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Grade Standards

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Grading for AB & BE Candidates

Students taking courses for either the AB or BE degree are assigned the following grades:

  • A: Excellent mastery of course material
  • B: Good mastery of course material
  • C: Acceptable mastery of course material
  • D: Deficient in mastery of course material
  • E: Serious deficiency in mastery of course material.

A “plus” or “minus” appended to a grade indicates a level slightly greater or lesser than the norm for that category. Grade point values are A = 4; A- = 3.67; B+ = 3.33; etc.

AB candidates must:

  • Earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in courses for the major.

BE candidates must:

  • Earn a minimum grade point average of 2.33
  • Have no more than three (3) courses with a grade below C, where C- is below C and where this number of 3 is computed from all courses taken to satisfy BE requirements, excluding the prerequisites to the major in engineering sciences
  • BE students who fail to maintain a C+ average in any term are placed on probation.

Grading for MEng, MEM, MS, and PhD Candidates

Students taking graduate-level courses, with the exception of the MS and PhD thesis/dissertation, are assigned the following grades:

  • HP (High Pass): distinctly superior work (equivalent to A, A-)
  • P (Pass): good work (equivalent to B+, B, B-)
  • LP (Low Pass): work deficient but acceptable for graduate credit (equivalent to C+, C, C-)
  • CR (Credit): satisfactory work (in courses, where HP, P, or LP grade assignment is inappropriate; not intended as alternative to HP, P, or LP; equivalent to "Passing")
  • NC (No Credit): unsatisfactory work, not acceptable for graduate credit (equivalent to D, E)

MEM candidates must:

  • Have no fewer than twelve (12) P or HP grades

MEng, MS, and PhD candidates must:

  • Have no more than one (1) LP grade for every six (6) courses

Important Notes

Any student earning one LP grade will receive a letter of warning from the program director. More than one LP or one NC grade will result in probation for one term. If at the end of the term progress is not satisfactory, the student will be placed in unsatisfactory standing. A detailed statement on the Student Probation Policy is available from the registrar.