Grading Policies & Procedures

Minimum Grade Requirements

The University considers the following to be the minimum passing grade by course-level:

NOTE:  Doctoral students are required to have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA before entering into CMP courses (comprehensive exam, assessment, portfolio, or prospectus). 

Students earning a grade below the minimum must repeat the course or take an alternate course as described below (refer to Repeating Grades, Repeating Doctoral Sequence Courses, and Unsatisfactory Grades for Doctoral Students).  

Assignment Deadlines & Final Course Grades

Course policies and procedures regarding the submission of assignments and late submissions are published in all course syllabi.  Assignments submitted after the course end date will not be graded or calculated in the final grade for the course.

Assignment Submission and Return 

The Academic Week at NCU begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. Arizona time. Assignment due dates are mandatory. Coursework may not be submitted before a course start date. Faculty who receive work before a course start date should return the work with an explanation of the submission policy. Each assignment’s due date must be met. In addition, coursework should not be accepted after the course end date and/or approved course extension end date.  Faculty are expected to review and return assignment feedback in a timely manner.  The recommended assignment response times vary by program-level and course deliverables:

• Undergraduate and Graduate content course assignments = 4 days
• Doctoral Comprehensive Exams/Portfolio/Prospectus = 14 days
• Dissertation Courses = 7-14 days (see dissertation handbook for additional information)

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grade requests are student-initiated requests to extend a course. Students may request a maximum of one incomplete grade extension per course when an unforeseen circumstance impacts their ability to complete a course by the scheduled course end date. To request an incomplete grade extension, students must submit the completed Incomplete Grade form in NCUOne to their faculty member for review prior to the course end date. Faculty may approve requests at their discretion and should consider the eligibility requirements listed on the Incomplete Grade form when rendering a decision. Incomplete grade request decisions
are final and cannot be appealed.

NOTE: The following Doctoral courses are not eligible for an incomplete grade extension:

• CMP course prefixes

• DIS9000 to DIS9599

• DIS-990XA, B, C, and D

• DIP-990XA, B, C, and D

Repeating Undergraduate & Graduate Content Courses

When an undergraduate or graduate content course has been repeated, the credit used in computing the grade point average is the grade and credit hours earned the last time the repeated course was taken.  When a course is repeated, the original course grade will be changed to an “R” (retaken).  Some courses may not be eligible for an “R” grade; students should work with their Academic and Finance Advisor to determine course repeat eligibility.  

If an alternate course is taken to meet degree requirements for a non-passing course, the grade for both the alternate course and the non-passing course will appear on the student’s transcript and both grades will be used in computing the cumulative GPA.

Students will be required to pay tuition for repeated or alternate courses.

NOTE: Content courses may only be repeated once without prior approval from the Dean or the Program Chair. A denial of a third attempt of a required course or a third failed grade in any course listed on a student’s degree plan as required for graduation will lead to dismissal.

Exception: Passing grades earned in graduate-level courses that are completed as part of a conferred NCU undergraduate degree will not change to an “R” grade if they need to be retaken to satisfy the minimum grade requirements in an NCU Master’s degree program.

Maximum “R” Grade Policy

A student may utilize the “R” grade a maximum of five times in their current program (as defined by the Readmission Policy).  If a student retakes a course after they have earned five “R” grades, the original grade and the grade earned during the retake will both appear on the transcript and be used to calculate GPA.

Unsatisfactory Grades for Doctoral Sequence Courses

CMP Courses

DIS Courses

DIP Courses

Repeating Doctoral Sequence Courses

Students enrolled in course codes CMP-9600 through CMP-9799, DIS-9901A through DIS-9904D, and DIP-9901A through DIP-9904D may be eligible to earn a Repeated Doctoral Sequence (“RD”) grade for courses that were originally completed with a non-passing grade if subsequent attempts are completed with a “B” or better.  Courses awarded an “RD” grade will not be used in GPA calculations.  Some courses may not be eligible for an “RD” grade; students should work with their Academic and Finance Advisor to determine Doctoral Sequence course repeat eligibility.

NOTE: A dissertation block consists of a 12-week dissertation course (DIS-990XA or DIP-990XA) and three, 8-week supplemental courses (DIS-990XB, DIS-990XD, DIP-990XB, and DIP-990XD).  For non-passing grade(s) to be replaced, students must successfully complete the dissertation block with a grade of “B” or better by the end of the third supplemental dissertation course (DIS-990XD or DIP-990XD). Students who earn a non-passing grade in a dissertation block will be automatically scheduled and accepted into the appropriate supplemental course without a break in scheduling to ensure that students remain in continuous enrollment throughout the doctoral sequence.

Maximum “RD” Grade Policy for Doctoral Sequence Courses

A student may utilize the “RD” grade a maximum of fourteen times during the Doctoral Sequence (CMP-9600+, DIS-9901A+, and DIP-9901A+). During the dissertation block, a student will be allowed a maximum of three “RD” grades per dissertation block.

ADA Course Accommodations

Students receiving ADA accommodations that extend their original course completion date are also eligible for Dean approved course modifications and incomplete grade extensions beyond approved ADA accommodation date.

Administrative Course Codes

Administrative course codes do not contribute to GPA calculation.