student Ethics

Students are expected to adhere to the highest codes of personal and professional ethics. Students who do not adhere to written guidelines regarding academic honesty or academic or research ethics may be dealt with according to the policies for academic dishonesty, academic ethics, or research misconduct as published in the appropriate Graduate School and University policy documents. Students found guilty of misconduct in any of these areas may have sanctions imposed, or may be dismissed from CU Boulder.

Grievances

The designation academic grievance covers those problems related to academic issues. Such issues are distinguished from academic ethics cases and disciplinary cases for which separate procedures exist. Included within academic grievance cases are faculty, departmental, college or Graduate School policies affecting individual student prerogatives, deviations from stated grading procedures (excluding individual grade challenges), unfair treatment and related issues. Policies and procedures governing the filing of an academic grievance are published in a separate policy document available in the Graduate School. Students who feel they have been treated unfairly or outside of normal departmental policies may file a grievance with the Graduate School in accordance with published grievance procedures and after all grievance opportunities at the department level have been exhausted.

Last updated July 2023