Grades/Performance/Conduct
Academic Integrity
Graduate students at Johns Hopkins are expected to understand the ethical standards of the university, hold the highest standard of integrity for their work, and avoid academic dishonesty in all forms. Ignorance of ethical rules is no excuse for cheating. It is the further responsibility of every student to report to the instructor or their program’s director any suspected violations of academic ethics by peers. Enforcement of our code of conduct is a shared responsibility and should not depend on the university alone. We all celebrate the rigor of a Johns Hopkins education, but that rigor loses its meaning if students cheat. Students who violate this code of conduct face a range of penalties, including failure of a course, permanent university transcript notation of an ethics violation, loss of a degree, or expulsion from the university. Please see the Student Code of Conduct for procedures and responsibilities. Ethics violations of any kind are taken seriously and may result in dismissal from AAP’s programs.
Academic Standing and Conduct
Advanced Academic Programs students should strive to remain in good academic standing and continue to make clear and positive progress toward earning their degree. AAP holds non-degree-seeking students—for example, those who satisfy all requirements for admission to degree candidacy but who choose not to seek a degree—to the same performance standards as degree candidates. The university reserves the right to dismiss at any time a student whose academic standing or general conduct is deemed unsatisfactory.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These policies are for determining one’s academic standing within AAP. Students who receive federal loans administered through the Financial Aid Office may have other academic standards to abide by in order to comply with federal loan requirements. Additionally, students who receive other funds to support their studies are responsible for complying with the requirements associated with their funding source.
Good Academic Standing
Good academic standing requires a combination of the following:
- No more than one C as a final grade, with all other final grades being a B- or higher
- Only one C in an elective course may count toward a master’s degree or graduate certificate; a C in a core course cannot fulfill a core course requirement for a master’s degree or graduate certificate
- Consistent enrollment in courses, with at least one completed course every three semesters (including summer), unless on an approved leave of absence
- Clear progress toward completing degree coursework within the five-year time limitation, aside from any time spent on an approved leave of absence
Academic Probation
Academic probation may result from any of the following:
- The following earned cumulative grades:
- Two final grades of a C, or
- One final grade of an F
- Four consecutive semesters of enrollment (including summer) without a single completed course, except when a student is on an approved leave of absence. Withdrawals do not count as a completed course.
Students on academic probation who meet all degree requirements and performance standards are permitted to graduate.
If a student replaces a grade of a C or lower with a B- or higher in a retaken course, the original grade will no longer count toward academic probation.
Returning to Good Academic Standing from Academic Probation
Students on academic probation can return to good academic standing. Students placed on probation can retake any course in which they earned a C or below. If a student replaces a grade of a C or lower with a B- or higher in a retaken course, the original grade will no longer count toward academic probation. Students may attempt no more than two retakes during their program of study at AAP; they may not apply both retakes to the same course.
- If a student earns a grade of B– or above in the repeated course, AAP will remove the student’s probationary status.
- Both the original grade and the repeated course grade will appear on the student’s transcript, and AAP will apply the higher grade toward degree requirements.
- If a student receives an additional grade of C or lower before a course is repeated and completed, AAP will dismiss the student.
- Students on academic probation due to four accumulated semesters of withdrawals must complete two semesters of coursework with earned grades of B- or higher.
Academic Dismissal
The following situations result in academic dismissal from the program:
- Students with good academic standing who earn the following grades:
- Three grades of C or below; or
- One F and one C; or
- Two grades of F
- Students who are already on probation and earn an additional grade of C or below.
- Students who are already on probation due to accumulated withdrawals and experience a fifth consecutive semester (including summer) without completing a course with an earned grade of B- or higher.
If a student replaces a grade of a C or lower with a B- or higher in a retaken course, AAP will no longer count the original grade toward academic dismissal.
Dismissed students may apply immediately to another program in Advanced Academic Programs. Admission is not guaranteed. A dismissed student must wait one year from the date of dismissal before reapplying for admission to the program from which they have been dismissed. Readmission is not guaranteed.
Grade Appeals
Grade appeals can only occur after a student has been granted a final grade for the course and appeals in a timely manner including all appropriate documentation. The appeal and supporting documentation must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the student’s final course grade has been posted.
Grade appeals on the basis of discrimination are not within the purview of this policy. Students should send concerns regarding discrimination directly to the Office of Institutional Equity.
Grades are awarded for an individual student’s academic work during each semester based on that individual’s mastery of the course content. Grades are determined by faculty, and AAP will not override an instructor’s considered academic judgment when it comes to grade award decisions. Unhappiness with the grade is not sufficient basis for a grade appeal.
Grade Appeal Process
Facts considered during a grade appeal include but are not limited to: (1) verification that there was not an error in recording the grade; or (2) whether the grade was a result of a faculty member’s failure to follow the syllabus, assignment guidelines, or other instructions provided by the instructor for assigning grades.
Prior to submitting the appeal, the student must first contact the instructor to attempt to resolve the disputed grade. If the instructor and the student are unable to reach an agreement, or if the instructor does not respond to the student’s attempt to contact them, the student may submit a formal appeal to the AAP Grade Appeal Committee at AAPgradeappeals@jhu.edu. The student should work with their adviser to prepare necessary documentation for submission, which includes a student’s statement justifying the grade appeal along with all related supporting documentation. [Note: In the event that the course instructor is also the student’s faculty adviser, an alternative mediator will be identified by the program director and/or the faculty and academic affairs officer.]
