Policy 1.3: Grading & Incompletes 

I. Policy Statement

The University of Washington School of Nursing (SoN) assigns grades in alignment with the UW grading system, as outlined in UW Student Governance and Policies (SGP) Chapter 110 and the UW Registrar’s Grading System.

Grades reflect achievement of course learning outcomes. Faculty are responsible for applying the grading scale stated in the course syllabus and for evaluating student performance fairly, consistently, and according to published criteria.

An Incomplete (I) grade may be assigned only under the conditions defined in SGP 110: the student has been making satisfactory progress and has completed the majority of the coursework to within three weeks of the end of the quarter, but is unable to complete the work before the end of the quarter due to circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Students may dispute grades through the School’s grade appeal process, which aligns with the UW Grade Appeal Procedure. University deadlines apply at each stage, and a student who does not act within them forfeits the appeal. The deadlines are stated in UW Student Governance and Policies, Chapter 110, Section 2.

II. Grade Definitions

Special Grades and Annotations – All Programs

Special Grades and Annotations – All Programs

Grade / Annotation	Meaning
I	Incomplete — See Incomplete policy section for requirements and deadlines
N	Satisfactory without grade — Only used for multi-quarter courses until a final grade is assigned
S/NS	Satisfactory/Non-Satisfactory — Satisfactory indicates work equivalent to 2.0 or higher for undergraduates, 2.7 or higher for graduate students. For undergraduates, a course in which an S is earned may not be used to satisfy a department, college, or University requirement, including nursing prerequisites; the credits apply only toward the 180-credit minimum. A graduate student must obtain the approval of the graduate program advisor or supervisory committee chair before electing S/NS.
CR/NC	Credit/No Credit — Credit indicates performance at or above the School of Nursing program minimum passing grade, which is set above the University standard of 0.7 for undergraduates (SGP 110 §1.A.7). Minimum passing grade in undergraduate = 2.0; minimum passing grade in graduate = 2.7.
RD	Registrar Drop — Recorded when a student withdraws from a course after the annotation deadline. The RD and the withdrawal date appear on the transcript, and RD is not computed in the GPA. A Registrar Drop is a student-initiated course withdrawal and is distinct from an academic drop, which is a School action under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.1: Academic Performance and Progress.
X	Missing Grade Annotation (not a grade) — Indicates grade not yet submitted by instructor

III. Grading Scales

A. A/BSN Grading Scale

A/BSN Grading Scale

Percentage Range	Grade Point	Percentage Range	Grade Point
98.50–100	4.0	77.00–77.99	2.2
97.00–98.49	3.9	76.00–76.99	2.1
95.50–96.99	3.8	75.00–75.99	2.0
94.00–95.49	3.7	74.00–74.99	1.9
92.50–93.99	3.6	73.00–73.99	1.8
91.00–92.49	3.5	72.00–72.99	1.7
89.50–90.99	3.4	71.00–71.99	1.6
88.00–89.49	3.3	70.00–70.99	1.5
87.00–87.99	3.2	69.00–69.99	1.4
86.00–86.99	3.1	68.00–68.99	1.3
85.00–85.99	3.0	67.00–67.99	1.2
84.00–84.99	2.9	66.00–66.99	1.1
83.00–83.99	2.8	65.00–65.99	1.0
82.00–82.99	2.7	64.00–64.99	0.9
81.00–81.99	2.6	63.00–63.99	0.8
80.00–80.99	2.5	62.00–62.99	0.7
79.00–79.99	2.4	<62.00	0.0
78.00–78.99	2.3

• This scale is standardized and used by all instructors who teach A/BSN courses. It is nonnegotiable. Approved by BSNCC August 2016.
• Final grades are based on the exact percentage earned and are not rounded. This policy is standardized across all instructors.
• Courses in which a student receives a grade below 2.0 are not able to be applied towards the degree.

B. CIPCT Grading Scale

CIPCT Grading Scale

Percentage Range	Grade Point	Percentage Range	Grade Point
99.0–100	4.0	80.0–81.9	3.0
97.0–98.9	3.9	78.0–79.9	2.9
95.0–96.9	3.8	76.0–77.9	2.8
93.0–94.9	3.7	75.0–75.9	2.7
91.0–92.9	3.6	73.0–74.9	2.6
90.0–90.9	3.5	70.0–72.9	2.3
88.0–89.9	3.4	65.0–69.9	2.0
86.0–87.9	3.3	60.0–64.9	1.7
84.0–85.9	3.2	<60	0.0
82.0–83.9	3.1

• This scale is standardized and used by all instructors who teach CIPCT courses. It is nonnegotiable.
• Grades below 1.7 will be recorded as 0.0 by the registrar and no credit is earned.
• Courses in which a student receives a grade below 2.7 are not able to be applied towards the degree.

C. DNP Grading Scale

DNP Grading Scale

Percentage Range	Grade Point	Percentage Range	Grade Point
99.0–100	4.0	80.0–81.9	3.0
97.0–98.9	3.9	78.0–79.9	2.9
95.0–96.9	3.8	76.0–77.9	2.8
93.0–94.9	3.7	75.0–75.9	2.7
91.0–92.9	3.6	73.0–74.9	2.6
90.0–90.9	3.5	70.0–72.9	2.3
88.0–89.9	3.4	65.0–69.9	2.0
86.0–87.9	3.3	60.0–64.9	1.7
84.0–85.9	3.2	<60	0.0
82.0–83.9	3.1

• This scale is standardized and used by all instructors who teach DNP courses. It is nonnegotiable.
• Grades below 1.7 will be recorded as 0.0 by the registrar and no credit is earned.
• Courses in which a student receives a grade below 2.7 are not able to be applied towards the degree.

