Grades and Course Units
University Policy
Explanation of Grades
| Grade | Honor Points | Explanation |
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A− | 3.7 | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.3 | Excellent |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B− | 2.7 | Good |
| C+ | 2.3 | Good |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C− | 1.7 | Satisfactory |
| D | 1.0 | Low, pass |
| F | 0.0 | Fail, no units |
| F* | 0.0 | Fail, P/F course |
Please note that Boston University adopted a special grading policy for the spring 2020 term.
| Letter Grade | Explanation (honor points are not applicable for these grades) |
| AU | Audit, no units |
| CR | Units, course acceptable for degree |
| H^ | Honors |
| I | Incomplete |
| J | Registration in the same or continuing course necessary to complete requirements |
| MG | Missing grade, grade not assigned |
| NC | No units, course not acceptable for degree |
| P | Pass |
| P* | Pass, P/F course |
| W | Withdrew from course after withdrawal deadline |
| X^ | Unresolved status (instituted May 1986) |
^ Grade is no longer used.
The academic year is divided into two terms of 15 weeks each and two summer sessions of 6 weeks each.
Calculating your Grade Point Average (GPA)
Knowing your GPA is important in measuring your progress, and calculating it is simple. To determine your GPA for any given term, Boston University uses the honor point system in which each letter grade has a numerical value. Each grade is given the following “honor points” value:
| Grade | A | A− | B+ | B | B− | C+ | C | C− | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honor Points | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
Each course is worth a specific number of units. Most courses at BU are 4 units, although some course units vary.
Calculating your GPA
Step 1 – Determine honor points for each course
The honor points earned in a particular course are determined by the number of units multiplied by honors points assigned to the final grade.
Example:
| C+ in CAS EC 101 (4-unit course) |
| 4 units x 2.3 points (C+) = 9.2 honor points |
Step 2 – Calculate GPA
Divide the total honor points earned by the total number of units attempted.
Example:
| CAS EC 101 (C+): | 4 units x 2.3 pts | = | 9.2 honor points |
| CAS MA 109 (B+): | 4 units x 3.3 pts | = | 13.2 honor points |
| ENG BE 200 (C−): | 2 units x 1.7 pts | = | 3.4 honor points |
| SHA HF 100 (A): | 4 units x 4.0 pts | = | 16.0 honor points |
| QST SM 108 (A−): | 1 unit x 3.7 pts | = | 3.7 honor points |
| Totals: | 15 units | 45.5 honor points |
|---|
45.5 honor points/15 units = 3.03 GPA
- The grades and units of all repeated courses are calculated in the GPA.
- The following grade symbols are not given honor points, and are not used in the calculation of grade point averages: AU, P, W, MG, H, CR, NC, and X.
- “I” grades are not computed until all required work is completed and an appropriate letter grade assigned.
- “J” grades are not computed until the required work in the same or continuing course is completed. The total units are computed in the GPA at that time.
- Grades for courses taken at other institutions are not calculated into a student’s Boston University GPA.
