This policy defines the parameters for use of the pass/fail grading option for graduate students.
Grade Point Average (GPA): The total number of grade points earned divided by the number of credit hours attempted.
Graduate students pursuing Master's or PhD degrees in academic programs under the purview of the Graduate School.
Pass/fail courses do not satisfy any Graduate School credit, coursework, or degree requirements, and do not fulfill minimum or maximum credits each term. Tuition is charged for pass/fail courses. For these reasons, very few graduate students choose the pass/fail option.
This policy only applies to students during their graduate careers. It only applies to courses that use the default A-F grading scale and that allow students to choose to take a course on a pass/fail basis.
Instructors are not formally notified when a student elects to take a course on the pass/fail grade basis. At the end of the course, the instructor will enter the final letter grade earned by the student on their grade roster, and the Office of the Registrar will convert the letter grade for a pass/fail student accordingly. A passing grade of S (Satisfactory) will be recorded when a letter grade of A through C is earned and a failing grade of U (Unsatisfactory) will be recorded when a letter grade of D or F is earned. In addition to the S or U grade, the student transcript includes the symbol # for courses taken on a pass/fail basis. S and U grades are not used in computing the student’s grade-point average (GPA), but the grade of U may impact the student’s satisfactory progress.
The following applies to graduate students who elect the pass/fail option:
UW-1208 Enrollment Requirements
UW-1210 Graduate School: Failing Grades
UW-1218 Graduate School: Satisfactory Progress
UW-1231 Graduate School: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grades
UW-1244 Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement
UW-1245 Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement
UW-1246 Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement
06-30-2023