Grading Criteria

The introduction of each course explains that course’s specific grading criteria. A letter or number grade, as well as your instructor’s comments, will accompany each assignment returned to you. If you haven’t done part of an assignment, your instructor may assign a lowered grade or return the assignment with a grade of I (Incomplete) and request that you redo and resubmit it.

Final Course Grade  

You must complete all assignments and exams before a final course grade can be issued.

When you’ve completed your course (all assignments and exams) and your instructor has calculated and posted your final grade, you will receive a final grade report in the mail. You should receive the report within two weeks after we receive your completed final exam or, in courses without a final exam, your last assignment. You will also have access to your final grade as soon as it is posted to your Course in Progress screen.

If you are a student at one of the Indiana University campuses, we report your final grade to the Office of the Registrar and to your academic division. If you are not an Indiana University student, you will need to request a transcript for the undergraduate courses you’ve taken through the Independent Study Program. For more information, click here. Please note that the completion date listed on your transcript reflects the date that your grade was officially recorded with the Independent Study Program.

Important: If you are not an Indiana University student and have a deadline for receiving your final course grade, keep in mind that you must complete a course—including all assignments and exams—at least three weeks before you need your final course grade. Three weeks will provide enough time for you to request an official transcript from the Indiana University Office of the Registrar and for the registrar’s office to forward the transcript to your college or university.

Pass/Fail Option

 Indiana University students who want to take a course under the pass/fail option must obtain a form from their academic school signed by the dean. Students from other institutions should contact our Office of Learner Services for pass/fail forms. We must receive the pass/fail form before you take the first exam in the course or, if the course has only a final exam or no exams at all, before you reach its midpoint.

If you are contemplating taking a course Pass/Fail, please be advised of the following:

• A grade of P is often not transferable to other institutions.
• Once you elect to take a course pass/fail, you cannot later decide to take the course for a letter grade.
• At Indiana University a grade of P (Pass) is not counted in computing grade point average, but a grade of F (Fail) is counted.
• A grade of P cannot be changed to any other letter grade at a later date.