If you enroll for credit, you must meet the attendance, participation and course requirements set by the instructor. You can log in to your student portal to view your final grades and CEUs.
Until all outstanding balances to the university are paid in full, a hold may be placed on your student account that prevents you from viewing and printing your final course grades, CEUs and grade reports and from ordering an official transcript.
Grading Basis Options
When you enroll in a credit course, you will receive a letter grade. In some courses, however you may opt to take the course for a passed/not passed grade (P/NP) or to take the course on a noncredit basis (NC) by submitting a Petition for Grade Option Change form. If you opt to change from a letter grade to a P/NP grade you must inform your instructor prior to your course end date and final exam or project due date. If you plan to apply that course toward a degree or professional certificate, you should first make sure that a P/NP grade is accepted. Please note that most institutions do not accept noncredit courses and noncredit grade options for transfer credit. We cannot change a P/NP grade or a NC grade option to a letter grade after recording it. If you are unable to complete your course, you can also submit a petition to withdraw without academic penalty prior to your course end date and final exam or project due date.
Grading System Grades
Grades Quality Points
A+ Excellent 4.0
A Excellent 4.0
A– Excellent 3.7
B+ Good 3.3
B Good 3.0
B- Good 2.7
C+ Fair 2.3
C Fair 2.0
C- Fair 1.7
D+ Barely passing 1.3
D Barely Passing 1.0
D- Barely passing 0.7
F Not Passing 0.0
P Passed (equivalent to a C- or higher)
NP Not passed (lower than a C-)
S Satisfactory
U Unsatisfactory
I Incomplete
IP In-Progress
NR No Report: when instructor fails to report a grade
Other Grade Letter Designations
NC Not for credit - Signifies attendance but not completion of credit requirements
W Withdraw without academic penalty
I Incomplete, may be assigned by an instructor on an exceptional basis if the student’s coursework has been passing quality but not finished during the term or enrollment period due to circumstance beyond the student’s control.
Incomplete grades are contingent on instructor approval, and instructors are under no obligation to grant them. To complete the course and receive a final grade, you must complete the course requirements within three months of the course end date. If you do not complete the work as agreed, instructors may opt to submit a final failing grade for you. If left unresolved, the grade Incomplete (I) in any course becomes part of your permanent academic record.
- An “I” grade designation is issued only if the instructor approves and all of the following criteria are met:
- You present extenuating circumstances to your instructor for not completing the course by the course end date
- You have successfully completed 75% of the assignments, assessments or projects at least three weeks prior to the course end date.
- You and the instructor have made a written agreement on the work required to complete the course and the due date by which you will submit the work to the instructor. The due date must be within three months of the course end date,
- You must sign and present the Petition for Incomplete Grade form to the instructor prior to the course end date. Online students should provide the completed petition form to instructors by scanning and emailing it as an attachment.
- For classroom and hybrid courses, instructor must note on the form the percentage of course work completed and graded and the cumulative grade the student has earned to date. For online courses, instructors must note on the form all of the modules that have been submitted, graded and entered into the LMS gradebook to date (e.g., Modules 1-8) and the remaining modules the student must complete (e.g., Modules 9-10).
- Once completed and signed by you and the instructor, the instructor should forward the original incomplete grade petition form to pace@ucmerced.edu. You and the instructor should each retain a copy of the signed form.
- Online Students Only: Once enrollment expires or a grade I is recorded, you no longer have access to the online classroom or discussion forum. You must coordinate with your instructor to copy or print out any information from the online classroom or discussion forum that you need for reference as you continue and complete your coursework beyond your enrollment period.
Grade Point Averages
UC Merced PACE does not calculate or record an official grade point average (GPA) on your transcript, GPAs can be unofficially calculated on the basis of grades and number of units. The University’s scale of grade points is A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1, F=0. A plus (+) or minus (-) may also be recorded. Grades with a plus sign (such as B+) carry 0.3 points per unit; minus grades (such as A-) carry 0.3 points less. (An A+ counts as 4.0). Work is shown in semester units unless otherwise noted.
Final Grade Reviews and Appeals
All student grades except “Incomplete” are final when submitted by the instructor to UC Merced PACE at the end of the course. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed or revised as a result of reevaluation of student work, student reexamination or the submission of additional student work after the end of the course.
UC Merced PACE considers grades to be a matter of academic judgment on the part of the instructor. You may only challenge your grade and request a final grade review in certain circumstances. Grounds for requesting a grade review at the end of the course include:
- Application of nonacademic criteria –such as consideration of race, politics, religion or gender – not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements;
- Sexual harassment; or,
- Clerical or procedural error in the calculation of the student’s final grade.
Consult your instructor if you have a question about your final grade. If the matter is not resolved at the instructor level, write to your CE Director to request a final grade review within 30 days after your final grade is posted to your student record. Within your final grade review request, state which of the above three criteria comprises the grounds for the request, The CE Director conducts the grade review and informs you of his or her decision - including any remedies, if applicable – within 30 days of receiving the request for review.
If, and only if, the above procedures have failed to resolve the matter, you may appeal the CE Director’s decision by submitting a letter addressed to UC Merced PACE, ATTN: PACE Dean 5200 N Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343
This written request for appeal must be initiated within 30 days after receiving the decision from the CE Director. The dean’s designee reviews the request for appeal, conducts an investigation and makes a decision – including any remedies, if applicable – within 30 days of receiving the request for appeal. The dean’s designee makes the final decision for all unresolved grade appeals for all students enrolled in UC Merced courses and programs.
In extenuating circumstances, the above timelines may be extended.