tufts how to pass fail course

by Pamela Kautzer 7 min read

Undergraduates must complete the PASS/FAIL form by 11:59 p.m. Visit the Registrar's site for information on the PASS/FAIL option: http://students.tufts.edu/registrar/what-we-assist/course-registration-a...

A pass does not affect your grade point average, but a failing grade is averaged into your grade point average. You may not repeat a course you have passed using the pass/fail option for credit. You can choose the pass/fail option by completing a Pass/Fail form by deadline noted on the academic calendar.

Full Answer

Does Tufts have a pass-fail policy for transfer students?

Transfer students and those students who transfer credit to Tufts from programs at other institutions must complete three-fourths of the semester hours they take at Tufts under standard grading, subject to the stated quality requirement. The pass-fail option may be applied to courses in the remaining one-fourth of the program.

Do online Tufts courses count toward my Tufts credit limit?

Online Tufts courses completed in Spring 2020 will not be counted toward the current limit of online Tufts credits that may be applied toward graduation. For courses taken elsewhere (including approved external programs abroad) in Spring 2020, the policy which prohibits transfer of credit for online courses will be waived.

What are the requirements to get into Tufts University?

All students must meet the quality requirement, earning grades of C- or better in three-quarters of the courses you have taken at Tufts under standard grading. All students must satisfy the residency requirement of eight full-time semesters, according to the stipulations outlined in The Bulletin.

What is considered full-time enrollment at Tufts University?

Full-time enrollment in Fall 2020 means that a student attempted at least 12 semester-hour units (SHUs) at Tufts University (either in-person or remotely). Students that are granted a reduced course load accommodation by the StAAR Center in Fall 2020 will be able to count that as a full-time semester.

What is a failing grade at Tufts?

If the F results in the student earning 4 or fewer SHUs and/or a semester GPA lower than 2.0, and/or they failed to make satisfactory progress as defined by number of semester hours, they will be on Academic Probation.

What is an F at Tufts?

Pass/Fail Grading Option EP encompasses all grades from A+ through D-. The grade of F will remain, and an F and will be factored into a student's GPA. EP will confer credit but no grade points for GPA calculation and will fulfill all degree requirements, including those for concentration or major.

What is the pass/fail method?

Pass/fail classes operate on a binary grading system, meaning that no letter grade will be recorded on your college transcript. Instead, you will simply earn credit depending on whether you did satisfactory work in the class.

Can you retake a class at Tufts?

You may choose to take a course for a second time at Tufts, but policy limits how you can receive credit. It is important to consider why you would choose to repeat a course and remember that grades earned at Tufts are never removed from your record.

What does FS mean on grades?

failure-stopped attendingWhat is an 'FS' (failure-stopped attending) grade? The grade of 'FS' is a failing grade similar to an 'F'. It is a final grade awarded to students who did not officially withdraw from the course but who failed to participate in course activities through the end of the course.

How many SHUs should I take at Tufts?

Full-time status at Tufts is defined as attempting a minimum of 12 Semester-hours units (SHUs) in a semester. After completing Tufts' residency requirement of eight semesters of full-time study, you may choose to graduate or enroll part-time in either your final or penultimate semester.

Is Pass fail a good idea?

Taking a class pass/fail can help you keep a high GPA while still earning credit. Think carefully before choosing pass/fail — a failing grade can still impact your GPA. The type and number of classes you can take pass/fail depend on university policies.

Does failing a pass/fail class affect your GPA?

Pass/Fail Classes and Your GPA When you pass a pass/fail class, your GPA remains unaffected. This is a good thing!

How does pass/fail look on a transcript?

If a student passes a class they have designated as pass/fail, a P will appear on their transcript in place of a letter grade. They will receive full academic credit, but the grade will have no impact on their overall GPA. In order to receive a score of P, students must achieve a score equivalent to a D- or higher.

What is the average GPA for Tufts University?

4.04Average GPA: 4.04 The average GPA at Tufts is 4.04. This makes Tufts Extremely Competitive for GPAs. (Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. This school did not officially report its average GPA, but we've estimated it here using data from over 1,000 schools.)

Is Tufts Medical school Pass Fail?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the following changes in Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) premed requirements will be in effect for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. TUSM will consider P/F (pass/no-pass) grades for all coursework which will be utilized as part of our holistic evaluation process.

