Grades

Boise State University uses a 4.0 grading scale. The following table lists the letter grades that instructors use to document their evaluation of your work and to document your academic status in the class. In addition, it defines the meaning of each letter grade and specifies the number of quality points that correspond to each grade. Quality points are used to determine your grade-point average (GPA). The procedure for calculating your GPA is described in the How to Calculate Your GPA section of this page.

Letter Grades Table

Boise State calculates and documents three types of grade-point average (GPA):

• Cumulative GPA
• Semester or term GPA
• Boise State GPA

Each of the three types of GPA is calculated with the same formula:

Total quality points earned divided by GPA credits attempted = GPA

In calculating your cumulative GPA, Boise State uses courses you have taken at the university in your current career and all courses you have transferred from other post-secondary institutions—but only if you received a final letter grade (A+ through F) in those transferred courses. During any semester you can be enrolled in one of two possible careers—undergraduate or graduate.

In calculating semester GPA, the formula uses only the quality points earned and GPA credits attempted that semester. For Boise State GPA, the formula uses only quality points earned and GPA credits attempted at Boise State in your current career.

All GPA calculations exclude credits for:

• pass/fail courses in which you received a final grade of P. Note: a grade of F will impact your GPA
• courses that you registered for, but later dropped from your schedule, even though the course may appear on your transcript with a final grade of W or CW
• courses you took under audit status (AUD or UAU)
• courses in which you have received the grade of I, for incomplete (until the I is changed to a letter grade)

Instructors can enter a grade of I—for incomplete—if both of the following conditions are present:

• You have completed either 80% of the course or 80% of the coursework.
• Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for you to complete the course before the end of the semester.

To receive an incomplete, you and your instructor must agree to a contract stipulating the work you must do and the time in which it must be completed for you to receive a grade in the class. The terms of this contract are viewable on myBoiseState under your Student Center To Do List. The contract time varies as set by the instructor, but may not exceed one year. If no grade other than incomplete has been assigned one year after the original incomplete, the grade of F will automatically be assigned. The grade of F may not be changed without approval of the University Academic Appeals Committee. As long as you have an incomplete in a class, you may not re-enroll in the class during another semester. A grade of incomplete is excluded from GPA calculations until you receive a final grade in the course. You cannot graduate with a grade of I (incomplete) on your record.

The dean’s list is a roster of undergraduate students who have received very high grades during a particular fall or spring semester of full-time enrollment. To be included in the dean’s list, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must complete 12 or more college-level credit hours in a given semester, excluding classes graded Pass/Fail.
• For that semester, you must attain a semester grade-point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher.
• For that semester, you may not receive a grade of I for incomplete.

You will receive an Honors designation on the dean’s list if you attain a GPA of 3.50 to 3.74; High Honors for a GPA of 3.75 to 3.99; and Highest Honors for a GPA of 4.00. This designation will appear on your transcript.

If you wish to improve your grade in a course, you may register for an individual course a maximum of two (2) times. Third or subsequent attempts require approval of the academic advisor of your major and the chair of the department offering the course on a Request to Exceed Maximum Course Registration form. Grades of W and CW count in the individual course maximum of two (2) times. Prior learning credits cannot be used to repeat a course.

Effective Spring 2014, while earning an undergraduate degree, the maximum number of overall course repeats is six (6). For the purposes of counting the overall repeat maximum neither grades of W or CW count.

If you have exhausted six (6) repeats, you must either meet with the department of your current major to receive permission to continue in the major or declare a new major. If declaring a new major, you must select a major that can be completed without incurring additional repeats. Be aware that the maximum number of six (6) repeats is not reset when your major is changed.

