Grades, End-of-Term
At semester's end, instructors submit a grade for each student in a course; this will be a letter grade unless the student enrolled in the course on the Pass/Fail option.
- If, because of serious illness or other emergency, you cannot complete all the work for a course, you may request assignment of a grade of "I" (Incomplete) in a course.
- If you fail to take a final exam in a course at the scheduled time, the instructor will record a grade of "X" (unless you have a failing grade going into the final exam, in which case the instructor may submit an F).
- An "N" indicates that no grade has been submitted.
A detailed discussion of grades is available in the Bulletin of Undergraduate Instruction.
If you receive low grades (Ds and Fs), it can result in an academic warning, academic probation, or academic withdrawal. You are also at risk of not meeting continuation requirements.* A summary of the consequences of D and F grades follows:
In the First Semester at Duke:
Grades include |
While enrolled in |
Result |
| F | 4 course credits | Academic warning |
| DD, DF, FF | 4 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| DD, F | <4 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| FFF | 4 course credits | Academic dismissal for 2 semesters |
| FF | <4 course credits | Academic dismissal for 2 semesters |
In Any Other Semester: |
||
Grades include |
While enrolled in |
Result |
| F | 4 course credits | Academic warning |
| Second D | 4 course credits | Academic warning |
| DDD | <4 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| DDD | 4 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| DF | 4 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| FF (passing 3 credits) | 5 course credits | On academic probation in next semester |
| FF | 4 course credits | Academic dismissal for 2 semesters |
| F | <4 course credits | Academic dismissal for 2 semesters |
In Course Work Completed in One or Both Duke Summer Sessions: |
||
Grades include |
While enrolled in |
Result |
| FF | one or both terms | Academic dismissal for 2 semesters |
In Course Work Completed in 2 Consecutive Semesters: |
||
Grades include |
While enrolled in |
Result |
| DDDD | NA |
On academic probation in next semester |
| DDDF | NA |
On academic probation in next semester |
| DDFF | NA |
On academic probation in next semester |
*Note: In determining fulfillment of continuation requirements, grades of "I" (Incomplete) and "X" (Absence from a Final Exam) are assumed to be failing grades until they are replaced by a permanent passing grade.
