Enrollment Certification
Currently enrolled students may obtain certification of enrollment by accessing the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) via a link on the student portal. These certifications may be used to provide proof of enrollment for loan deferments, scholarship applications, employment applications, and other purposes. They are not to be confused with official transcripts of the student’s permanent academic record. Please contact AU Central if additional information is required or if you have questions.
Grading System
Calculated in the Grade Point Average
| Grade |
Quality Points |
| A (Excellent) |
4.00 |
| A- |
3.67 |
| B+ |
3.33 |
| B (Good) |
3.00 |
| B- |
2.67 |
| C+ |
2.33 |
| C (Satisfactory) |
2.00 |
| C- |
1.67 |
| D (Poor) |
1.00 |
| F (Academic Fail) |
0.00 |
| FX (Administrative Fail in course for grade) |
0.00 |
Academic Fail indicates the student’s continued enrollment in the course and he or she did not satisfy the Instructor’s summative requirements for passing the course.
Administrative Fail is assigned by the instructor in lieu of a grade of F when a student never attended or ceased attending the class, rendering an assessment of academic performance impossible. Instructors will be asked to provide the last date of attendance.
Additional Posting Symbols for Grades in Courses
R = Follows grade entry indicating course has been repeated.
N = No grade or invalid grade submitted (assigned by the academic unit or appropriate administrative officer when an expected final grade has not been received before the grade posting deadline. The academic unit and the Registrar are expected to secure an appropriate final grade within one semester).
IP = Course in progress
Not Calculated in the Grade Point Average
| I |
Incomplete |
| L |
Audit (no credit) |
| P |
Pass |
| W |
Withdrawal |
| ZL |
Administrative Withdrawal from Audit |
| FZ |
Academic Fail in Pass/Fail course |
| ZX |
Administrative Fail in Pass/Fail course |
| SP |
Satisfactory Progress (graduate only) |
| UP |
Unsatisfactory Progress (graduate only) |
Grade Point Average
The cumulative grade point average includes only in-residence courses taken for conventional grades (A through F or FX). Courses below the 100-level or taken pass/fail are not included in the grade point average, nor are grades of Incomplete (I) or In Progress (IP).
Credit accepted for transfer from another institution is included in the total amount of credit applicable to degree requirements, but grades earned in such courses are not recorded on the permanent record at American University and are not used in computing the cumulative grade point average needed for graduation.
A student’s GPA will not be rounded for purposes of evaluating satisfactory academic progress of academic standing (e.g., a cumulative or semester GPA of 1.99 will not be rounded to 2.00).
Academic units or teaching units will not accept C- or D grades in major and major-related courses, in minor courses, or toward courses that were taken to satisfy the General Education, College Writing or University Mathematics requirements. A course with a grade of C- or D may be used as an elective toward graduation requirements and the C- or D grade is calculated in the cumulative grade point average.
Pass/Fail
For undergraduate students, the grade of P indicates a quality of performance no less than C (2.00) on a conventional grading scale. For graduate students, the grade of P indicates performance equivalent to a B (3.00) or better on a conventional grading scale. Performance below these levels is reported as FZ. Degree credit is received with the grade of P.
Graduate students may not choose the pass/fail option. However, courses that can only be taken with pass/fail grading may be included on a student’s Program of Study.
Undergraduate students may select the pass/fail option for no more than four courses after admission to the university. In any given semester, students may select the pass/fail option in only one course. Only elective courses may be taken pass/fail, and thus students must take for a letter grade courses in a major, in a minor, in General Education, and in courses that are taken to satisfy the College Writing or University Mathematics requirement. Those courses that can only be taken pass/fail are exceptions to the preceding rule and such courses are not included in the aforementioned four course maximum.
Incomplete Grades
At the discretion of the faculty member and before the end of the semester, the grade of I (Incomplete) may be given to a student who, because of extenuating circumstances, is unable to complete the course during a semester. The grade of Incomplete may be given only if the student is receiving a passing grade for the course work completed. Students on academic probation may not receive an Incomplete. The instructor must provide in writing to the student the conditions for satisfying the incomplete and must enter those same conditions when posting the grades for the course. Students are responsible for verifying that the conditions were entered correctly.
The written conditions to satisfy an Incomplete must include what work needs to be completed, when the work must be completed, and what the course grade will be if students fail to complete that work, which, at the latest, must be before the end of the following semester. Faculty may select any deadline prior to the end of the following semester as deemed appropriate. Instructors will submit the grade of I and the aforementioned conditions to the Office of the University Registrar when submitting all other final grades for the course. If students do not meet the conditions, the Office of the University Registrar will assign the default grade automatically.
The Associate Dean of the Academic Unit, with the concurrence of the instructor, may grant an extension beyond the agreed deadline, but only in extraordinary circumstances. Incomplete courses may not be retroactively dropped. An Incomplete may not stand as a permanent grade and must be resolved before a degree can be awarded.
In Progress Grades
An In Progress (IP) is only available for designated courses and is a temporary posting that indicates the course is in progress. A faculty member may post an IP in lieu of a final grade for a course, research project, thesis, or capstone which has not been completed by the conclusion of the semester of registration and for which a final grade is not yet due. An IP grade may not stand as a permanent grade and must be resolved before a degree can be awarded.
Changes in Grades
Once reported, a grade may not be changed except to remove a grade of I (Incomplete) as stated above, or to correct a grade recorded in error. To remove a grade recorded incorrectly, the faculty member must certify in writing, with the approval of the Associate Dean, to the Office of the University Registrar that an error was made.
