Grades

Instructors are expected to post grades within one week after the course end date as published in the academic calendar. If the grade for a course is not posted by this deadline, contact the instructor as soon as possible. If necessary, contact your faculty advisor.

Cumulative GPA is computed by multiplying the credits for each course by the grade point value of the grade to obtain the quality points, then dividing the total quality points by the number of credits attempted. Transfer credits are not calculated in the GPA.

Numerical Value of Letter Grades for GPA Computation

Grades Not Included in GPA
W = Withdraw (no academic penalty)
I = Temporary Incomplete
N = Permanent Incomplete
P = Pass (credits count toward degree)
U = Unsatisfactory (credits not counted toward degree)
AP = Approved (noncredit certificate)
NG = Not Approved (noncredit certificate)
GM = Grade Not Reported

Unreported grades convert to a GM one week after the course end date as published in the academic calendar.

A grade of I will be assigned only if a student has filed a request for an incomplete with the instructor and the instructor approves the grade. Unless the instructor submits a regular letter grade within the period of time required by the student's academic program, a grade of I or GM will automatically convert to F or N, as described below.

For undergraduate students, grades of I and GM convert to F at the end of the seventh week of the spring semester for fall courses and at the end of the seventh week of the following fall semester for spring and summer courses. 

For graduate students, grades of I and GM for graduate students convert to N one year after the end date of the course. PhD students at The New School for Social Research should consult their school's catalog for additional policy information about grades of Incomplete. Graduate students who are permitted to retake a class to make up a grade of Incomplete must register for the course and pay tuition as an auditor.

Pass/Fail Option for Undergraduate Students:

• Students may not elect a Pass/Fail option for core requirements or courses necessary to satisfy major and/or minor requirements, except in the case of the first course completed toward a major if taken before that major is declared.
• Through the seventh week of a semester, a student may elect up to one course per semester to be graded Pass/Fail, based on receiving a grade of D or higher to Pass. No changes may be made to grade modes past the seventh week of the semester.
• This policy excludes courses in which Pass/Fail is the only grade option available, such as internships.
• The instructor will not be informed when a student has chosen this option and will assign a conventional letter grade, which will then be converted by the Registrar's Office to Pass/Fail as appropriate.
• Students may only elect to complete a maximum of 12 credits for Pass/Fail. Individual programs may set a maximum different from the 12 credits because of curricular requirements. An advisor must approve a petition for a Pass/Fail grade.

Final grades are subject to revision by the instructor. For undergraduate students, grades of I can be changed until the end of the seventh week of the semester following the one in which the course was taken. For graduate students, grade changes can be made up to one year following the official end date of the course. After the designated deadline, or if a degree has been conferred, the grade recorded in the Registrar's Office becomes a permanent part of the student's academic record, and no changes are allowed.

Students who are petitioning to graduate must turn in any incomplete work before the following degree conferral dates:

• Fall­ - December 31
• Spring - May 31
• Summer - August 31

A student can petition for academic review of a grade by following the procedure outlined below within 60 days from the date the grade was posted or within 30 days if the student has petitioned to graduate. Before appealing for a change of grade, you should first ask the instructor to explain his or her reasons for assigning the grade. If you are not satisfied with the explanation, you can appeal the grade as follows:

• Write a letter to the faculty member stating clearly your objection to the grade received and requesting a different grade. Copy your letter to the department chair or director, or, if the faculty member is also the department director, to the dean or school's director.
• The instructor must return a written response to your letter within one month of receipt, likewise copied to the department chair or director or the school's dean or director.
• If you are not satisfied with the faculty member's response, you can appeal further by writing to the school's dean or director, who will designate another member of the administration or faculty to review your and the instructor's previous communications.
• The person designated will convene an appeals committee to investigate your outstanding differences and make a recommendation to the dean or director. The dean or director will make a final decision about the grade.

With approval, graduate students who receive grades of B- or below and undergraduate students who receive grades of F or Z (except where the F grade is due to academic dishonesty) are eligible to retake the courses in question and have the original grade removed from the cumulative GPA. Approval will be granted for this up to three times during a single degree program. The initial grade will continue to appear on the transcript but will drop out of the cumulative GPA; the grade earned the second time will be used to compute the GPA. Retaken courses will not count twice toward fulfillment of graduation requirements nor for student loan or New York Tuition Assistance Program certification. Students who wish to retake a course should contact their advising office before they register to learn the proper procedure.