Grading

The system of final course grades that is used by all Columbia undergraduate schools is as follows:

A+, A, A-

Excellent

B+, B, B-

Good

C+, C, C-

Fair

D

Poor but passing

F

Failure to pass (a final grade, not subject to reexamination)

Other notations may appear on students' transcripts as well:

P

A grade of Pass (P) used to cover a letter grade of C- or higher, if a student has elected the Pass/D/Fail grading option for the course. Restrictions on this option are detailed below.

W

A voluntary withdrawal from a course, initiated by the student. The deadline to withdraw from a course varies among the undergraduate schools.

Additionally, the following notations can be used by instructors for students of Columbia College or General Studies:

AR

A temporary mark submitted by an instructor if a student is experiencing extraordinary circumstances and more time is needed to determine the final grade for the class. (See details below about Incompletes or Deferred Exams, including the definition of a contingency grade).

AR[YC]

A temporary mark submitted by an instructor for the Fall term grade in a continuous year-long course. When the final grade is calculated at the end of the academic year, the instructor should request a change-of-grade request so that the Fall and Spring grades are identical. See details below.

Additionally, the following notations can be used by instructors for students of Columbia Engineering (SEAS):

CP

A mark that denotes coursework that will continue beyond the semester due to the official timeline of the course (for graduate-level research classes only).

IN

A mark of Incomplete or Deferred Exam, submitted by an instructor after the incomplete has been approved by the Committee on Academic Standing.
UW

A mark of Unofficial Withdrawal submitted by an instructor, if students discontinue attendance in a class for which they are registered or fail to take a final examination without an authorized excuse.

Additionally, the following notations can be used by instructors for students of Barnard College:

I

A grade of Incomplete submitted by an instructor. (See details about Incompletes below, including the definition of the contingency grade.)

IX A grade of Incomplete and Deferred Exam submitted by an instructor, after the Incomplete and Deferred Exam have been approved by the student's advising dean.
P* A grade of Pass (P) in a course in which the only grading options are Pass or Fail.
UW A mark of Unofficial Withdrawal submitted by an instructor, after the unofficial withdrawal has been approved by the student's advising dean.
X A mark of Deferred Exam submitted by an instructor, after the deferred exam has been approved by the student's advising dean.

More details about grading policies for Columbia College can be found here.

More details about grading policies for General Studies can be found here.

More details about grading policies for Columbia Engineering can be found here.

More details about grading policies for Barnard College can be found here.

Final grade submission

Processes and timelines for submitting final grades can be found on the Registrar's Office website.

It is very important that final grades be submitted in a timely fashion.

  • Students often need to know a grade in a particular class as soon as possible in order to plan for taking more advanced courses.
  • Class advisers routinely review student records at the end of each term to determine the academic status of students with regard to whether they should be put on academic probation or carefully monitored on their academic performance. Incomplete student records significantly impede this review process.
  • Students who are applying for internships, fellowships, scholarships, study abroad, summer programs, graduate and professional schools, or employment opportunities may be compromised in their efforts to pursue such opportunities if their transcripts are not up-to-date with all grades reported.

Please be sure to submit grades no later than two weeks after the final exam is given or two weeks after the last day of class for courses that do not include a final exam.

Change-of-grade policies and procedures

A change of a previously submitted final grade should be requested only under the following circumstances:

  • An instructor realizes that a clerical or computational error has been made and needs to correct it.

  • A student has an Incomplete or Deferred Exam approved by the relevant school and has submitted the outstanding work or exam to the instructor.

  • A student is in a continuous year-long course in which the Fall semester grade will be equivalent to the Spring grade, so that the Fall grade must be retroactively changed from an [AR/YC] to a letter grade.

  • An instructor has re-evaluated the work of the entire class for some compelling reason.

In fairness to all students in a class, instructors should not accept late work from students after the end of the semester, unless a student has an approved Incomplete, and instructors should not allow students to re-take an exam or submit extra work for a class after the end of the semester in order to improve a final exam grade or a final grade.

