Understanding the Rutgers University Grading System

Rutgers University employs a comprehensive grading system to evaluate student performance and academic standing. This article provides a detailed explanation of the various grades, symbols, and policies associated with the Rutgers grading system.

Standard Grades and Their Significance

Grades represent the student's performance in a course, recorded by the instructor usually within 48 hours of the end of the exam period. The standard grades used at Rutgers include letter grades ranging from A to F, each carrying a specific weight in calculating the grade point average (GPA). It is important to note that Rutgers does not use minus grades (such as A- or B-) except within the Law School.

Special Grades and Symbols

Besides the standard letter grades, Rutgers utilizes several special grades and symbols to denote specific situations or circumstances. These include:

S/U: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory - Given only when a course is taken on a non-credit basis or for some non-graded Graduate courses.
PA/NC: Pass/No Credit - A non-numerical grade of PA/NC is assigned only to Rutgers University regularly enrolled students who have registered for an undergraduate course on a Pass/Fail basis when such registration is in accordance with the regulations of the school. PA (Pass) is equivalent to an A, B, or C, while NC (No credit) is equivalent to a D or F. PA/NC grades are not factored into the term or cumulative GPAs but count toward the total number of credits for the term and toward graduation. PA/NC generally cannot be used to satisfy major, minor, or general education requirements.
IN: Incomplete - May be used by the instructor when the student is unable to fulfill the course requirements and the completion of such would substantially improve the grade.
W: Withdrawn - Indicates a student has officially withdrawn from the class.
RD/RF: Re-examination permitted - For use only when the instructor cannot assign a grade better than D and considers the final examination grade to be dramatically inconsistent with the studentâs previous work as to merit a re-examination. The instructor should arrange with the student a re-examination, and the instructor must then process a change of grade. This must be done before February 1 for Fall and Winter, June 1 for Spring, and September 15 for Summer.
DF (Disciplinary Failure)
NG (No Grade) - The NG grade is assigned by the Office of the Registrar and is used when either the faculty member leaves the grade blank or a computer entry error has credited a blank grade. If the student to whom the grade of NG has been assigned fails to clear up the registration problem within the following semester, the NG grade will convert to an F, and the cumulative grade-point average will be recalculated accordingly.
P/NC (Pass/No Credit) - A nonnumerical grade of Pass (equivalent to grades of A, B+, B, C+, and C) or No Credit (equivalent to grades of D and F) is assigned to a student who has registered for a course on that basis. This option is open only to juniors and seniors in good academic standing. No more than one course may be taken on a Pass/No Credit basis during a single semester or during the Summer Session, and credit is not allowed for more than four courses. This option may be used for electives only; it may not be used for courses required in the major or for courses used to satisfy the general curriculum requirements. A student must request the Pass/No Credit option at the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. This request must be made at the time of registration. This option may not be changed once the course officially begins. Degree credit is given for a grade of Pass. Neither Pass nor No Credit grades are included in the grade-point average.
RD, RF (Reexamination permitted) - May be used only when the instructor considers the examination grade to be so inconsistent with the student's previous work that the instructor cannot assign a grade better than D. The R grade symbol entitles the student to a reexamination in the course to try to improve the grade. The student must arrange to take the reexamination within two weeks of the end of the semester. If the reexamination is not taken within the time specified, the symbol R is dropped from the student's record, and the numerical grade remains unchanged.
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) - These grades are used in courses where the N credit prefix is used: S (equivalent to grades of A, B+, B, C+, and C) or U (equivalent to grades of D and F).
T (Temporary) - Grades of TB+, TB, TC+, TC, TD, and TF are used for all incomplete and temporary grades. Temporary grades are given at the discretion of the instructor when coursework requirements have not been properly completed (e.g., major assignments or examinations). The letter following the T represents the grade the instructor would assign if the outstanding work were to remain uncompleted. This temporary grade becomes permanent if the work is not completed as required and notice is not received from the instructor to convert the temporary grade to a permanent one. The permanent grade may not be poorer than the assigned letter grade. Fall semester T grades must be completed by the end of the sixth week of the spring semester. Spring semester and Summer Session T grades must be completed by October 15. The deadline for October graduates is September 15. It remains, however, the prerogative of an individual faculty member and/or the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs to set earlier deadlines and internal procedures for completing the work required. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor for an interpretation of the T grade and to establish a timetable for the completion of the work.
TT - A TT grade is used in the honors program in lieu of first-semester course grades. The grade may be raised or lowered when the research thesis or honors project is presented at the end of the second semester.
TZ - A TZ grade is assigned when a student cannot complete coursework due to a certifiable emergency. The TZ will convert to an F if the work is not completed by the end of the following semester.
X (Examination Not Taken) - Assigned only when the instructor believes a student might have passed the course had the final examination been taken. The student must arrange with the instructor to take the deferred examination. Deferred examinations from the fall semester must be taken within two weeks after the beginning of the spring semester. Deferred examinations from the spring semester must be taken within two weeks after the close of the spring semester.

