Grading System and Regulations
Letter grades are given for major lessons, coursework, ensembles, juries, and recitals. Students may not elect to take a class in a different format: there is no pass/fail option. For the following purposes of assessing academic progress, letter grades are assigned grade points as follows:
| Letter Grades | Assigned Grade Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D | 1.00 |
| F | 0.00 |
No grade points are assigned for the following non-credit designations:
| Letter | Definition |
|---|---|
| AU | Audit |
| I | Incomplete |
| IP | In Progress |
| W | Withdrawn |
| NCR | No Credit |
| P | Pass |
The non-credit designations AU, W, NCR, and P are permanent grades for final transcripts. The regulations for auditing courses and In Progress grades can be found below.
Grade Determination
Professors may determine the scale of letter grades appropriate to the class grading percentage and make this scale known in their syllabuses. For most purposes, the following table may be regarded as a useful standard.
| Grades Scored Between | Will Equal |
|---|---|
| 95% and 100% | A |
| 90% and less than 95% | A- |
| 87% and less than 90% | B+ |
| 84% and less than 87% | B |
| 80% and less than 84% | B- |
| 77% and less than 80% | C+ |
| 74% and less than 77% | C |
| 70% and less than 74% | C- |
| 60% and less than 70% | D |
| 0% and less than 60% | F |
Grade Point Average
Grade point averages (GPA) are computed each semester and reported as term and cumulative GPA. A GPA is determined by multiplying the grade points for each earned grade by the number of credits for the course; the product is called the number of quality points. Artist Diploma recitals, composition and computer music portfolios, and final documents are not assigned letter grades and are therefore not calculated in a GPA. English as a Second Language courses are not calculated in a GPA, but students are still assigned standard letter grades. A GPA is the total number of quality points divided by the total number of attempted credits.
Example:
Grade & Credits and Weighting:
| Class | Letter | Number | Credits | Grade x Credits | Quality Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | B | 3.00 | 4 | 3.00 x 4 credits | 12.00 |
| Class 2 | A- | 3.67 | 3 | 3.67 x 3 credits | 11.01 |
| Class 3 | F | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 x 2 credits | 0.00 |
| Class 4 | C | 2.00 | 3 | 2.00 x 3 credits | 6.00 |
| Attempted | Credits | 12 | Total Credits x Grades | 29.01 |
29.01 Quality Points divided by 12 attempted credits = 2.4175
Semester GPA: 2.42. Student receives 10 credits.
Incomplete Grades1
The grade I (Incomplete) is a temporary grade that allows a student to complete the final materials in the course under specific and documented conditions. It is for students who have encountered extenuating circumstances at the end of the term, after the Withdraw period has closed. Students must request the grade of I, and both the instructor and the student must complete the Incomplete Grade Contract in SIS before the last day of classes noted in the academic calendar. A professor must agree to the Incomplete request; approval is neither automatic nor guaranteed. The professor may also alter the parameters proposed by the student. Students receiving an incomplete in any course are not eligible for the Dean’s List for that semester.
Faculty must submit a grade 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 as noted on the academic calendar. If the work is not completed within this period, a grade of F replaces the I on the student’s transcript.
In Progress Grades1
Faculty may record the grade IP (In Progress) for applied work: juries, recitals, lessons, and technique classes in dance. The grade IP requires no contract since completion of this work is required to maintain good academic standing.
Students receiving an IP in any course are not eligible for the Dean’s List for that semester and will receive a warning to resolve the grade to return to good academic standing.
The grade IP is also used as placeholder to mark passing semesters for academic commitments with indefinite durations, including DMA Consultation, Graduate Research, and Ear-training Review. For these classes, IP is assigned by default until the requirement is satisfied.
IP GRADE RESOLUTION
A grade of IP must be resolved by the sixth week of the subsequent semester. In general, all work should be submitted to faculty no later than the fourth week of the subsequent semester, although faculty can set earlier deadlines as they deem appropriate. IP grades that are not resolved by the deadline in the subsequent semester of enrollment will be changed to F on the student’s permanent record. Students who take a leave of absence following the award of I and IP grades have until the fourth week of the semester of return to submit work. To be approved for graduation, students must satisfy all degree requirements including IP grades.
Graduating Students: At the time of graduation, any I/IP grade from the semester of graduation will change to NCR (if not a required course).
Withdrawn Students: At the time of withdrawal, any I/IP grade from the semester of withdrawal, or prior semesters, will change to NCR.
LOA Students: Any I/IP remains frozen until the semester of return, when I/IP resolution is due.
International Students: International students in F-1 or J-1 status who receive an I/IP grade should consult the Office of International Services (OIS) for guidance on how this may affect their immigration status. Students may contact OIS at ois@jhu.edu.
Failing Grades
At the undergraduate level, the grade of F is a failing grade for coursework. In addition, in the Department of Music Theory, a D is a failing grade. At the graduate level, the grades D and F are failing grades for coursework. Good Academic Standing requires students to earn higher grades in designated enrollments. Music students must earn a B- or better in major enrollments (lessons, juries, recitals, and Music for Media 1-4). Dance students must earn a B- or better in technique and performance classes.
For enrollments that are specifically designated as requiring higher grades in the Academic Standing policy, failure to achieve those grades requires approval to fulfill major area requirements and may delay graduation.
Grade Appeals
If a student disputes a recorded grade, they can appeal the grade through direct communication with the instructor. If the matter cannot be resolved with the instructor, the student may take their appeal to the chair of the department, or in the case of Large Ensembles, to the Large-Ensemble Manager. If the matter cannot be resolved with the chair, the student may submit an academic petition. Chairs and Academic Affairs do not re-evaluate the work, but rather, they decide if proper and fair protocol was followed. Grade appeals must be initiated within 45 days of the end of the grading period.
Grade Changes
Conservatory faculty may request a grade change through SIS if the request meets the following criteria:
- The student for whom the grade is being changed has not yet received their degree.
- The request is made within six months of the end of the term.
- The grade is being increased.
- The grade is being changed from MR or X, or the reason for the change is a calculation/clerical error.
Changes of grade should be requested and addressed promptly. Absent extraordinary circumstances—which would require broader consultation with the Conservatory leadership—no grade will be changed after 18 months of being posted to the student’s record.
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This content was updated on 04/22/2022. Approved by the University Registrar.