Academic Standing

Students refer to Chapter 4 regarding student responsibilities.

Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in all coursework completed within the Leavey School of Business. The minimum passing grade for individual courses is a C-. A grade of F constitutes a failing grade and the associated units will not be applied toward graduation requirements. The Leavey School of Business does not award grades of D, including D+ or D-.

Evening MBA, Online MBA, STEM MBA, and JDMBA Students

If an MBA student has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 during the first 17 units of study, they will be placed on academic warning. After completing 17 units, if the student fails to increase the cumulative GPA to 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation. Once on academic probation, students have the following two quarters of attendance to meet the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement.  If at the end of the second quarter the student remains below a 3.0 GPA, the student will be academically disqualified from the program.

Evening MS, Online MS, and JDMSIS Students

If an MS student’s GPA should fall below 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation starting with an academic warning. Students then have two quarters to raise the GPA to a cumulative 3.0 or they will be dismissed from the program. Students who fail a required course may be dismissed immediately if it is mathematically impossible to return to good standing and remain on track to graduate with their class. Students who receive an F in a required course are eligible for immediate dismissal based on the availability of the course and its requirement as a prerequisite for other courses.

Appeal Process

A student may appeal an academic disqualification only once during their program. The process begins with the submission of a written appeal, which must include steps to reestablish good academic standing. Students will not be allowed to register for further courses until their written appeal has been approved.

Upon approval, students are responsible for adhering to the plan outlined in their appeal. If the conditions of the appeal are not met or if academic progress is inconsistent, the student will be withdrawn from all classes and required to leave the program.

To support students in improving their performance, the administration will contact faculty midway through the term to acquire status updates on academic performance and ensure students are aware of available academic resources.

Important Note: A degree will not be awarded if a student’s cumulative GPA is below 3.0 at the end of their final quarter, even if all other program requirements are met. Students must raise their cumulative GPA by completing additional coursework within the SCU Graduate Business School.

Grading

The grading system is as follows:

The grading system is outlined as follows:

• A: Distinguished performance and competence
• A- / B+: Excellent performance and competence
• B: Meets academic and professional standards
• B- / C+: Acceptable performance levels in a course
• C-: Minimal passing grade
• F: Fails to demonstrate academic and professional competence

Instructors may assign grades without pluses or minuses at their discretion.

The University also uses the following designators for which no unit credit or grade point value is granted:

I: Incomplete
N: Continuing work
NS: No Show
W: Withdrawn

Repeating Failed Courses

When a student repeats a course after failing to pass it on the first attempt, the grade received on the second attempt shall replace the initial grade in the calculation of the student’s GPA. A failed course may be repeated twice. The Graduate Business Programs Office must approve requests for a third attempt. If approved and the course is successfully repeated on the third attempt, only one of the previous F grades will be replaced in the calculation of the student’s GPA.  However, if the student fails the course on the third attempt they will be immediately dismissed from the program. All attempts are reflected on the student’s transcript.

A student who fails an elective may choose to retake the same course (if it is offered), in which case the GPA will be recalculated based on the policy outlined above. If the student selects a different elective instead, it will not be considered a repeat, and the new grade will not replace the grade from the failed course. The program is not obligated to offer specific electives to accommodate students wishing to retake a failed course.

A failing grade received as a sanction for a violation of the academic integrity protocol may not be replaced. Students are not allowed to retake a course if they have already received a passing grade of C- or higher in that course. If a student re-enrolls in a passed course the units will not be counted toward graduation requirements.

Students should be aware of any changes in catalog subjects, catalogs, numbers, and course titles.

Disputing Grades

Only the faculty member responsible for a course may assign grades. All grades become final when they have been assigned and reported to the Office of the Registrar. A faculty member may report a correction of a final grade to the registrar only if a clerical or procedural error was made in assigning, transmitting, or recording the original grade. A grade may not be changed as a result of re-evaluation, re-examination, or the submission of additional student work after the term ends (with the exception of work completed to convert a grade of Incomplete). Any grade change must have the approval of the department chair and the associate dean. No grade may be changed after one year.

