The Graduate School
Plus/Minus Grading System for Graduate Courses
Graduate faculty may use the plus/minus grading system. Plus/minus grades are recorded only for graduate courses taken by graduate students. Faculty are not required to use this system, but many do. The following information describes how to calculated the grade point average (GPA) using the plus/minus grading system.
Letter Grades with Decimal Equivalents
A (4.00)
A- (3.67)
B+ (3.33)
B (3.00)
B- (2.67)
C+ (2.33)
C (2.00)
C- (1.67)
D+ (1.33)
D (1.00)
D- (.67)
F (0.00)
The GPA is calculated by dividing the number of hours taken into the number of grade points received. For example, a student who makes an "A" in ARH 396L and a "B" in ECO 382L earns 12 grade points for the "A" and 9 grade points for the "B". Adding those points together and dividing by the total number of semester hours (21 points divided by six hours) results in a GPA of 3.5. The cumulative grade point average for a graduate student includes all graduate courses the student has taken in residence, and extension courses of graduate rank taken while enrolled in the Graduate School.