Course Credit - 4.0
Graduate Credit. A student earns graduate credit by registering in a graduate course, paying fees, and by being enrolled in the Graduate School when the course is completed. Students registered in other enrollment units such as the professional colleges, the undergraduate colleges, or extended education do not earn graduate credit for any course completed while in one of those enrollment units. For graduate credit, the course must be listed at 6000-level or above, at 5000-level with appropriate instruction, or 4000 to 4999-level if the course is listed outside of the student’s home program and is taught by a non-graduate student course instructor. The aforementioned courses may not be counted toward a graduate degree until the student has been admitted to the Graduate School and, if the courses in question were completed outside of the graduate record, taken under Senior Petition. Graduate credit is then automatically applied to the student’s record unless the Graduate School is notified that the course should remain as undergraduate credit. The hours are counted in the student’s graduate earned and cumulative credit hours, and the grades are counted in the student’s graduate cGPA. The level of instruction and the work required in courses numbered 6000 and above is of a highly advanced nature, and therefore these courses are available only for graduate credit. Enrollment in these courses is restricted to graduate students, combined program students, undergraduate students taking courses under Senior Petition, and honors students by petition. A graduate student serving as a Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) may not be enrolled in the course in which they are also the course instructor.
Senior Petition. An undergraduate may submit the senior petition to take courses for graduate credit provided that: the student is a senior, the credit for the course is not used to meet baccalaureate degree requirements, the student’s cumulative grade-point average is 3.3 or above in their current undergraduate program of study, and the student secures permission by the end of the first day of classes from the instructor in charge of the course, the secretary of the student’s college which the course is offered for graduate credit or the Graduate School. No more than nine graduate credit hours may be completed under Senior Petition. For more information about combined programs, see Section 8.1. Please note that only one course (typically three to four graduate credit hours) may count toward the completion of a graduate certificate.
Graduate Bridge Program. Graduate students enrolled in the Graduate Bridge Program (Appendix G) that continue as graduate students within a Graduate Program may roll credits from the GBP into their Graduate Program with approval by the advisor and Graduate Studies Committee Chair.
Non-Graduate Credit. A student enrolled in the Graduate School does not earn graduate credit for any of the following reasons: the course is numbered at the 3999-level or below; the course is numbered at the 4000-4999 level in the student’s own academic unit; the course is one of the following foreign language courses: German 6101 or 6102, Russian 6171 or 6172, French 6571 or 6572; the course is one of the following ESL courses: EDUTL 5901, 5902, 5050, or 5060; the course is designated “non-graduate credit” (undergraduate “UG” option) by the student’s advisor at the time the student registers or adds the course; or the course is taught by a graduate student enrolled at this university. A student registered for a non-graduate credit course must complete the course requirements. A grade is reported by the instructor. The course title, credit hours, and grade appear on the student’s official permanent record. The credit hours are not included in the cumulative or earned graduate credit hours, and the credit points are not included in the cumulative points. The Course Enrollment Permission form or change ticket is marked with a “UG” to indicate that the course is a non-graduate credit course.
Marks (Grades) - 4.1
The following marks and grades are used for graduate students at this university: “A,” “A-,” “B+,” “B,” “B-,” “C+,” “C,” “C-,” “D+,” “D,” “E,” “EM,” “EN,” “I,” “K,” “P,” “R,” “S/U,” and “W.” Graduate students cannot receive a mark of “PA/NP.” All marks and grades are described in University Rules 3335-8-21.
The descriptions for audit, credit by examination, and transfer of credit pertain only to graduate students.
Audit. A student may audit a course with instructor and advisor approval. The student should confer with the instructor regarding any course requirements that must be satisfied in order to audit the course. If a student does not complete an audited course, the student’s course enrollment as an auditor is withdrawn by the Office of the University Registrar.
The Course Enrollment Permission Form must be marked as an audit in the course-option column to indicate that the student is enrolled in the course as an auditor. The course title and mark “R” appear on the student’s official permanent record indicating registered audit. If the student does not meet the requirements to earn the mark of “R,” the instructor may not award credit, and the course will be dropped from the student’s record.
