Dean's List Honors

Effective July 1, 2023, the University of Pennsylvania no longer awards the Dean’s List citation.

Prior to July 1, 2023, the Dean’s List citation appeared on the transcript and was awarded annually to any student who achieved a combined GPA of 3.7 for the fall and spring semesters, provided that during those two semesters, the student:

• Completed 6 or more credit units for letter grades
• Received no grades lower than C
• Completed all courses on time with no Incompletes, NRs, or GRs

A student who received a sanction of probation or greater for a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, the Code of Student Conduct, or the Sexual Violence, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy was not eligible for Dean’s List in the academic year in which the violation occurred. The Dean’s List citation will be removed from the transcript if the finding occurs after this honor has been posted or if the violation occurs during the summer term following the academic year in which this honor was awarded.

Graduation Honors (Latin Honors)

In recognition of distinguished academic achievement and high standards of academic integrity, the University of Pennsylvania awards Graduation Honors to undergraduate students based on the cumulative g.p.a. on their transcripts at the time of graduation:

• Summa Cum Laude: 3.80 or higher
• Magna Cum Laude: 3.60 or higher, but less than 3.80
• Cum Laude: 3.40 or higher, but less than 3.60

Students who are found by The Center for Community Standards and Accountability to have violated the Code of Academic Integrity of the University of Pennsylvania or who have received a sanction of suspension or greater for other violations of the Code of Student Conduct are not eligible for Graduation Honors. Notation of Graduation Honors will be removed from the transcript if the finding occurs after this honor has been posted.

If a student on probation, or one who has received an official warning, continues to do unsatisfactory work, they can be dropped by the school.  According to University rules, a student who is dropped ends their affiliation with the University.

In certain situations, the student may appeal the drop decision in writing to the Academic Performance Committee at apcdeci@seas.upenn.edu.  Examples of an extenuating circumstance includes a documented hardship unknown to the Academic Performance Committee or significant improvement in the student’s academic record.

Please note that courses taken elsewhere while on drop status may not be transferred to Penn.

After a minimum of one year, the former student may request a return from academic drop status.

Students not in good academic standing may be placed on academic probation by the Academic Performance Committee. A student on academic probation is not permitted to register for more than 4.5 course units each semester. The Office of Academic Services informs the student of their probation by email. In this correspondence, the student is warned that further unsatisfactory performance, particularly a continued low GPA or lack of progress in clearing grades of failure, may result in being dropped from the University. It is important that the student and advisor inform the Committee early and in writing of any special circumstances related to poor performance. Students in academic difficulty should meet with their advisor immediately to discuss resources appropriate to their needs.

A student may receive a “Warning” when they have less than 4 successfully completed course units per semester or receives one or more Incompletes or GR’s during one semester. Also a decreasing academic performance can result in a warning. Notice that having less than 8 successfully completed course units per academic year, will result in a “Probation” notice.

The grades assigned in a course are solely the discretion of the instructor; any student with questions about a particular grade should take their concern directly to the instructor who assigned the grade. Grade changes are submitted electronically by the instructor and are approved by the school before being noted on a student record (i.e. transcript). The University does not permit grade changes after graduation.

Grading Scale

The grading scale is as follows:

Pass/Fail

Pass/fail courses are not included in the GPA calculation if the course has been passed; incomplete grades are not included in the GPA calculation unless they have turned to failures (F); course withdrawals are not included in the calculation- but appear on the transcript. 

Failure (F) or Unsatisfactory (U)

A student may not graduate with an uncleared failure or unsatisfactory on their record, and thus failed courses must be cleared by repeating the same course or an equivalent course the next time it is offered. Failed specified courses are made up by repeating the course. If a student wishes to substitute another successfully completed course for the failed or unsatisfactory specified course, they must submit a Petition for Action. A student is not permitted to take a course having as a prerequisite a course which they failed. Failed courses remain on the transcript and are included in the cumulative grade point average even after they have been cleared.

Incomplete Grades (I and NR)

Incomplete
The decision to grant an Incomplete is at the sole discretion of the instructor teaching the course.

The notation “I”, for Incomplete, may be assigned to the student who has performed well all semester, but who, for extenuating reasons, is unable to complete the requirements of the course by the end of the term.

If the student has not completed their work, and if the instructor of the course has not submitted a grade by the following dates, the “I” notation will be replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record:

• Incomplete Fall grades: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Spring semester
• Incomplete Spring or Summer grades: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Fall semester

A student may not graduate with an uncleared “I” on their record.

Note: The following policy applies to all undergraduate courses offered by Penn Engineering beginning with the Summer 2026 term. Any incomplete work for Penn Engineering undergraduate courses must be completed by the Grade Mode Change Deadline of the following semester in which the student is enrolled. Instructors must submit a change of grade for a grade of ‘I’ by the Grade Mode Deadline of the following semester in which the student is enrolled. Otherwise, the ‘I’ grade that converts to a 'F' four weeks into the following semester will become a permanent ‘F’ grade that may not be changed by the instructor.

Students with two or more Incomplete grades will be expected to meet with their instructor/s to discuss plans to complete each course and share these plans with an Office of Academic Services (OAS) academic advisor.

Repeating an Incomplete Course
The Incomplete designation may not be used to allow a student to repeat the course in a subsequent semester. If a student must repeat a course in order to complete the work for it, the instructor will assign a grade of F for the initial semester, and the student must re-register for the course for credit in a subsequent semester.

Consequences of Incompletes

• Incompletes affect the number of credits earned in the short term and can have an impact on financial aid, athletic eligibility, or visa status for international students.
• Students with multiple Incompletes may be subject to academic action, including probation or academic drop.
• An incomplete grade may impact the ability to register for course/s (if the incomplete is a prerequisite or co-requisite requirement).

NR

An “NR” notation indicates no grade was submitted by the Instructor or if the student could not be confirmed as participating in the course. If the “NR” notation is not updated by the following dates, it will be replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record:

• Fall NR notation deadline: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Spring semester
• Spring or Summer NR notation deadline: the Thursday of the fourth full week of the following Fall semester

A student may not graduate with an uncleared “NR” on their record.

GR

Note: The GR grade is no longer used in Penn Engineering. In the past, a “GR” notation was used to indicate that the instructor had not submitted a grade. If the “GR” notation was not updated by the following term, it was replaced by an “F” grade on the student’s record.

Auditing Courses

In accord with University policy, Penn Engineering students may not audit classes as of the Fall 1999 semester.

To remain in good academic standing, Penn Engineering students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 throughout the undergraduate program while making academic progress toward their declared curriculum. In addition, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in "the major." The major is defined as all math, science, and engineering courses. Academic progress is defined as averaging a minimum of eight successfully completed course units each academic year.

The purpose of Pass/Fail is to permit the student to elect courses from unfamiliar disciplines.

Penn Engineering students may take a total of four course units on a Pass/Fail (P/F) basis. A total exceeding 4 P/F courses is permissible only for students electing more than the minimum courses required for the degree.

No more than one course per term may be taken on a P/F basis. If you are taking an overload (i.e., more than 5.5 course units), you may take more than one course P/F that term by submitting a "Petition for Action" to the Office of Academic Services.

The Pass/Fail option can be used only for courses in the Social Sciences, Humanities, Technology Business & Society (TBS), and Free Elective categories of the course planning guide.

An earned grade of "D" or better will be issued as a "P" on your transcript, and it is not counted in computing the grade-point average; if you earn an "F," the "F" is counted. If you fail a course under a P/F grade, you may not repeat it on a Pass/Fail basis.

You can change the Pass/Fail status of a course by going to Path@Penn with the exception of writing courses that require you to make a request to the OAS Office via email.

Directions on how to update your grade mode during the enrollment period are on the SRFS website.  If changing your grade mode after the enrollment period, you must submit a request to change a course to Pass/Fail via Path Forms.  THIS MUST BE DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE NINTH FULL WEEK OF THE TERM OR JUST BEFORE ADVANCE REGISTRATION, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

Please refer to the University Academic Calendar for dates.  After this date, the P/F status is unalterable. It is the student’s responsibility to verify the Pass/Fail status of courses using Path@Penn.

*In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specific divisions within the University of Pennsylvania granted alternate grading options for academic terms that were impacted.  See University Catalogs for details.  Dean's List honors were suspended for 2019-2020 & 2020-2021.  

A student is not permitted to take a course which repeats a substantial part of a course previously taken. Each course should have a higher level content then any related course already completed. A student may not repeat a course already passed (D or better).

Return from academic drop is not guaranteed.  A student who has been dropped may be considered for readmission upon recommendation from the Academic Performance Committee.  Applications for return from drop are rarely considered earlier than one year after the student has been dropped.

In order to be considered, the former student should complete and submit the Return from Academic Drop Request available on the Forms page.  All requests should be made at least 30 days in advance for consideration. Please ensure you have the following prepared to complete your request:

• A letter stating reasons why the student should be approved for a return from drop status, including an explanation of the steps taken by the student to address/remedy the circumstances that lead to the drop so as to ensure successful academic performance upon return
• A detailed academic plan (Fall and Spring Semesters) showing how the student will complete all degree requirements, with a minimum cumulative gpa and major gpa of 2.0, by their date of graduation
• A letter/s of recommendation from non-family members who observed the candidate while they were away from school
• If applicable, a transcript of any courses at another institution while on drop status (even though courses may not be transferred back to Penn)

Please note: If approved for return from drop status, the student will be on academic probation, and the total course load for the first semester will be limited to 4.5 course units.

Should you have additional questions, please email apcdeci@seas.upenn.edu