Exceptions to the Repeat Count:

• Regular session courses dropped within the first ten (10) days of the semester are excluded from the course repeat maximum (see the Academic Calendar for drop deadlines for other sessions).
• Courses that can be taken multiple times for additional credit (per the university catalog) are also excluded from the course repeat maximum.
• Practicum, internship, project, thesis, dissertation, independent studies, and student teaching may not be repeated to improve a grade.
• Grades of W (withdrew from the course) or CW (completely withdrew from all classes that semester) are not considered an earned grade.
• Courses repeated at other institutions prior to transfer are excluded from the overall course repeat maximum.
• Repeat maximums in a first undergraduate degree do not apply to a second undergraduate degree. Students completing a second undergraduate degree are allowed a new repeat maximum of six (6) courses.
• Remedial courses (e.g., MUS-APL010, THEA010) are excluded from the registration maximum.

If you repeat a course, only the most recent repeated course may count toward a degree; all grades will appear on the Boise State transcript including grades of W and CW.

Your grade-point average (GPA) is affected by repeating courses. When you repeat a course, both grades appear on your transcript. Note:

• Courses repeated prior to Fall 1995 use a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade was used in calculating the cumulative GPA.
• Courses repeated Fall 1995 through Summer 2001 used a grade averaging policy. Courses repeated will be averaged, using both grades in the calculation of the GPA.
• Beginning Fall 2001 and on, courses repeated will use a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade will be used in calculation of the cumulative GPA.

You may petition to exclude from GPA calculation any grades earned at Boise State or at another institution in one or two semesters in which your GPA is less than 2.00. You must complete a Grade Exclusion Form and meet all the following criteria:

• You must not have been a student at any institution of higher education for at least five years, or at least eight years must have elapsed since you received the grades you wish to have excluded.
• After being readmitted and before applying for grade exclusion, you must complete 12 credits at Boise State with a GPA of 2.50 or higher, or 24 credits with a GPA of 2.25 or higher.
• You have not previously been granted grade exclusion at Boise State.

If you request grade exclusion, you must have all grades excluded in the semester or semesters chosen; you may not choose individual grades. If you wish to exclude grades from two semesters, you may apply multiple times as long as you have not exceeded the maximum number of semesters to exclude. All grades, past and present, will remain on your transcript, but the excluded grades will not count toward graduation or be calculated in your GPA. However, all grades, including those that have been excluded, will be used to calculate graduation honors. If you possess a post-secondary degree or certificate, you may not have any grades earned prior to receiving that degree or certificate excluded from your GPA. Grade exclusion may affect your financial aid; contact the Financial Aid Office for details.

To remain in good academic standing, you must maintain a minimum grade-point average (GPA) for the number of credits you have earned. The following table shows the minimum Boise State GPA (Boise State GPA only, transfer and test GPA not included) you must have in relation to the total cumulative credits earned (includes transfer, test, and Boise State credits) for determining probation or dismissal status.

Minimum Boise State GPA Necessary to Remain in Good Academic Standing

If you fail to maintain the minimum Boise State GPA shown in the provided table, you are placed on probation. At the end of your next semester at Boise State, the university reviews your record and takes one of the following actions:

• Removes you from probation (if your cumulative Boise State GPA is at or above the minimum specified in the provided table).
• Continues your probation (if your cumulative Boise State GPA is below the minimum specified in the provided table, but your semester GPA is 2.0 or higher).
• Dismisses you from the university (if your cumulative Boise State GPA is below the minimum specified in the table above and your semester GPA is below 2.0).

If you leave the university while on probation, you will remain on probation when you return—even if you have attended another institution in the meantime. While on probation, you may be ineligible to receive financial aid or to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by the university. For more information on these restrictions, see Financial Aid and the Dean of Students.

If you are dismissed from the university, you are barred from enrolling for one semester (fall or spring) after the first dismissal and for one academic year after any subsequent dismissal. If you wish to appeal this waiting period, you must file an appeal with the University Academic Appeals Committee. The Academic Appeals Form is available from the Registrar’s Office. You will be permitted no more than two reinstatements. As per Idaho State Board of Education Policy, third dismissal is final.

Important: Starting Spring 2018, students who were previously dismissed from Boise State who want to return, will need to provide all of their admissions materials to the Admissions Office by the following deadlines:

• Spring: November 15
• Summer: March 15
• Fall: July 15