Grade Information

A through D-

A-D- are credit-bearing letter grades awarded by the instructor only if the academic expectations of the learning contract or course syllabus have been completed satisfactorily. 

F Grade

The course/study instructor submits an F grade when a student engages in a study or course throughout the term of enrollment and fails to complete it in a satisfactory and sufficient manner. 

The grade of F:

  • will be part of GPA calculations (0.00 quality points)
  • will be awarded in place of the No Credit (NC) grade, which in previous policy was not included in G.P.A. calculations
  • may negatively impact financial aid eligibility. For more information, visit GPA and Financial Aid Eligibility.
  • will not replace No Credit (NC) grades awarded prior to Fall 1 2015 term. 

C and D Grades

A grade of D- or better is required for Empire State College to award credit for studies/courses. A grade of C- or better is required to award credit for courses completed through cross-registration at other colleges or universities.

Pass/No Pass Option (P/NP)

At the point of registration, a student may select a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) option for up to 12 credits of Empire State College study. Under this option, receiving a grade of Pass (P) implies that the student’s work is completed at the C- level or better.  The student selects the Pass/No Pass option at the time of enrollment. The college does not later award letter grades for such studies, nor are the results of such studies included in the student’s GPA.

Note: For studies/courses taken prior to Fall 1 2015, in which a student received an NC grade, the NC grade is not changed. NC grades are not included in the GPA calculation.

Pass (P)

Ordinarily, a course/study instructor submits a letter grade when the student successfully completes a learning contract/course. When a student successfully completes (at a C- or better) a learning contract/course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, a Pass (P) grade is recorded.

No Pass (NP)

The course/study instructor submits a No Pass (NP) when a student engages in a study or course throughout the term of enrollment and fails to complete it in a satisfactory and sufficient manner, or fails to complete (at a C- or better) a learning contract/course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Incomplete (IN)

When extenuating circumstances arise, a student may request a grade of incomplete (IN) from the course/study instructor. The course/study instructor submits an IN grade only when the student has consistently engaged in learning activities and has successfully completed at least 50 percent of the work before the end of the enrollment term for the study/course. The course/study instructor is not obligated to grant an incomplete.

A student who is awarded an IN grade is allowed no more than 15 weeks after the study end date to complete the study. The course/study instructor may establish an earlier completion date. The learning contract grade statement submitted by the course/study instructor specifies the remaining work to be completed and the expected completion date.

  • If the course/study instructor submits no further grade, an IN outcome automatically becomes an F after 15 weeks, or earlier if the course/study instructor has specified an earlier completion date.
  • If the student has selected the Pass/No Pass option and the grade due date has passed, the IN grade automatically becomes an NP on the date when the IN completion period ends, if the course/study instructor does not submit a P grade.

Note: If an instructor grants a student an incomplete (IN) for a study/course that began prior to Fall 1 2015 (i.e., a Summer 2 2015 study/course) and the student fails to successfully complete the study/course, the letter grade selected will be a No Credit (NC), even if the study/course deadline takes place after the start of the Fall 1 2015 term. 

Administrative Withdrawal (ZW)

The course/study instructor submits a grade of administrative withdrawal (ZW) if a student registers for a course/study and either does not engage in course/study work at all, or initiates participation in the activities of the course study, but then ceases to participate and does not officially withdraw. See the definition of substantive engagement for acceptable participation in the Grading and Evaluation Policy for Undergraduate Programs. The ZW grade must include the last date of substantive contact in an academically related activity by the student. A ZW grade should be recorded in a timely manner throughout the term, when possible. In no case should a ZW grade be filed any later than the deadline for submitting grades for the term.

Withdrawal (WD)

A Withdrawal (WD) is a student-initiated grade. It does not result in the award of credit. A student may withdraw from a study until the last day of an enrollment term. The student must complete and submit a Withdrawal Form. The effective date is the date the student transmits the request. The actual date of withdrawal may affect enrollment status, satisfactory academic process and financial aid eligibility. (See Empire State College Policy on Academic Withdrawal.)