APU Student Handbook
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Last Revision: January 30, 2024

APUS Grading System (Chart)

Your cumulative GPA at APUS is determined solely by the courses you have taken at APUS towards your current degree. If you change your major, your previous APUS courses will roll over into your GPA for your new major. However, if you graduate from a program, you would start over with a fresh GPA when you start on your next program. For example, your grades towards your conferred Associate degree at APUS do not impact your subsequent GPA in your Bachelor program.

Effective September 1st, 2015 (For all students who started NURS300 after September 1, 2015, and beyond), to pass the course and progress in the nursing program, students must achieve a final course grade of a 73% (C) or better. In the capstone course, NURS498: Senior Seminar in Nursing Studies, students must achieve a final course grade of an 84% (B) or better in order to pass the course and graduate from the nursing program.

Master's Courses: Any grade below “C” has been considered failing starting with any courses that began on or after April 1, 2007.

Master's End of Program Requirements: For all capstone courses that begin after January 1, 2017, master's students must earn a B- (80%) or better on their capstone thesis/project/paper and a B- (80%) or better in their capstone course to pass the course. If the course is using a binary grade the student must earn a PASS to demonstrate mastery of the material and course. This policy aligns with the comprehensive exam, which also requires a B- (80%) or better to pass. Master's students must have at least a 3.0 GPA in order to graduate. Please see the End of Program Assessment Manual for more information.

WP/WF grade designators are no longer used as of October 5, 2007.

GradeQuality Points/ Grading PercentDescription
A4.0/ 100 - 94All: Very high quality, clearly above average work
A-3.67/ 93 - 90 
B+3.33/ 89 - 87 
B3.0/ 86 - 84Undergrad: Above average | Master's: Expected performance level
Minimum passing grade for NURS498
B-2.67/ 83 - 80Master's: minimum passing grade for End of Program requirements
C+2.33/ 79 - 77 
C2.0/ 76 - 73 
C-1.67/ 72 - 70Undergrad: Below Average | Master's: Failing
D+1.33/ 69 - 67Undergrad: Unsatisfactory | Master's: Failing
D1.0/ 66 - 64Undergrad: Unsatisfactory | Master's: Failing
D-.67/ 63 - 60Undergrad: Unsatisfactory | Master's: Failing
F0.0/ 59 - 0Undergrad: Failing | Master's: Failing
PNONEUndergrad: Pass | Master's: Pass
PDNONEMaster's Comprehensive Exam Only: Pass with Distinction*
PASS3.0Master's Capstone
FAILNONEMaster's Comprehensive Exam or Capstone
INONEAll: Incomplete
DPNONEDropped
WNONEAll: Withdrawn
WPNONEAll: Withdrawn Passing
WFNONEAll: Withdrawn Failing
XNONEAudit grade: No Academic Credit awarded
TCNONETransfer Credit
PLANONECredit from review of Prior Learning Experience
RNONECourse No Longer Counted in APUS GPA as it was Retaken. However, the previous grade would still be counted by a third parties, such as the federal government for Financial Aid eligibility and by the military for calculating a GPA for TA eligibility.

*Excluding the Master of Public Health comprehensive exam.