Courses can be graded either by letter grades or in percentages, but the official grade in each course is the letter grade. Where appropriate, a class average appears on transcripts expressed as the letter grade most representative of the class performance.
Since Fall 2002, the University has only used letter grades on transcripts and verification forms.
For undergraduate courses, Grades A through C represent satisfactory passes, D a conditional (non-continuation) pass, and F a failure. Certain courses have been approved for Pass/Fail (P/F) grading.
For graduate level courses, Grades A through B- represent satisfactory passes. Students must obtain a B- or better in courses to fulfil program requirements.
You cannot register in a course for which you have not passed all the prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better at the undergraduate level and B- or better at the graduate level, except by written permission of the Director. Certain programs have further requirements. Students should refer to the program regulations in the appropriate academic area of this Calendar.
The University assigns grade points to letter grades according to the table above. Your Academic Standing is determined by a grade point average (GPA), which is calculated by dividing the sum of the course credit, times the grade points by the total course GPA credits. The result is not rounded up to the nearest decimal point.
GPA credits are the credits of courses with grades that are assigned grade points.
The term grade point average (TGPA) is the GPA for a given term calculated using all the applicable courses at the same level in that term. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is the GPA calculated using your entire record of applicable courses at McGill at the same level; if you change levels, e.g., from undergraduate to graduate, the CGPA starts again.
This policy took effect in January 2003. Prior to January 2003, if your degree program had changed, e.g., from B.Sc. to B.A., the CGPA started again. For students with academic information prior to Fall 2002, who are registered in a different program or in a different level post-Fall 2002, the transcript displays a special message regarding the CGPA restarting.
If you repeat courses, all results are included in the GPA calculation. Therefore, grades of D or F continue to be used in the CGPA calculation even after you repeat the course or if you take a supplemental examination. Note that credits are only granted once for a repeated course regardless of the passing grade.
You must obtain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 to be considered for graduation with a McGill degree.
Note: During the first week of lectures, each instructor will provide you with a written course outline. This information should include, where appropriate:
- whether there will be a final examination in the course;
- how term work will affect the final grade in the course;
- how term work will be distributed through the term;
- whether there will be a supplemental examination in the course, and if so, whether the supplemental exam will be worth 100% of the supplemental grade, or whether term work will be included in the supplemental grade (courses with formal final examinations must have supplementals);
- whether students with grades of D, F, J, or U will have the option of submitting additional work, and, if so, how the supplemental will be calculated with the extra work (applicable only to students in Science and B.A. & Sc.).
