Credit and Grading System
Credits
Most courses at AIU are three-credit courses. One credit reflects 15 lecture hours and three credits means three lecture hours per week for a total of 45 lecture hours per semester. Each course has a course code, with 100 level courses designed for freshmen, 200 for sophomores or juniors, 300 for juniors and 400 for senior students.
Grading System and Policies
- A student enrolled in a course is generally evaluated based on a comprehensive review of scores on examinations, performance in class, attendance, and other factors.
- The grade system at AIU is divided into twelve grades from "A+" to "D," and "F." Grades from "A+" to "D" are passing grades. "F" is not a passing grade. Students can earn the designated credits from courses they have passed. Other possible grades include W: Withdrawal, I: Incomplete, AP: Approved, TR: To be Reported.
| Grade (Definitions) | Score | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 100 | 4.00 |
| A (Excellent) | 95 - 99 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 - 94 | 3.70 |
| B+ | 87 - 89 | 3.30 |
| B (Good) | 83 - 86 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 - 82 | 2.70 |
| C+ | 77 - 79 | 2.30 |
| C (Satisfactory) | 73 - 76 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 - 72 | 1.70 |
| D+ | 66 - 69 | 1.30 |
| D (Poor) | 60 - 65 | 1.00 |
| F (Failure) | 59 or lower | 0.00 |
- Notwithstanding the preceding clause, some courses are graded by pass/fail. A student receives credits if he or she passes the courses but does not receive grade points.
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) is computed as follows; the credits and grade points are totaled for all courses; then the total grade points are divided by the total credits and rounded to the nearest hundredth. Courses with grade symbols of P, F*, W, I , AP and TR are excluded when totaling the credits, however, grades of F are included in the GPA.
Sample Calculation: GPA for a student who earned an A in a 4-hour class, a B in both a four- and three-hour class, a P in a 2-hour course, an F in a 3 hour course, and an I in a 1-hour course would be as follows:
| Grades Earned | Grade Points | Credits | Grade Points in Course | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 3.00 | X | 4 | = | 12.00 |
| A | 4.00 | X | 4 | = | 16.00 |
| B | 3.00 | X | 3 | = | 9.00 |
| P | - | X | 2 | = | - |
| F | 0.00 | X | 3 | = | 0.00 |
| I | - | X | 1 | = | - |
| W | - | X | - | = | - |
| Total Credits and Grade Points Earned | 14 | 37.00 | |||
| GPA | 37.0 /14 | = | 2.64 | ||
Examination
- AIU designates a certain period of days at the end of each semester to conduct final examinations. Instructors may or may not use this period to give the final examinations. Instructors can also conduct other tests at any time.
- The above examinations and tests may be conducted in written or oral form. Other means such as paper assignment, laboratory work, or physical demonstration may also be used as means of evaluation.
- A student who misses the final examination or other tests without an appropriate reason will fail the relevant course.
Official Academic Transcript
An official academic transcript will be sent to the international office of the student’s home institution by the Division of Student Records within 2-3 weeks after the end of final exams.