Navigating the MTU GPA: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the Grade Point Average (GPA) system at Montana Technological University (MTU) is crucial for students aiming to maintain good academic standing, secure financial aid, and achieve their academic goals. This article provides a detailed explanation of the MTU GPA system, covering various aspects from calculation to its impact on academic progress and financial aid eligibility.

GPA Calculation at MTU

Your GPA is a numerical representation of your academic performance. At MTU, each student’s grade points are accumulated to determine the cumulative grade point average. This average is computed by dividing the total grade points achieved by the total GPA hours. GPA hours include all courses for which grades of A, B, C, D, or F were given. Grades of W, P and I are not included. A maximum of ten HPER/Activity credits can be counted in a student’s grade point average. It is understood that additional HPER activity courses may be taken, but the grades earned will not count in the GPA calculation.

Impact of Repeated Courses on GPA

Credits, grade, and grade points of the most recent attempt are used in computation of the grade point average (GPA), and satisfactory completion of the course toward meeting degree or curricular requirements. Results of all attempts appear on the transcript and repeated courses will be noted in the transcript with an “E” (excluded from the GPA). The most recent attempts will be noted with an “I” (included in the GPA). Excluding a course from a previous semester does not affect the academic standing for that semester.

Pass/Fail Grades and GPA

Students registered in physical education activity courses have the option of registering in these courses for a letter grade or under the pass-fail system. Determination of the grade type under which the student wishes to enroll in HPER activity classes must be made by the close of registration (10th day of classes).

Alternative Grades during COVID-19

In light of the challenging remote instructional environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in support of our students while adapting to a new system of course delivery, Montana Tech implemented an alternative grading mechanism effective during the spring semester of 2020. This optional Complete Credit/Credit/No Credit grading mechanism, was made available for all courses taken for undergraduate credit. CCR (Complete Credit) designation reflects performance at any of the levels A, B, or C (C- or above), and designates adequate understanding of the subject matter and adequate preparation for more advanced work in the field. CR (Credit) designation reflects minimally acceptable performance. Any D level (D- through D+) would be converted to CR. Complete Credit/Credit/No Credit grades count toward earned semester hours. Once a student elects the Complete Credit/Credit/No Credit option, the grade will not be altered.

Read also: Decoding the 5.0 GPA Scale

Grade Appeals

When a student believes a faculty member has improperly recorded a final grade, the student needs to follow the procedural steps for an informal and/or formal grade appeal. Regardless of the circumstance, the student must attempt to resolve the matter via a personal conference with the course instructor within 14 days after receiving the semester grade. If the student is unable to arrange a conference, or if the student & the instructor cannot reach a mutually satisfactory resolution to the problem, then the student may request in writing that the Department Head convene a meeting with the student and the course instructor within 14 days of the written request. Formal Grade appeals initiated after the first 30 days of the start of the next regular semester are not accepted. (Nursing Department grade appeal process outlined in Nursing Student Handbook).

Any grade change submitted after conclusion of the subsequent semester requires the specific classes department head and dean approval. An appeal for a formal grade review must be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs within 14 academic days after the informal grade appeal process has failed. The Academic Standards Committee shall examine all evidence (verbal and/or written) that the student and instructor present and will determine whether to recommend a final grade change. The review by the Academic Standards Committee and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs shall be the final campus appeal for the assignment of a final grade.

Honor Rolls

A full-time undergraduate (enrolling in and completing a minimum of 12 gradable credits) who earns a 3.25 GPA during the semester will be listed on the semester Honor Roll. Those earning a 3.5 GPA will receive recognition for being listed on the Dean’s List. A student who earns a 4.0 GPA will receive a letter and certificate from the Chancellor commemorating his or her inclusion on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll. If a student receives a final grade of “I” (incomplete) or “N” (no grade), his or her name will not be included on the honor rolls or Dean’s List.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of “Incomplete (I)” is assigned only when the student has been in attendance and has done passing work up to a time within three weeks of the close of the semester, or within one week of the close of the summer session. It may be assigned only upon agreement of the student and course instructor when extenuating circumstances make it impossible for the student to complete course requirements on time (Extenuating circumstances include serious illness, car accidents, death of a family member, etc. It does not include lateness due to procrastination, the student’s desire to do extra work to raise his or her grade, allowing a student to retake the course, etc.). If a grade of “Incomplete” is submitted, the instructor will assign a revised grade in the event the missing work is not completed. The instructor must also specify conditions and requirements for completing the deficient work, as well as any deadline shorter than the maximum time period allowed as indicated above.

