University of Guelph Graduate Calendar

Academic Standings

A department may require examinations (oral and/or written), from time to time, to evaluate the student's progress. Numeric grades must be assigned to indicate the student's standing in courses except where otherwise specified (see Seminar Courses, Practica, and Internships and Major Paper).

Grades Schedule
    In courses which comprise a part of the student's program, standings will be reported according to the following schedule of grades:
A+ 90-100%
A 85-89
A- 80-84
B+ 77-79
B 73-76
B- 70-72
C+ 67-69
C 63-66
C- 60-62
F 0-59
    A graduate student who receives a grade of less than 60 per cent in any course (graduate or undergraduate, prescribed or additional) is deemed to have failed the course. The advisory committee must then take action (see Departmental Review below). (Refer also to the section on Grade Reassessment.)
    A student may not register for any course they have previously passed unless the course is a varying content course (such as a Special Topics course) or unless so directed by the Admissions and Progress Committee of the Board of Graduate Studies.

INC
incomplete or course not completed. It is required that the INC be replaced by a grade or an INF (incomplete failure) within the next semester.

INF
incomplete : failure. Students not completing the course requirements within one semester of receiving an INC will receive an INF grade for that course.*

INP
in progress. Multi-semester courses that are in progress will receive the INP interim grade designation in each semester prior to the semester of completion. Students registered in multi-semester courses must register in each semester in which they are actively engaged in course requirements.

MNR
mark not reported. Grade has not been reported to Graduate Program Services by department or school by the last day for grade reports for the semester.

AUD
an "audited" course (additional courses only)..

WDF
identifies a course from which the student withdrew after the announced last date for dropping courses. A course dropped prior to this last date is not recorded.

Any student who receives an INC or MNR grade and for whom the final grade is not received in Graduate Program Services prior to the first day of the next semester, must be registered in the next semester in order to complete the course. If the student is not registered in that semester, any submitted grade will not be accepted and the student will receive INF as a final grade. Note that the student does not register for the incomplete course again; when a grade is received, the grade will replace the INC or MNR grade originally recorded. Students who are registered may have, at the department/school graduate committee's discretion, up to the end of that subsequent semester to finish the course requirements before the grade of INF is automatically recorded. Exceptions to the above, for compassionate reasons, may be considered on appeal to the Admissions and Progress Committee of the Board of Graduate Studies.

Thesis Assessment
    In the thesis, numeric grades are not required; instead the work is reported as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Prescribed Studies
    A graduate student must obtain an overall weighted average of 'B-' or better (at least 70%) in the prescribed studies, as set out in the approved program, in order to qualify for the degree or graduate diploma.

Additional Courses
    In the courses which are identified as additional courses, standings will be reported according to the schedule of grades set out in the Grades Schedule, but will not be included in the calculation of the overall average described above. It is understood, however, that such additional courses are an integral part of the student's approved program.


Departmental Review
    At the end of each semester the academic record and progress of each student will be reviewed by the graduate faculty of the academic unit in which the student is enrolled and a report therein will be submitted by the adviser to the department graduate co-ordinator and to the student. If the report expresses some concerns about progress or unsatisfactory progress, a copy is submitted to the dean of Graduate Studies. If the student fails a course or a required examination, the advisory committee, through the academic unit, will recommend appropriate action
to the Board of Graduate Studies. Only by authority of the board may a further privilege of any kind be extended.