Once the formal appeal has been submitted, the AAP Grade Appeal Committee has 10 business days to verify that the appeal meets the above criteria and all documentation has been submitted. Once the appeal is verified as complete, the AAP Grade Appeal Committee will reach out to the instructor for clarification of the grade; the instructor has seven business days to respond. The AAP Grade Appeal Committee then has 14 business days from the time of the instructor’s response to determine whether the disputed grade should be changed or retained and inform the student and the instructor of its decision. If the committee supports the appeal, the instructor has 10 business days to complete any work directed by the committee and update the grade.
The committee’s decision is final. Limited appeals to the associate dean following a committee decision are possible only if (1) the timeline or process for the grade appeal was not followed; (2) the instructor did not follow the guidelines set forth in the appeal decision; or (3) new evidence is made available after the AAP Grade Appeal Committee decision. A student submitting a limited appeal of the committee decision must submit a statement and supporting documentation to the aapgradeappeals@jhu.edu mailbox. This appeal must be made within 10 business days of the receipt of the AAP Grade Appeal Committee’s decision to deny the appeal or of the resubmission of the student’s grade.
Grading System
The grading scale for students enrolled for credit is A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, and F. Grades F and C are not removed from a student’s transcript even if a course is repeated.
Students are graded under the following system:
| Grade | Meaning | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | |
| A- | 3.70 | |
| B+ | 3.30 | |
| B | 3.00 | |
| B- | 2.70 | |
| C | 2.00 | |
| F | Failure | 0.00 |
| P | Pass | |
| I | Incomplete | |
| IP | In Progress | |
| W | Withdrawal | |
| AU | Audit | |
| NG | No Grade |
Incomplete Grades
Students who experience extenuating circumstances that prevent them from completing coursework within a given term may request an Incomplete (I) grade from their instructor. An approval of an incomplete grade request is neither automatic nor guaranteed.
To receive an “I” in a course, the student must at the minimum have a passing grade in the coursework completed at the time of the request and receive instructor approval.
A student must request an Incomplete grade from the instructor in writing on or before the last day of the semester. An Incomplete grade can’t be formally granted until after the Withdraw/Audit deadline. Requests must include an explanation of the extenuating circumstances. The Instructor has the right to ask for documentation. All documentation must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs for evaluation to safeguard student privacy, not directly to the instructor.
If the instructor, after consultation with the Program Director (or designee), determines that circumstances warrant an Incomplete grade, the Instructor and the student will complete the Request for Incomplete Grade form. This form outlines the reason for the Incomplete, the remaining work to be done, and the deadline. The instructor also indicates the grade the student will earn if they fail to complete the outstanding assignments.
The instructor establishes the conditions for resolving the missing work. The instructor must establish a deadline for the student to complete the work that is within 60 days of the last day of class as defined by AAP's academic calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to submit all work by the deadline and the instructor must grade the student’s work within 72 hours of the deadline. If a student does not complete the missing course work by the deadline, the “I” will automatically convert to the grade indicated by the instructor on the Request for Incomplete Grade form.
Students with incomplete grades in required courses for degree completion at the date of degree conferral will not graduate. Students with incomplete grades in courses that are not required for degree completion may still graduate. However, the deadline for completion is abbreviated; students must resolve incomplete grades within 30 days after the date of degree conferral, which is when the university closes their graduate record.
Performance Standards
Only one C may count toward a master’s degree or graduate certificate, and it must be in an elective course. A C in a core course cannot fulfill a core course requirement for a master’s degree or graduate certificate.
If a student earns a grade of C or below in a course, the student may repeat that course. Both the original grade and the repeated course grade will appear on the student’s transcript, and AAP will apply the higher grade toward degree requirements.
AAP holds non-degree seeking students—for example, those who satisfy all requirements for admission to degree candidacy but who choose not to seek a degree—to the same performance standards as degree candidates.
Time Limitation
Students must complete all academic work in a master’s degree or certificate program within five years, calculated from the start of the first course that counts toward the degree. This time limit includes any courses taken at another Johns Hopkins school/division that have been approved to count toward the degree or certificate.
If necessary, students may request from their program committee an extension of time to complete their program beyond the five-year limitation.
If an extension is granted, it will be communicated in a letter, and the five-year limit increased by the time included in the extension. An extension may be granted for a semester up to a full year, and in rare circumstances, for two years. In some instances, students may appeal the time limitation policy regarding previously completed AAP courses.
Withdrawal
The W grade signifies an official withdrawal from a course. Students who request to withdraw from a course as of the start of the fourth calendar week of class will have a W placed on their official transcript, indicating withdrawal from a course. Students should refer to the academic calendar to determine the term-specific deadlines to request a withdrawal. Withdrawn courses are not eligible for a refund; however, students can submit a request for an exemption to the refund schedule.
Students initiate a withdrawal by completing an online add/drop form. As a courtesy, students should notify their instructor if they withdraw from a course.
An important component of maintaining good academic standing in AAP is clear evidence of positive progress. To support student success, AAP academic advisers and program-specific academic advisers are available to help students craft an academic success plan. Students are encouraged to be proactive and seek additional assistance as needed.
When a student accrues multiple semesters with withdrawals, AAP may institute a change to the student’s academic standing. This could include an advising hold, academic probation, and/or academic dismissal.