Incomplete Grades: A Closer Look

The grade INC (Incomplete) may be assigned at the discretion of an instructor who believes that an extension of time is warranted for a student whose work is incomplete at the end of the term. If the instructor does not feel that an extension is warranted, he or she should assign a grade based on the work the student has done. Instructors are asked not to assign the grade INC routinely as a way of prolonging the work period for the course. In addition to interfering with the studentâs work in the following semester, an IN may also jeopardize financial support. The renewal of a teaching assistantship can be delayed or jeopardized by an incomplete.

The Graduate School-Newark requires that if a grade of INC is given, any change of grade must be submitted within 12 months after the end of the course. The Graduate School at NJIT has more stringent rules. Any incomplete not changed within one semester automatically becomes an F on NJIT transcript and cannot be changed. The summer is counted as a semester in the interpretation of this rule, so that incompletes from the spring semester must be changed by the end of the summer. NJIT rule is enforced strictly except for the courses cross-listed with our program (NJIT CIS 675, 677, 679, 732, and 776). A grade of INC given to a student in our program in one of these courses does change to an F after one semester, but it can still be changed by the instructor until 12 months have elapsed after the end of the course. If a student accumulates 12 or more credits of INC, future course registration is denied unless an exception is made by the Dean of the Graduate School-Newark.

Grade Symbols Preceding Course Credits

Rutgers also uses symbols preceding course credits to indicate specific conditions related to the course or the student's performance. These symbols include:

E - Indicates that no credit is earned toward the degree and that no grade is computed in the cumulative grade-point average.
J - Indicates that those credits are earned toward the degree, but the grade is not computed in the cumulative grade-point average.
K - Indicates that those credits are not earned toward the degree, but the grade is computed in the cumulative grade-point average.
N - Indicates no credit earned toward the degree, no grade computed in the cumulative grade-point average, no final exam taken, and the receipt of a grade of S or U.
P/NC - Indicates a course taken on a Pass/No Credit basis.
R - Indicates that the course has been repeated and that the original grade was D or F.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

The cumulative grade-point average is computed by multiplying the grade received in each course taken for credit (and to be included in the average) by the number of credits earned in the course. The grade points earned in all such courses are added together, and the sum is divided by the total credits earned in those courses. Grades earned at institutions other than Rutgers and the New Jersey Institute of Technology are not calculated into the cumulative grade-point average.

Repeating Courses

A student who earns a grade of D or F in a course taken at the School of Criminal Justice, Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers Business School-Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration, University College-Newark, or New Jersey Institute of Technology may repeat the course at any of these schools, and only the higher of the two grades is computed in the cumulative grade-point average.

