The method of evaluation in each course is determined by the individual instructor. The final grade given for any course is based on the sum of evidence that the student gives the instructor, which demonstrates understanding and retention of the material presented in the course. In addition to formal examinations, the instructor makes use of recitation, term papers, written and oral quizzes, and participation in class and seminar discussions to determine the student’s grade. The grade is a symbol of a student’s degree of mastery of a course. The University requires that all written work submitted by students conforms to standard English.
At the end of the seventh academic week of each semester in the regular academic year, instructors submit interim grade reports online. This grade is not a part of the permanent record of the student but is used as an indicator of scholastic progress.
Midterm grades are an indication of the quality of the student’s performance at that point in the semester; they are not an indication or a guarantee of the student’s final grade in the course.
A student who wishes to earn a final grade that improves upon a grade received at the midterm should speak with his or her instructor and academic advisor.
Final examinations are scheduled during a final examination week.
At Marymount University, faculty strive to improve the curriculum and teaching by assessing student learning. Each academic major of the University requires senior students to demonstrate to what extent such learning has occurred. Various measures are used depending upon the nature of the program: comprehensive examinations, theses, portfolio submissions, and/or standardized professional board examinations. The results of these measures are used by faculty to continually improve and develop the University’s programs.
The following is a brief explanation of the letter grades that may be further delineated by a plus sign (+), which is not used for A grades, or a minus sign (-). The numerical equivalent of letter grades is determined by the instructor and is approved by the dean of the School that offers the course.
| A | At the undergraduate and graduate level — superior, outstanding scholarship and intellectual initiative. |
| B | At the undergraduate level, high attainment and a notable degree of scholastic performance. At the graduate level, a B indicates satisfactory performance. |
| C | At the undergraduate level, satisfactory performance at an average level of college achievement. Indicates an understanding of the essential elements of a course. C is the minimum passing grade for courses in the major field in several Schools of the University. Undergraduate students should refer to School requirements in the relevant sections of this catalog. At the graduate level, a C is deficient but passing in courses that do not require a minimum passing grade. A grade of C ordinarily is not transferable. |
| D | At the undergraduate level, deficient but passing. A grade of D indicates a bare minimum performance. Courses graded D may count as prerequisites for advanced courses requiring a certain minimum of knowledge for further pursuit. A grade of D ordinarily is not transferable. At the graduate level, the grade of D is not given. |
| P | At the undergraduate and graduate level, P indicates a passing grade. This grade carries no quality points and is not calculated in the grade point average. |
| F | Failure to meet minimal standards at the undergraduate or graduate level. Course must be repeated to obtain credit. (See Course Repeat Policy below for further details.) |
| I | Incomplete work at the undergraduate or graduate level. An Incomplete is given at the discretion of the instructor and approval by the School dean when circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent the completion of some course requirements. A student who receives a grade of I must complete the work in the time designated by the instructor. This time may be no longer than one semester. Students carrying a grade of I in the semester in which they petition to graduate must complete the outstanding work within the time designated by the instructor, but no later than 30 days prior to the degree conferral date. The Incomplete must be removed by the end of the semester immediately following, including the summer semester. Failure to remove an Incomplete by the time specified will result in a failing grade. A student must then re-enroll and matriculate successfully in the course to obtain credit. |
| W | Authorized Withdrawal for an undergraduate or graduate student. A grade of W is given to a student who withdraws from a course or separates from the University up until the last published date to withdraw without academic record. The grade of W carries no credit or academic penalty. It is recorded on the permanent record and transcript. |
| AU | Indicates that the course was audited and no credit or grade was received by the undergraduate or graduate student. An audit course is considered as a regular course for tuition payment and is entered on the transcript. A student must indicate that a course is to be audited at registration and it may not be changed to a course for credit once it has been registered as an audited class. A student may not change from credit to audit after the last day to add or register as published in the Academic Calendar. Audited courses do not count toward degree or graduation requirements. |
| NR | No grade reported. |
| PASS/FAIL | An undergraduate or graduate student may register for a course to be taken on a pass/fail basis. The pass/fail option may not be chosen for Liberal Arts Core requirements or requirements in the major field other than the internship. The pass/fail option must be approved by the student’s advisor and dean. A student must indicate that a course is to be taken pass/fail at the time of registration and may not change this status after the last day to add a class. |
Grades for consortium courses are sent to Marymount’s registrar by the visited institution. They are recorded as Marymount University credit and calculated into the Marymount University cumulative grade point average.
Grades are recorded onto the Marymount University grade report and transcript as soon as they are received. In most cases, this will be after regular Marymount credit has been posted. In such cases, students will receive updated grade reports and transcripts.
Consortium credits are converted to Marymount University semester credits and count toward full-time/part-time status at Marymount University. If necessary, grades are converted to the nearest Marymount University equivalent.
Grades for visiting students will be reported by the consortium coordinator to the home institution.
The cumulative grade point average is determined by dividing the number of quality points a student has earned by the number of measurable credits of work. Quality points per credit are shown in the following chart:
| Grade | Quality Points |
| 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 |
NOTE: No D grades are given at the graduate level.
Each department determines the minimum grade for a course to complete a Liberal Arts Core or major requirement. Students who do not meet the minimum grade for a course may repeat the course. A student may repeat a completed course under the following criteria:
This policy is limited to 16 hours of coursework.
Any appeals to the policy will be handled at the department level with approval from the dean and the vice president for Academic Affairs.
Nondegree undergraduate students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0, and are subject to review each semester by the Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee.
Courses completed with a grade below C may be unacceptable dependent upon specific requirements within the student’s program of study.
Each department determines the minimum grade for a course to complete a degree program. Students who do not meet the minimum grade expectation for a course may repeat the course. If a student repeats a course:
Graduate nondegree students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and are subject to review each semester by the Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee.
Courses completed with a grade below B may be unacceptable depending upon specific requirements within the student’s program of study.