Effective Date Mar 31, 2014

Last Review Date: October 27, 2022

(Graduate Policy 1.12)

Graduate work is evaluated by letter grades, with only grades of A, B, C and P being credited toward graduate degrees. Grades of D and F are failing grades in graduate courses. Failed courses must be repeated at the earliest opportunity, if they are required courses. An elective course in which a D or F is received must be repeated, unless the academic unit approves an additional course to be taken in its place.

When Pass/Fail (P/F) grading is used, the total credit hours earned increases without having any effect on the GPA if a grade of P is earned, whereas no credit hours are earned and the GPA is adversely affected in the case of a grade of F, just as with any other F. Pass/Fail grading is used for certain courses and for master’s theses, design projects, doctoral dissertations and doctoral research projects.

The program GPA is based on the student’s program plan and includes all courses shown on the program plan as applying toward the degree, both graduate numbered and undergraduate numbered.

In cases where the degree-related GPA referred to above does not include all graduate courses taken at Florida Tech, an overall GPA is also calculated and reported. Graduate courses used to compute the overall GPA, but not the program GPA, include courses taken as deficiencies, courses unrelated to the student’s degree program, courses taken before a change of major and courses taken in satisfaction of the requirements of a previously earned graduate degree. Courses related to the degree program that are taken in excess of degree requirements are normally included in the program plan. It is not possible to delete a course from the GPA once the course has been taken, although an exception is made if the statute of limitations is exceeded, at which time it is dropped from the program plan and from both the program and overall GPAs. Courses are not otherwise dropped from the overall GPA except by special action of the Graduate Council following a change of major. If no degree was earned in the first major and the courses are clearly not applicable to the new major, the council can approve deletion from the overall GPA.

Grades of S (Satisfactory) and U (Unsatisfactory) are used as progress grades in thesis, dissertation, design project, research and internship, and as final grades in some zero-credit seminar courses. They are similar to grades of P and F except that they carry no credit, and S grades (when used as progress grades) may be replaced at any later time by credit-carrying grades of P. U grades remain on the transcript permanently, but like grades of S, they do not affect the GPA.

The basic requirement for receiving any master’s degree is a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Both the overall GPA and the applicable program GPA must be 3.0 or greater for a master’s degree to be awarded.

Credit Hour Requirements

Graduate Policy 1.12.1

A candidate for the master's degree must successfully complete at least 30 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree as specified on the approved program plan. A candidate for the specialist degree must successfully complete at least 30 semester credit hours beyond the master's degree as specified on the approved program plan.