The option is subject to the following limitations:

The original D or F remains on the transcript.
The course repeated must carry the same subject number and course title or the equivalent as approved by the office of the dean of the offering school.
If the course is repeated more than once, the repeat option cancels only one grade (the lowest); all other grades are included in the computation of the cumulative grade-point average.
Degree credit is awarded only once, no matter how many times the course is repeated.

Grade Forgiveness Policy

Any student who has not been registered at Rutgers University for at least seven years (including summers) may elect to have grades of D and F for courses taken at either the Newark College of Arts and Sciences (NCAS) (school 21) or University College-Newark (UC-N) (school 62) more than seven years ago expunged from the calculation of their grade-point average at the time of their reentry into the School of Criminal Justice. Those grades will still appear on the transcript of the student but will receive a credit prefix of E. This grade forgiveness policy will not apply to grades of DF, which signify a failing grade given for disciplinary reasons.

Read also: ACT Requirements for Rutgers

Warnings

Students who receive warnings are urged to consult immediately with the faculty member(s) concerned and their academic advisor to discuss an appropriate course of action. Warning notices are to be taken seriously. They may be issued for a variety of reasons, including poor attendance, failure to submit assignments on time, inadequate preparation for the level of coursework expected, or an inability to demonstrate a reasonable grasp of the subject matter. A warning is not a final determination of grade. With proper advice and sufficient effort, students who receive these notices may be able to bring their performance to an acceptable level. Failure to receive a warning notice does not imply that a passing grade will be awarded at the end of the semester.

Grade Appeals

Students who wish to file a complaint about a course grade or a grade received for a particular piece of work in a course may pursue their complaint in the following way:

Attempt to resolve the matter through discussion with the instructor for the course.
If the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved between student and instructor, specify in writing the basis for the complaint and request a review by the Scholastic Standing Committee. A written complaint about a grade for work completed while the course is in progress must be submitted to the Scholastic Standing Committee no later than two weeks after notification of the grade. A student must submit a written complaint about a final grade to the Scholastic Standing Committee no later than four weeks after the end of the exam period for that semester.
A student who wishes to appeal the decision of the Scholastic Standing Committee should appeal in writing to the office of the dean.

Written notification of the action taken by either the Scholastic Standing Committee or the dean is sent to the student within four weeks of filing the appeal, excluding those weeks in which classes are not in regular session. Written complaints or appeals should include copies of the course syllabus as well as all relevant written communications with the instructor and, for appeals, the Scholastic Standing Committee. Complaints not resolved through discussion with the instructor may proceed immediately to an appeal of the Office of Academic and Student Services.

Transcripts

Students may also order a single semester grade report (necessary for some employment re-imbursements or other purposes) by going to the Term Grade Report Request. Semester Term Grade reports may be ordered within one academic year of the time of the semester. Individual semester grade reports more than one year old are not available â the student must order a full transcript in those cases. When picking up an official transcript, diploma, enrollment verification, or term grade report, a student (or their proxy) must bring a Driverâs License or other State-issued ID. There is no fee for official transcripts. Unofficial transcripts can be ordered through the touchtone system or directly at the registrar's office.

The privileges of registration, advance registration, receipt of a diploma at commencement, and receipt of transcripts of record are barred to students having outstanding obligations to the university. Obligations may take the form of unpaid monies, unreturned or damaged books and equipment, parking fines, other charges for which a student may become legally indebted to the university, and failure to comply with disciplinary sanctions or administrative actions. University departments and offices may place "holds" on registration, diplomas, and transcripts for any student having an outstanding obligation. Registration is barred for students with obligations of $100 or more. Transcripts are held for any outstanding debts. A student may elect to omit from the cumulative grade-point average all grades earned in the first semester. To exercise this option, the student must file a written request at the Office of the Registrar during the first two weeks of the semester following the semester in which the student has earned 56 credits. This rule is not applicable to transfer students unless the student transferred from another division of the university offering the same option or the student transferred into the college with fewer than 12 credits.

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