Understanding the USC GPA Grading Scale: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Southern California (USC) employs a specific grading scale to evaluate student performance. Understanding this scale is crucial for students to track their academic progress and understand how their grades impact their overall GPA. This article provides a detailed overview of the USC GPA grading scale, its implications, and related academic policies.

The USC Grading System: A Detailed Breakdown

USC uses a combination of letters and numbers to assign grades, providing a detailed assessment of student performance. The grading system includes grades from A+ to F, each with a corresponding numerical value that contributes to the GPA. The grade equivalents are as follows:

A+ (4.1-4.4)
A (3.8-4.0)
A- (3.5-3.7)
B+ (3.3-3.4)
B (3.0-3.2)
B- (2.7-2.9)
C+ (2.5-2.6)
C (2.4)
C- (2.1-2.3)
D (2.0)
F (1.9)

A student receiving a grade of 1.9 will not be given credit for the course toward graduation.

Calculating Grade Point Average (GPA)

A system of grade points is used to determine a student’s grade point average. Grade points are assigned to grades as follows for each unit in the credit value of a course: A, 4 points; A-, 3.7 points; B+, 3.3 points; B, 3.0 points; B-, 2.7 points; C+, 2.3 points; C, 2 points; C-, 1.7 points; D+, 1.3 points; D, 1 point; D-, 0.7 points; F, 0 points; UW, 0 points; IX, 0 points. The grade point average is computed on the basis of all semester hours attempted for credit within the University of South Carolina, except for hours carried on a pass-fail basis. The grade points earned in courses carried with a passing grade are computed by multiplying the number of semester hour credits assigned to the course by a factor determined by the grade. The grade point average is determined by dividing the sum total of all grade points by the total number of hours attempted for credit (excepting hours carried on a pass-fail basis).

Pass/No Pass (P/NP) Option

USC also offers a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading option for certain courses. A passing mark for non-letter-graded courses is equivalent to C minus quality or better for undergraduate courses and B quality or better for graduate courses, having no effect on GPA. Less than the equivalent of C minus for an undergraduate course and less than equivalent of B quality for a graduate, non-letter-graded course. Passing grade equivalent to C minus or better for a letter-graded undergraduate course when a student elects to take it on a Pass/No Pass basis, and a B or higher in a letter-graded graduate course when a student elects to take it on a Pass/No Pass basis. Failing grade for a letter-graded course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis (equivalent to D plus or below in undergraduate course and B minus or below in a graduate course). The Pass/No Pass grading option is available only to those students who officially elect the option through the registration process.

Read also: ASU Grading System Explained

Impact of Grades on Academic Standing

Academic standing is significantly influenced by a student's GPA. A student whose overall USC GPA falls below 2.0 is placed on academic probation. Continued enrollment requires clearance from a counselor in the Office of Academic Review and Retention. A student whose overall GPA falls below 2.0 is required to seek academic advisement prior to course selection each semester. Students on academic probation must meet with a counselor in the Office of Academic Review and Retention at least three times during each semester. Students on academic probation who do not raise their overall GPA to 2.0 after two semesters of enrollment, exempting summer enrollment, will be academically disqualified.

Repeating Courses

Under certain conditions, a student may repeat a course for grade point credit. In no case will additional unit credit be allowed for repeated courses or duplicated work. No student may repeat a course for grade point credit in which a grade of B- or better was received. A prerequisite course may not be repeated after a student has completed a course for which it is designated a prerequisite.

Undergraduate students who want to repeat a course in which a grade of C+, C or C- was received and have the subsequent grade calculated in the grade point average must petition the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP) for permission to do so prior to re-registering in the course.

Graduate students may repeat a course in which a grade of C- or below was received, but both grades will be calculated in the grade point average. Graduate students who want to repeat a course in which a grade of C+ or C was received and have the subsequent grade calculated in the grade point average must petition the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP) for permission to do so prior to re-registering in the course.

A special provision governs the repeat of courses by students who enter USC as first-time freshmen. These students may repeat a maximum of three courses taken during the first two semesters at USC in which grades of D+ or below (including UW and IX) were received, and only the subsequent letter grade, even if lower, will be calculated in the grade point average. The courses must be repeated at USC for a letter grade, and both courses with the grades received will appear on the transcript. The same course may be repeated no more than once for the benefit of substitution of grade. Students who have been assigned a grade as a result of a Student Conduct sanction may not repeat the course under this provision. Students who were admitted for spring and were first-time freshmen elsewhere in the previous fall may repeat a maximum of two courses taken during the first semester at USC in which grades of D+ or below were received with the same set of provisions stated above.