A student may earn graduate credit on the basis of graduate-level examinations taken after admission to the Graduate School (“EM” credit). The achievement level necessary to earn “EM” credit is determined by the Graduate Studies Committee. In order for “EM” credit to be added to the student’s official permanent record, it must be approved by the student’s advisor, the Graduate Studies Committee, and the Graduate School. “EM” credits count in the student’s total earned hours, if taken for graduate credit, but do not count in the student’s graduate cGPA. The course title, credit hours, and mark “EM” appear on the student’s official permanent record. “EM” credit is not given to a student for a course in which a grade already has been received at this university.
Transfer Credit. Graduate credit earned at another regionally accredited university may be transferred to this university. The Graduate School places no limit on the graduate credit hours that may be transferred. However, residence and minimum degree requirements determine the number of graduate credit hours that may be counted toward a graduate degree at this university.
The following conditions must be satisfied in order to transfer graduate credit: the graduate credit was earned as a graduate student at an accredited university; the student earned at least a grade of “B” or satisfactory in each course for which credit is to be transferred (an exception to this may be the transfer of a complete master’s degree for 30 credit hours); the Graduate Studies Committee approves the transfer.
Credits should be transferred at the time the student matriculates into the university but no later than the beginning of the final semester of enrollment in the Graduate School, which may be initiated via GRADFORMS. Transfer credits count in the student’s total earned hours but do not count in the student’s graduate cGPA. The credit hours and the mark “K” appear on the student’s official permanent record.
Students may not transfer graduate credits earned at another institution to a graduate certificate program.
For any transfer credit to count toward a master’s degree, the courses transferred must have been taken within the time limit established by the Graduate Studies Committee. A master’s degree student must complete eighty percent of the program at Ohio State.
For transferred graduate credit to count toward the 50 post-master’s graduate credit hours required for the doctoral degree (Section 7.1), it must be in excess of the master’s degree requirements in a field in which the doctoral degree is awarded at the other university. It must be course work normally taken by doctoral students at the other institution. Note that a minimum of 24 graduate credit hours required for the PhD must be completed at this university.
On receipt and evaluation of a transcript listing courses completed, the Graduate Studies Committee Chair initiates the request for transfer of graduate credit via GRADFORMS.
Grade Grievance Procedure. Grade grievances are handled following the process described in University Rule 3335-8-2.
Grade-Point Average - 4.2
Credit Points. Credit points are assigned per graduate credit hour on the following basis:
- “A” equals 4.0 credit points
- “A-” equals 3.7 credit points
- “B+” equals 3.3 credit points
- “B” equals 3.0 credit points
- “B-” equals 2.7 credit points
- “C+” equals 2.3 credit points
- “C” equals 2.0 credit points
- “C-” equals 1.7 credit points
- “D+” equals 1.3 credit points
- “D” equals 1.0 credit point
- “E” equals 0.0 credit points
- “EN” equals 0.0 credit points
All other grades carry no credit points.
Earned Hours. Earned hours include all graduate credit hours attempted, except for those courses in which a student earns an “E,” an “EN,” or a “U.”
Cumulative Hours. Cumulative hours include all graduate credit hours attempted for which a student earns a grade “A” through “E,” including “EN.” All course work taken in graduate non-degree status is included in the cumulative credit hour total.
Cumulative Grade-Point Average. A student’s graduate cumulative grade-point average (cGPA) is determined by dividing the total credit points by the cumulative hours.
Repetition of Courses. A student may repeat any course with advisor and instructor approval. The credit hours for a repeated course in no case counts more than once in meeting graduate degree requirements, unless the course is identified as repeatable. When a student repeats a course, both grades are counted in computing the graduate cGPA.
Fresh Start. A university policy by which any student who reenrolls in the Graduate School after an absence of five or more years may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for previous graduate credit to be eliminated from the total earned hours and graduate cGPA. If the Graduate Studies Committee approves the student’s petition, the Graduate Studies Committee Chair may recommend approval to the Graduate School. No previous credit hours count in the student’s total earned hours, and no previous grades are computed in the student’s graduate cGPA. All previous courses taken and grades earned in the Graduate School remain on the student’s official permanent record. If the “fresh start” option is exercised, it applies to all course work taken prior to the absence. It may not be used selectively on individual courses or if the course work in question was used to receive a graduate degree.
Grade Forgiveness. Graduate students are not eligible for grade forgiveness. If there are documented circumstances beyond the student’s control that contributed to their deleterious performance, please refer to ‘Course Withdrawal’ in Section 3.4.