Is Tufts Dental pass fail?

All pre-requisites must be taken for a letter grade. No Pass/Fail credits will be accepted, unless it is the policy of the college/university to only offer such evaluation. In these instances, candidates may be asked to provide proof of this policy from the appropriate office at the home institution.

How long should you wait to assign an incomplete?

It is recommended that instructors wait until at least 10 weeks into the semester before assigning an Incomplete. Because Incompletes can affect a student’s academic standing, it is suggested that instructors discuss the granting of an Incomplete with the student’s Advising Dean.

How long does it take to get an incomplete grade?

Incompletes. If an incomplete is granted, all work in the course must be completed six weeks into the following semester (fall or spring only), or the date the instructor has stated on the incomplete form. A grade should be submitted two weeks after the work is received by the instructor.

How long does it take to change a grade in a course?

Any request for a change in a course grade must be made to the course instructor no later than six weeks into the following semester. Faculty who wish to change a student’s grade may now do so online via SIS. Paper change of grade forms will no longer be accepted.

Can a professor change a student's incomplete grade?

The instructor of record may change the Incomplete to the final grade at any point prior to graduation.

Is a U grade acceptable for SMFA?

S, U. Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory. Instructors should assign these grades to SMFA graduate students taking studio art courses. A grade of "U" is not acceptable for degree credit.

Can an incomplete be awarded?

An Incomplete may be awarded only if the student has done substantial work in the course, attended regularly, the instructor judges the reasons for granting incomplete status to be valid, and the instructor determines that the work can be completed in the time specified on the Incomplete Form.

How many semesters are required to be a Tufts student?

Instead, students will be required to complete six full-time semesters, after which they may opt for early degree completion or enroll on a part-time basis. Two of the six full-time semesters can be at other approved institutions or on approved external study abroad programs.

What is full time enrollment at Tufts?

Full-time enrollment in Fall 2020 means that a student attempted at least 12 semester-hour units (SHUs) at Tufts University (either in-person or remotely). Students that are granted a reduced course load accommodation by the StAAR Center in Fall 2020 will be able to count that as a full-time semester.

How does EP grade work?

The EP grading process will work almost exactly as the current process by which undergraduates elect Pass/Fail grading: a student must fill out the usual online Pass/Fail Petition by the deadline, identifying the specific course; the professor does not know which students have selected this option; when the professor enters the letter grade, SIS converts passing grades to EP, while F stays F . The original letter grade is viewable in SIS by staff; the grade of EP will appear on the unofficial and official transcript.

What is EP/F in 2021?

For Spring 2021, the Exceptional Pass/Fail (EP/F) grading method has been reinstated. EP encompasses all grades from A+ through D–. The grade of F will remain, and an F and will be factored into a student's GPA. EP will confer credit but no grade points for GPA calculation and will fulfill all degree requirements, including those for concentration or major. Undergraduate students may elect EP for any or all of their courses for Spring 2021. The default option for all students will remain letter grading or the grading system in which the course was set up (e.g., P/F. CR/NC, S/U, etc.).

What is EP grading?

For Fall 2020, the Exceptional Pass/Fail (EP/F) grading method has been reinstated. EP encompasses all grades from A+ through D-. The grade of F will remain, and an F and will be factored into a student’s GPA. EP will confer credit but no grade points for GPA calculation and will fulfill all degree requirements, including those for concentration or major. Undergraduate students may elect EP for any or all of their courses for Fall 2020. The default option for all students will remain letter grading or the grading system in which the course was set up (e.g., P/F. CR/NC, S/U, etc.). The deadline to opt in for EP/F grading is 11:59pm (Eastern Time) on December 11, 2020.

What is academic alert for fall 2020?

Academic Alert: The criteria for being placed on Academic Alert have not changed for Fall 2020. Any student who earns fewer than 12 SHUs but more than 4 SHUs and/or fails one course of any SHU value will receive an Academic Alert.

When will Tufts allow transfer of credit?

Tufts will allow matriculated students to transfer credit from community college courses completed in Spring 2021. Students planning to take 1-11 SHUs at another university should take a personal leave of absence for the semester.

When is the advising Deans workshop for Spring 2021?

