Temple University Undergraduate Bulletin
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Final Examinations
Grade Change
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grades and Grading
Graduation Procedures
Grievances
Honors
Incomplete Coursework
Lower Division Student Academic Progress
Matriculated Students
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Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution
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Grade Change

No change of final grade for a completed course will be made without the approval of the instructor's dean or designee. Deans will consider the grade change upon receipt of the instructor's written explanation. No grade will be changed after the baccalaureate degree is awarded.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Each student's transcript indicates the credit hours completed and passed, grade points, and grade point average (GPA).

The GPA also appears on a student's semester grade reports, DARS reports or the academic advising document.

A student's GPA may be useful in assessing academic progress, in determining eligibility for specific programs, or in determining eligibility for Honors or other awards.

No change in a student's GPA is made after the baccalaureate degree is awarded.

To Compute Semester Grade Point Average:
1. Multiply the value of the grade (see policy on Grades and Grading below) by the course's number of semester hours to get quality points.
2. Add the total quality points.
3. Divide total number of quality points by the total number of semester hours completed in courses that yield quality points.

Note: Not included in GPA computations: I, IC, IP, MG, NR, CR, NC, R, P, AU, W, WE, WS, PI. Also see policy on Repeating a Course.

To Compute Cumulative Grade Point Average:

Divide the total number of quality points by the total number of semester hours completed in courses that yield quality points.


Note: Not included in GPA computations: I, IC, IP, MG, NR, CR, NC, R, P, AU, W, WE, WS, PI. Also see policy on Repeating a Course.

For credit transferred from other institutions, no grade points are allowed. See also Repeating a Course.

Grades and Grading

Semester Grades

The work of all undergraduate students is graded and reported at the end of each semester. Students may access their semester grades on OWLnet within 48 hours of the end of the examination period for that semester and may request a mailed grade report through OWLnet.

Three systems are in use for grading and reporting students' work: 

1. Letter grades and points 
A 4.00 Excellent 
A– 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.00 Good 
B– 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.00 Fair 
C– 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.00
D– .67 Passing 
F .00 Failed 
Note: Although D- is a passing grade, a minimum grade of C- is required in University Core curriculum and General Education courses and, in many programs, courses required by the major.
   
2. Credit/No Credit   
 CR  Equivalent to A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, or C– 
 NC  Equivalent to D+, D, D–, or F
Note:  In the Credit/No Credit system, no grade points are assigned, but a limited number of credits in courses in which students earn the CR designation counts toward the total credit hours completed. See Credit/No Credit Courses.
   
3. Other transcript notations
AU Audit 
I Incomplete
IC Incomplete in a Credit/No Credit course
IP Incomplete pass/fail course 
MG Grade temporarily missing 
NR Grade not reported 
P Passed grade
PI Permanent incomplete 
W Withdrawal from course 
WE Withdrawal with approved excuse
WS Withdrawal from the semester

For more information, see the policies on Audit, Credit/No Credit Courses, Incomplete Coursework, and Withdrawal Policies in this Bulletin.

Academic Progress in Lower-Division Courses

Students in lower-level courses (numbered below 2000) receive a mid-semester rating report indicating that their work to date is satisfactory or unsatisfactory or that they have not been attending the course.  This report is available on OWLnet by the end of the sixth week of fall and spring semesters.

Graduation Procedures

As students approach the end of their undergraduate careers, they must make sure that they are eligible for, and can participate in, graduation ceremonies.

In their junior year, or when 80 semester hours have been completed, students should begin an ongoing graduation check with their academic advisors in order to determine that they are meeting the university, college, departmental, and program requirements for their degree and for graduation.

Early in the semester in which graduation requirements will be completed, students complete an Application for Graduation and pay the University Graduation Fee.  Students in some schools or colleges must apply and pay the fee in the term prior to graduation.  For the current fee, see Tuition and Fees in the Financial Information section of the Bulletin.

Confirmation of the fee payment is expected to complete the Application for Graduation. Questions about this process or graduation status should be directed to the student's Advising Office or Academic Dean's Office.

Application deadlines are:

  • February 16 for May graduation
  • June 1 for August graduation
  • October 15 for January graduation

Earlier deadlines may be in effect in some academic units.

 

The Application for Graduation must be properly completed, particularly the areas relating to the resolution of incompletes and diploma instructions.  Information concerning commencement activities (such as time, place, invitations, rental of academic regalia) is available to students once they have submitted their completed Application for Graduation. Students will not have their degree awarded or diploma or transcript released until all university tuition and fees have been paid.

 

Grievances

See Grievances in the Student Rights section of the Bulletin.

Honors for Academic Achievement

Temple University recognizes academic achievement in several ways.

Dean's Lists

Dean's Lists record the names of those full-time students in each school or college who completed a semester's work with 12 graded credits and meet the GPA criteria as outlined in the Dean's List policy. Also, part-time students who have accumulated at least 12 graded credits across an academic year (fall and spring semesters) are eligible to be considered for Dean's List recognition in the spring.

For further information, see the Dean's List policy in the Academic Policies section of the Bulletin, check under your school or college listing in the Bulletin, or contact your school or college Advising Center.

