2 - Academic Standards
2.1 Good Standing
A student is in good standing at the end of each semester if they:
- Pass each course in the semester with a grade of B- or better
- Receive a grade of “pass” in the pass/fail clinical practicum/internship
- Have a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Have passed the written and practical portions of the summative exam
- Have met the remediation requirements for any oral or written warning from the program
2.2 Minimum Course Grades
Students are expected to achieve a grade of B- or better in all courses. However, the student’s transcript may contain no more than a single grade of C (see section 2.5). A single grade of D or lower in any course is grounds for dismissal from the program. Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions - Dismissal Policy
2.3 Grade Point Average
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of >3.0 in each semester. Students with GPA below the minimum will be placed on academic probation (see section 3.2) for the duration of the following semester. Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions - Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress
Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to >3.0 in the next semester is grounds for dismissal and may have implications for financial aid. The student may petition the AuD program faculty for a one-semester extension.
2.4 Grading Scheme for Required and Elective Courses
Students may not request to enroll in a required or elective course for pass/fail credit if the course awards a letter grade. Also, students may not request to change the course grading scheme from a letter grade to pass/fail during or after the semester in which the course is taken.
Students may request to audit a course that is not required for the degree. Approval by the Academic Advisor and the course instructor is required. The grade for an "Audited" course will be reflected as "AU" (Audit) on the student’s permanent record, and no course credit is received towards a student’s total credit requirement. The student must attend all regularly scheduled class sessions. See the University Catalog for more information on auditing a class.
2.5 Repeating Courses
The student’s transcript may contain no more than one grade of C. Students who receive a second grade of C in a course or clinical experience, including a withdrawal (W), must repeat one of the two courses or clinical experiences the next time it is regularly offered, usually the next year. Only one course or clinical experience may be repeated. Failure to raise the grade to a B- or better, or a third C in another course, is grounds for dismissal from the program.
Depending on which course or clinical experience must be repeated, the student may not be allowed to continue coursework or clinical training toward the degree in the following semester. Enrollment in courses for which the perquisite was not successfully completed must be delayed until the prerequisite is completed. Prerequisite coursework that is not explicitly stated in the course catalog will be collectively determined by the AuD faculty.
In many cases, the course schedule in a given semester conflicts with the scheduled time for the repeated course. No adjustments will be made to the course schedule to accommodate the repeated course. The student may not request independent study or another course to satisfy the requirement. Students are responsible for any expenses incurred due of the extended program of study.
If necessary, the student will be placed on academic leave of absence (LOA) while awaiting an opportunity to repeat a course.
Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions - Course Repeat
2.6 Incomplete Grade
The University’s Academic Grading Policies specify that:
“A student who does not complete all requirements for a course may arrange with the instructor(s) for a temporary grade of incomplete. Students must complete all course requirements to change an incomplete grade according to the timeline agreed upon by the instructor(s), not to exceed two calendar years from the date of the request. If a student does not complete the required work within the stipulated time period, the grade will automatically convert to “Fail". Permission from the instructor(s) will be required for extension of time for completion.”
For more information, see the University Catalog for “Incompletes” in the Grading Policy.
Students may request an Incomplete grade from their instructor for a course or clinical experience if they meet the following requirements at the time of the request:
- The request is made before the last class session,
- A substantive and valid reason for the request is provided,
- A majority of the course requirements have been completed
- The current grade in the course is a B- or better.
Students who must withdraw from a course before the majority of assignments are complete must retake the entire course. Withdrawing from a course with a grade of “W” constitutes the first attempt to complete a course.
A second request for an Incomplete grade in the same course will be denied.
Incomplete or missing assignments used to calculate the current grade at the time of the request may not be completed after to improve the grade.
If necessary, the student may be placed on academic leave of absence (LOA) while awaiting an opportunity to repeat a course. Should the course undergo substantive changes due to the evolving and flexible nature of the program curriculum, the student may be required to retake the entire course and possibly coursework not on the curriculum in their original program of study.