Grading and Grades

The grades assigned in a course are solely the discretion of the instructor; any student with questions about a particular grade should take their concern directly to the instructor who assigned the grade. Grade changes are submitted electronically by the instructor and are approved by the school before being noted on a student record (i.e. transcript). The University does not permit grade changes after graduation.

Grading Scale

The grading scale is as follows:

A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	F
4.0	4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0	2.7	2.3	2.0	1.7	1.3	1.0	0.0

Pass/Fail

Pass/fail courses are not included in the GPA calculation if the course has been passed; incomplete grades are not included in the GPA calculation unless they have turned to failures (F); withdrawals are not included in the calculation- but appear on the transcript. 

Failure (F) or Unsatisfactory (U)

A student may not graduate with an uncleared failure or unsatisfactory on their record, and thus failed courses must be cleared by repeating the same course or an equivalent course the next time it is offered. Failed specified courses are made up by repeating the course. If a student wishes to substitute another successfully completed course for the failed or unsatisfactory specified course, they must submit a Petition for Action. A student is not permitted to take a course having as a prerequisite a course which they failed. Failed courses remain on the transcript and are included in the cumulative grade point average even after they have been cleared.

Incomplete Grades (I and NR)

Incomplete
The decision to grant an Incomplete is at the sole discretion of the instructor teaching the course.

The notation “I”, for Incomplete, may be assigned to the student who has performed well all semester, but who, for extenuating reasons, is unable to complete the requirements of the course by the end of the term.

If the student has not completed their work, and if the instructor of the course has not submitted a grade by the following dates, the “I” notation will be replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record:

• Incomplete Fall grades: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Spring semester
• Incomplete Spring or Summer grades: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Fall semester

A student may not graduate with an uncleared “I” on their record.

Note: Beginning with courses taken in Spring 2026, students must complete all remaining coursework for the Incomplete grade, and instructors must submit the final grade by the Grade Mode Change Deadline of the following semester in which the student is actively enrolled (approximately eight weeks from the start of the semester). After this deadline, the resulting ‘F’ grade is permanent and may not be changed by the instructor.

Students with two or more Incomplete grades will be expected to meet with their instructor/s to discuss plans to complete each course and share these plans with an Office of Academic Services (OAS) academic advisor.

Repeating an Incomplete Course
The Incomplete designation may not be used to allow a student to repeat the course in a subsequent semester. If a student must repeat a course in order to complete the work for it, the instructor will assign a grade of F for the initial semester, and the student must re-register for the course for credit in a subsequent semester.

Consequences of Incompletes

• Incompletes affect the number of credits earned in the short term and can have an impact on financial aid, athletic eligibility, or visa status for international students.
• Students with multiple Incompletes may be subject to academic action, including probation or academic drop.
• An incomplete grade may impact the ability to register for course/s (if the incomplete is a prerequisite or co-requisite requirement).

NR

An “NR” notation indicates no grade was submitted by the Instructor or if the student could not be confirmed as participating in the course. If the “NR” notation is not updated by the following dates, it will be replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record:

• Fall NR notation deadline: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Spring semester
• Spring or Summer NR notation deadline: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Fall semester

A student may not graduate with an uncleared “NR” on their record.

GR

Note: The GR grade is no longer used in Penn Engineering. In the past, a “GR” notation was used to indicate that the instructor had not submitted a grade. If the “GR” notation was not updated by the following term, it was replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record.