Grading Policy

GRADING SYSTEM: DEFINITION OF GRADES AND CODES

Standard letter grades (A, B, C, and F) are used for NWU’s MBA program. Only these letter grades are used on transcripts and in computing the cumulative grade point average (CGPA).

To maintain graduate-level academic standards:

Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or higher to pass a course and receive credit.
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible for graduation.

The following table is provided as a general reference:

Incomplete (I)

An Incomplete grade is an interim grade designed for students who have serious and compelling circumstances beyond their control occurring within the last two weeks of the quarter preventing completion of the course work.

An Incomplete (I) must be removed within the next quarter. Failure to comply will result in an F grade and will remain on the students’ permanent record. An Incomplete (I) is not used in calculating the GPA.

Withdrawal (W)

Withdrawal is a grade for students who may wish to change their schedule by dropping a course with the permission of the Dean of Academic Affairs. These grades are not calculated in the GPA but will be considered credits attempted if the student has incurred a financial obligation for the quarter.

Credit (CR)

The designation CR (Credit) is exclusively used to recognize approved transfer credits from graduate-level institutions. These credits are assessed as equivalent to a grade of B (3.0) or higher at NWU but do not contribute to the calculation of the NWU grade point average (GPA).

Repeat a Course

Repeat a Course is a designated code following the earned grade. Students can repeat any course for which they have received a grade or have withdrawn from, prior to completion. Only the higher grade is calculated in the GPA. Students will not receive cumulative earned credit for a repeated course. However, both courses will be considered credit hours attempted for the purpose of determining successful course completion percentages.

Prerequisite Courses

Prerequisite and Foundation courses are required courses for those students with insufficient background in the chosen degree. Grades in these types of courses are not calculated in the GPA.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The grade point average (GPA) for the quarter is determined by multiplying the number of credit hours for each course by the number of points identified for each grade outlined above and dividing by the total number of units for the quarter.

Graduate prerequisite / Foundation courses required at the graduate level are not included in the GPA calculation.

Grade Changes

Grades assigned by instructors must conform to institutional and individual policies as stated in the course syllabus. A grade submitted by an instructor is considered final; however, the following reasons constitute a basis for a request for a grade change: (1) error in recording a score for a student product (test, quiz, paper, etc.); (2) miscalculation of a score, including the cumulative score for a quarter; and (3) omission from consideration of valid student products that were submitted on time.

All requests for grade changes must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by the instructor within three months following the date of issuance of the grade in question. Under no condition will a grade change be permitted after a degree has been awarded.

Effective Date: June 28, 2024.