Read also: Understanding UIUC Grades

An exception is the case in which a student earns a grade of C- in a course for which a grade of C or higher is required for application to major or minor requirements.

Grade Forgiveness

Effective with the Fall 2007-2008 academic year, it is the policy of the University of South Carolina that every currently enrolled, fully-admitted, degree-seeking undergraduate earning a D+, D, F or WF in a USC course may take up to two (2) undergraduate courses for a second time for the purpose of grade forgiveness. Both the first and second grades shall appear on the USC permanent record, but only the second grade will be used in computing the University of South Carolina overall grade point average. An explanatory notice will appear on the record. Only a regular letter grade can replace a forgiven grade. Grades of W, I, S, U, or AUDIT may not replace previous grades. Grades carrying an honor code violation sanction of X are not eligible for grade forgiveness. Courses intended to be repeated for additional credit, such as research or applied music, are not eligible for grade forgiveness. Students who have been granted Academic Forgiveness to reset the grade point average after readmission are not eligible for course grade forgiveness. A student who has met these conditions and desires academic forgiveness must submit a written request for academic forgiveness to the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled. The following statement shall appear on the academic record of any student granted academic forgiveness: “This student was granted academic forgiveness under the University of South Carolina Academic Forgiveness Program.

Incomplete Grades

The grade of “I” cannot be used to give students additional time to complete course assignments unless there is strong, clear evidence that stated conditions or events prevented the student from submitting course assignments when they were due. The faculty member must complete the Assignment of Incomplete Form as part of grade submission. By arrangement with the instructor and according to the conditions on the required form entered by the instructor, the student may have from one week up to 12 months from the date the “I” was given-in no case can this be longer than 12 months-to complete and submit the work. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure all arrangements for removal of the “Incomplete” have been made and that all work to rectify the “Incomplete” has been accomplished. If the instructor fails to assign a grade within three months of the date of the request, if no forwarding address is available, the dean of the appropriate school or chair of the appropriate department/division shall appoint a faculty member to consider the request and assign a grade. When all required work has been completed and received, the instructor may initiate the appropriate “Make-up Grade for Incomplete” form and file it with the Records Office. If the student does not complete the necessary work by the agreed upon and stated deadline, the faculty member can submit a permanent grade change at that time. Automatically at the one year limit, the “I” will convert to an “F” or to a back-up grade if so designated by the instructor. The changing of an “I” to a letter grade requires notification and processing at various administrative levels. It may take several weeks before the letter grade and credits earned appear on the students’ transcript, and in some cases, may delay approval for graduation. The grade of “I” does not affect the computation of GPA until a permanent grade is assigned.

Transfer Credits

Graduate coursework taken at another institution within the United States before matriculation at USC can be made available for transfer credit at USC upon request. Students should contact us via our askUSC portal and request a Graduate Transfer Credit Report (GTCR). To transfer international graduate coursework, students will need to have their courses evaluated by the International Education Research Foundation (IERF). This requirement is separate from and additional to the credential review conducted for admission. Students whose admission is conditional on having their previous degrees verified will have an “Activity Restriction Warning,” identified as an ADM40 or RNR40, placed on their records. Failure to complete the verification process in the allotted time may result in delayed or canceled registration, as well as late fees. This service is not offered on campus. You will need to send IERF your original documents for inspection, but in most (though not all) cases, your prior institution will not need to send IERF independent verification. Please note that transmission of your evaluation results to USC is already included in the base fee. You do not need to pay for an extra copy of the report. Please note that the Degree Progress department no longer forwards documents to IERF. You will need to arrange shipping through USPS, FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.

USC Gould School of Law Grading

USC Gould School of Law utilizes the general USC grading system. The grading system uses both numbers and letters in a range from 1.9 to 4.4 with letter-grade equivalents ranging from F to A+. The grade equivalents are: A+ (4.1-4.4); A (3.8-4.0); A- (3.5-3.7); B+ (3.3-3.4); B (3.0-3.2); B- (2.7-2.9); C+ (2.5-2.6); C (2.4); C- (2.1-2.3); D (2.0); and F (1.9).

