The grading scale at the UNT Dallas College of Law consists of the following letter grades, along with the numerical equivalent used for calculating grade point average (GPA).
| A+ | 4.30 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D | 1.00 |
| F | 0.00 |
The lowest passing grade is a D.
In addition, the COL uses the following grades:
| HP | High pass |
| P | Passing grade in a class graded on a pass/fail basis |
| W | Drop or withdrawal without penalty |
| I | Incomplete |
| Credit/No Credit | A grade of “no credit” will not be calculated within the grade point average; however, if a student receives a grade of no credit, he or she does not earn the credit for that course and, if the course is required, the student must repeat the course. The faculty may authorize a course to be graded on the basis of credit/no credit when, in the faculty’s judgment, this method of grading is appropriate given the nature and purpose of the course. |
Grade point average is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted. The grade point average is rounded to the third decimal. The number of semester hours attempted includes all courses with grades from A through F.
In general, letter grades will correspond to the following levels of achievement: A=Exemplary; B=Good; C=Fair; D=Poor; F=Failure. Because the grading scale includes “plus” and “minus” for A, B, and C, the use of plus or minus corresponds to a level of achievement deemed plus or minus the level just noted.
The College of Law has several non-credit bearing requirements; specifically the Community Engagement Requirement; the Mentorship Requirement; and the Practice-Related Technology Requirement. The faculty member or members responsible for overseeing these requirements will indicate whether or not a student has completed a requirement in a given semester, in a given year, or in its entirety, as applicable. The Office of the Registrar, through its processes and degree audit, will maintain tracking of student progress towards completing these requirements. If a student has not completed work or activities for the requirement at the end of a semester in which such work or activities must be completed, a hold will be placed on the student's registration for the next semester.
Incomplete
A student may receive a grade of Incomplete for a course only during the last one-fourth of a term or semester and only if the student (1) is passing the course and (2) has justifiable and documented reason, beyond the control of the student (such as serious illness or military service), for not completing the work on schedule. The student must arrange with the faculty member to finish the course at a later date by completing specific requirements. These requirements must be listed on a Request for Grade of Incomplete form signed by the faculty member, student, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A grade of I will default to F if the student does not complete the specified requirements within the stated time.
Grade Appeals
Under UNT Dallas policy on grade appeals, students are encouraged to “resolve grade disputes through informal discussions with their faculty members and through a formal process only when necessary: As to formal process, only final grades may be appealed. The bases for appeal of a final grade are clerical or administrative error in calculating or assigning grade; grade not calculated in accordance with the grading criteria set out in the syllabus; or grade based on arbitrary or unlawful reason, including retaliation, harassment, or observance of religious holy days. Faculty members may not consider any request to re-evaluate the work. Under the policy, when a student wishes to appeal a final grade in a course, ·the student should first arrange a formal meeting with the instructor to discuss the student’s concern.” For more detail, see UNT Dallas Policy 7.007.
College of Law Grading Policy (effective as of fall 2022)
I. Required Mean For Specified Courses:
For Civil Procedure I & II, Criminal Law, Contracts, Contracts I & II, Legal Research, Legal Writing I & II, Practice Foundations I, Property I, Torts, and Torts I & II, the COL requires that Faculty ensure the course grades fall within the required mean range of 2.6—2.8.
Recommended Grade Distribution for Courses Within the 2.6-2.8 Mean Range:
For listed courses with a required mean range of 2.6-2.8, the following grade distribution is recommended (but not required):
15% (13%-17%): A+, A, A-, B+
15% (13%-17%): B
30% (28%-32%): B-
20% (18%-22%): C+
10% (8%-12%): C
10% (8%-12%): C-, D, F
(must equal 100%)
II. Required Mean for All Other Courses with Enrollment of More Than 12:
For all other courses not specifically listed above, the COL requires that Faculty ensure course grades fall within the required mean range of 2.8—3.3 if more than 12 students are enrolled in the course. If enrollment is 12 or fewer students, the mean range of 2.8-3.3 is recommended but not required.
Recommended Grade Distribution for All Other Courses:
For all other courses (i.e., those with a required or recommended mean range of 2.8-3.3), the following grade distribution is recommended (but not required):
20% (15-25%) A+, A, A-
25% (20-30%) B+, B
30% (25-35%) B-
15% (10-20%) C+
5% (4-7%) C
5% (0-5%) C-, D, F
(must equal 100%)