Regardless of a student’s subsequent enrollment, final grades for incompletes received in the Fall semester must be assigned by the last day of the following Summer semester. Final grades for incompletes received in the Spring semester or Summer Session, must be assigned by the last day of the following Fall semester. When a student has completed the deficient work, the instructor will assign a final grade. An incomplete that is not completed within the time limit specified above would automatically be changed to the reversion grade assigned by the instructor at the time the incomplete was submitted. Instructors may assign a final grade anytime within the time period specified above.

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A student cannot graduate with a grade of “Incomplete” on his or her record. At the end of the term in which the student will graduate, a grade of “Incomplete” in any course on that degree level (technology, undergraduate, graduate, etc.) reverts to the grade that the instructor had specified on the incomplete grade submission form. Reverted grades are included in the computation of the student’s cumulative grade-point average at graduation.

Academic Standing and GPA

Maintaining a satisfactory GPA is essential for staying in good academic standing at MTU. All students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA to avoid being placed on academic probation. If during any semester a student’s cumulative GPA is less than 2.00, the student will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, a student must, during the probation period, meet the required standard minimum academic progress each semester (2.00) until the cumulative grade point average reaches the required level (2.00).

Students suspended once for unsatisfactory scholarship must remain out of residence for one semester. Students suspended more than once will not be readmitted until after an interval of one year and must receive the approval of the Academic Standards Committee for readmission. Appeals for readmission must be submitted one week before classes begin in order to be considered. A student readmitted after suspension is on probation until cumulative grade point requirements are met.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Financial Aid

Students at Montana Technological University have a responsibility to maintain certain academic standards and make satisfactory academic progress towards a degree whether or not aid is being received. Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.

Pace of Completion

Pace is the rate at which a student must progress through his/her educational program to ensure that the student will complete the program within the maximum time frame. Pace is determined by dividing the total number of hours the student has successfully completed by the total number of hours the student has attempted. Successful completion means that a minimum grade of D-, P (satisfactory in a pass/fail class), CCR, CR, or N has been achieved. Grades of I (incomplete), F (failure), W (withdrawal), AU (audit), and NCR are not acceptable for satisfactory academic progress and will lower your completion rate. These grades do count as attempted credits. Please note that most programs require grades of C- or better to fulfill degree requirements.

Read also: GPA Calculation at UAB

Maximum Time Frame

The number of attempted credits allowed is 1.5 times the number of credits required to earn a degree or certificate. The point at which a degree or certificate cannot be earned under maximum time frame is when financial aid is terminated.

Course Repeats and Financial Aid

A student can repeat a failed course as many times as Montana Tech academic policy allows and receive aid for the class. A previously successfully completed course may be repeated once. An “N” is considered continuing for academic requirements for the following semester. Repeating classes may lower your completion rate because a class can only be counted as earned one time but is counted as attempted each time taken. If students receiving federal financial aid repeat a course previously passed they can only receive financial aid to do so a second time. On a third attempt the course will not be counted in the enrollment status for determining eligibility.

Remedial Credits and Financial Aid

Aid can be received for remedial credits as long as the student is enrolled in a program leading to a degree or certificate. No student may receive aid for more than 30 attempted remedial credits. These courses are counted in the quantitative standard and the maximum timeframe allowed for satisfactory academic progress purposes for all students.

Transfer Credits

Credits attempted at prior post-secondary institution(s) will be included in determining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Enrollment Services posts transfer credits as earned credits. If transfer credit hours are posted after financial aid is awarded, Pace and Maximum Time Frame will be reviewed at the end of the currently enrolled term. Transfer students who do not have any transfer credit hours on record with Montana Tech at the time they are reviewed for financial aid eligibility, will be considered for freshman grade-level aid only. Transfer students can request to have their financial aid reviewed if transfer credit is posted during their first term.

