Grading Policies
The American Public University (APU) grading system is provided in the following chart. Additional information regarding the posting of grades and the petitioning of grades is available in the Student Handbook.
| Grade | Quality Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.0 | All: Very high quality, clearly above average work |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| B | 3.0 | Undergraduate: Above average | Master’s: Expected performance level | Doctoral: Accepted performance level Minimum passing grade for NURS498 |
| B- | 2.67 | Master’s: Minimum passing grade for End of Program requirements | Doctoral: Below Average |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| C | 2.0 | |
| C- | 1.67 | Undergraduate: Below Average | Master’s: Failing |
| D+ | 1.33 | Undergraduate: Unsatisfactory | Master’s: Failing |
| D | 1.0 | Undergraduate: Unsatisfactory | Master’s: Failing |
| D- | .67 | Undergraduate: Unsatisfactory | Master’s: Failing |
| F | 0.0 | All: Failing |
| P | NONE | All: Pass |
| PD | None | Master’s Comprehensive Exam Only: Pass with Distinction* |
| Pass | 3.0 | Master’s Capstone |
| Fail | None | Master's Comprehensive Exam or Capstone |
| I | None | All: Incomplete |
| DP | None | All: Dropped |
| W | None | All: Withdrawn |
| WP | None | All: Withdrawn Passing |
| WF | None | All: Withdrawn Failing |
| X | None | Audit grade: No Academic Credit awarded |
| TC | None | Undergraduate and Master’s: Transfer Credit |
| PLA | None | Undergraduate and Master’s: Credit from review of Prior Learning Experience |
| R | None | Course is no longer counted in APU GPA as it was retaken. However, the previous grade would still be counted by third parties, such as the federal government for Financial Aid eligibility and by the military for calculating a GPA for TA eligibility. |
| S | None | Undergraduate and Master's: Satisfactory - No Academic Credit awarded | Doctoral: Satisfactory progress during dissertation course |
| U | None | Undergraduate and Master’s: Unsatisfactory - No Academic Credit awarded | Doctoral: Unsatisfactory progress during dissertation course |
*Excluding the Master of Public Health comprehensive exam
2026 - 2027 Catalog