Link to the University of Waterloo home page
2013-2014

The Undergraduate Calendar

 

 

Faculty of Arts

Arts Academic Regulations and Advice

Grading System

Terminology

  1. Numeric grades: All Arts courses are evaluated with a numeric grade. Please refer to the University Grading System for a complete explanation.
      
  2. Range of failing grades: Failing grades in the Faculty of Arts may range from 0-49%. In order to preserve consistency and continuity with historical grading practices, for students in the Faculty of Arts, grades from 0-32% will be calculated at 32% for the purpose of determining a student's average(s).
      
  3. Withdrew (WD) and Withdrew/Failure (WF) grades: See University Grading System for a full explanation of assignment of WD and WF grades.
     
  4. Repeated courses: When a course is repeated, the two grades are not averaged together. Rather, both grades are entered with all other grades in calculating the student's cumulative overall average. For further details, see Course Selection.
       
  5. Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) basis: Students are expected to take courses in the Faculty of Arts on a graded basis rather than on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR) basis, unless the course is only offered on a Credit/No Credit basis. A CR/NCR grade may be awarded on petition to the Arts Examinations and Standings Committee accompanied by appropriate documentation. The CR/NCR grade is granted only under extraordinary circumstances. Courses taken on a CR/NCR basis will be counted towards the maximum allowable limit of non-graded credits as specified in the Arts Faculty Residency Requirements.

    Note: Students in Independent Studies may take courses on a CR/NCR basis only if previously approved by their program director.

  6. Incomplete (INC) grade: Normally all courses should be completed within the term in which they are offered. This grade may be assigned by an instructor in exceptional circumstances, with the consent of the department. This extension of completion date is granted to students as a privilege for a limited and specified time and in normal circumstances shall be no longer than three months.

    If the course is not completed within the prescribed period, the grade will convert to Failure to Complete (FTC, no credit granted) and 32% will be recorded in the average calculations.

    Students should make themselves familiar with the internal procedures (i.e., INC Grade Agreement) established by the Faculty of Arts in handling incomplete courses.

  7. No Mark Reported (NMR): This grade is used by an instructor when the student ID is not recognized (i.e., no term work submitted, no attendance) and a 32% will be recorded in the average calculations.
     
  8. Missing Mark (MM): This grade may only be imposed by the Registrar's Office, when it has not received the grade by the grade submission deadline.
     
  9. In Progress (IP) grade: There are a number of courses in the Faculty of Arts which are essentially year courses (of two or three terms duration) although they are listed as two or three separate courses. Grades are not awarded until the second or third segment of the course is complete and then the same grade is applied to all terms. An IP grade is assigned to the initial courses until a grade is designated for the final course, at which point the IP grades will be replaced with the final grade.

    The use of the IP grade is normally limited to 400-level courses which are Senior Honours Theses or Senior Seminar courses and which normally require eight months to complete. The grade may be used in other courses only with the prior approval of the Undergraduate Affairs Group of the Arts Faculty.

  10. Under Review (UR) grade: This grade may only be imposed by the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, while an alleged offence is under investigation or appeal. Once the discipline case is resolved, the UR grade will be replaced with the final grade. Where disciplinary penalties are being considered or have been imposed for an academic offence committed in a course, the student may not drop the course in question. The student is responsible for all course material and assignments until the case is resolved.
     
  11. Outstanding INC, IP, and/or UR grades: A student with one or more of these grades on his/her record will be unable to graduate until the INC, IP, and/or UR has been replaced by a numeric grade and the grade has been factored into the averages. In such cases, the student must meet all graduation requirements, including grade averages and number of courses.
     
  12. Audit (AUD) status: Students may request to register for Audit (AUD) status in a course taught on campus. No credit is granted for a course in which an AUD grade is awarded. Students interested in an Audit must consult with the course instructor at the beginning of the course to ascertain what conditions are attached to the granting of an AUD by the course instructor. Audits must be approved by the course instructor and the student's advisor during the two week add period. Failure to satisfy the conditions of Audit will result in the course being dropped from the academic record (WD, no refund).
     
  13. Aegrotat (AEG, credit granted due to illness) grade: An AEG may be awarded in a course on petition to the Arts Examinations and Standings Committee accompanied by appropriate documentation. The AEG grade is granted only under extraordinary circumstances.


Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
2nd Floor, Needles Hall
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4567