Grades
Learn more about grades at Seattle University, including units of credit, class levels, and GPA calculations. Understand the grading system, policies for grade changes, and criteria for the Dean's List and President's List.
Units of Credit
One quarter hour of credit is given for each hour of class per week for 10 weeks. Five quarter hours is typically 50 lectures of 50 minutes each. A 100-minute laboratory period is considered equivalent to a 50-minute lecture, except in Engineering and Nursing where required laboratory hours may be greater.
Class Level
Class level is determined by number of credits a student has at a given time.
| Freshman | 0-44.9 credits |
| Sophomore | 45-89.9 credits |
| Junior | 90-134.9 credits |
| Senior | 135 or more credits |
Your cumulative GPA (grade point average) is listed on official and unofficial transcripts. Because of educational privacy laws, the Registrar’s office cannot give you your GPA over the phone. You can view your GPA on mySeattleU or request it in-person at the Redhawk Service Center desk in Vi Hilbert Hall. Photo ID is required.
Current students can access their unofficial transcript on mySeattleU by following these steps:
- Go to mySeattleU
- Select “Academics”
- Select “Unofficial Transcript”
The College of Arts and Sciences developed a useful automated tool for GPA calculation: GPA Calculator
Procedure to Calculate Your Cumulative GPA: Multiply the number of credits for each course by the numeric grade achieved for that course (see below) to determine grade points. Divide the sum of the grade points by the total number of credits attempted.
Your cumulative GPA is displayed on your official or unofficial transcript, but your program GPA is not on an official or unofficial transcript. Use the procedure below to calculate your major, minor, or last two year GPAs.
If a course is a repeat (as indicated by an R next to the credits, for the first attempt on the official transcript), the credits and quality points from the highest earned grade is used in calculation.
To calculate your major, minor, or last two years GPA: Follow the calculation process outlined below on just those courses that apply to your major, minor, or last two years of course work. Your courses and grades are listed on your unofficial or official transcript. You can find which courses apply to your major or minor by referring to the Catalog from the year you were accepted into your major.
The grades of CR, HW, I, IP, LW, M, N, NC, P, Q, R, W, Y, YW, or Z have no quality point value.
Example:
| Course & Credits | Letter Grade and Numeric Equivalent | Credit x Numeric = Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| English 1100, 5 credits | A (4.0) | 5 x 4 = 20 grade points |
| Biology 2000, 5 credits | B (3.0) | 5 x 3 = 15 grade points |
| Art 1210, 3 credits | C (2.0) | 3 x 2 = 6 grade points |
Total grade points = 41 (sum of 20 15 6)
Total credits attempted = 13 (sum of 5 5 3)
Total grade points divided by credits attempted equals GPA
41 divided by 13 equals a GPA of 3.15 (Note that SU does not round up)
The Dean’s List at Seattle University recognizes student academic achievement for undergraduates and is published by each School/College after grades are processed each quarter. To qualify for the Dean’s List, you must earn at least a 3.5 GPA for the quarter and have completed a minimum of 12 graded credits. Pass/fail and credit/fail classes do not count toward these 12 credits.
The President’s List recognizes academic excellence by undergraduate students each quarter after grades have been processed and is acknowledged by an email from the Provost’s Office via the Office of the Registrar. To make the list, students must earn at least a 3.9 GPA for a given term and must have completed a minimum of 12 graded credits. Pass/fail and credit/fail classes do not count toward these 12 credits.
Effective Fall 2008: no longer notated on transcript.
A course grade can be challenged by following the procedure outlined in the Academic Grading Grievance (2004-07). Please be aware that for fall, winter, and summer quarters, the procedure must be initiated by the close of business on the third Friday of the following quarter. For spring quarter, the procedure must be initiated by the close of business on the third Friday of fall quarter.
