Grade Requirements and Scholastic Regulations
Grade Requirements
In order to receive a master's or specialist's degree, a student must have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on all graduate work attempted, whether at LSUS or elsewhere.
Those courses in which grades of P, NC, W or I are recorded are not included in determining the grade point average.
Scholastic Regulations: Grading System
| A | The grade of A has a value of four quality points per term hour and indicates superior work in both quality and quantity. |
| B | The grade of B has a value of three quality points per term hour and indicates acceptable but undistinguished work. |
| C | The grade of C has a value of two quality points per term hour and indicates work of unsatisfactory quality and suggests that further graduate study may be unwise. (Not more than two course grades of C may be presented for a graduate degree.) |
| D | The grade of D has a value of one quality point per term hour and indicates unacceptable work and carries no graduate credit. |
| F | The grade of F does not earn quality points. This grade is given for work failed. |
| P | All graduate courses taken for credit toward a graduate degree must be taken for a grade, with the exception of the thesis option credits and a few designated internship-type courses. The awarding of a P (B or better) for thesis credits is decided by the graduate committee of the college offering the degree program, upon completion of the thesis. |
| I | The I indicates that satisfactory work has been done but because of extenuating circumstances the student has not been able to complete the course requirements. It is not to be given to enable a student to do additional work to bring up a deficient grade. The instructor may consider giving an I upon receipt of written authorization from the student's dean, but it is the responsibility of the student to initiate the request. An I will be converted to F unless it is removed prior to the deadline for adding courses for credit as published in the Academic Calendar. The conversion of the I takes place in the regular term (fall or spring) after the student has been granted the I, unless the student's circumstances preclude removal of the I grade by that time. In such cases, but before that designated date, the student or the instructor may petition the student's dean for an extension of one regular term. |
| IP | The IP means “in progress” and is assigned for thesis or final project work begun but still to be completed. |
| W | The W is assigned when a student withdraws from a course or resigns within the allowable time (see the “Academic Calendar”). |
| X | The X means “audit” and indicates the student enrolled for no credit and met the instructor's attendance requirements. |
Repeated Courses: A graduate student may repeat any undergraduate or graduate course, with all attempts counting toward the student’s GPA. The delete option is NOT APPLICABLE for ANY graduate course, to ANY graduate student, or to ANY student working towards another baccalaureate degree.
Duplicated Courses (400/600 level):At the discretion of the program Coordinator, a student may be allowed to take a graduate course that essentially duplicates an undergraduate course but requires more rigorous coursework.
Warning and Ineligibility: A graduate student is expected to maintain a 3.0 grade point average on all graduate work attempted and in any other work attempted. A graduate student who fails to earn a 3.0 average in any term or summer term, or who receives a grade of D in any graduate course will be placed on academic warning.
A graduate student on warning must maintain a term grade point average of 3.0 for each term on warning, with no course grades of C or below. Warning status is removed when the student raises his or her grade point average to 3.0 or better in all graduate coursework.
A graduate student on academic warning who fails to correct his or her grade point average within twoterms of coursework will be dropped from the program.
In addition, any graduate student receiving a grade of F in a graduate course, or having more than three credit hours of graduate work with a grade of D or having more than six credit hours of graduate work with a grade of C or lower will be dropped from the program.
Any graduate student dropped from a program for academic reasons will not be readmitted to graduate study in any program at the university.
Registration for Thesis
A student must register for thesis during each term in which the thesis is under preparation and when college facilities and/or staff time are utilized. The letters IP will be recorded each term for which a graduate student registers and makes satisfactory progress in the thesis course. The Registrar will record on each transcript that thesis credit for a graduate degree is limited to 6 term hours, although the student may need to register for additional hours in order to complete the thesis.
Time Limit for Completing Degrees
All coursework credited toward the degree must have been begun no earlier than eight years prior to the completion of all of the degree requirements.
Extension of time may be granted only on conditions beyond control of the student. A formal request outlining the conditions upon which the extension of time is made should be addressed to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Graduate Only Coursework
At least 50 percent of the courses applicable toward a degree must be numbered 700 or above.
Graduate Studies
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Administration Building, Suite 249
(318) 797-5247
graduatestudies@lsus.edu