Student Appeals of Grades

Grades are not negotiable. In registering for a class, students implicitly agree to allow the instructor to make a judgment of their command of the subject matter, which will be expressed as a letter grade. Any appeal of a grade should therefore be limited to procedural issues– e.g., to computational errors or failures to follow grading policies set forth in the syllabus.

A student with a procedural complaint regarding a final grade may request a review of the grade, following the process below.  Any complaint regarding a grade must be initiated within four weeks of the beginning of the next scheduled term.

• The student must first discuss the matter with the course instructor of record.
• If the matter is not resolved at this level, the student may submit a written appeal to the instructor’s department chair. The department chair will discuss the case with the instructor and may recommend that the instructor review the grade.
• If the matter still is not resolved, the student may forward their appeal first to the dean (who may delegate this to the appropriate administrative resource in the Leavey School of Business), and finally to the provost, either of whom may discuss the matter with the instructor and, if they think it appropriate, request that the instructor review the grade.

The results of all grading appeals are advisory and are not binding upon the faculty member, who retains final authority to set the grade, as specified in the SCU Faculty Handbook.

If a change in grade occurs, the instructor will communicate the change to the registrar.

Incomplete Grades

An instructor may assign a grade of “I” (Incomplete) when a student is unable to finish a significant portion of the required coursework due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Eligibility

• An incomplete may only be considered after the 7th week of a 10-week session or after the 3rd week of a 5-week session.
• At the time of the request, the student must have completed at least 80% of the course requirements, as determined by the instructor.
• Approval of an incomplete is at the discretion of the instructor and is not automatically granted.

Completion of Work

• All remaining coursework must be submitted to the instructor within three weeks of the start of the next scheduled academic term (not the student’s next term of enrollment).
• If extraordinary circumstances require additional time, the instructor may submit a written request for an extension to the University Registrar within the original three-week period.
• Extensions may not exceed two academic quarters beyond the term in which the incomplete was assigned.

• If the required work is not completed within the deadline, and no approved extension is on file, the incomplete will automatically convert to a grade of “F.”

Student Responsibilities

• Students are responsible for ensuring that the incomplete agreement between student and instructor is documented in writing before the ‘I’ grade is officially recorded on Workday.
• Students should be aware that access to the Camino course site may end once the term concludes. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain consistent and clear communication with the instructor about how remaining materials, assignments, discussions,  quizzes, and exams will be submitted.
• Deadlines for completing outstanding work are set by the instructor, and students must adhere to them. No exceptions will be made.

NS (No Show) Grades

The “NS” (No Show) grade is assigned at faculty's discretion when a student fails to attend and does not drop a course for which he/she has registered. The NS grade does not impact the student’s GPA but cannot be changed or removed from the transcript. No adjustment in tuition will result from the awarding of a mark of “NS” in a class.

Withdrawn (W) Grades

A “W” (Withdrawn) is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when a student completes the formal requirements for dropping a class or withdrawing from the University after the quarter’s add/drop period. A mark of “W” cannot be changed to any other grade. A “W” is included in the student’s academic record and appears on the student’s transcript but has no effect on the student’s GPA.

Continuing (N) Grades

Some courses may be assigned a grade of “N” if the course dates span more than one academic quarter.  The “N” grade is assigned in the initial academic quarter and does not have any weight in the GPA calculation.  A final grade for a “spanned” course will be given in the last quarter in which course sessions occur.

Auditing Classes

The Graduate Business Program does not allow course audits at the Graduate-level except for the Executive MBA program. If you are an Executive MBA student or alumni, please refer to your curriculum section in Chapter 7.  For each other program, the unit requirement is the minimum; domestic graduates may take additional electives before petitioning to graduate and completing their degree.  Full per-unit tuition would be required.  The minimum requirement is stated below:

• Evening MBA, STEM MBA, JD/MBA, and Online MBA  -  70 units
• MS Information Systems, and JD/MSIS - 48 units
• MS Business Analytics and Online MS Business Analytics - 42 units
• MS Sports Business - 38 units
• MS Finance & Analytics, Online MS Finance & Analytics, MS Marketing,  and Online MS Marketing - 36 units

F-1 International students must complete their program (graduate) by the program end date on their I-20 and in accordance with program requirements.  Once an international student qualifies for graduation, they must petition to graduate and graduate in the earliest term possible.