V. Grades / Average

A. Grades

The letter grades used in the calculation of grade-point average (GPA) are as follows:

A Excellent. Four quality points.
B Good. Three quality points.
C Satisfactory. Two quality points.
D Passing. One quality point.
F Failure. No quality points. If the course is required, the student must repeat it.

Guiding principles for the determination of grades:

  • The grading system an instructor uses, including relative weighting of different types of grading instruments (e.g., _% for homework, _% for quizzes) must be communicated to students in the course syllabus and aligned with the course objectives, teaching activities, assignments, and assessments. For guidance on specific approaches to grading, see the Center for Teaching and Learning website (https://ctl.gatech.edu/grading-and-assessment-resources).
  • Students should be able to easily translate their scores on assignments to their course letter grade.  The criteria for final grades should be clearly indicated on the syllabus.  For example, A grade of “A” corresponds to a percentage grade of __% or above on graded assignments, a grade of “B” corresponds to a percentage grade of __%-__% , etc.  
  • Students must be graded against a set of standards, not solely on their performance relative to their classmates.
  • The grading process and scoring methods should be clear and provide students with meaningful feedback throughout the term, allowing students to reasonably predict progress towards their final grade as the semester advances.
  • It is the responsibility of the instructor to design assignments and scoring criteria that are consistent with the published grading scheme. Grade adjustments may be made to increase, not lower, students' grades.

The following grades are used under special conditions and are not included in the calculation of grade-point average (GPA):

S Satisfactory
U Unsatisfactory
V No credit earned. The "V" grade is used when a student audits a course.

The following grades are used in the cases indicated and are not be included in the calculation of grade-point average (GPA):

I Incomplete. The "I" grade is used when, for reasons beyond her/his control and deemed acceptable by the instructor, a student whose academic performance had been satisfactory becomes unable to fulfill a course's requirements. If the student's academic performance had been so poor as to preclude her/his passing, the instructor shall assign the grade of "F." Regulation VII., "Deficiencies," outlines the removal of the "I" grade. See the Registrar's Office website for more guidance on the use of the Incomplete grade under Incomplete grade page under the Faculty section.
W Withdrawal without Penalty. Withdrawals from individual courses without penalty are not permitted after 60 percent of the academic term has passed, as specified by the official Academic Calendar, except in cases of hardship, as determined by the Undergraduate Institute Curriculum Committee or Graduate Institute Curriculum Committee, as appropriate. Withdrawal from the Institute is not permitted after 60 percent of the academic term has passed, except in cases of hardship, as determined by the Undergraduate Institute Curriculum Committee or Graduate Institute Curriculum Committee, as appropriate. With the exception of part-time graduate students, those who withdraw from the Institute and receive all grades of "W" customarily will not be permitted to enroll in courses in the next succeeding academic term. Regulation VII., "Withdrawal and Readmission," outlines the Institue's policies on readmission. Faculty are expected to return to students a graded assignment or other meaningful performance feedback prior to the deadline for withdrawing from classes so that students can make informed decisions about withdrawing.
NR Not Reported. The "NR" grade is used when, by no fault of the student, the instructors fails to submit grades before the deadline.
IJ Incomplete Judicial. The “IJ” is used when academic misconduct has been reported in a class and the investigation is being conducted. It is a placeholder grade that is changed to a permanent grade as determined by the outcome of the investigation. It remains in place until the charges are adjudicated and a proper final grade is determined and assigned.
  • Final grades are reported to the Office of the Registrar at the end of each academic term.
  • Progress report grades are submitted to the Office of the Registrar for all classes numbered 1000 and 2000 in the Fall Semester and Spring Semester. These grades are used for advising students, not for calculating any grade-point average (GPA) at Georgia Tech. Progress report grades are "S" or "U." A grade of "U" indicates that, based on the work completed to that point in the academic term, the student's standing is in the "D" or lower range. Progress report grades must be submitted once 40 percent of the academic term has passed, as specified by the official Academic Calendar. The due date for reporting will be noon on Monday and the grades will be available to students that afternoon.
  • If a final course grade is believed to be erroneous, the student should contact the professor as soon as possible. In general, no change of grade will be made after the end of the student's next academic term in residence.

B. Academic Average

The "academic average," or grade-point average (GPA), is the ratio of total quality points earned to total credit hours attempted.

When a student passes a course, she/he receives the designated number of credit hours; at the same time, she/he receives a certain number of quality points, based on the letter grade earned. Multiply the number of credit hours designated to the specific course by the numerical value of the letter grade earned to determine the number of quality points earned. Letter grades carry the following numerical values:

  • "A" = 4
  • "B" = 3
  • "C" = 2
  • "D" = 1

For example, when a student earns a letter grade of "C" in a 3-credit-hour course, she/he receives 6 quality points.

