Liberty University grading scale, GPA and academic standing

The scale works in ten-point bands, with an A beginning at 90 percent and an F below 60, and no plus or minus steps printed in the guides.

Because most courses total around 1,000 or 1,010 points, an A usually means about 900 points or more, a B about 800 and so on.

Individual instructors and programs can set different scales, so the course guide and syllabus for your own section are the final word.

Some graduate programs require a minimum grade in each course, often a C or a B, to count toward the degree.

Every graded item contributes points: forums, papers, quizzes, exams, Connect homework, projects and checkpoints. Large papers and exams usually carry the most.

Late deductions come off the points of an item, so a 10 percent penalty on a 200-point paper costs 20 course points.

Reading the schedule's points before the course starts shows which items decide the grade.

Canvas shows a running percentage as grades are posted, but it may not count items not yet graded. Working out the points still available gives a truer picture of where the final grade can land.

Liberty's online catalog assigns grade points per credit hour: 4 for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C, 1 for a D and 0 for an F.

Other grades carry no grade points. These include AU for audit, I for incomplete and W for withdrawal.

The GPA is the total quality points earned divided by the GPA hours completed.

So a three-credit A earns 12 quality points, and a three-credit C earns 6. Averaged over six credits, those two courses give a GPA of 3.0.

The cumulative GPA includes all coursework completed at the current academic level, so undergraduate and graduate GPAs are kept separately.

For undergraduates, a successfully repeated course counts only its highest grade in the GPA, under the undergraduate repeat policy.

A W does not affect the GPA, but an incomplete that becomes an F does.

Transfer credits usually count toward the degree but not toward the Liberty GPA, so the GPA reflects only Liberty coursework at the current level.

The online catalog sets minimum cumulative GPAs by class standing: 1.50 for freshmen with 0 to 23.99 hours, 1.65 for sophomores with 24 to 47.99, 1.85 for juniors with 48 to 71.99, and 2.00 for seniors with 72 or more.

A student below the minimum is placed on Academic Warning.

A student still below after the warning term is placed on Academic Probation, and still below after probation, on Academic Suspension.

A suspended student whose appeal for readmission is denied faces Academic Dismissal.

Students on warning are advised to limit their load, and the catalog suggests a 13-semester-hour load for online students in that position.

Graduate programs set their own standing rules, usually requiring a higher GPA, such as a 3.0, and a minimum grade in core courses. Check the graduate catalog and your program's handbook.

Raising a GPA is easiest early. A low grade in the first 24 hours weighs more than the same grade after 90.

Standing is reviewed at the end of each semester, not each sub-term, so a weak first sub-term can still be balanced by a strong second one before the review.

The online catalog places undergraduate associate and bachelor's students on the Dean's List when they earn 12 or more GPA hours in a term with a term GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Certificate-level students are not eligible.

For an online student taking two three-credit courses per sub-term, reaching 12 GPA hours in a term usually means four courses across the semester's sub-terms.

Withdrawals and incompletes do not add GPA hours, so they can keep an otherwise strong term below the 12-hour line.

Graduation honors use the cumulative GPA, so steady grades across the whole degree matter more than one excellent term.

Some programs and honor societies have their own GPA thresholds for membership.

Recognition aside, a strong GPA helps with graduate school applications and employer tuition programs that require a minimum grade.

Students who want the Dean's List in a particular term can plan for it by pairing courses whose grading suits their strengths, such as one writing course and one exam course.

Know where the points are. In many courses forums add up to a quarter or more of the grade, and missing two or three can drop a letter.

Submit on time. The late policy takes 10 percent in the first week and up to 20 percent in the second, and work two weeks late is not accepted.

Read every rubric before writing. Rubrics show exactly how points are awarded.

Use feedback. Comments on early papers show what the instructor will look for in later ones.

Prepare for exams separately from writing. Exams and quizzes carry large shares in many courses.

If writing load is the problem, some students get help with written items such as forums and papers, which are drafted for them to review and submit, while exams and quizzes stay their own.

If a course cannot be saved, a timely withdrawal posts a W and leaves the GPA untouched.

Keep a simple running tally of points earned and points still to come in each course. It turns a vague worry about a grade into a clear target for the remaining weeks.