Read also: Hunter College Grades Explained

A student who fails a first-year course must repeat the course, but both grades will be included in computing that student’s general average. Other courses may not be repeated except on petition to the associate dean. A student with a weighted cumulative average of less than 3.0 at the end of the year will be placed on restricted enrollment. A Juris Doctor student with a weighted cumulative average of less than 2.9 at the end of any year will not be permitted to continue.

Additional Marks and Grades

W (Withdrawal): The names of students who have officially withdrawn from a course will appear with a pre-assigned mark of W in the “Final Grade” column. W is assigned for withdrawals after late registration through the last day to withdraw without penalty. W may be assigned, in exceptional cases, to indicate satisfactory performance in courses from which students withdraw after the last day to withdraw without penalty.
UW: UW is assigned to students who have stopped attending class, without officially withdrawing, prior to the drop deadline (end of week 12 or 12th-week equivalent for any course scheduled for less than 15 weeks). The UW is computed in the GPA as zero grade points (equivalent to a grade of F) and indicates a failure on the part of the student to assume the administrative responsibility of officially dropping a course.
MG (Missing Grade): MG (Missing Grade) is an administrative mark assigned by the instructor. The mark should only be assigned when a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity. One calendar year is allowed to resolve a MG. If an MG is not resolved within one year, the grade is changed to UW and it will be calculated into the grade point average as 0 grade points.
NR, no record: NR, no record, is assigned by an instructor to indicate a registration or attendance problem. It is a temporary mark on the transcript and must be replaced by a grade. An NR is changed to a grade of F after one semester if no other grade can be obtained from the instructor by the appropriate dean.
FN (Failure-Non Attendance) and UN (Unsatisfactory-Non Attendance): FN (Failure-Non Attendance) and UN (Unsatisfactory-Non Attendance) grades are assigned to students who never attended or have stopped attending class but have not officially dropped or withdrawn. Faculty are required to provide a last date of attendance when assigning this grade. The grade and the last date of attendance are used in determining the recalculation of awarded funds for financial aid recipients.

Key Policies and Procedures

Class Attendance

Class attendance is an important part of law school education. It assists both the individual and fellow students in making the most of the educational opportunity offered. Students should, therefore, attend class regularly and participate in the discussion.

Academic Integrity

Each instructor is responsible for the maintenance of high standards. Students have protection through orderly procedures against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. The method of grading by instructors must be made clear to students, and instructors are required to justify disputed grades.

Students with Disabilities

The USC Student Disability Resource Center grants reasonable student academic accommodations. Students requesting academic accommodations at USC should contact the Student Disability Resource Center directly. Students who believe they may require accommodations are strongly suggested to meet with the Senior Associate Dean or Associate Dean for Student Affairs prior to their meeting/communication with the USC Student Disability Resource Center. After accommodations are approved by the USC Student Disability Resource Center, the student is responsible for setting an appointment with EACH course coordinator of courses which the accommodations may be utilized in order to verify the receipt of documentation regarding the accommodations so that appropriate planning can be completed for the semester. Due to unique, hands-on, or experiential structure of many courses within the curriculum, situations may arise in which application of issued accommodations is challenging. If a course coordinator is unable to determine a method to honor accommodations within their course, the affected student must arrange a meeting with the Senior Associate Dean. Students with accommodations involving exams must communicate directly with the course coordinator at least 5 business days prior to each exam in order to ensure that the faculty member knows that an accommodation will be utilized for the exam and the location at which the student will test (i.e. pharmacy classroom, virtually proctored testing environment (when applicable), or proctor room). It is the student’s responsibility to schedule exams requiring the use of the proctor room per the guidelines and scheduling processes of the USC Student Disability Resource Center. Students choosing NOT to utilize issued accommodations for an exam must notify the affected course coordinator at least 5 business days prior to the exam for planning purposes and exam security reasons. If the student has previously scheduled to take an exam at the university proctor room, they must also utilize USC Student Disability Resource Center policies regarding cancellation. Examinations will be taken during the regularly scheduled class time when possible. The USC Student Disability Resource Center proctoring room may be utilized for students requiring accommodations. If accommodated students opt to take an exam at another time due to class schedule conflict, they are required to be present in the classes that conflict. Faculty are encouraged to have the accommodated student(s) attempt the exam in the same format as the entire class (computer or paper).

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