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Grades
Beginning Wednesday, August 22, you may log in to online services to view and print copies of your grades. Grades for Harvard summer programs that end after Sunday, August 14, will be available in mid-September.
If you want to transfer your Summer School grades to degree programs at Harvard or other schools, check with your program advisors before registering for courses.
Grades are considered final when they are submitted to Academic Services for processing; they are not changed except in cases when the instructor has documented a clerical or computational error.
On this page:
Letter grades
Grades reflect the quality and quantity of your work submitted throughout the term according to the grading standards listed below. Undergraduate- and graduate-credit students may earn the following grades:
- A and A– grades represent work whose superior quality indicates a full mastery of the subject. An A represents work of extraordinary distinction.
- B+, B, and B– grades represent work of good to very good quality throughout the term; however, it does not merit special distinction.
- C+ , C, and C– grades indicate an average command of the course material.
- D+, D, and D– grades indicate work that shows a deficiency in knowledge of the material.
- E is a failing grade representing work that deserves no credit. This grade may also be assigned to students who do not submit required work in courses from which they have not officially withdrawn by the withdrawal deadline.
Nonletter and noncompletion grades
If you are enrolled in courses for credit, you are expected to complete all coursework on time. You may receive one of the following noncompletion grades if you do not:
- *** is an interim grade notation assigned by the Registrar’s Office to students with cases pending before the Administrative Board.
- DE (distance exam) is an interim grade assigned by the Registrar’s Office to distance students whose final grades are not available when grades are posted online. The grade is changed when the instructor submits a final grade.
- EXD (excluded from the course) is a permanent final grade assigned to credit and noncredit students who are no longer permitted to continue in the course. An EXD grade is equivalent to a failing grade and does not result in any tuition refund.
- EXT (extension of time) is an interim grade that may be requested by credit students who, due to extenuating circumstances, need additional time to submit written work (not a classroom final exam) after a course has ended. Instructors may approve or deny a request for an extension of time in accordance with their grading policies. If you owe a substantial amount of work, you should not request an extension of time. Rather, you should withdraw from the course by the deadline. Requests for EXT grades must be approved by instructors and documented on extension of time forms. Submit the completed Academic Services copy to 51 Brattle Street by the start of the final exam period. The latest deadline instructors may set is Friday, September 7. Students who are approved for an extension of time in a distance course will continue to have access to the video lectures until the extension deadline or their grade is changed, whichever occurs first.
- MU (make-up final exam) is an interim grade assigned by the Registrar’s Office to students whose appeals for a make-up final exam are approved. This notation is changed to a letter grade when the student takes the make-up exam. Students who do not take the make-up exam as scheduled are assigned an E for that exam.
- RQ (required to withdraw) is a permanent final grade assigned to credit and noncredit students who are required by the Administrative Board to withdraw from 1 or more courses. An RQ grade is equivalent to a failing grade and does not result in any tuition refund. Courses in which students have been assigned RQ grades are not included in the calculation of enrollment status.
- WA (administrative withdrawal) is assigned to students who are administratively withdrawn in accordance with Summer School policies. WA may be a permanent notation.
- WD (withdrawal) is a permanent final grade assigned to credit students who officially withdraw from courses by the withdrawal deadline. (See the calendar for withdrawal dates.) With the instructor’s permission, withdrawn students may continue to attend classes; however, they may no longer submit work or take exams. Courses in which students have been assigned WD grades are not included in the calculation of enrollment status. WD grades may not be changed to letter grades and do not result in any tuition refund. An E grade may be assigned to students who do not complete course requirements and do not officially withdraw by the withdrawal deadline.
- WN (noncredit withdrawal) is a permanent notation assigned to noncredit students who withdraw from a course by the withdrawal deadline. WN notations do not result in any tuition refund.
IEL notations
Letter grades are not assigned to students enrolled in noncredit Institute for English Language Programs (IEL) courses. The following notations are assigned:
- AR (met all requirements) is assigned to students with active classroom participation, completion of all assignments, and perfect attendance.
- MR (met most requirements) is assigned to students with satisfactory classroom participation, completion of most assignments, and good attendance for the term.
- NM (did not meet requirements) is assigned to students who fail to meet the course requirements.
Grade changes
All grades, with the exception of DE, EXT, MU, asterisk (***), and in some cases WA, are considered final when they are submitted to Academic Services. Ask your instructor for explanations of your grades if you believe errors were made. However, you may not submit extra work or resubmit work to improve a final grade, or have your work evaluated by a third party. Letter grades can be changed only if there is clear evidence of a computational or clerical error that is documented in writing by the instructor. Grades cannot be changed after Friday, October 26. You should contact Academic Services if your attempts to speak with your instructors are unsuccessful.
Although you are entitled to an explanation of your grades, you should be careful not to harass your instructor. Repeatedly calling your instructor about a grade or additional points or telling your instructor that you need a certain grade could be considered harassment.