Grade-point averages are truncated after two decimal places.

A student who repeats a course for which the student has previously received credit (either by class work at the Institute, through AP/IB credit, or credit transferred from another school) forfeits the original credit in the event the student should fail the course on a subsequent attempt. Where a course has been repeated, both the original and subsequent grades are included in the average, but the credit is counted only once. The academic average includes all subsequent attempts, unless a grade substitution request has been approved and processed.

If a student takes the same course more than once, any later grade does not replace any earlier one. The academic average includes both attempts, unless a grade substitution has been approved and processed.

If a student takes a course on a Pass/Fail basis, the course is not included in their academic average.

For undergraduate students, the academic average is calculated by summing the number of quality points earned by the student for all courses in which they have enrolled as an undergraduate and dividing this sum by the number of credit hours designated to all courses in which they have enrolled as an undergraduate.

For graduate students, the academic average includes only the courses in which the student has enrolled after her/his entrance into the graduate division.

C. Grade Substitution for Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students may repeat courses for grade substitution according to the following set of criteria. If these conditions are not met, the general policy governing repeated courses applies.

  1. Undergraduate students may repeat for grade substitution up to two GT courses with posted letter grades of D or F. These courses will be excluded from calculation of their cumulative grade point average.
  2. A course can be taken for grade substitution only once and must be repeated within one calendar year. Students who completed the Georgia Tech course prior to matriculating  as first-year, degree-seeking undergraduates (e.g., joint/dual enrollment or in a non-degree seeking status) have one calendar year from their matriculation date to repeat the course. 
  3. A course is not eligible for grade substitution if the student was found responsible for any academic misconduct in that course regardless of how many times it is repeated.
  4. Grades excluded under previous Institute rules (such as the Grade Substitution policy that was in effect up until 2019) count toward the maximum two courses allowed for substitution.
  5. Once a grade substitution is posted, the student cannot remove the exclusion or change it to another course at a later date. A student cannot request a grade substitution after they have graduated.
  6. The application for grade substitution must be filed with the Registrar's Office no later than the deadline for withdrawing from a course during the student's next term of enrollment after the course is repeated.
  7. Students should not submit the form during the term they are repeating the course.

The original grade and the repeated grades will all appear on the official transcript. Once a grade substitution is applied to a course, the credit hours attempted and earned on the course will be removed from the calculation of the cumulative grade point. Excluded courses and hours will continue to be counted in calculations of satisfactory progress, for financial aid eligibility, and for tuition.

Students should be aware that many graduate and professional schools recalculate grade point averages in the process of considering an applicant for admission to such programs. This recalculation may include restoring the grades of the repeated classes and their effects on the cumulative grade point average.

The grade substitution policy (including, but not limited to, course eligibility, number of courses, time limits, and deadlines) is not subject to exceptions and may not be petitioned to the Undergraduate Institute Curriculum Committee.

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Undergraduate Grade Substitution Policy

D. Grade Substitution for Graduate Students

Graduate students may repeat a course for grade substitution according to the following set of criteria. If these conditions are not met, the general policy governing repeated courses applies.

  1. Graduate students may repeat for grade substitution one GT course with posted letter grades of C, D or F. The course will be excluded from calculation of their cumulative grade point average.
  2. The one-substitution limit holds during the entirety of their time as a graduate student regardless of the number of degree programs that they might enroll in.
  3. A course can be taken for grade substitution only once. Since not all graduate-level courses are offered each term, the student should consult with their academic advisor about planning to retake the course. Due to course scheduling constraints, some courses may not be repeatable in a timely fashion. This assumes the course is offered again in a future term.
  4. A course is not eligible for grade substitution if the student was found responsible for any academic misconduct in that course regardless of how many times it is repeated.
  5. Once a grade substitution is posted, the student cannot remove the exclusion or change it to another course at a later date. A student cannot request a grade substitution after they have graduated.
  6. The application for grade substitution must be filed with the Registrar's Office no later than the deadline for withdrawing from a course during the student's next term of enrollment after the course is repeated.
  7. Students cannot submit the form until after the course is repeated.
  8. The original grade and the repeated grade will all appear on the official transcript. Once a grade substitution is applied to a course, the credit hours attempted and earned on the course will be removed from the calculation of the cumulative grade point. The excluded course and hours will continue to be counted in calculations of satisfactory progress, for financial aid eligibility, and for tuition.
  9. This policy cannot be used to extend the applicable dates of an I-20 or other type of visa.

The grade substitution policy (including, but not limited to, course eligibility, time limit, and deadline) is not subject to exceptions and may not be petitioned to the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee.

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Applying for Graduate Grade Substitution