To help you understand the impact of exceptional pass/fail grading, the Advising Deans will present a workshop and Q&A session about your Spring 2021 course load and grading policies on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time).

Does EP count as a grade point?

EP confers credit but no grade points for GPA calculation. An F confers no credit and is calculated in a student's GPA. EP fulfills all degree requirements, including major and minor requirements. Students may select EP/F grading for any of their courses. There is no limit to how many courses a student may change to EP/F.

When is the last day of classes for 2021?

The deadline for students to opt into EP/F grading is the last day of classes, May 5, 2021, at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time). This is a firm deadline for which no exceptions will be granted. Students must fill out the Pass/Fail petition form by the deadline. The Pass/Fail petition form will become available on April 12, 2021.

When will EP/F be available?

EP/F is the version of pass/fail grading that students were able to opt into in Spring 2020 and Fall 2020.

When will the pass/fail petition form be available?

The Pass/Fail petition form will become available on April 12, 2021. The criteria for Dean's List and Latin Honors have not changed for Spring 2021. The minimum 2.0 term GPA criteria for Liberal Arts BA/BS and Engineering students will be reinstituted for Spring 2021.

Can EP/F be repeated?

EP/F courses that are passed cannot later be repeated for a letter grade. Only courses in which an F is earned can later be repeated for a letter grade. The student, not the professor, opts into EP/F grading. Faculty will not know which students elect EP/F grading.

How many SHUs can I take in a semester?

Students planning to take 1-11 SHUs at another university during a fall or spring semester should plan to take a personal leave of absence for the semester. Students planning to take 12 or more SHUs at another university during a fall or spring semester should take a study in home country leave of absence for the semester.

What is EP/F in health?

EP/F is to be used for those exceptional circumstances (i.e. personal or family illness, extreme hardship) where the ability to do well academically is extremely challenged. There are many health professions schools that will not accept EP/F grades, particularly if there is an option to get a letter grade.

Does Tufts count toward academic residence?

Only Tufts summer courses, taken online or in person, count toward fulfillment of the academic residence requirement. Approved summer courses from other institutions may be used to fulfill various degree requirements, with the exception of the academic residence requirement.

Can I transfer credits with a pass?

Coursework completed with a "pass" or equivalent will only be accepted for transfer credit if the institution adopted a mandatory pass/fail grading scheme during Spring 2020. All other transfer coursework must be completed with a C- or better to be eligible for transfer credit.

Do MOOCs confer college credit?

We strongly urge students to avoid MOOCs ("massive open online courses") because many of the courses offered as MOOCs (e.g., Coursera or EdX) do not confer college credit and do not provide an official transcript from an accredited college or university.

Do you have to take a course for a letter grade?

If you plan to use the course towards a specific foundation, distribution, major, or minor requirement, the course must be taken for a letter grade. Elective courses counting toward overall SHUs can be taken pass/fail. Courses taken at other institutions must be taken for a letter grade.

Can you repeat an EP/F course at Tufts?

As a reminder, once EP/F is selected for a course the original grade cannot be revealed on the transcript. You also cannot repeat a course at Tufts that you passed under EP/F for a letter grade. I am a pre-health student.

What is progressive pass fail?

We propose an emergency temporary pass/fail policy that we call the progressive pass/fail: giving students the option to take a course pass/fail this semester, while still counting it towards graduation progression. This progressive pass/fail policy would mean that students could choose whether their classes would be graded pass/fail and these classes would still allow them to progress in their major and distribution requirements. While students can regularly choose P/F, the fact that these courses do not count towards graduation credit disincentivizes students from this option. Furthermore, the current deadline to choose pass/fail is April 1 and Spring Break ends on March 25, which provides students with only five days of classes before they make their decision. Depending on the date of the policy implementation, we recommend that the pass/fail deadline should be extended to give students an adequate amount of time to figure out what grading system is best for them. The progressive pass/fail would be fair considering the hardship noted above and would allow students to learn better because the stress of receiving a letter grade would be alleviated.

Why are students being evicted from Tufts?