To request a change of a final grade for a student, please submit the request through SSOL.

Report of grades / transcripts

Grades are available via the Web (http://ssol.columbia.edu) on the first business day after they are received by the Registrar.

Transcripts may be ordered at no cost by currently enrolled students through SSOL; additional information can found on the Registrar's Office website.

GPA calculation

When the Registrar computes an undergraduate student’s grade point average, only grades earned for Columbia University or Barnard College courses are counted. Transfer credits (including summer credits earned at other institutions) do not count toward a student's GPA.

The Office of the Registrar calculates a cumulative grade point average for external audiences -- i.e., people who will be reviewing an official transcript -- as well as term and cumulative grade point averages for internal audiences -- e.g., honors selections committees.

To calculate the GPA, courses are weighted according to the number of credits, using the following scale:

A+ = 4.33

B+ = 3.33

C+ = 2.33

D = 1.0

A = 4.0

B = 3.0

C = 2.0

F = 0

A- = 3.67

B- = 2.67

C- = 1.67

The grade of D

In general, a course in which a student has earned a D cannot count toward a major, concentration, or minor at Columbia College, General Studies, or Barnard College. A course with a grade of D can count toward a major or minor at Columbia Engineering (SEAS).

For Columbia College students: A maximum of 6 points of coursework with a grade of D may be credited to the degree in any academic year. A cumulative maximum of 12 points of courses with a grade of D may be credited toward the degree overall. Only Columbia University courses with a grade of D will be given credit toward the degree, with the limitations noted above. No transfer credit will be awarded for courses with a grade of D taken at other institutions.

The Pass/D/Fail option

The purposes of the Pass/D/Fail option are to encourage students to take courses of interest to them outside of the field of specialization and to permit those who have not decided upon a major to test their talents in a particular field that may be of interest.

The notation of "P" is not awarded by an instructor, except in cases in which a class is offered solely on a pass/fail basis. The instructor assigns letter grades to all students in a course according to their normal course grading policies and practices.

Students elect the Pass/D/Fail option in SSOL. If a student in the course has elected the Pass/D/Fail option for the course and earns a letter grade of C- or higher, the letter grade will automatically be covered with a grade of P (Pass). If the student earns a grade of D or F, the letter grade remains on the transcript.

In order to encourage students to engage as fully as possible in the courses for which they have elected the Pass/D/Fail option, students are permitted to uncover a grade of Pass within a certain time frame following the end of the term. Student have until the end of change-of-program period of the following semester to decide whether or not to uncover a grade of Pass--i.e., for a Fall course, students have until the end of the second week of classes of the following Spring term to decide; for a Spring course, students have until the end of the second week of classes of the following Fall term to decide. Seniors who graduate in May have until June 1 to uncover the grade of a Spring course taken in their final semester.

A grade of Pass is not applied in the calculation of a student's grade point average. A grade of D or F is applied in the calculation of a student's grade point average.


Specific Pass/D/Fail policies for Columbia College are as follows:

Courses used to meet the stated degree requirements may not be taken Pass/D/Fail -- except those offered only on a Pass/Fail basis (e.g., Physical Education).

  • All Core Curriculum courses (i.e., Art Humanities, Contemporary Civilization, Frontiers of Science, Literature Humanities, Music Humanities, and University Writing, as well as Global Core courses, Science Requirement courses, and Foreign Language courses) must be taken for a letter grade.
  • All courses used to meet the requirements of a major or concentration must be taken for a letter grade, except in cases in which a department or program has a stated policy allowing the first one-term course taken by a student in his or her eventual major to be taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis.

Columbia College students may elect one course each semester during the regular academic year on a Pass/D/Fail basis -- in addition to any courses that are offered only on a Pass/Fail basis. Students who do not utilize both Pass/D/Fail options during the academic year may elect, in the summer immediately following, to take one Summer Term course on a Pass/D/Fail basis.

Students who wish to exercise the Pass/D/Fail option must elect the Pass/D/Fail option by the announced deadline, which falls in mid-November in the Fall term and in mid-March in the Spring term, regardless of whether a student has received a midterm grade for the class before the relevant deadline.