- A (4.0): Superior performance
- A- (3.7)
- B+ (3.3)
- B (3.0): Good performance
- B- (2.7)
- C+ (2.3)
- C (2.0): Adequate undergraduate performance; minimal performance in courses applicable to graduate degree
- C- (1.7): Courses graded C- or below will not going towards graduate degree or certificate
- D+ (1.3)
- D (1.0): Poor performance
- D- (0.7)
- F (0.0) Failing
| Grade | Explanation | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP (In Progress) | An “IP” is the symbol used on the academic transcript to indicate the current quarter’s courses. | ||||||||||
| M (Missing) | An “M” is the symbol used on grade reports to inform a student that a grade has not been received from the instructor. | ||||||||||
| P (Pass) |
The P grade is assigned when a student successfully completes an undergraduate course after electing the pass/fail grading option for a general elective course. Failure to achieve at the minimum D- level results in a grade of F, which will affect the grade point average. The pass/fail grading option is not available for graduate students. Undergraduate students are allowed to choose the pass/fail grading option for courses which will be used towards general electives or minors only (see note below). Core courses, college requirements, and major requirements cannot be taken pass/fail. Only one course per quarter may be taken pass/fail and must be approved prior to the add/drop and change grading option date of the term of registration. This date can be found on the calendar on the Office of the Registrar web site. If a student earns a D- or above in a course where the pass/fail grading options has been chosen, the grade on the transcript will appear as a "P" (pass). A failing grade will appear as "F". A pass (P) grade does not affect a student's cumulative GPA, while a fail (F) grade will be used in the computation of the cumulative GPA. Please submit a Registration Change - Petition to the Dean (e-form) for approval prior to the add/drop deadline and change grading option date for the term. |
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| CR/F/NC (Credit) |
Used for courses designated by individual departments as mandatory credit/fail. CR/F: Music practice courses, some field experiences, internships, independent study in the Albers School of Business and Economics, some graduate courses, and other courses so designated by individual departments are graded only credit (CR) or fail (F). When passed with the minimum acceptable standard of D- on the undergraduate level and C on the graduate level, the course will be graded CR and credit will be granted. There will be no effect on the grade point average. Should the student fail to satisfy the instructor’s minimal expectations, the course will be graded F and will be included in the computation of the grade point average. Schools/Colleges may have a higher grade standard for what constitutes a CR (credit). Consult the appropriate school/college handbook for this information. CR/NC: The CR/NC grading mode is reserved for undergraduate credit by examination. Minimum achievement level for receiving credit is C. Neither CR nor NC affects the grade point average. See Credit by Examination section of the Undergraduate Catalog. Grade assigned when credit by examination has been attempted and student did not achieve acceptable performance level of at least C. There is no effect on the grade point average. |
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| N (No Grade) |
Used when a course, due to its nature, must extend beyond one term. Courses that may use this include internships, practicum, independent study, thesis, graduate projects, research courses, linked-series courses, study abroad, and senior synthesis. This grade is given to the entire class. The course is set up for this grading option at the time it is created. Each student is responsible for arranging with the instructor to remove the N grade per the schedule outlined in the University Academic Calendar. Once the closing date has passed, re-registration and payment of regular tuition is required to obtain credit for the work completed. Once a degree has been posted, removal of an N grade is not permitted. Policy: N Grades and Q Grades Statute of Limitations (75-19)
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| Q (Suspended Grade) | Used for 6000-level courses in which work is not scheduled for completion until after the quarter closes. The Q grade must be removed within the six-year limit for all the degree coursework. Once the six-year limit has expired, the Q becomes permanent and the student must re-register for the course, paying regular tuition to obtain credit for the work completed. | ||||||||||
| R (Doctoral Research or Mandatory Registration) | Indicates registration in a required non-credit doctoral research or mandatory registration course. This is a permanent grade that does not affect the grade point average. | ||||||||||
| I (Incomplete) |
A temporary grade indicating that most of the work in the course was acceptable although a critical portion of it was not completed because of illness or other serious circumstances beyond the student's control. During final grading, a default grade is assigned. A default grade is calculated by taking the grade for all work completed and adding a failing grade for work/exams not completed. If the student fails to complete the required work by the published deadline, the "I" will automatically be replaced with this default grade. Policy: Incomplete Grades (97-03) An Incomplete "I" grade, is a temporary grade assigned by an instructor when a student is unable to complete all course work by the end of the quarter due to illness or other serious circumstances beyond a student's control. An "I" grade has no effect on your grade point average, and credit for a course with an "I" grade assigned does not count towards your total number of credits earned. To Request an "I" Grade:
Note: Once a degree is posted, removal of an "I" grade is not permitted. To confirm that your "I" grade has been assigned or replaced with a permanent grade, view your unofficial transcript on mySeattleU. Per the Incomplete Grades (97-03) policy, a final grade must be submitted by the faculty member to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the fourth week of the next term (see table below). It is your responsibility as a student to have your course work completed and submitted to your professor prior to this deadline to ensure that the faculty member meet the University deadline. If the deadline is not met, the provisional grade that was submitted at the end of the term will be the default grade. The provisional grade is based on the work you have completed.
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| HW (Hardship Withdrawal) |
Assigned by the Registrar's Office upon official approval of the student's petition to withdraw from all courses for that term due to the death of a family member, catastrophic illness in the family, or an illness/injury to the student that incapacitates. The dean or dean's designee will require that the student provide documentation to support his or her request. There is no effect on the grade point average. Tuition refund follows the regular refund policy. Financial aid recipients are advised to check with Student Financial Services before requesting a hardship withdrawal because this action may negatively affect financial aid. |
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| W (Withdrawal) |
Assigned by the Registrar's Office when a student has officially withdrawn from a class. If a student stops attending after the drop/add period, does not process a withdrawal form, and does not contact the faculty member, the appropriate grade to assign is "F." Policy: Withdrawal (75-22) |
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| Y (Audit) |
A course for which no credit is given. Not available for course numbers 5000-9990. |
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| YW (Audit Withdrawal) | Student registered as an auditor but did not attend through end of course. |