Judgment regarding standards of evaluation for a student’s academic performance is a faculty responsibility. Therefore, students may not request a second evaluation of any work leading to the final grade for a course. Students should consult the Student Academic Grievance Policy .
Students are responsible for reporting to their instructors any errors in calculating grades on assignments, tests, or other activities before the day of the final examination as posted on the Registrar’s Final Exam Schedule. Students also must report to their instructors any errors in calculating or posting a course grade no later than one year from the day the course grades were posted by the Office of the University Registrar.
Repetition of Courses
Undergraduate students have a maximum of three attempts to pass a course. Withdrawal from a course counts as an attempt. Once a student passes a course taken at American University, he/she may repeat it one more time unless the repetition exceeds the maximum number of three attempts. The repetition policy applies to a maximum of five courses including those courses repeated under the Freshman Forgiveness policy (given below) during their tenure at the university. Students are responsible for determining any academic or financial implications for repeating courses. In the context of this policy, passing a course includes meeting any stipulations needed to satisfy a university or major or minor requirement. Grades for each attempt are computed in the overall cumulative GPA, but only the highest grade and the credit associated with that grade counts toward the major GPA requirements.
Graduate students may repeat only once a course they have previously completed and failed or from which they have withdrawn. They may repeat only two courses in this fashion during a graduate program of study. Grades for each attempt are shown on the transcript and are used to compute the overall GPA, but credits for only one passed course are included in the credits required for the graduate degree.
Freshman Forgiveness
Degree students, during the first two semesters of full-time undergraduate study, may request Freshman Forgiveness for any two courses that have resulted in a grade of C- or lower. Transfer and nondegree students, except students in the Washington Mentorship Program, may not claim Freshman Forgiveness. Part-time degree students may request Freshman Forgiveness during the first 30 credit hours of study. Students must request Freshman Forgiveness within the next calendar year and they must repeat such courses within the next calendar year or at the first possible opportunity. Only the second grade is computed in the cumulative GPA, but both courses remain on the transcript. Students may not request Freshman Forgiveness for a course if they received a sanction for that course due to a violation of the Academic Integrity Code.
Full-time, part-time, and Washington Mentorship students are eligible to apply for Freshman Forgiveness. Certain classes may not be repeated for Freshman Forgiveness. Students should check with their academic advisor to determine which courses are not eligible for Freshman Forgiveness.
Graduation
Candidates for degrees must submit an Application for Graduation form, available at myau.american.edu.
Once the application for graduation has been submitted, the Office of the University Registrar with the academic advisor begin processing the necessary information for final certification of degree. Students who fail to complete all degree requirements by the end of the term for which they applied to graduate must reapply in order to graduate later.
Conferral of Degrees and Commencement
The university confers degrees and issues diplomas at the end of the fall, spring, and summer terms. Formal commencement ceremonies are held in May and December.
Only students who successfully complete degree requirements by the end of the term for which they have applied (or reapplied) to graduate are certified for conferral of a degree. In witness of the degree conferred, the permanent records of the graduates are appropriately noted with a statement of graduation and their diplomas are released.
Candidates for degrees whose academic records indicate that they can satisfy degree requirements by the end of the term for which they have applied are permitted to participate in commencement ceremonies. Participation in a commencement ceremony does not itself constitute conferral of a degree, nor does it imply an obligation on the part of the university to award a degree before all requirements have been met and certified.
Interruption of Studies
A student who takes a temporary leave or separates from the university is no longer taking courses at AU. Student financial aid, merit awards, university housing, and immigration status may be affected by any temporary leave or separation from the university. Students should consult with their academic unit or the appropriate university office (Financial Aid, Office of the Dean of Students, International Student and Scholar Services, etc.) for help in determining the effects of the temporary leave or separation in their case. The two interruptions from the university are described below.
Temporary Leave
A temporary leave is an approved temporary separation from the university for a specified period of time after which the student is expected to return. A temporary leave is initiated by the student in consultation with the student’s academic unit and may be general, medical, or military in nature.
Separation
A separation from the university results in the loss of active student status. Students who have separated from the university must reapply to regain active student status. A separation can be initiated by the student or a representative of the university. If students are considering separating from the university, they should consult with their academic unit as soon as possible to determine whether there are other more viable alternatives. A student who is eligible to register for a semester but does not register will be automatically separated. A student may not separate from the university if their academic performance requires the student to be academically dismissed.
The University may suspend a student from the University for an interim period pending disciplinary or criminal proceedings or medical evaluation regarding behavior relevant to such proceedings. Students whose work toward a degree is disrupted as a direct result of pandemic, hostilities, war or some similar emergency shall be given every possible consideration. In the event of a personal tragedy or trauma, students may need to coordinate alternative arrangements to complete coursework. Students or their authorized representative may contact the academic unit.
Further information about temporary leaves or separation from the University is available in the Academic Rules and Regulations for Undergraduates or for Graduates, which may be found through the Office of the Provost website at: www.american.edu/provost/.
Resuming Study
Students who cease to attend the university for an entire semester, whether voluntarily or not, and who are not on temporary leave, are separated from the university and may not resume study until they have been readmitted. Readmitted students are subject to all regulations and must meet all requirements in force when studies are resumed unless other arrangements have been agreed to in writing by the student’s dean before the beginning of such an absence.
Students who change degree objective, college, or school, or who choose to conform to new regulations or requirements, must be prepared to complete all requirements and abide by all regulations in effect at the time such a change is made.
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