Grades

Grading System

The majority of courses are taken under the letter grade option, with the following possible grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and E. Some courses, however, must be taken under the SAT/UNSAT grading option, in which a student either passes the course and receives credit for it, or does not. Such courses include departmental colloquia and others as indicated in the course description. The standard for a grade of “satisfactory” is a C- or above.

A student’s grade point average does not appear on their transcript. However, for the purposes of the MTS and MDiv programs (which require a student to maintain a “B” average), the grade point average is calculated using the following scale: 

  • A = 4.0
  • A- = 3.67
  • B+ = 3.3
  • B = 3.0
  • B- = 2.67
  • C+ = 2.33
  • C = 2.0
  • C- = 1.67
  • D+ = 1.33
  • D = 1.0
  • D- =.67
  • E, UNSAT, and ABS = 0
  • Grades of “W” (withdrawn) and “SAT” are not averaged

MTS and MDiv students should see the appropriate degree requirement section for more specific information about the grade requirement.

A student may choose to take a letter grade course on a SAT/UNSAT basis by indicating this preference when enrolling, if such an option is available. Degree programs limit the number of courses that may be taken under the SAT/UNSAT option; therefore, students should use caution when electing this option.

A course will receive a grade of Incomplete (“INC”) if the student has arranged with the instructor to be allowed additional time to complete the work and has filed an Incomplete Grade Agreement form with the HDS Registrar's Office by the deadlines published in the HDS Academic Calendar.

A grade of Absent from Final Exam ("ABS") will be assigned when a student is not present for an in-class final examination. This grade will become permanent if the student fails to meet the requirements governing make-up exams. If a student has taken an incomplete in a course and is absent from a final exam, a grade of I is assigned.

Final grades in full-academic-year courses are always cumulative. They represent the standing of the student from the beginning of the academic year, and not merely since mid-year. Some courses may issue mid-year grades; however, the final grade of a full-academic-year course supersedes the grade received for the first semester.

Incompletes

HDS students are allowed to request one Incomplete per academic year or one per eight courses completed for students on a part-time or per-course basis. It is the instructor's decision to determine whether mitigating circumstances warrant the granting of additional time to complete work in a course (does not apply to exams). Upon instructor approval, the student and instructor submit the appropriate form via my.Harvard.  

The completed form is due to the HDS Registrar's Office no later than the end of the exam period at the end of the business day in the semester in which the course is taken. A grade of INC will be listed for an HDS course once the HDS Registrar's Office receives the approved form, and for cross registered courses once the other school enters the INC on their end.  

The one Incomplete per academic year policy applies to HDS and non-HDS courses; thus, a student must keep to the one Incomplete policy for all courses taken both at HDS and in non-HDS schools. If a student submits Incomplete forms for more than one course, only the first Incomplete form received will be reviewed for approval. Under extraordinary, documentable circumstances (i.e., hospitalization or death in the family) students may petition to take more than one Incomplete. In such circumstances, students must be in contact with the assistant director of student support at accessibility@hds.harvard.edu for guidance as soon as possible prior to the end of the exam period. Any request for more than one Incomplete in a semester or academic year is subject to review and approval by the Executive Committee on Academic Programs.

On the Incomplete Form a “default grade” is assigned by the instructor,  comprising what the final course grade would be if the student did not submit any of the remaining work, calculated based on the stated grading policy and distribution of the expected work of the course. Should the work not be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the agreed deadline, the default grade will be entered as the final grade in the course.  

Students wishing to have their one allowed Incomplete in a course at another school should contact the HDS Registrar’s Office for a copy of the HDS Incomplete form for the faculty member to fill out. The student must also complete the necessary paperwork at the host school. Students must follow the earliest due date for the Incomplete course work between the two schools.  

This Agreement form binds the instructor and the student to the following rules:  

  1. A deadline for the work should be set by the instructor in line with the following limits: for fall courses the deadline may not extend beyond the first Monday after spring break; for spring courses the deadline may not extend beyond the last weekday before classes begin in the fall.  
  2. This agreement must be received by the HDS Registrar's Office no later than by at the end of the business day no later than the last day of exams in the semester in which the course is taken.  
  3. Work required to complete the course must be submitted to registrar@hds.harvard.edu by the deadline agreed upon on the Incomplete contract, which can be no later than the deadline stated on the academic calendar. Work must be submitted to the HDS Registrar's Office and should not be submitted directly to the instructor. This ensures that the HDS Registrar’s Office can record the submission of the work and send it to the instructor for grading.   Incomplete work that is only submitted to the instructor may not be considered to meet the deadline.  
  4. If work is not submitted to the HDS Registrar's Office by the deadline on the form, the default grade assigned by the instructor on the initial form will be entered as the final grade for the course.  

On rare occasions, a student may be granted additional time to complete work on an incomplete by the appropriate curriculum committee. Such requests are granted only in highly unusual circumstances involving serious illness or other unforeseen events beyond the student’s control. A form to make this request is available from the HDS Registrar’s Office. The form will not be considered complete until it contains the signature and comments of the student’s advisor and documentation of the circumstances that warrant an extension. Petitions to extend an incomplete must be submitted no later than three weeks after the original due date. In the instance of a request for an extension of time for a cross-registered course, both schools must approve such requests. 

Courses that are incomplete because the student has been absent from the in-class examination are not given a grade of “INC” and are not governed by the rules for incompletes. Rather, such courses receive a grade of “ABS” (absent from exam) and are governed by the rules governing make-up examinations. 

Students with incomplete courses from prior semesters are further limited in the number of courses for which they may register. Students with one outstanding incomplete may register for no more than four courses; students with two incompletes may register for no more than three courses; students with three incompletes may register for no more than two courses. Students with four or more outstanding incompletes will not be allowed to register. Exceptions to these rules require the written permission of the associate dean for faculty and academic affairs.

Correction of Grading Errors

After an instructor has submitted a grade to the HDS Registrar's Office via the grade roster my.Harvard, the grade may only be changed at the instructor’s request if it was incorrect as the result of an arithmetical, administrative, or other clerical error. Under these circumstances, an instructor should submit a letter to the registrar requesting the grade change. The registrar will consult with the associate dean for faculty and academic affairs and, if it is deemed an appropriate request, the change will be made. A grade may not be changed as a result of a reevaluation of a student’s work except by an affirmative vote of the Faculty of Divinity on such a request from an instructor.