Grade Requirements
- Graduate students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in graduate courses taken in the degree program.
- Grades of D+ or lower for graduate courses are not accepted for graduate credit but are computed in the GPA. A grade of N (no pass) is not accepted for graduate credit.
- A grade of pass (P) must represent work equal to or better than a B-.
- A GPA below 3.0 at any time during a graduate student's studies or the accumulation of more than five credits of N or F grades—regardless of the GPA—is considered unsatisfactory.
- Effective Fall 2020: The accumulation of more than 7 credits of Incomplete (I) grades is considered unsatisfactory.
Note: these are minimum university requirements. Departments/Programs may have higher/more stringent requirements.
If found to be making unsatisfactory progress, the student may be placed on academic warning or probation, or may be dismissed from the program. See Satisfactory Progress for more information.
Appealing a Grade
Students who feel they have been graded unfairly in a course should review the issue first with the faculty member. Following this review, if the students are not satisfied they should discuss the problem with the chairperson of the department in which the course was taken. If the student does not feel satisfied with the result of meeting with the instructor or the department chairperson, they may make an appointment with an advisor in the Office of Academic Advising by visiting 101 Oregon Hall or by calling 541-346-3211. The advisor can explain options to the student, including petitioning the Scholastic Review Committee. If you have not met with your instructor or the department chairperson, your advisor will send you to meet with them first before discussing a petition.
Incompletes
There are two sets of policies regarding incompletes in graduate courses: (1) Department/Program policies as outlined in the program's graduate student handbook; and (2) University policies as outlined below. Graduate students should become familiar with both.
University Policy for Incompletes Assigned Fall 2022 or Later
Effective Fall 2022, students and faculty members must file an Incomplete Request Form to request a grade of Incomplete. Policy and procedure details, including the link to the request form, are available on this page.
University Policy for Incompletes Assigned Prior to Fall 2022
For Incompletes assigned in graduate courses prior to Fall 2022, Division of Graduate Studies policy requires that graduate students must convert a graduate course grade of Incomplete ("I") into a passing grade within one calendar year of the term the course was taken.
After one year, the student must petition the Division of Graduate Studies for the removal of an incomplete.
A petition to remove an incomplete must meet all the following criteria to be eligible for Division of Graduate Studies approval:
- The incomplete must be no more than seven years old.
- The student must have the approval of the instructor to complete the outstanding course requirements.
- The student must not have completed a terminal graduate degree since the term of enrollment in the course.
Incompletes that remain on the academic record after a degree has been awarded may not be removed.
All coursework documented on the transcript at the time of the awarding of a degree stands as a permanent record and it is not permissible to revise the record.
An incomplete, "I", assigned to Research (601) or Terminal Project (609, AAAP 611, ARCH 619, BA 740, CRES 611, IARC 611, LA 699, LT 611) does not require a petition.
Thesis (503) and Dissertation (603) credits should be assigned a grade of "P" for students making satisfactory progress. An "I" grade should only be assigned for students who did work of acceptable quality during the term, but some component of the work was not completed within the timeframe expected.
Research and Terminal Project credits are converted after the instructor submits a Supplementary Grade Report to the Office of the Registrar.
This policy applies to the level of the course not to the level of the student. An undergraduate in a graduate level course will be evaluated under Division of Graduate Studies policy. A graduate student in an undergraduate level course will follow policies in effect for undergraduate students.