Graduate Program in Psychometrics

Grading System & Requirements Policy Update

Effective July 1, 2018

The following policy clarifies the section on “Grading System & Requirements” in the Psychometrics

Student Handbooks prior to the 2018-2019 edition. The revised policy applies to all current students.

The purpose of this change in policy is to ensure the Graduate Program in Psychometrics Student

Grading System & Requirements

The grading system identified and explicated below applies to all course assignments, required core

courses, elective courses, and to the academic credit given for the dissertation. Graduate programs at

Morgan use the following grading system:

A Superior

B Average

C Unsatisfactory

F Failing work, must repeat course

I Some phase of work is incomplete

Grades of D are not given to graduate students at Morgan.

Graduate students at Morgan are required to maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average

(GPA) of 3.0 (B-average). A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 at the end any

semester is automatically placed on academic probation. If the student’s cumulative GPA at the end of

two (2) consecutive semesters continues to fall below a 3.0, she or he will be dismissed from the PhD

program and the School of Graduate Studies. Thus, when placed on academic probation, students are

allowed only two (2) consecutive semesters to improve their cumulative GPA. A student’s semester GPA

is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the number of courses taken in a

given semester. A total of 4 quality points is given for a grade of A; three (3) quality points are given for

computed, however, as part of the GPA. Once a student retakes the course for which the F grade was

received and earned a grade of C or better, the higher grade will replace the F grade as part of the GPA

computation.

Any course in which a grade of F has been earned or assigned (following the expiration of the time to

resolve an Incomplete) must be retaken so that the grade can be replaced using the same original grade

option. In Pass/Fail circumstances, the course must be retaken as Pass/Fail. When the course was

originally taken for a letter grade, the retake must be registered for a letter grade. Any grade of F must

Use of transfer courses to replace a grade of C is not allowed. Transfers only transfer credit and not

course grades. If a student remains eligible for School of Graduate Studies funding after earning a grade

of F or C, that funding cannot be applied to courses being retaken. Federal loans carry additional

restrictions regarding funding for courses being retaken. The student must consult with the appropriate

University Financial Aid Officer regarding funding eligibility and retaking courses.

No course in which a grade of A or B has been earned may be retaken unless the course is specifically

designed for repeats. Those authorized, repeated courses will not have the original grades excluded

from GPA. The repeatable status of a course is noted in the catalog description of that course and is

usually a topics, research, seminar, or guidance course.

next semester of enrollment following the granting of an I grade, or the incomplete grade will be

changed to a grade of F. Accumulating two or more Incompletes that have become F grades

demonstrates failure to make satisfactory academic progress and is grounds for academic dismissal.

Furthermore, students may not graduate with a grade of I on their Morgan State University transcript.

The evaluation of students’ academic performance is the sole responsibility of the faculty member who

teaches or supervises a course in which the student is enrolled. It is also the responsibility of the

individual faculty member to clearly and precisely indicate and explicate in the syllabus exactly how she

or he will evaluate students’ performance and how grades will be determined. If students disagree with

a professor’s evaluation – whether it is an individual assignment or the professor’s final grade – they