Financial Aid Warning and Termination

A student who was eligible at the beginning of a payment period but is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress standards because of GPA or Pace deficiency at the end of a payment period (term), will be placed on financial aid warning status. Students in warning status remain eligible to receive funding for one additional semester. Students who choose not to appeal their ineligibility, or who have an appeal denied, will have their eligibility reinstated once their academic record is in compliance with the policy.

Financial Aid Appeals

A student placed on financial aid termination because of failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may appeal. Appropriate documentation to support the reason for the appeal and/or showing how the problem has been resolved or alleviated. The appeal form explains the appeal process and necessary documentation. Appeals are reviewed by the committee twice per month. Students will be notified in writing within 5 business days of the completion of the review of the committee’s decision and any conditions of the appeal. If the appeal is approved by the Appeals Committee, the student is placed on financial aid probation or academic plan. Students are eligible to receive funding provided they continue to meet the conditions of the academic plan. If the student fails to meet the terms and conditions of the appeal or fails to follow the Plan of Study, financial aid will be terminated. If the committee needs additional documentation or information before determining whether an appeal is approved or denied, the appeal will be tabled pending receipt of appropriate information or materials.

Additional Academic Policies at MTU

Academic Advising

Academic advising is an integral part of the College’s larger mission of educating students for life. The advising relationship links Montana Tech with its students, articulates the College’s purposes through committed, caring faculty, and gives meaning to the assumptions which guide its curricula. Full-time degree-seeking students attending regular semester (Fall or Spring) classes are assigned an advisor. Lists of advisors by department are available from the Enrollment Services Office or Department Administrative Assistants. Advisors help students meet their education goals and answer questions concerning various aspects of academic procedure and policy at Montana Tech. Students should visit with their advisor to discuss past achievement, current progress, and future plans.

Course Attendance

Unless prior arrangements have been made, an instructor may request administrative withdrawal of a student from a class if the student does not attend the first three class meetings or the equivalent.

Changing Advisors or Majors

Currently enrolled students who wish to change their advisor and/or major must contact the Enrollment Services Office for the appropriate forms and procedures.

Auditing Courses

Students are sometimes permitted to audit courses in which they are interested. Fees for auditing courses are the same as for credit, although no college credit is granted. No courses may be changed from credit to audit after the last date drop a course. NOTICE: Changing a course from credit to audit could result in reclassification to part-time status or lower for financial aid or enrollment confirmation purposes (e.g., loan deferments). Course Listener - No student may attend a class (as a “listener”) without having been officially registered in the class.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Before enrolling in a course, all prerequisites for that course must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Co-requisites for a course, if not completed prior to registration, must be taken and successfully carried at the same time. Each instructor has the authority to enforce or waive the printed pre/corequisites listed for his or her course(s) with the understanding that this should only be applied in exceptional circumstances.

Course Sequencing and Substitutions

The suggested program sequences presented for each department are provided to give guidance to students in planning their schedules. Courses may not be available according to the stated course sequence because of the class size limitations, faculty availability, etc. Continuing students are pre-registered before new students to accommodate continuing students program requirements. Course substitutions are granted at the discretion of the student’s department and the corresponding dean. Prior allowance for a substitution does not necessarily guarantee future approval. The Petition for Course Substitution form must be submitted by the student’s advisor.

Readmission

Upon readmission after a term of non-attendance, a student will re-enter under the current catalog year. The student must meet degree requirements as set forth in that catalog or subsequent catalog. Course work that falls outside these guarantee periods MAY be included in the evaluation, at the discretion of the individual department.

Credit Load

A credit represents 50 minutes of lecture instruction per week for one semester. Students wishing to take more than 19 credits per semester must complete and submit a permission form stating justification for the higher credit load. Signatures of the student’s advisor, department head are required.

