ACADEMIC POLICIES

Grading System

The symbols A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, and S (satisfactory) indicate credit, and F and U (unsatisfactory) indicate failure and no credit. The symbol W indicates withdrawal without penalty, WF indicates withdrawal while failing, and WU indicates unsatisfactory withdrawal. No course credit will be awarded for grades of F, U, W, WF, or WU. When a course, seminar, or research activity is scheduled to last for more than one semester, the notation IP (in progress) will be made at the end of the semester, and will remain until the final grade is awarded.

Quality Points

For each semester hour of credit, quality points are computed as follows:

While RSPH requires students to earn no less than a C or S Grade (B- or higher is S) to meet degree requirements, academic programs may have more stringent requirements. The grade of S carries academic credit but no quality points; U carries neither academic credit nor quality points. No more than six credit hours may be taken towards the degree under the S/U basis. The grades of W, S, and U are not used in computing a student’s grade point average (GPA). The grade of WF is counted as an F in computing a student’s GPA.

RSPH does not have a standard grading system across all courses. Students must review each course syllabus to see how letter grades will be assigned based on the grades earned.

Partial Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from one or more, but not all, courses for which they are enrolled must discuss with their ADAP and secure permission from the instructor. Students withdrawing from one or more courses will receive the instructor’s mark of withdrawal (W, WF, or WU). A grade of WF or WU may be awarded if the student is failing the course after 75% or more of the graded coursework is past due. Students who withdraw before 75% of the required coursework is past due may NOT receive a WF or WU.

Students who wish to withdraw from a course should submit the completed and signed course withdrawal form to their ADAP to be processed by RSPH Enrollment Services. Students receiving permission for a partial withdrawal will not receive a tuition refund. WF and WU grades can impact a student's GPA. The last day a student may withdraw from a course is the last day of class in a particular session.

Students receiving federal financial aid should note that withdrawals can impact Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal financial aid eligibility (see Grade Point Average and Academic Standing section below for more details).

Incompletes (I) and In Progress (IP)

Two tentative notations may be given within the grading structure.

The In Progress (IP) notation is only for Integrative Learning Experiences and/or the Practicum.

An Incomplete (I) is issued when a student does not complete assigned coursework during the prescribed period and at least 75% of graded coursework is complete. There are sometimes unforeseen circumstances at the end of the semester that result in the failure to complete the final assignment, project, or final exams such as illness or a family emergency. Upon the determination that an Incomplete will be given, the faculty member and the student should meet and agree upon what needs to be done to meet the requirements of the course and the length of time in which the assignments must be completed, and the student's ADAP should be notified.

The student and instructor should document the agreement of remaining requirements and timeline via the Resolution of Incomplete Work Form. The work should be completed within one traditional semester. If the work is not completed within one traditional semester, the instructor may grant an extension of up to one calendar year (from the original Incomplete grade date). If the Incomplete is not resolved by the date agreed upon by the student and instructor and 12 months have passed from when the Incomplete was given, a final grade of IF or IU (for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading basis) will be given, and the student may be required to repeat the course. A student having two or more incompletes will not be permitted to register for additional courses without special permission from the Associate Dean for Education.

If a student notifies the faculty member that they are unable to complete the course requirements by the deadlines stated in the syllabus and less than 75% of graded work has been submitted the student should be advised that they may withdraw from the course. An Incomplete (I) should not be given in such an instance. Please see the Partial Withdrawal section above regarding withdrawal procedures.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grading

Students may register for elective courses using a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading basis rather than a letter grade grading basis with the permission of the course instructor. The grade of S indicates at least passing coursework (B-). All PUBH courses are graded S/U, while all core courses must be taken for a letter grade.

No more than six credit hours may be taken under the S/U grading basis over the course of a student’s time enrolled in RSPH, not including credits for which the only grading basis is S/U.

Grade Appeal Procedure

In keeping with the principles of academic freedom, responsibility for evaluation of a student’s work rests with the course instructor. The grade appeal process is designed to ensure that the grading system is applied fairly to all individuals in the class.

When students believe that their work merits a different grade than that assigned by the course instructor, they should first contact their instructor as soon as possible, not to exceed one month after the grade is posted in OPUS. The instructor and student should discuss the grade.

If, following a discussion with the instructor, students believe their work was not fairly assessed, they may submit an appeal in writing within two weeks (and with any documents at issue) to the department ADAP in which the course was offered. This material will be reviewed in a timely way by the department chair in consultation with the course instructor.

Should students believe the department review to be unfair, they may appeal the decision in writing and within two weeks, to the Associate Dean for Education, who may consult the Academic Standards Committee. The student will be notified of the review outcome by the Associate Dean for Education.

