2.03 Grading and Examinations

Students enrolled in HMS Master's programs are required to comply with any Harvard restrictions on travel as well as the Harvard University Graduate Student Travel Policy. . Master's students conducting mentored research/capstone projects away from Harvard must comply with this policy in order to ensure that Harvard credit is awarded for their research.

General Principles

1. HMS Master’s programs may be graded based on a letter (ordinal) grade (A, B, C, D,

F), Pass/Fail, or satisfactory/unsatisfactory performance (SAT/UNSAT or S/U). Each individual program is expected to have a single grading system for all of its own offered courses although. Please note that different programs may have different grading systems. If a course offers a choice of grading options and the student does not choose one by the end of the add/drop period for a given semester, then Registrar’s Office assigns the default grading option of ordinal.

2. Courses taken at other Harvard Schools will be graded based on the system in place for that school/course and all other policies related to academic performance at those Schools must be followed.

3. HMS master’s students are expected to maintain a “B” average or “satisfactory” standing throughout the course of study, and must earn a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to graduate. The B grade is defined numerically as a minimum grade of 80%. Program directors and administrators will monitor students' performance and provide academic counseling as required. No student may graduate with a failing grade in a required course or in the mentored research/capstone project. All failing/unsatisfactory grades must be remediated before a student may graduate. (See Section 2.15, Satisfactory Academic Progress.) 4. A grade of incomplete (INC) signifies the failure to complete course requirements because of personal illness, death in the family, or a similar compelling, serious reason. Incomplete grades must be resolved within six (6) months, or a failing grade will be recorded, unless an exception is made by the course director and program leadership, or by the Office for Graduate Education. A grade of incomplete may be given by a course director only for the reasons set forth in this paragraph and must be given before the end of a course. A grade of incomplete must be accompanied by a written explanation to the Registrar and to the student's program director.

5. When incomplete and/or unsatisfactory/failing grades have been remediated, the course/director should initiate the grade-change process via my.harvard as soon as possible in order for the grade to be updated in the student's permanent academic record. Grades of Incomplete will be replaced with final grades as soon as grades are submitted by the faculty member in my.harvard. It is important for students to verify their updated grade appears in my.harvard if they wish to graduate in the semester in which the coursework is completed. Information on how to check grades in my.harvard can be found here. Students may not register for a new semester with more than one Incomplete, unless permitted by the program director and the Senior Associate Dean for

Graduate Education. Students who have one or more incompletes in a given term should be in touch with their program staff and leadership to discuss how this will impact their enrollment.

6. A grade of Withdrawal (W) is noted when a student requests to drop a course after the term’s add/drop deadline for any course at HMS. The course withdrawal will be a part of the student's permanent academic record. Withdrawn course credits will not count towards attempted nor earned credits. Tuition is not refunded for withdrawn courses. See Section 5.03 for specific information about tuition obligations. 7. A grade of Failure (F) signifies the student failed the course. The failure will be a part of the student’s permanent academic record.

8. HMS Master’s Students are required to pass all courses and cannot graduate with a failing/unsatisfactory grade in any course, including electives. Students who fail a required course are required to take a re-examination and/or do remedial work as approved by the course director. If a student fails re-examination or the student performs unsatisfactorily in the remedial work, a failing grade will be reported to the Registrar and, in some instances, the student may be referred to the Academic Progress and Review Board for the Master’s Programs (APRB) (See Section 3.03). Based upon the plan of instruction for the student’s program, the student may be required to retake the same or an equivalent course as approved by the program director.

9. A student has only one opportunity to remediate an unsatisfactory or failing grade by repetition of a course. If a student fails to attain a satisfactory (or better) grade upon repetition of the course, then the final grade will be unsatisfactory, and the student will be referred to the program director for consideration of the student’s future status in the Master’s program.

10. All disciplinary cases involving a student must be resolved and the student’s status in the School must be restored to “good standing” before the student may receive a degree. Only students who are in good standing will be permitted to participate in commencement or related activities or exercises.

The table below reflects the grades used by HMS Master’s courses and their corresponding grade point values.

Letter Grades Numeric Value and Notation Definitions

A= 4.0

A- = 3.67

B+= 3.33

B = 3.0

B-= 2.67

C+= 2.33

C = 2.0

C-= 1.67

D+ =1.33

D = 1.00

D- = 0.67

F = 0.00

SAT* = Satisfactory

UNSAT* = Unsatisfactory

INC* = Incomplete

W* = Withdrawn

IP* = In progress * Does not calculate into GPA

Examination Policies

The director of each course determines the nature, frequency, content, and scoring of student examinations.

In the unusual event that a student is excused from an examination, the course Director ordinarily will provide a make-up examination that is equivalent to, but not the same as the examination given on the scheduled day of the original exam.

In the extraordinary circumstance that a student has examinations in two courses simultaneously, the student will bear the responsibility of notifying both course directors

of the conflict in writing. If both courses are required, then the course directors will consult with each other and the student to set the times at which their respective examinations are to be taken. If one course is required and the other elective, the student will take the exam in the required course at the scheduled time and work with the elective course director to arrange an alternative time for the elective course exam.

Final Examination Policy

HMS Master’s programs and HMS courses may or may not require final examinations at the discretion of the course directors. If a final exam is required, please note the following.

1. Students are required to take final exams on the dates identified by the course director. 2. Students may be permitted to take a final exam on a date later than the one identified in the course syllabus for the following reasons only:

A. Failure to pass the exam the first time taken (Section 2.03).

B. Extraordinary circumstances outside a student’s control that prevent the student from physically taking the final exam on the date identified in the course syllabus 3. In the event of 2b above, the student is required to immediately notify the course and program directors, who will determine whether the student may be permitted to take the final exam on a date later than the one identified in the course syllabus.

All exams must be completed before the start of the subsequent semester. 4. In the event of 2a above, the student must sit for the exam on the designated make-up exam date. In the event of 2b above, the student must sit for the exam immediately following the circumstance that prevented the student from sitting for the exam, per arrangement with the course director. 5. In no case will a student be allowed to take a final exam before the date identified in the course syllabus. 6. Students who are unable to take a final exam for the reasons cited above will be given a grade of incomplete for the course until the exam has been taken and passed, at which time the grade will be changed on the transcript. 7. Students who fail to take a final exam for other, non-sanctioned reasons, will receive a failing grade, which will be recorded on the transcript. 8. No examinations shall be administered to an individual student via e-mail or any other remote arrangement unless this was the mechanism by which the original exam was administered to the entire class, or a formal disability accommodation is in place. Absent this arrangement, to ensure a ‘level playing field’ for every member of the class, students in residential programs must be physically present for all examinations and make-up examinations. Students taking courses in other schools must follow the examination policies of that school.