Academic Grading, GPA Policy & Academic Standing
Grades and Grade Point Average
Students will be graded on a Letter Grade scale for all of the courses in the program. The faculty in the MS program set their own grading criteria for their course, which should be detailed in the course syllabus. This can cover exams, homework assignments, papers, classroom participation, group activities, attendance, etc. If unclear on the grading policy for a particular course, please clarify with the professor early on in the quarter.
When enrolling in classes, make sure to choose the "letter grade" option for every class!
Good Academic Standing
You need to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in order to remain in “Good academic standing.” To learn more go to TritonLink under Academics and click on the “About Grades” section.
Poor Academic Standing
Graduate students who do not meet the requirements for Good Academic Standing, are notified of their poor academic standing by the department and a letter from the Dean of the Graduate Division. If it is a student's first instance of academic difficulty and the GPA is above 2.0, the letter serves as a warning and advises of their academic situation, the consequences, and the next steps.
Academic Probation
Following the initial probation warning, in subsequent quarters if the student:
Raises the GPA above a 3.0, no further action is taken.
Raises the GPA but not to a 3.0, student may have probation extended either by the GEPA Dean's decision or by request of the program faculty with a plan for improvement.
Shows no change, then student may have probation extended either by the GEPA Dean's decision or by request of the program faculty with a plan for improvement; however, this is dependent on the overall GPA. A hold may be placed on the student’s registration.
Lowers the GPA further, a hold is placed on the student's registration.
Depending on the student's academic progress during the quarter following an academic probation notice, the GEPA Dean will advise the student of any further academic action and consequences via a letter posted to GEPA’s Student Portal.
Academic Integrity
Integrity of scholarship is essential in an academic community. It is each student’s responsibility to become familiar with the University’s policies on academic integrity, in particular plagiarism, which can jeopardize a student’s academic status and may have severe consequences. “For students, this means that all academic work will be done by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. Instructors, for their part, will exercise care in planning and supervising academic work, so that honest effort will be upheld.” Just like original inventions, ideas are considered intellectual property and are protected by federal law. Students must be sure to cite all their references properly in the assignments they submitted to their professors. They must be sure to give credit for words, ideas, images, and in short, any creative property that is not their own in any assignments.
Important Note: If a student violates Academic Integrity Standards, they may be subjected to a failing grade in the course and disciplinary sanctions such a suspension or dismissal from the University.
It is your responsibility to be aware of UCSD’s formal policy on integrity of scholarship. To learn how academic integrity and misconduct issues are handled at UC San Diego or to contact the Academic Integrity Office staff, refer to:
https://academicintegrity.ucsd.edu
You can find tips for avoiding plagiarism at the following link: https://ucsd.libguides.com/howtocite
Common Examples of Plagiarism
Fraud: submitting a paper written by someone else
Patchwriting: using words and phrases from a source text (that may or may not be acknowledged) and patching them together into new sentences
Failure to cite: not acknowledging the sources of words or information
Failure to quote: not providing quotation marks for direct quotation.”
Leave of Absence
Guidelines
A student who does not continue graduate study with the intention of resuming during a later quarter files a "Leave of Absence / Extension" form prior to leaving the campus.
A graduate student must have completed at least one quarter of academic residence and be in good academic standing (e.g., GPA of 3.0, and no more than 8 units of "F" or "U") to be granted a leave.
Online form must be filed no later than the end of the second week of instruction of the quarter in which the leave is to begin.
International students must also obtain approval from the International Center.
A student who has registered, paid fees and enrolled for the quarter in which a leave is being requested, is subject to the Registrar's Schedule of Refunds. Students are only eligible for a 100% refund if withdrawing from graduate studies on/by the 1st day of instruction.
A student seeking to maintain health coverage must contact the Student Health Center to purchase insurance.
While on leave, a student may not be employed by UCSD, UCSD Extension, or UCSD Medical Center or hold a fellowship, traineeship, or similar appointment administered by the University. Students may not use any University facilities or place demands on faculty.
A leave of absence or withdrawal does not extend the period during which an “Incomplete” or No Record of a grade must be resolved.
Up to three quarters time spent on approved leave of absence from the graduate program will not count towards doctoral time limits. A student's time limits will automatically be adjusted. (Note: If a student's time limit expired in the quarter preceding their LOA, the department will need to submit a time limit extension request.)
Time spent withdrawn from the graduate program will count toward all doctoral time limits for a student who is readmitted to the graduate program.
Graduate students are eligible for a maximum 3 quarters leave of absence with department approval. Your Graduate Coordinator will help you complete forms as necessary, and advise you on your options. A graduate student who is bearing a child, who has primary responsibility for the care of an infant or child under the age of five, and is in good academic standing, may request an additional 3 quarters leave of absence (follow the same procedures below but specify "parenting" or "maternity" on the leave form as the reason).
This MS program is designed to be 3-quarters long, and therefore, each quarter has set classes in which students must enroll. Please contact your Graduate Coordinator, Kiana Adams, if you have to take a Leave of Absence. Courses are only offered once a year during a specific quarter, so if a student needs to take a Leave of Absence, you will have to wait a full year before registering into the specific courses again.
For more information, please contact your graduate coordinator, or visit: https://grad.ucsd.edu/academics/enrolling/leave-absence-withdrawal.html