Grading Policy
At Carey, we are committed to fostering a learning environment and assessing academic performance based on merit.
Core & Foundation Courses: The grade point average should not exceed 3.35.
A class is considered “Foundation” or “Core” if the course is listed as such, regardless of the percentage of students taking the course as an elective.
Elective Courses: The grade point average should not exceed 3.45.
The grading system used for official grades for all Carey Business School courses is as follows:
- ‘A+’ is not awarded at any level.
- ‘A’ is reserved for those who demonstrate extraordinary performance as determined by the instructor.
- ‘A-’ is awarded only for excellent performance.
- ‘B+’ and ‘B’ are awarded for good performance.
- ‘B-‘, ‘C+’, ‘C’, and ‘C-’ are awarded for adequate but substandard performance.
- ‘D+’, ‘D’, and ‘D-’ are not awarded at the graduate level.
- ‘F’ indicates the student’s failure to satisfactorily complete the course work. If laboratory work is part of a course in which an ‘F’ is received, both the lecture and laboratory work must be repeated unless the instructor in the course indicates otherwise. If the course is not required for graduation, it need not be repeated; the grade, however, remains on the transcript and is calculated into the grade point average.
- An ‘I’ (Incomplete) grade is used when the instructor is not prepared to give a final grade for the course because of some justifiable delay in the student’s completion of specific coursework. Both the instructor and the student should complete the Incomplete Grade Contract and submit it to the Registrar’s office within 5 calendar days of the last scheduled class meeting. A final grade is submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the instructor after grading the student’s completed work. All work must be completed and the final grade submitted within four weeks after the start of the following semester. In the event that the work is not completed within this time frame, a grade of ‘F’ replaces the ‘I’ on the student’s transcript.
- ‘P’ indicates successful completion of coursework. No quality points assigned.
- ‘R’ indicates that a course has been repeated. When a course is repeated, both the original and repeated course grades appear on the academic record; however, only the repeated course grade is used in calculating the grade point average. Course credit can be applied toward degree requirements only once, even if a course is repeated. Both the original and repeated course are indicated with an ‘R’ on the academic record.
- ‘W’ (Withdrawal) indicates an official withdrawal approved by the Registrar’s Office. It is not assigned by the instructor. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course, an add/drop form must be submitted by the deadline in the Withdrawal Schedule.
- ‘X’ indicates the grade has not yet been submitted by the instructor.
No notation on an official report may be changed except to correct an error or replace an ‘I’ (Incomplete) grade.
Carey courses may not be audited.
Note: A cumulative GPA below 2.85 would make a student ineligible for graduation. Our Academic Advisors work with students whose GPA falls below this level to develop a plan to maintain good academic standing.
Grade Point Average
Both semester and cumulative grade point averages are noted on a student’s academic record. To calculate the grade point average (GPA), multiply the number of credits for each course by the quality points associated with the grades received in each course; add up quality points; then add up credits and divide quality points by the number of credits. The quality points used for all official grades at the Carey Business School are listed in the following table.
| Grade | Quality Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+1 | 1.30 |
| D1 | 1.00 |
| D-1 | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
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’D+, ‘D’, and ‘D-’ are not awarded at any level.
Grade Appeals
Students wishing to appeal a grade must contact their academic advisor within two weeks of the grade having been assigned by the instructor.
The student’s academic advisor will guide the student through the appeal process. After consulting with the academic advisor and receiving a grade appeal form, students will have two weeks to file the grade appeal with the advisor. Appeals must be submitted no later than four weeks from the date the grade was assigned by the instructor. To be successful, a student must show that
- there was a clerical error; or
- that criteria different from those in the syllabus were used to award grades; or
- the instructor used an arbitrary or inconsistent standard.
Examples of arbitrary standards could include differences in political or ethical positions of the instructor and student(s). The student must demonstrate that an accommodation was not reached with the instructor of record, and clearly delineate which appeal criteria are the basis of the petition.
If there is no successful resolution, the appeal will be forwarded to the Chair of the Grade Appeal Committee (GAC). The GAC will investigate and make a determination of the remedy if warranted. The remedy will be communicated to the Vice Dean for Education (VDE), who will inform all parties of the decision. In rare circumstances (e.g., where the GAC needs expert feedback on a subject matter), the GAC can ask the Vice Dean for Education (VDE) to help with the case. The VDE can then appoint an independent faculty committee to review the case, which will make a recommendation on the grade appeal to the VDE.
A student may appeal the decision of GAC to the Dean of the Carey Business School. The dean’s role in an appeal of a grade appeal decision is only to assess whether there were procedural errors or whether there is new information that was not considered by the committee that could have materially affected the decision. The Dean has final authority on the appropriate remedy.
Receiving Your Grades
Online: Currently enrolled students can access their semester grades and access/print an official grade report here.
Students who need additional assistance should contact the Office of the Registrar.
Incomplete Grades
An ‘I’ (Incomplete) grade is used when the instructor is not prepared to give a final grade for the course because of some justifiable delay in the student’s completion of specific coursework. Both the instructor and the student should complete the Incomplete Grade Contract and submit it to the Registrar’s office within 5 calendar days of the last scheduled class meeting. A final grade is submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the instructor after grading the student’s completed work. All work must be completed and the final grade submitted within four weeks after the start of the following semester. In the event that the work is not completed within this time frame, a grade of ‘F’ replaces the ‘I’ on the student’s transcript.
Repeating a Course
A graduate student may improve their cumulative GPA by repeating a maximum of three courses (not to exceed 6 credits) in which the student received a grade of C, C-, or F. Although both courses will remain on the student’s permanent record, the last grade received will be the grade used to determine credit toward a degree and GPA. The first and second attempts will be recorded with both the grade earned and the symbol R to denote it has been repeated. The repeat must be in the same course and must be taken at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
The repeat will not change notations regarding academic standing or academic discipline in the student’s official record for the semester containing the first or second attempt. No course can be repeated more than once.
Note: For federal financial aid recipients, students may only receive federal aid for repeating a course in which an F grade was received.