Pass/D/Fail policies for General Studies can be found here.

Pass/Fail policies for Columbia Engineering (SEAS) can be found here.

Pass/D/Fail policies for Barnard College can be found here.

Incompletes

Students who are unable to complete a course due to missing work (other than the final exam, which is governed by different policies) may request an Incomplete to be approved by their school, who will confirm the arrangement with the instructor.

Students may not arrange unofficial incompletes or extended deadlines simply through consultation with their instructors; any incomplete must be officially approved by the relevant advising office of the undergraduate school.

For Columbia College and General Studies students:

  • If an instructor is willing to entertain an incomplete, the instructor should submit a notation of AR for the student when grades are submitted and should refer the student to the appropriate advising dean.

  • In order to submit a notation of AR, a “contingency grade” will also need to be submitted. This is the grade that the student would receive at the moment of grade submission, if no further work were to be submitted and all missing work were factored at “0” or “F” in the calculation of the final grade (i.e., the contingency grade would, by definition, not be an A). If the student does not submit the outstanding work by the assigned deadline, the contingency grade will become the permanent grade.

  • When the student submits the outstanding work and the instructor has graded it, the final grade can be submitted through the “change grade” function in SSOL.


Incomplete policies and procedures for Columbia Engineering (SEAS) students can be found here.

Incomplete policies and procedures for Barnard College students can be found here.

Deferred final exams

Students may not arrange unofficial deferred exams simply through consultation with their instructors; any deferred exam must be officially approved by the relevant advising office of the undergraduate school.

If a student is too ill to take a final exam, the instructor should refer the student to the assigned advising dean. The advising dean will advise the student on how to apply for an Incomplete or Deferred Exam and what medical documentation to provide to support the application. If granted an Incomplete or Deferred Exam, the student will be allowed to take a make-up exam during the Deferred Examination period at the beginning of the next semester, and the instructor will be asked to provide a make-up exam to the appropriate office, which will be administered by members of the advising offices and returned to the instructor for grading.

If a student attends an exam but becomes too ill during the exam to complete it, the instructor should refer the student to Health Services and also to the appropriate advising dean, who will advise the student on whether the student may be granted an Incomplete or Deferred Exam and will advise the student on the process.

If a student misses a final exam without notice, the instructor should immediately alert the student’s advising dean, in case there is an emergency that needs the school’s intervention.

For Columbia College and General Studies students:

  • If an instructor is willing to entertain a deferred exam, the instructor should submit a notation of AR for the student when grades are submitted and should refer the student to the appropriate advising dean.

  • In order to submit a notation of AR, a “contingency grade” will also need to be submitted. This is the grade that the student would receive at the moment of grade submission, if no further work were to be submitted and all missing work were factored at “zero” or “F” in the calculation of the final grade (i.e., the contingency grade would, by definition, not be an A). If the student does not submit the outstanding work by the assigned deadline, the contingency grade will become the permanent grade.

  • When the student submits the outstanding work and the instructor has graded it, the final grade can be submitted through the “change grade” function in SSOL.

For Barnard College students:

  • A request for a deferred exam must be granted by the instructor and the student's class dean. If the deferred exam is approved, the instructor should submit a temporary grade of "X".
  • When the student completes the deferred exam and the instructor has graded it, the final grade can be submitted through the “change grade” function in SSOL.

  • More details can be found here.

The Mark of W (withdrawal)

The withdrawal policy for Columbia College students is as follows:

Columbia College students are not permitted to have a course deleted from their academic record after the drop deadline (the fifth week of the semester). If a student withdraws from a course after the drop deadline and no later than the Pass/D/Fail deadline (the eleventh week of the semester), the transcript will show a mark of W for that course. This is a permanent mark, and will remain on the transcript even if the student repeats the course. A withdrawal from a course is initiated by the student; faculty cannot withdraw students from their rosters.

