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Policy 1.3: Grading & Incompletes 

Applies to: A/BSN, CIPCT, DNP, Certs, PhD

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, and must initiate the process promptly.

II. Grade Definitions

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
CR/NC Credit/No Credit – Credit indicates performance at or above the program’s minimum passing grade

  • Minimum passing grade in undergraduate = 2.0
  • Minimum passing grade in graduate = 2.7
RD Registrar Drop – course removed from the official record
X Missing Grade Annotation (not a grade) – indicates grade not yet submitted by instructor

III. Grading Scales

A. 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

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.
  • Courses in which a student receives a grade below 2.7 are not able to be applied towards the degree.

C. 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

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.

For graduating students, grades must be submitted within 72 hours after the final examination or assignment is completed, per SGP 110, Section 1(C).

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.

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.

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.

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 Graduate School Policy 1.1, 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.

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, available at: https://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html#gradeappeal.

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.
  • Appeals must be based on one or more of the following grounds:
    • The grade was assigned in a manner inconsistent with the grading criteria stated in the course syllabus or other course materials.
    • The grade was assigned in a manner inconsistent with University or School of Nursing grading policies.
    • The grade was assigned based on a calculation or recording error.
  • The formal appeal process involves submission of a written statement and supporting documentation to the Department Chairperson, as specified in the University policy.

C. Final Determination

  • The outcome of the formal appeal will be communicated in writing to the student.
  • All decisions reached through the University’s formal appeal process are final.

VI. Roles and Responsibilities – RACI

Task Course Faculty Coordinating Committee Department Chair Registrar’s Office
Apply grading scale to course assignments & exams R/A I
Submit final grades by published deadlines R/A I
Assign and document Incompletes R/A C I
Address initial student grade concerns R/A I
Conduct formal grade appeals C R/A I
Post grades and process grade changes I R/A
Determine and approve  programmatic grading scale I R/A

RACI Legend:

  • R = Responsible: Performs the task
  • A = Accountable: Ultimately answerable
  • C = Consulted: Provides input
  • I = Informed: Kept up to date

Related Policies & References

Last updated: September 2025