Graduation (Latin) Honors

Beginning in May 2009, Latin Honors are awarded based on estimation procedures that are intended to yield 2% Summa, 5% Magna, and 9% Cum Laude awards for baccalaureate recipients from each Temple school and college. Graduates who have completed at least 60 credits at Temple are eligible for the appropriate honor if their cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is equal to or greater than the cut-off value established for the honor.

Awards for August 2009, January 2010 and May 2010 graduates are based on cut-off scores computed from CGPAs earned by August 2004 through May 2009 graduates. In July of each year, the cut-off values will be updated to include the most recent five-year cycle of CGPAs.

The cut-off values for calculating eligibility for Summa, Magna, and Cum Laude Honors for August 2009, January 2010, and May 2010 graduates are listed in the table below along with the schedule for updating the cut-off values.

Latin Honors Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Averages by College
(for August 2009, January 2010 and May 2010 Graduations)
 
Summa Cum Laude
Magna Cum Laude
Cum Laude
College
GPA (lower threshold)
GPA (lower threshold)
GPA (lower threshold)
Boyer College of Music & Dance
3.95
3.87
3.80
College of Education
3.94
3.84
3.70
College of Engineering
3.85
3.72
3.46
College of Health Professions & Social Work
3.91
3.73
3.55
College of Liberal Arts
3.92
3.80
3.64
College of Science & Technology
3.91
3.77
3.56
Fox School of Business
3.85
3.68
3.47
School of Communications & Theater
3.86
3.72
3.56
School of Environmental Design
3.94
3.90
3.77
School of Social Work
3.93
3.81
3.63
School of Tourism & Hospitality Management
3.75
3.60
3.39
Temple University Japan (BSIB program)
3.85
3.68
3.47
Tyler School of Art
3.89
3.79
3.63

 

Award and Update Schedule for Latin Honors
     
For Honors awarded in:   Cut-offs based on CGPAs for Graduates:
August 2009, January 2010, May 2010   August 2004 through May 2009 (calculated July 2009)
August 2010, January 2011, May 2011   August 2005 through May 2010 (calculated July 2010)
August 2011, January 2012, May 2012   August 2006 through May 2011 (calculated July 2011)
August 2012, January 2013, May 2013   August 2007 through May 2012 (calculated July 2012)
August 2013, January 2014, May 2014   August 2008 through May 2013 (calculated July 2013)

 

Incomplete Coursework

An instructor will file an "I" (Incomplete) only if the student has completed the majority of the work of the course at a passing level, and only for reasons beyond the student's control.

An instructor may file an “I” when a student has not completed the work of a course by the time grades must be submitted, but has completed the majority of the work at a passing level and has a written agreement with the instructor and the department regarding completion of the work, including the nature of the work to be completed, the means by which the final grade will be determined, and the date by which the work must be completed. The completion date may be no later than one year from the end of the semester in which the student took the course. The agreement shall also specify a default grade to be received if the work is not completed by the date indicated. One copy of the agreement shall be retained by the instructor, one shall be given to the student, and one shall be filed with the department office or, in colleges or schools without departments, the Dean’s office.

When reporting the grade of "I" for a student, the instructor shall also file a report of the default grade in the electronic grading system. If the instructor does not change the grade of “I”, pursuant to the agreement with the student, by the end of one year from the time the grade of “I” was awarded, the appropriate University official shall automatically change the grade of “I” to the reported default grade, and the default grade shall appear on the transcript and be used for all other grading purposes as the actual grade received in the course.

Faculty advisors and staff advisors have the option of not permitting a student to register for an “overload” if the student is carrying one or more active incomplete courses, or for a “full load” if the student is carrying two or more active incompletes.

(policy # 02.10.13)

Lower Division Student Academic Progress

Instructors in lower-division freshman and sophomore courses will provide evaluations of student progress by the end of the fifth week of class. It is the course instructor’s responsibility to complete and return an early report indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress for each student. Students will receive mid-semester ratings on their OWLnet accounts for each lower-division course taken.

(policy # 02.10.15)

Matriculated Students

Matriculated students are those who have applied, been accepted, and enrolled in a degree program of the university during the semester for which they were admitted.

Completion of course credits before becoming a matriculated student does not assure the acceptance of those credits into the program of matriculation.  

Non-matriculated Students

Non-matriculated students are those who have not been admitted formally to a degree program. For information and academic advising for non-matriculated students, see Programs with Academic Credit in the Special Programs section of the Bulletin and the Office of Continuing Education web site.

Degree-seeking non-matriculated undergraduate students are required to apply for admission to a degree program before they complete 30 credits in Continuing Education. To enroll in undergraduate courses, students must have earned a high school diploma or a G.E.D. certificate. Students who have attended another college or university must have earned at least a 2.00 GPA and provide a transcript (official or unofficial) of their previous academic work.

Prior to their enrollment, degree-seeking non-matriculated students are required to take one or more university placement tests. (Some transfer students may be exempt from this requirement. To find out if they are exempt or not, transfer students are strongly encouraged to seek guidance from a Continuing Education academic advisor prior to taking this test.)

Non-matriculated undergraduate students are not permitted to take more than 11 credits during their first semester.

Non-matriculated undergraduate students who are accepted into an undergraduate degree program may count their Temple, non-matriculated credits toward their residency requirements.

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