Note: Students may not drop or withdraw from a Core Curriculum course (i.e., Literature Humanities, Frontiers of Science, Contemporary Civilization, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, and University Writing) after the Core drop deadline, which is the end of the second week of classes. This does not apply to courses take to fulfil the distribution requirements of Global Core, Science, or Foreign Language.

Students may not drop or withdraw from any course after the Pass/D/Fail deadline. After that point, a student will receive the letter grade earned in the course.

Students should be aware that, in order to remain in good academic standing, they must successfully complete no fewer than 12 points in a given semester. Students who do not earn at least 12 points in a semester will face academic probation, suspension, or dismissal.


Withdrawal policies for General Studies can be found here.

Withdrawal policies for Columbia Engineering (SEAS) can be found here.

Withdrawal policies for Barnard College can be found here.

The Mark of AR (administrative referral)

The mark of AR applies only to students in Columbia College or General Studies.

If a student is facing extraordinary circumstances such that an instructor does not have enough information to calculate a final grade for the class, the instructor should submit a temporary grade of AR. The instructor should also refer these students to their advising deans to inquire about the proper processes for petitioning for an Incomplete or Deferred Exam.

In order to submit a notation of AR, a “contingency grade” will also need to be submitted. This is the grade that the student would receive at the moment of grade submission, if no further work were to be submitted and all missing work were factored as "zero" or “F” in the calculation of the final grade (i.e., the contingency grade would, by definition, not be an A). If the student does not submit the outstanding work by the assigned deadline, the contingency grade will become the permanent grade.

When the student does submit the outstanding work and the instructor grades it and calculates a final grade, the instructor can request a change of grade through SSOL.

A notation of AR should be submitted when there is the possibility that a student might be able to complete final assessments (final exams, papers, projects) and may be eligible for a school-approved Incomplete or Deferred Exam. The notation of AR should not be used when a student has not done the majority of the work for the class and should receive a very poor or failing grade.

The Mark of AR[YC] (year-long course)

The mark of "AR[YC]" applies only to students in Columbia College or General Studies.

The "AR[YC]" is a notation given at the end of the first term of a continuous year-long course, in which the full year’s work must be completed before a qualitative grade can be assigned. For the Fall semester, then, the instructor should submit a notation of "AR[YC]", which can be converted to a "YC" upon request by the instructor.

The final grade given at the end of the second term of the year-long course is the grade for the entire course; therefore, when the final grade is assigned at the end of the second term, the YC for the first term of the course will be replaced by the same grade. The instructor should submit a change-of-grade request for the "AR[YC]" or "YC" to be changed to the appropriate letter grade.

The Mark of R (registration credit)

The mark of R is not available for some undergraduate schools and is rarely used. For Columbia College students, the following criteria must be met for a student to receive an R on the transcript:

No point credit is given for R credit. Students who take a course for R credit may be required to complete certain work as specified by the instructor. The exact nature of the work should be determined by the instructor when the student registers for the course. An instructor may fail a student who has not completed assigned work. Registering for R credit is allowed only when:

  1. the courses are in excess of the 124 points required for the B.A. degree;
  2. the courses are taken in the last two terms of the student’s attendance in Columbia College;
  3. the courses are not used to fulfill a requirement for the B.A. degree;
  4. the student has the permission of the academic adviser and the instructor involved.

Undergraduate students interested in taking a course for R credit should consult with their advisers in the Center for Student Advising about the process and timeline for doing so; the deadline for applying to take a course for R credit is typically a few weeks into each term.

The Grade of UW (unofficial withdrawal)

As of Spring 2014, the UW (unofficial withdrawal) option is not available to Columbia College or General Studies students. If CC or GS students request an unofficial withdrawal from a course, the instructor should refer students to their advising deans for information on what may be possible.

Unofficial withdrawals are possible for Barnard and Columbia Engineering (SEAS) undergraduates. If BC or SEAS students request an unofficial withdrawal from a course, the instructor should also refer students to their advising deans for information about whether the unofficial withdrawal is the appropriate option and what process to follow.