Definitions of Grades at Teachers College

Definitions of Grades At Teachers College

Grades in Teachers College are recorded as evaluative, pass/fail, or attendance. All grading symbols used are listed below, as approved by the Faculty on April 27, 1984. Students electing to be graded on a basis other than the ones announced by the course instructor must request the option and obtain the instructor's written approval no later than the close of the third class meeting. An application for grading options is obtainable from the Office of the Registrar and needs to be filed in the Registrar's Office no later than the close of the third class meeting. Once the option has been approved and filed with the Registrar, it is not subject to change.


All grades noted in this section are final and may not be changed. Grades must be submitted by the instructor of record.

Grades are defined as follows:
A+ Rare performance. Reserved for highly exceptional, rare achievement.
A Excellent. Outstanding achievement.
A- Excellent work but not quite outstanding.
B+ Very good. Solid achievement expected of most graduate students.
B Good. Acceptable achievement.
B- Acceptable achievement but below what is generally expected of graduate students.
C+ Fair achievement, above minimally acceptable level.
C Fair achievement but only minimally acceptable.
C- Very low performance. The records of students receiving such grades are subject to review. The result of this review could be denial of permission to register for further study at Teachers College. No more than 3 points of C- may be credited toward any degree or diploma. Students completing requirements for more than one degree or diploma may count 3 points of C- toward only one such award. A student who accumulates 8 points or more in C- or lower grades will not be permitted to continue study at the College and will not be awarded a degree or diploma.
F Failure. The records of students receiving such grades are subject to review. The result of this review could be denial of permission to register for further study at Teachers College. A course usually may not be repeated unless it is a required course. When the course is required, the student will reregister and obtain a satisfactory grade. The previous grade remains on the transcript.
P Passed. Some courses are graded only on a pass/fail basis for the instances in which greater evaluation specificity is neither required nor desirable and is used to indicate passing performances when only dichotomous evaluation is used. At no time will the transcript carry any other grade nor will supplementary statements be issued. Application for the Pass/Fail option is to made before the close of the first class session with the approval of the course instructor. Applications are available in the Office of the Registrar, 528 West 121st St.,Room 324. Once the option is approved, it may not be changed.
DP Doctoral pass credit. The grade of DP may be assigned only to a certified doctoral candidate in a Teachers College course, having successfully completed all requirements prescribed by the instructor. The candidate must request DP credit before two-thirds of the class sessions have met. Eligibility is determined upon presentation of the doctoral identification card, and a record of the request for a DP grade is made by completing a form obtainable from the Office of the Registrar. DP credit is available to doctoral students only in terms subsequent to the terms in which the student is certified. DP credit may not be used toward M.A. or M.S. degree requirements. A maximum of 6 points of DP credit may be used toward Ed.M. degree requirements.
WD Withdrawn. Withdrawal occurring subsequent to the close of the change-of-program period during the term. See section on withdrawal from courses.
YC Year Course. The symbol "YC'' is assigned for the first half of a year course (courses with a "z'' suffix). At the end of the second half, the grade is entered on the transcript denoting the instructor's evaluation.
R Attendance Credit. Students desiring R credit for any course must request permission, in writing, to the instructor, before two-thirds of the class sessions have met. The instructor may approve or deny the request. If approval is granted, the instructor may stipulate requirements to be met in addition to regular attendance. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar to be used for obtaining approval. Mathematics majors in the department of Mathematics and Science Education must have their applications cosigned by the program coordinator. The applicability of R credit in meeting degree program requirements is noted as follows: For Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees, no R credit is permissible. For Master of Education degree programs, a maximum of 6 semester hours of attendance credit is acceptable in meeting the point requirement but may not be used to satisfy the three-course out-of-department requirement. For doctoral programs, a maximum of nine semester hours of attendance credit is permitted toward the minimum point requirement for the degree, provided they are not used to fulfill the minimum distribution requirements.
* Missing grade. Final grade has not been assigned by the course instructor.
IN For information on an Incomplete grade, click here.
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