Due to coronavirus and a growing pandemic, students have been forced to evict from Tufts’ campus in a matter of five days. This eviction has led to serious hardships in the form of monetary burdens, lost education resources, and harder learning environments. To list some of these: 1) many of the students who worked on and near campus have now lost their source of income that they relied on to pay rent, bills, medical expenses, and more; 2) many students now do not have access to a reliable internet connection at home; 3) most students no longer have access to adequate study environments where they can focus on their learning due to harmful family environments and different time zones. These are only a few of the countless problems that arise for students at home.

Does Tufts do the honorable thing?

Based on the community values that Tufts stands for, we believe that Tufts will do the honorable thing and implement the progressive pass/fail to accommodate all students given the extenuating circumstances that the COVID-19 crisis has created .

Does Tufts have a pass fail policy?

While the progressive pass/fail may seem unprecedented, this policy is gaining popularity; many of Tufts' peer institutions such as MIT, Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University , Smith College, New York Univeristy, Northwestern University, Boston College, Grinnell College, George Washington University, and Bowdoin College have already enacted similar pass/fail policies. Additionally, students at Princeton University, Yale University, and other institutions are currently urging the faculty to adopt this policy. Many students have already expressed their support for this policy and the many ways in which it would help them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Tufts is similar in academic caliber to all of these institutions, it’s only logical that Tufts supports its students in an equal manner.

How many SHUs are there in the same department?

For students who matriculate in to Fall 2018 or after, no more than 3 courses, of any number of SHUs, may be from the same department or program. At least 3 SHUs in each area must come from credits earned after matriculation (or from transfer credits). No single course may be used in more than one distribution area.

What are the language requirements for Tufts?

The second part may be satisfied in several different ways including: advanced courses in the same language, study of an additional language, or study of a specific culture through courses taught in English. You may place out of part or all of this requirement with Tufts language placement exams, SAT II/AP/IB/other scores, or a college transcript. (Please refer to the exam equivalency chart to determine placement or credit.)

How many semesters do you have to be a resident at Tufts?

All students must satisfy the residency requirement of eight full-time semesters, according to the stipulations outlined in The Bulletin.

How many units are required for a BA in arts and sciences?

There are four requirements for a BA or BS degree in the School of Arts and Sciences: Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2018 must complete 34 courses and 120 semester hour units. Students matriculating in Fall 2018 and later must complete 120 semester hour units.

How many semesters of college do you need to be a liberal arts student?

Writing Requirement. Writing is fundamental to a liberal arts education. All liberal arts students are required to take two semesters of college writing in order to graduate. We recommend that students begin this requirement during their first year.

What is the world civilization requirement?

The world civilizations requirement focuses on an in-depth study of a non-Western civilization or the interaction of non-Western and Western civilizations with equal attention given to both. The definition of the non-Western world includes Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and selected indigenous cultures of Oceania and North America.

What are the requirements for a liberal arts degree?

Distribution Requirements. A liberal arts degree must include the following five areas: humanities, arts, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematical sciences. While there is some freedom in which courses you can take, keep these important rules in mind: Complete the equivalent of 2 courses that total at least 6 Semester-hour units (SHUs) ...

How to edit a class in a lab?

Just follow these steps: Click on the “Classes” tab. Select “Edit Class Component". Select the class you wish to edit and proceed to step two. Step two will allow you to choose another lab or recitation component. Click “ Next” and then “Finish Editing”.

How to add classes to shopping cart?

Using Class Number. If you know the class number (a five digit number, such as 21145) for the class you’d like to add, enter it in the “Class Nbr” field and click enter. Double click the section and time and click “Next".

What is a registration date for undergraduates?

Undergraduates are assigned a registration date based on their program of study and their “rising” class standing, meaning the class year the student will be for the semester in which you will register for courses.

What is program specific registration day?

Program specific registration days are determined each academic year and added to the academic calendar. Within in each day, students in a given program or class year are assigned a specific registration time at random.

What happens if your advisor approves your registration?

Until your advisor approves, you will have a hold placed on your registration. You will need to contact your advisor to have this hold lifted.

What is class standing?

A student's class standing is based on the number of successful fall and spring terms completed. Class standing is independent of your expected graduation term and is not advanced based on pre-matriculation credits or other factors.

Can you make changes to your classes after the deadline?

If you need to make any changes to registrations after the academic deadlines, you will need to speak with your instructor or your advising dean.

image