Grade Point Average

Return to: Grading  

Graduate Students

Students in graduate programs must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above to graduate. The GPA is calculated according to the point values in the grading scale.

Grades of W (Withdraw) are nonpunitive and do not figure into the GPA. Withdrawals, however, may be counted toward credits attempted for financial aid academic progress requirements. 



RN-MSN students completing undergraduate provisional coursework must also earn a C or better in each course and an overall GPA of 3.0. 

Undergraduate Students

Students in undergraduate programs must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above to graduate. The grade point average is calculated according to the point values in the grading scale.

Grades W (Withdraw) do not figure into the GPA. Withdrawals, however, may be counted toward credits attempted for financial aid academic progress requirements.

Calculating GPA

As of June 5, 2009, Walden University began calculating a program GPA for all current students. All courses completed during a student’s program apply toward the program GPA. This GPA is used to verify satisfactory academic progress, verify degree validation, and determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid. This includes students who may change concentrations or specializations, catalog versions, or modalities within a program. All courses taken in that program apply toward the student’s university program GPA, including any courses taken as part of the OneCampus consortium institutions within the Laureate Network.

All courses attempted while a student is enrolled in a program will contribute to the Program GPA. Walden coursework completed under a previously awarded degree may fulfill program requirements of a future degree; however, these courses will not impact the Program GPA of the new program. That is, any course that counts toward the Program GPA for a completed degree will not count toward the program GPA of a future degree. Certificates are excluded from this rule, whereas Walden courses taken as part of a completed certificate do impact the GPA of any future certificate or degree program which includes those courses already completed as part of the earned certificate. 

Prior to June 5, 2009, the GPA comprised all courses taken at the student degree level.

Exceptions: Students who graduated on or before May 24, 2009

• Will not have the program GPA included on their transcripts. Graduates in this category may find their GPA below their final term of enrollment in the validated program.
• And who return to the university in a second program of the same level as the initial program will not have a separate program GPA reflected on their transcript for the initial program.

Prior to August 28, 2017, courses completed under a previously awarded certificate did not impact the Program GPA of a future certificate or degree.

Please see the Financial Aid Programs  section of this Walden University Student Handbook for additional information.

Grades Used to Calculate GPA and Included on Transcript

Tempo Learning®

Students in Tempo programs should refer to the Tempo Learning Addendum.