Grading
A student’s standing in completed courses is indicated by a letter grade. For information on viewing your grade report or ordering transcripts, visit the Office of the University Registrar website.
Grade Scale & Honor Points
University-wide Grade Scale and Honor Points
Honor points are the numerical equivalents assigned to each letter grade. To determine the total honor points for a course, multiply the number of credits earned by the numerical honor point(s) assigned to the grade (i.e., a 4-credit course awarded an “A” equals 4 credits multiplied by four honor points, for a total of 16 honor points).
| Grade | Honor Points | Explanation |
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A– | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 3.3 | |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B– | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 2.3 | |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C– | 1.7 | |
| D | 1.0 | Low pass |
| F | 0 | Fail, no credit |
| P | Not applicable | Pass with credit |
| I | Not applicable | Incomplete; additional work required |
| J | Not applicable | Registration in same or continuing course necessary to complete requirements |
| AU | Not applicable | Audit; no credit |
| W | Not applicable | Withdrew |
| MG | Not applicable | Missing grade; grade not assigned |
Graduate Student Grade Scale
Students matriculating in Metropolitan College graduate degree programs are required to maintain high levels of achievement to remain in good standing in their programs. Please refer to the requirements of each graduate program on this website.
Graduate programs at Metropolitan College use a system of letter grades for evaluating coursework, as shown in the following chart:
| Grade | Honor Points | Explanation |
| A | 4.0 | |
| A- | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 3.3 | |
| B | 3.0 | |
| B- | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 2.3 | Considered failure for all graduate programs at MET, with the exception of those named below |
| C | 2.0 | |
| C- | 1.7 | Considered failure for Actuarial Science, City Planning & Urban Affairs, Computer Science, and Criminal Justice programs |
| D | 1.0 | |
| F | 0 | |
| I | Not applicable | Incomplete, with additional work required |
| J | Not applicable | Registration in same or continuing course in the following semester necessary |
| AU | Not applicable | Audit, no credit |
| W | Not applicable | Withdrew |
| MG | Not applicable | Missing grade, grade not assigned |
Pass/Fail Courses
Undergraduate Only
To encourage intellectual exploration, Boston University permits undergraduate students to elect up to 8 credits of academic coursework on a P/F basis to satisfy requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Read the policy on Pass/Fail Courses for Undergraduate Students.
Incomplete Coursework
An incomplete grade (“I”) is used only when the student has conferred with the instructor prior to the submission of grades and offered acceptable reasons for the incomplete work. The instructor and student must sign the Incomplete Grade Report form indicating the nature of the work and a date by which all course requirements must be completed. Alternatively, for graduate and post-baccalaureate professional students only, the instructor may indicate the nature of the work and date required in writing to the student in lieu of the signed statement. In the event that coursework remains incomplete on that assigned date, a grade will be assigned by the instructor.
Incomplete grades must be resolved within the time period allowed by the individual school or college of enrollment, or the maximum of one year (whichever comes first), at which time the grade will be converted to the final grade indicated on the Incomplete Grade Report form, or “F” if no grade is indicated. In, MET, CGS, and Questrom, grades must be resolved by the end of the following semester.
Insufficient Grades
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students matriculating in Metropolitan College degree programs may apply a maximum of four grades of “D” toward free electives and/or distribution requirements. All specialization, related, core, and concentration courses must be a grade of “C” or higher.
Graduate
Graduate students matriculating in Metropolitan College degree programs are required to maintain high levels of achievement to remain in good standing in their programs. In order for a course to count toward degree requirements, a certain letter grade has to be earned. Acceptable grades for graduate courses vary by program. Please refer to guidelines for your academic department or program office.
Grade Grievances
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students with questions should review the Policy on Grade Grievances for Undergraduate Students in Boston University Courses.
Graduate
The graduate Policy on Grievances for Students in Graduate-Level Courses at Boston University’s Metropolitan College provides a means for a student to contest a final course grade received in a credit-bearing Metropolitan College graduate course when that grade is alleged by the student to be arbitrary. It is the shared responsibility of the instructor of record (hereinafter referred to as “instructor”), student, department or program (hereinafter referred to as “department”), and school/college (hereinafter referred to as “MET”) to resolve allegations of arbitrary grading.
A “Boston University Metropolitan College course” is one whose instructor is hired and directly supervised by MET. Grading is the prerogative of the faculty and is based upon a student’s performance against a clearly articulated set of assignments, expectations, and standards.
Arbitrary grades are defined as those:
- assigned to a student on some basis other than performance in the course; or,
- assigned to a student by resorting to unreasonable standards different from those which were applied to other students in that course or section of the course; or,
- assigned to a student on the basis of criteria that are a substantial, unreasonable, and unannounced departure from the instructor’s previously articulated standards.
Issues that do not meet one or more of these criteria of arbitrariness are not appropriate bases for a grade appeal under this policy. Only final course grades may be formally appealed. Grades that are the result of academic misconduct are not appealable. Only grades earned in MET courses, either on campus or online, may be appealed.
All grievances must be made in a timely manner. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as prolonged hospitalization or debilitating illness, or other similar external inhibiting factors, the student must begin the process for contesting the course grade within six weeks of the official posting of the grade.
- Before filing a formal appeal, a student is urged to resolve a grievance informally by meeting (or conferring) with the instructor responsible for the grading of the course to discuss the student’s concerns.
The student is responsible for bringing copies of all relevant information to the meeting (i.e., course syllabus, assignment sheet, graded work). The student should be prepared to show evidence of arbitrary grading. The instructor is expected to discuss the student’s concerns and to explain the basis for determining the grade.
If the instructor has left the University, is on approved leave, or does not respond to the student after a reasonable effort, the student should contact the chair of the department offering the course, the program director, or another appropriate academic administrator designated by the school/college if the course is part of a non-departmental program or division (hereinafter referred to as the “chair”).
- If the student and the instructor are unable to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution, the student may file a formal appeal with the chair of the department in which the course was offered.
To begin the process of formal appeal, the student must submit to the chair a written statement that details the basis for the allegation of arbitrary grading, and presents adequate evidence that supports the allegation.
Adequate evidence may include, but is not limited to:
- Syllabus for the course
- Assignment sheet outlining requirements and expectations
- Proof that requirements were met at a level necessary to exceed the assigned grade
- Demonstrable examples of clear bias
The chair will review the student’s appeal and any evidence presented, and may discuss the case directly with the student. If the chair finds no evidence of arbitrary grading, the appeal will be dismissed. If the chair determines that there is a valid reason to recommend a grade remedy, he/she should explore the possibility of an immediate resolution that is satisfactory to both the student and the instructor of record.
The chair will provide to the student, in writing, the result of his/her findings (and actions, if any), at the conclusion of the review. If the grievance is successfully resolved at the department chair level, and a grade change has been the result, the chair will file a summary report with the MET Dean’s Office.
III. If the student is dissatisfied with the findings of the chair, he/she may appeal (in writing) the chair’s decision to the designated Associate Dean of the College, who will review the appeal and respond to the student in writing with the conclusions reached. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision of the Associate Dean, he/she may appeal this decision (in writing) to the Dean of the College. The decision reached by the Dean is final.
Repeated Courses
Undergraduate Only
For policies related to repeated courses, please review the page Repeated Courses for Undergraduate Students