Developmental Courses

Developmental courses shall have course numbers that begin with a zero (0). Credit from developmental courses does not count as college-level credit and does not meet graduation credit requirements for diploma or degree programs. Grade points earned in the completion of developmental coursework are not included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

Transcripts

A separate transcript and GPA is maintained for students at the various levels of the College.

Midterm Grades

Midterm grade reports are available to all Highlands College students and undergraduate freshmen (those students who have earned 29 credits or less) prior to the last date to drop a class with an automatic “W” (45th day of the semester).

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

Official transcripts from ACE or NCCRS must be submitted by the student to Enrollment Services for a course-by-course evaluation. Montana Tech will generally accept the Advanced Placement (AP) Examination from The College Board for transfer credit if the student has scored at least 3 or above on the appropriate AP examination and if an official score sheet has been received by the Enrollment Services Office. Some courses may require a minimum score of 4 for AP credit to be granted.

The college welcomes applications from students in the IB program. Students may receive course credit and advanced placement for IB higher level work on a course-by-course basis.

Course Challenges

Courses may not be challenged for a Pass/Fail grade. The challenged course will appear on the Montana Tech transcript as transfer credit with a traditional grade. The grade will not calculate into the student’s GPA. In accordance with NWCCU policy, experiential Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit awarded cannot exceed 25% of the credits required for the degree or certificate. The fee to challenge a course is $25 per attempted course + cost of materials (if needed). Portfolio assessments will appear on the Montana Tech transcript as transfer credit with a pass/fail grade. The grade will not calculate into the student’s GPA.

Academic Probation and Suspension

Some rules are necessary to determine academic standing and class ranking of enrolled students. All students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA to avoid being placed on academic probation. If during any semester a student’s cumulative GPA is less than 2.00, the student will be placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, a student must, during the probation period, meet the required standard minimum academic progress each semester (2.00) until the cumulative grade point average reaches the required level (2.00).

Biomedical Engineering (BME) Specifics

The Biomedical Engineering Department (BME) at MTU offers both Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs. The department has specific GPA requirements and procedures for graduate students.

Accelerated MS Program

BME offers an accelerated MS program for MTU undergraduate students. Students can apply to the program starting two semesters prior to graduation. The application must be accepted by the Graduate School and department prior to graduation. All students who have a BS in an engineering discipline are eligible to apply. Exceptional students with non-engineering BS degrees are also eligible to apply.

MS Program Requirements

All graduate students are required to attend all BME graduate seminars. Proposed coursework and MS option: Biomedical Engineering MS Plan of Study Form. This must be signed by the advisor. Must attend a minimum of 6 BME graduate seminars each semester. Must attend 1 WRITE-D workshop per month. Submit Graduate Student Evaluation and IDP Form to advisor. garner their feedback. for the coming semester.

MS Options

There are different MS options including:

Thesis: The thesis describes a research investigation and its results.
Report: Report of an independent study project.
Coursework Option: This plan requires the minimum of 30 credits be earned through coursework.

For all options, a minimum of a "B" grade is required.

MS Defense

The thesis/report defense is open to the public. to the audience. to question the student. Outcomes - Thesis or - Report. can retake the defense a second time. dismissal of the student from the thesis/report MS program.

PhD Program Requirements

PhD candidates need to pass the qualifying exam and research proposal exam. A dissertation is the culmination of a research project.

PhD Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense is open to the public. to the audience. the student. the dissertation. defense a second time.

Changing Advisors

with the Chair or School Dean of the department or school.
The impact of the change of advisor on your time to complete the degree. Research already conducted. Impact on immigration status (if any). faculty advisors.
staff announcing other departmental seminars as well).

Admission to MTU

The acceptance rate at Michigan Technological University is 83.5%. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. requires you to be near the top of your class, and well above average. Your transcript should show mostly A's.

Michigan Technological University recommends that you take the SAT or ACT. The 25th percentile SAT score is 1140, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1340. The average ACT score at Michigan Technological University is 28. The 25th percentile ACT score is 25, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 31.

Aim for a 1140 SAT or a 25 ACT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission.

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