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Pass/Unsatisfactory Option for Spring 2020 for Graduate Students

Recognizing that factors related to COVID-19 have affected graduate students' ability to perform at their best, Wright State University is offering graduate students the option to convert any of their course grades to Pass/Unsatisfactory grading for the Spring 2020 semester, excluding A-term courses and X-term courses completed before March 9, and excluding courses in the M.D. and Psy.D. programs. The following terms apply to this option:

    1. A grade of P is equivalent to a “C” or better.
    2. A grade of U cannot be applied to a degree.
    3. A grade of P during Spring 2020 does not count toward the maximum of 6 credit hours of C that may meet requirements for a graduate degree.
    4. P/U grades do not earn GPA points.

Faculty will submit their grades by noon on May 6, and students will have from May 11until noon on May 15 to choose to convert any of those grades to P/U.

This option is designed to protect the student’s GPA, and the decision to convert a course grade to P/U is entirely up to the student. However, students should consult their advisors and program directors to discuss the implications of the P/U grade specific to their program. Such implications may include:

  • P/U grades may not meet some course prerequisites.
  • P/U grades may not meet some professional licensing requirements.
  • Changing to P/U grades might, in some circumstances, prevent a graduate student from achieving the GPA necessary to meet conditional admission requirements, avoid academic probation/dismissal, or graduate.
  • P/U grades may not meet Financial Aid, tuition reimbursement, or Veterans Affairs requirements (please check with the relevant organization).

P/U grades during Spring 2020 will not adversely affect the Graduate School's assessment of satisfactory progress for graduate assistants.

Students need to consult with their advisors and/or program directors to fully understand the ramifications of their decision to convert grades to the P/U option. For example:

  • A P will not count toward the six-hour limit on C grades that may be counted toward satisfying graduate degree requirements (per WSU Policy 5510.1). However, a P also might not satisfy requirements for which an A-F letter grade is required (see examples below).
  • P/U grades will not satisfy some prerequisites at the graduate level. Consult the WSU Catalog for specific course prerequisites.
  • Letter grades are necessary to satisfy some professional licensing requirements. Be sure to consult with your program director regarding such requirements before requesting a grade change.
  • Graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in order to graduate (perWSU Policy 5510.1), and P/U grades do not earn GPA points. Thus, a change from a letter grade to P/U might in some instances prevent a student from attaining the necessary GPA to graduate.
  • Graduate students on probation must maintain a current semester GPA of at least 3.0 in order to avoid dismissal (per WSU Policy 5510.3), and P/U grades do not earn GPA points. Thus, a change from a letter grade to P/U might in some instances prevent a student from attaining the necessary GPA to avoid dismissal.
  • Graduate students admitted conditionally are effectively on probation until they have completed nine hours with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (per WSU Policy 5510.4). Thus, a change from a letter grade to P/U might in some instances prevent a student from attaining the necessary GPA to attain regular status and avoid dismissal.
  • Graduate students repeating a course for a grade replacement (per WSU Policy 5360.1) should be aware that a P may not satisfy requirements for which the course was being retaken.
  • Graduate courses being double-counted for students in combined degree (4+1) programs are subject to the same considerations that apply to courses taken solely for graduate credit.