Course Grading Scales

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Undergraduate Grades That Count Toward Credits Attempted

Letter Grade	Point Value	Definition	Criteria
A	4.0	Superior	Student met all participation requirements; completed all assignments, group projects, and papers; met the evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus; and submitted superior quality work.
B	3.0	Above Average	Student met all participation requirements; completed all assignments, group projects, and papers; met the evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus; and submitted satisfactory quality work.
C C*	2.0	Average	Student met the majority of participation requirements; completed most assignments, group projects, and papers; and met the majority of evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus.
D	1.0	Marginal	Student met minimal participation requirements; completed some assignments, group projects, and papers; and met minimal evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus.
F	0.0	Fail	Student did not meet the criteria for a passing grade.
S†	0.0	Satisfactory	Student passed the course satisfactorily.†
TR		Transfer	Student transfers in credits from another institution.
U†	0.0	Unsatisfactory	Student did not meet the criteria for an S grade.†
W	0.0	Withdrawal	Student withdrew from a course after the official drop date but prior to the official withdrawal deadline.

Note: Letter grade C* pertains to Accelerate Into Master’s (A.I.M.) courses only.

†Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades are limited to the following:

Non-credit courses
Practicum and internship courses
Fundamental course

Graduate Grades That Count Toward Credits Attempted

Letter Grade*	Point Value	Definition	Criteria
A A-	4.0 3.75	Superior	Student met all participation requirements; completed all assignments, group projects, and papers; met the evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus; and submitted superior quality work.
B+ B B-	3.5 3.0 2.75	Satisfactory	Student met all participation requirements; completed all assignments, group projects, and papers; met the evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus; and submitted satisfactory quality work.
C+ C C-	2.5 2.0 1.75	Marginal	Student met the majority of participation requirements; completed most assignments, group projects, and papers; and met the majority of evaluation criteria for the course as specified in the syllabus. (C– will not count for credit.)
F	0.0	Fail	Student did not meet the criteria for a passing grade.
S†	0.0	Satisfactory	Student passed the course satisfactorily.†
TR		Transfer	Student transfers in credits from another institution.
U†	0.0	Unsatisfactory	Student did not meet the criteria for an S grade.†
W	0.0	Withdrawal	Student withdrew from a course after the official drop date but prior to the official withdrawal deadline.

*Plus/minus grades apply to the NTU School of Engineering and Applied Science only.

†Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades are limited to the following:

Non-credit courses
Foundations courses
Foundation Research Sequence seminars and courses
Practicum and internship courses
Thesis, ePortfolio, dissertation, and doctoral study courses
Research Forum
Residency
Writing Intensive

Grades That Do Not Count Toward Credits Attempted

The letter grades below do not count toward credits attempted; however, for federal financial aid purposes, these grades do count toward satisfactory academic progress. Please see the Financial Aid Programs section of this Walden University Student Handbook for additional information.

Letter Grade	Definition	Criteria
I	Incomplete	Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in online courses) and have completed at least 80% of the rest of the coursework. Incompletes can be awarded where, due to extenuating circumstances, a student has not been able to complete all course requirements within the term, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable. All incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course instructor.
NC	No Credit	Administrative assignment only.
CIP	In Progress	Student is in the process of completing a course.
AU	Audit	Registration status allowing students to attend a course without receiving credit.

Bachelor’s-Level Course Participation Policy

Participation requirements in all bachelor’s-level courses are contained in the syllabus. Postings to the course’s online discussion board may be required 2 to 5 calendar days per week for attendance purposes. Because of the short length and intensive nature of the 6-week course, 4 to 5 calendar days’ weekly participation will be required in most courses, with multiple responses in a single day being necessary for adequate participation in a significant proportion of the assignments.