Ph.D. Grading

The grading scale for the IU Graduate School differs from the grading scale for undergraduates. A grade of “C” is failing by Graduate School standards, and to earn a degree from the Graduate School, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Most courses receive a letter grade. Instructors may elect to use a plus/minus system along with letter grades. Some courses (e.g., S725, S790, G901) are approved for pass/fail grades of S (Satisfactory) or F (Fail). Courses which span more than one semester such as the Research Internship (S725), Independent Study (S790), and dissertation credits (S800) are approved for deferred grades (R). An R grade will be replaced with an S or F once the course requirements are met.

Grades of Incomplete
Instructors at Indiana University School of Social Work follow closely the University policy regarding the assignment of grades of Incomplete (I). An “Incomplete” maybe assigned by an instructor when unexpected circumstances, such as an illness, injury, or a family emergency prevent a student from finishing all the work required for the course. The grade of “Incomplete” may be given only when more than half of the course work has already been completed and the quality of the student’s performance in the course is at a passing level.

Whenever an “Incomplete” grade is assigned, the instructor should complete a "Record of Incomplete and Plan for Completion of Course Requirements" form (see Appendix) in order to ensure that a sound educational plan and time frame for completion of the course requirements has been established. Students in the School of Social Work are expected to complete outstanding course work expeditiously, since some courses serve as prerequisites for others. Any “Incomplete” grades that have not been removed from a student’s official university transcript within one calendar year of the time they were recorded are automatically converted to a grade of “F”.