Computing Your Grade Point Average

Graduation requirements include that a student have a minimum 2.0 overall grade point average (GPA) and a minimum 2.0 average in their major(s) and in any minors. For B.G.S. students, a 2.0 average must be maintained in the upper-level courses required for the degree. Grades of "C+" and higher add to the GPA; grades of "C" are neutral; and grades of "C-" and lower subtract from the GPA. Only graded courses (as opposed to courses taken pass/fail, credit/no credit, etc.) are included in this calculation.

A GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of Michigan Semester Hours (MSH) elected during a term into the total number of Michigan Honor Points (MHP) earned during the same term. The cumulative grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of MSH into the total number of MHP. Notations of Pass (P), Fail (F), Credit (CR), No Credit (NC), Satisfactory (S), or Not Satisfactory (NS) are not included in the GPA. Notations for Incomplete (I), No Report (NR, no grade submitted by the instructor), or Unofficial Drop (ED-student is listed on the grade sheet but has not been in class), which indicate that a course has not been finished and graded on time for some reason, initially are not calculated into the GPA. If these courses are not resolved by the end of the fourth week of the next fall or winter term in residence or by a new deadline established by a formal time extension, then these grades are calculated as an "E," if the course had been elected for a grade. A notation of a course that extends over two terms (Y) is not calculated until the course is actually finished.

On an LSA transcript, each term's course information is formatted to indicate MSH, Credits Toward Program (CTP), Final Grade, and MHP.

Here is an example:

In this case, the MSH is 12 because only 12 credits were taken for a grade. The CTP, Credits Toward Program, remains at 16 since the student passed all four classes. The MHP changes to 37.2, reflecting the fact that pass/fail credits do not generate honor points. The term GPA is 3.1 for this particular example.

Here's a full list of all grades and their numerical equivalent: