Graduate students are required to earn an average of three quality points for every credit hour required in his/her program toward graduation. A final grade of D+, D , D-, F, I, AU, AW, NP, NR or W in any graduate-level course cannot be applied toward a graduate program and will not be used in a final degree audit.
All attempted graduate credit will be included to calculate the student’s cumulative GPA. Final program audit requirements include a minimum of 3.0 CGPA in all attempted graduate-level coursework. If a Concordia-Chicago course is repeated, the highest grade will be used in calculating the grade-point average. All attempts to repeat the course will remain on the student's record and transcript. Students are encouraged to review their grades for accuracy right after the end of every term.
The unit of credit is the semester hour. Normally one semester hour of credit is awarded on the basis of one 50-minute class session per week equivalent. The outside preparation required is approximately twice the time of instruction.
Grade Quality Points
| Grade | Quality Points |
|---|---|
| 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- | 0.67 |
| F (Fail) | 0.00 |
| P (Pass) | 0.00 |
| AU (Audit) | 0.00 |
| AW (Academic Withdrawal) | 0.00 |
| CT (Transfer Credit) | 0.00 |
| I (Incomplete) | 0.00 |
| NG (Not Graded) | 0.00 |
| NP (No Pass) | 0.00 |
| NR (Not Reported) | 0.00 |
| S (Satisfactory) | 0.00 |
| T* (Transfer Credit) | 0.00 |
| U (Unsatisfactory) | 0.00 |
| W (Withdrawal) | 0.00 |
* A grade of B or higher shall be equated with Pass for students graded on the Pass/Fail option for coursework taken at Concordia-Chicago.
The Incomplete (I) Grade
An Incomplete (I) grade is a temporary grade requested by the student to postpone course work due to extenuating circumstances (e.g. illness, death in the family). An agreement must be made between the student and the instructor outlining the remaining work needed to complete the course by submitting the Incomplete Grade Authorization Form to the Office of the Registrar. This signed form and related documentation must be received by the Office of the Registrar by the appropriate deadline below. Incomplete submissions, late submissions, or submissions for students who do not meet the criteria (satisfactory standing in the course at the time of the request and documentation of extenuating circumstances) will not be processed. Students must resolve the incomplete grade within six weeks from the day the course ended. Upon completion, the instructor will change the “I” to the appropriate letter grade by submitting the Change of Grade Form to the Office of the Registrar. If the student fails to complete the course work, a grade of “F” is recorded. A one-time extension beyond the six-week deadline may be granted only with the approval of the instructor and the Office of the Registrar and must be received prior to the official posting of the student’s final grade. Whether or not the student is enrolled during the following term has no effect upon this completion date (please note that an unresolved incomplete grade by the start of the following term per the academic calendar will not meet prerequisite expectations outlined in the administrative drop policy). In the event that the original instructor is no longer available to grade the work, the Program Leader or Division/Discipline Chair, where applicable, or the College Dean will identify the faculty member who will resolve the incomplete. The form is here: Incomplete Authorization form
Incomplete Grade Submission Deadlines
| Semester/Session | Incomplete Request Deadline |
|---|---|
| 5-Week | Friday of Week 4 |
| 8-Week | Friday of Week 7 |
| 11-Week | Friday of Week 10 |
| 16-Week | Friday of Week 15 |
Students must contact the Office of Financial Aid once the grade change has been processed in order to re-evaluate their SAP status for the semester they did not meet SAP. The Director of Financial Aid will review and make any necessary changes to the SAP status.
Course Repeat
Students are allowed to repeat a course with certain exceptions to fulfill program requirements. The course must be a designated repeatable course for credit accumulation or if a grade improvement is required in order to meet the program or curriculum minimum requirements. If students are unsure if the course is a designated repeatable course, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-4078. If a Concordia-Chicago course is repeated, the highest grade will be included to calculate the grade-point average and earned hours; the lowest grade(s) will be excluded from the cumulative grade-point average calculation and earned hours, but all attempts will remain listed on the student record.
Any student receiving federal or state financial aid will have additional restrictions based on regulations established by the Department of Education, Illinois Student Assistance Commission and Department of Veterans Affairs.
If receiving financial aid, a student may repeat a course for which a passing grade was not previously earned (e.g. AW, F, U, or W). The repeated course grade will be factored into the student's attempted hours, not earned hours. Please see Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy for information regarding the completion rate. If repeating a course with a passing grade (e.g. D- or higher), a student can repeat it once more whether financial aid was received for the first attempt. On the third attempt of repeating a course with a passing grade, the student must pay for the repeated course out of pocket since it is not eligible for financial aid. For specific questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at financial.aid@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-3113.
If receiving military educational benefits, a student may repeat a course for which a passing grade was not previously earned (e.g. AW, F, U, or W). On the third attempt of repeating a course the student may be responsible for the amount of the repeated course. If so, a debt letter will be sent directly to the student from the Department of Veterans Affairs. For specific questions related to military educational benefits, please contact the School Certifying Official in the Office of the Registrar at Registrar@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-4078.
Change of Grade and Grade Appeal
Final grades are considered final and may not be changed by submitting additional work, assignments, exams, discussion posts, and/or extra credit after the end of course’s term (16-, 11-, 8-, and 5-week terms) based on the academic calendar. All work must be submitted by the last day of the term unless the student has been approved for an incomplete. The university encourages students to review their final grades within seven days of the last day of class. If the student believes there is a substantial, unreasonable, or unannounced departure from the syllabus, rubrics, course outcomes, and/or assignments a student must initiate a grade appeal within fourteen days after final grades are due for that course. The Grade Appeal Process and Form are found in CUConnect. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all final grade change forms are completed, contain all required signatures, and are submitted to the Office of the Registrar within six weeks after final grades are due. Whether or not the full grade appeal process is pursued, all grade changes not resolved by the six-week deadline for the course’s term will not be processed by the Office of the Registrar.