D. PhD Grading Scale

PhD Grading Scale

Percentage Range	Grade Point	Percentage Range	Grade Point
99.0–100	4.0	80.0–81.9	3.0
97.0–98.9	3.9	78.0–79.9	2.9
95.0–96.9	3.8	76.0–77.9	2.8
93.0–94.9	3.7	75.0–75.9	2.7
91.0–92.9	3.6	73.0–74.9	2.6
90.0–90.9	3.5	70.0–72.9	2.3
88.0–89.9	3.4	65.0–69.9	2.0
86.0–87.9	3.3	60.0–64.9	1.7
84.0–85.9	3.2	<60	0.0
82.0–83.9	3.1

• This scale is standardized and used by all instructors who teach PhD courses. It is nonnegotiable.
• Grades below 1.7 will be recorded as 0.0 by the registrar and no credit is earned.
• Courses in which a student receives a grade below 2.7 are not able to be applied towards the degree.

IV. Grading Process

A. Grading Deadlines – All Programs

Faculty must submit grades by the UW Registrar’s published quarterly grading deadline.

B. Grade Changes – All Programs

• A posted grade may be changed only to correct an error in computation or recording, or to replace an Incomplete with a final grade.
• Grade changes are initiated by the instructor via the Registrar.
• Grade changes may not be made to allow additional work or to improve a grade once the course has ended, except as permitted under Incomplete rules.
• Grades cannot be changed after a degree has been granted.

C. Multi-Quarter Courses – All Programs

• For courses officially designated as multi-quarter, the temporary grade of N (“Satisfactory without grade”) is assigned until the sequence is complete.
• Upon completion of the sequence, the instructor assigns a final grade for all quarters in which the student was registered for the course.

D. Incompletes – All Programs

An Incomplete (“I”) grade may be assigned only if a student has been making satisfactory progress and has completed enough work to bring the course to within three weeks of the last day of the quarter, in accordance with UW Student Governance and Policies, SGP 110.

• An Incomplete on the record at the time a degree is granted cannot subsequently be changed to any other grade.
• An instructor is not obligated to grant a request for an Incomplete, and may designate a default grade to be recorded if the work is not completed. Conditions, deadlines, and the request process are maintained by the University Registrar: UW Incomplete Grade Policy.
• Deadlines for resolving an Incomplete are unchanged while a student is on approved leave (UW Graduate School Policy 3.5.1.1). Time on leave does not extend the period for completing the work.
• Before requesting an Incomplete, students receiving financial aid should consider its effect on Satisfactory Academic Progress. An Incomplete does not count as a completed credit while it stands. Students are encouraged to discuss the choice with their Program Advisor and with Student Financial Aid before deciding.

1. Undergraduate (A/BSN) Programs

• The instructor must submit a final grade by the grading deadline via the late grade submission process for the next subsequent quarter, as published in the UW Academic Calendar.
• For spring quarter courses, the next quarter is considered Autumn, and the late grade submission deadline applies accordingly.
• The submitted grade replaces the “I” on the transcript.
• If no grade is submitted by the deadline, the “I” automatically converts to a grade of 0.0 and is removed from the transcript.
• For CR/NC courses, the “I” will convert to NC.
• On behalf of the student, an instructor may request an extension of one additional quarter beyond the original grading quarter. Students who need more time should ask their instructor about an extension rather than allowing the Incomplete to convert.

2. Graduate (CIPCT, DNP, PhD) Programs

• For spring quarter courses, the next quarter is considered Autumn, and the late grade submission deadline applies accordingly.
• An Incomplete may be given as indicated above; however, per UW Graduate School Policy 1.1: Graduate Degree Requirements, an Incomplete for a graduate student does not automatically convert to a 0.0 grade.
• The “I” remains as a permanent part of the student’s record until the instructor submits a final grade through the late grade submission process.
• Once a final grade is submitted, it replaces the “I” on the transcript.
• To obtain credit for the course, the student must complete the work to convert the Incomplete into a passing grade by the last day of the next quarter after the Incomplete was assigned, excluding summer. An instructor may request one additional quarter of extension on the student’s behalf.
• Graduate students are expected to resolve Incompletes in a timely manner, as accumulation of Incompletes may result in Academic Notification or Alert under UW Graduate School Policy 3.7: Academic Performance and Progress.

V. Grade Appeals – All Programs

Students have the right to appeal a final course grade they believe is inaccurate, arbitrary, or unjust. The process for appealing grades is outlined in the University of Washington’s Grade Appeal policy (UW Student Governance and Policies, SGP 110, Section 2.B).

A. Initial Informal Resolution

• Students are encouraged to first seek an informal resolution by discussing concerns directly with the course instructor as soon as possible after the grade is posted.
• This discussion should focus on understanding the basis for the grade, clarifying any grading criteria, and identifying possible errors.

B. Formal Appeal

• If the matter is not resolved informally, the student may initiate a formal appeal following the procedures and timelines outlined in the University’s Grade Appeal policy.
• The grounds for appeal, the deadlines at each stage, and the review process are stated in UW Student Governance and Policies, Chapter 110, Section 2. Deadlines apply at each stage and a student who does not act within them forfeits the appeal.

C. Final Determination

• The outcome of the formal appeal will be communicated in writing to the student.
• The University’s grade appeal process is the exclusive route for disputing a posted final grade, and the determination made under that process concludes the grade appeal. The Dean and the Provost are informed where a grade is reassigned. A student who believes the process itself was not applied uniformly may raise that concern under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.2: Student Grievance and Appeals Process.
• The written appeal and all subsequent actions on it are recorded in writing and retained in the department or college file.

VI. Roles and Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026