Contact:

1. Course Instructor

2. ADAP in department course is offered

3. Associate Dean for Education

Variable Credit

Some designated courses, such as thesis, special study project, and directed study, are taken on a variable credit (VC) basis. Students should discuss with their advisers the number of hours for which to register. Other courses available for variable credit will be indicated on the schedule of courses.

Repeating Courses

A course with the letter R after the course number indicates a course that has varying topics and may be repeated for credit.

Grade Point Average and Academic Standing

Students are required to maintain an overall GPA of 2.7 for graduation. Students pursuing the degree whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.7 after having attempted at least nine (9) credit hours, be placed on Academic Warning. Students on Academic Warning must raise their cumulative GPA to 2.7 within the next nine (9) attempted credits of enrollment. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from the program. Course withdrawals with a grade of W (withdrawal) do NOT count towards attempted credit hours for the purpose of Rollins School of Public Health Academic Warning. However, courses where a WF (withdrawal fail) is posted do count towards attempted credit hours as this impacts the GPA. Students should be aware that course withdrawals impact Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal financial aid eligibility. Once the student has achieved a 2.7 GPA and Academic Warning has been removed, the 2.7 GPA must be maintained until graduation. If the student again falls below the 2.7 GPA requirement, they will be excluded from the program and will have a maximum of 30 days to appeal the exclusion.

The Associate Dean for Education and Office of Enrollment Services notify students of academic status within two weeks from the end of term, excluding University Winter Break. If a student has an Incomplete on their record, the potential grade at completion of the Incomplete is not considered when reviewing the academic record for probation. Students’ academic status is only reassessed after they meet the above criteria.

Students whose Incomplete is resolved and whose cumulative GPA is below a 2.7, will not be placed on Academic Warning until the end of the semester in which the Incomplete is resolved (pending the cumulative GPA at the end of the semester is below a 2.7). Students on Academic Warning are encouraged to review their progress and determine if they can raise their GPA above 2.7 upon completion of 9 credit hours.

Contact: RSPH Enrollment Services at rsphenrollmentservices@emory.edu

Dismissal for Academic Deficiency

Any student on academic warning who is unable to raise their cumulative GPA above a 2.7 within nine credit hours will be excluded from Rollins School of Public Health. The student may appeal the dismissal by submitting the appeal to the Associate Dean for Education within 30 days of receiving the notification, who may then convene the Academic Standards Committee to review the appeal request. The Academic Standards Committee will then make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Education, by majority vote, of what steps, if any, the student is to take for reinstatement. The Associate Dean for Education makes the final decision which is then conveyed in writing for to the student.

A student who has been dismissed from the MPH/MSPH, MHA, or DrPH program may not approach faculty members regarding grade changes unless the student has received specific instructions from the Academic Standards Committee. If a student, without specific instructions from the Academic Standards Committee, contacts a faculty member regarding conditions for changing their status, the faculty member will refer the student directly back to the Academic Standards Committee.* Students who have been dismissed from a degree program at the Rollins School of Public Health for not meeting academic requirements are not eligible to reapply to or enroll in any current or future degree program offered by the school. This includes the MPH, MSPH, DrPH, MHA, dual degree programs, and any other academic programs administered by RSPH.

*Under exceptional circumstances a Department may petition the Associate Dean for Education for an additional semester of academic probation. Typically, for an exception to be granted, the student needs to have significantly improved their academic performance and be able to obtain no less than 2.7 GPA in the following semester.

Contact: RSPH Enrollment Services at rsphenrollmentservices@emory.edu

Attendance

Although attendance generally is not recorded, students are expected to attend all classes and to negotiate individual course absences with the course instructor. Students registered for in-person classes, are expected to attend classes in person. Students who are registered for online synchronous courses, are expected to attend synchronous classes. Watching class recordings, if available, is not a substitute for attendance. Students may NOT attend (in-person or virtually) a class in which they are not enrolled. If a student would like to audit a course, students may refer to the Course Audit section of the catalog.

Rollins School of Public Health does NOT permit enrollment in an in-person or hybrid course if a student is unable to attend in-person. Exceptional circumstances (e.g. severe medical condition) that occur at the end of the semester may be considered an exception to this policy with approval of the Associate Dean for Education.

Contact: RSPH Enrollment Services at rsphenrollmentservices@emory.edu

Time Limit

Students have a five-year limit to complete their MPH, MSPH, or MHA degree and an eight-year limit to complete their DrPH degree. Under extraordinary circumstances, students may petition the Associate Dean for Education with the support of their department chair for one extension, provided the petition is initiated no less than one semester before the five-year limit (MPH/MSPH) or 8-year limit (DrPH). The extension will be for a period of one year. Students who are granted permission to exceed the five-year limit may be required to repeat courses.