Academic Standards and Grading System

POLICY ON ACADEMIC SYSTEM

All graduate students are expected to be in good academic standing in order to maintain enrollment in the MBA and Joint Degree Program. Good standing is defined as a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) and above.

Students admitted to the College Park MBA Program whose GPA falls below a 3.0 after their first semester will be placed on academic probation and given through the following Summer Session II to achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 (inclusive of all course work complete to date). If a 3.0 is not achieved, the student will be academically dismissed and any current registration will be canceled.

Students admitted to a Evening and Weekend MBA Program whose GPA falls below a 3.0 during the first year will be placed on probation and given through fall of the second year to achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 (inclusive of all course work complete to date). If a 3.0 is not achieved, the student will be academically dismissed and any current registration will be canceled.

In rare cases, at the end of a student’s first semester, that student may be asked to sit out until the following Fall and repeat all failed courses to raise a very low GPA. This would be asked of a student whose GPA was so low that it would be impossible to achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 during the probationary period. At the end of the second semester (or any subsequent semester), any full-time MBA student or second- or third-year Evening and Weekend MBA student whose overall GPA falls below 3.0 will be academically dismissed and any current registration will be canceled.

MS students with an overall GPA below 3.0 at anytime will be academically dismissed and any current registration will be canceled. All 400-level and above courses taken at any UM campus after admission is granted to MS students are included in the overall GPA.

For courses that are repeated, the most recent grade received becomes part of the GPA. All previous grades received for the course will be removed from the GPA (though they do remain as a part of the student’s permanent transcript record). Please note that all courses are not available each semester.

Appeals Process - A student who has been dismissed may appeal to the Master’s Appeals Committee (composed of three faculty members) if the student believes mitigating circumstances exist. A letter of appeal should be directed to:

The Robert H. Smith School of Business
Master’s Appeals Committee
2308 Van Munching Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1815

Consortium Courses - No consortium courses taken during a student’s probationary period will be counted by the college in calculating the GPA for probationary purposes. However, the student’s transcript may reflect the grade in the cumulative GPA.

Fore specific information and clarification of the policy on Academic Standards please contact your campus administrator.

GRADING SYSTEM

The University’s graduate faculty use the following interpretation of grades:

A - above standard; exceeds expectations

B - satisfactory in all respects; meets expected standards

C - below standard but earns graduate credit

D - poor; no credit earned (No quality points earned for graduate students).

F - failure; no credit earned

I - incomplete; up to faculty to use in special circumstances; terms between faculty and student, with grade to be given no later than one semester after “I” is received. A student on academic probation may not receive an “I” while on probation.

The University has adopted a Plus/Minus Grading System. Below you will find some information about the system.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR STUDENTS REGARDING PLUS/MINUS GRADES:

What is the plus/minus grading system that will be implemented in Fall 2001?

All instructors at the University of Maryland may assign the following grades for credit courses: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F.

What is the purpose of using plus/minus grades?

As an educational community that is founded on a culture of reflective, inquiry-based learning, the University of Maryland is committed to providing its students with fair, timely and constructive assessments of their work and accomplishments. Plus/minus grades allow for more nuance and precision in the evaluation process.

How will this affect my grade point average?

It won't. Quality points will be assigned as follows: A+, A, A- = 4.0; B+, B, B- = 3.0; C+, C, C- = 2.0; D+, D, D- = 0.0 (for graduate students); F= 0.0.

Program and course requirements specifying attainment of a B average or a B grade as a minimum standard will be satisfied by earning a 3.0 GPA or by earning a grade which is assigned two quality points (e.g., B+, B, B-).

Who should I see if I have more questions?

If you have questions about the grading scale in any of your courses, please ask your instructor. If you have other questions about plus/minus grades related to your major or degree requirements, speak with your assigned academic administrator.