Grade Exclusion (Policy 3160)
University Policy 3160
Download a Printable Version of Policy 3160
Effective Date
September 1995
Last Revision Date
March 30, 2021
Responsible Party
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1212
Office of the Registrar, (208) 426-4249
Scope and Audience
This policy applies to all Boise State University students.
1. Policy Purpose
To establish policy allowing students to exclude grades from their GPA calculation.
2. Policy Statement
Boise State University is committed to supporting its students in their educational attainment by allowing for grade exclusions. Such exclusions are permitted pursuant to this policy.
3. Criteria for Requesting an Exclusion
3.1 Undergraduate Criteria
An undergraduate student may request to exclude from GPA calculation grades earned at Boise State University, or another institution, in up to two (2) semesters in which the GPA is less than 2.0 if the following criteria are met:
a. The student has not been enrolled at any regionally accredited institution of higher education for at least five (5) years or at least eight (8) years have elapsed since the grades were received;
b. After being readmitted and/or before applying for grade exclusion, the student must complete twelve (12) credits at Boise State University with a GPA of 2.50 or higher, or twenty four (24) credits with a GPA of 2.25 or higher; and
c. The student has not exceeded the allowed two (2) semesters of grade exclusion at Boise State University.
3.2 Graduate Criteria
A graduate student may request to exclude from their GPA calculation grades earned in graduate or undergraduate courses completed at Boise State University when the following criteria are met:
a. The graduate student is currently admitted as non-degree seeking, or is requesting exclusion of courses completed that are not applicable to the current graduate degree or certificate plan; and
b. The graduate student has not exceeded the allowed number of grade exclusions at Boise State University.
4. Procedures for Requesting an Exclusion
4.1 Undergraduate Students
a. An undergraduate student must complete a Request for Grade Exclusion form. The Registrar’s Office will verify that the student has met the criteria outlined in Section 3.
b. If the student has met the criteria, the courses excluded from their GPA calculation will be noted on the transcript as Grade Exclusion.
4.2 Graduate Students
a. A graduate student must complete a Graduate Request for Grade Exclusion form. The Graduate College will verify if the student has met the criteria under Section 3 and will forward the request to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
b. If the student has met the criteria, the courses excluded from the GPA calculation will be noted on the graduate transcript as Grade Exclusion.
5. Limitations
5.1 Undergraduate Students
a. An undergraduate student cannot exclude any grades for courses previously applied to the awarding of a post-secondary degree or certificate. If the student has courses that were ineligible for use toward a particular post-secondary degree or certificate, grades earned in those courses may be excluded if the other criteria in Section 3 are met.
b. All grades and credits within the semester requested for exclusion will be excluded. Students cannot choose to have individual grades within a semester excluded.
c. All grades and credits, even in an excluded semester, remain on the transcript as official grades; however, the excluded grades and credits will not count toward graduation or be calculated in the cumulative GPA.
d. All grades and credits, including those grades and credits excluded, will be used to calculate eligibility for graduation honors.
5.2 Graduate Students
a. A graduate student who has been dismissed or deactivated from a graduate degree or certificate program, including a graduate student who has received an academic dismissal, may not use the grade exclusion process for the graduate degree or certificate program from which they have been dismissed or deactivated.
b. Grades earned while an undergraduate student has been admitted to an accelerated master’s degree program at Boise State University may not be excluded from the respective master’s degree program.
c. Courses required for a graduate student’s current graduate degree or certificate plan, even if completed while the graduate student was admitted to a different degree or certificate program or was a non-degree-seeking student, may not be excluded. In this case, the graduate student should use the Request to Repeat a Graduate Course form.
d. A graduate student cannot choose to have individual grades within a semester excluded. All grades and credits requested for exclusion under the prior degree or certificate plan, or while a non-degree-seeking student, are excluded.
e. All grades and credits, even in an excluded semester, remain on the transcript as official grades; however, the excluded grades and credits will not count toward graduation or be calculated toward the cumulative GPA or program GPA requirements.
6. Forms
Graduate Request for Grade Exclusion Form
https://www.boisestate.edu/registrar/home/student-forms/
Request for Grade Exclusion Form
https://www.boisestate.edu/registrar/home/student-forms/
Request to Repeat a Graduate Course Form
https://www.boisestate.edu/registrar/home/student-forms/
Revision History
July 1996; November 2001; March 2014; March 30, 2021