The Registrar is authorized to obtain from instructors reports on the performance of students in the form of the grades established by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Online grade entry forms are available to instructors and must be submitted by the indicated due dates. (See the Due Dates charts for fall and spring later in this chapter.) The Faculty of Arts and Sciences uses the following system of letter and non-letter grades to evaluate undergraduate student work:
Letter Grades: Undergraduate Students
Non-letter Grades: Undergraduate Students
Incomplete (INC) cannot under any circumstances be given to undergraduates.
The following junior and senior tutorials must be graded SAT/UNS:
African and African American Studies 99
Applied Mathematics 99r
Chemistry 91r, 98r, and 99r
English 99r
Folklore and Mythology 99
French 99
German 99
Government 99r
History 99
History and Literature 99
History of Art and Architecture 99
History of Science 99a and 99b
Italian 99
Latin American Studies 99
Linguistics 99a, 99b
Literature 98a, 98b, 99a, and 99b
Mathematics 60r
Philosophy 99
Portuguese 99
Psychology 985, 990, 992, and 993
Religion 99
Romance Studies 99
Scandinavian 99
Slavic 99a, 99b
Social Studies 99
Sociology 99
South Asian Studies 99
Spanish 99
Special Concentrations 99
Studies of Women, Gender, Sexuality 99a, 99b
All First Year Seminars are graded SAT/UNS.
Certain House Seminars may also be graded SAT/UNS, provided instructors inform the Standing Committee on First Year Seminars of their intentions at the time the House Seminar proposals are submitted, and all students in a particular seminar are graded on the same scale.
In addition, SAT/UNS may be reported as a midyear grade in any full year tutorial or half-course extending throughout the year which does not give a midyear examination. In this case only, Unsatisfactory may be used to indicate passing-but-unsatisfactory work. Assigning an unsatisfactory midyear grade will make the student’s record for the term unsatisfactory and subject to review by the Administrative Board.
The instructor must obtain permission from the Office of Undergraduate Education (for courses below the 200- or 2000-level) or Dean of the Graduate School (for courses at the 200- or 2000-level) before grading SAT/UNS for any course not listed above.
Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Undergraduate Studies
Grades of C- or higher, as well as the grades of PA and SAT, are passing and satisfactory grades. Grades of D+ through D- are passing but unsatisfactory grades. Grades of E, ABS (Absent), FL (Fail), UNS (Unsatisfactory), and EXL (Excluded) are failing grades. All undergraduate student records with any unsatisfactory or failing grade are reviewed at the end of the term by the Administrative Board, which responds to such records in the manner described in the appropriate sections of the Handbook for Students and in the Administrative Board Guide for Students. Responses may include a period of academic probation or a requirement to withdraw from the College for a year.
Letter Grades—Graduate Students
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences uses the following letter grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E. A grade of E is a failing grade.
The minimum standard for satisfactory work in the Graduate School is a “B” average in each academic year. A grade of “C” or “INC” is offset by a grade of “A” and a “D” by two “A’s”; no account is taken of plus or minus. Grades of “E” or an unexcused “ABS” are failing. A grade of “UNS” is unsatisfactory. A course in which a student receives an “E” or permanent “INC” or “ABS” may be retaken for credit at a later time, in which case both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. In many departments, students are expected to maintain an average well above the Harvard Griffin GSAS minimum.
Letter grades are to be used in every case except as follows:
Non-letter Grades—Graduate Students
Graduate students are not allowed to take courses on a Pass/Fail (PA/FL) basis.
Student Request for Review of an Assigned Grade
Both undergraduate and graduate students may request that an instructor review a grade that has been received and may also ask to consult with the Chair of the department or committee offering the course. However, final authority for the assignment of grades rests with the course head.
Once a grade has been reported to the Registrar, it can be changed by submitting a request of the instructor to the Registrar, acting on behalf of the Dean of Harvard College (or the Dean of the Graduate School in the case of 200- or 300-level courses). The Registrar must be satisfied that all students in the course will have been treated equitably before authorizing any grade change. Grade changes should be submitted electronically through my.harvard.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences averages its letter grades with a 4-point scale: A = 4.00, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3.00, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2.00, C- = 1.67, D+ = 1.33, D = 1.00, D- = 0.67. E, ABS, UNS, EXLD = 0. The grade point average is the numerical average of all grades received in courses taken under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for degree credit, including courses taken for credit in the Harvard Summer School and cross-registration courses as appropriate. Passing grades received for courses given by other Harvard Faculties or MIT will not be used in computing a student’s grade-point average except when the courses are counted toward concentration requirements or taken in the Graduate School of Education. Grades received for course work done out of residence will not be used in computing the grade-point average. Grade-point averages are calculated on both a cumulative and annual basis.
Submission of Final Grades
During the Final Examination period, instructors should not leave the vicinity of Cambridge until their course grades have been submitted to my.harvard. Because the course head is responsible for the grades given by their assistants, it is important that the course head closely supervise grading. (See Responsibility for Evaluation.) Each grade roster for a course must be posted on my.harvard as soon as possible but no later than the due date noted.
Mid-Term Grades/UNSAT Reports 2023-2024
Unsatisfactory mid-term progress of undergraduates should be reported online from the third week of the semester until final grading opens. Undergraduates making unsatisfactory progress, or for whom you have other concerns, should be reported in the Mid-Term Reporting function at my.harvard. You do this in the course roster by following the Mid-Term Reporting instructions. This is a critically important action needed to support our students.
Due Dates for Fall Final Grades 2023-2024
Final grades for all fall courses with or without Final Examinations, including 300-level courses, must be submitted on-line based on the due date associated with their assigned Exam and Course Deadline Group as detailed below. View the deadlines listed by course.
FALL 2023 |
|
|
Exam/Student Deadline Group |
Exam Date |
Grades Due |
FAS01 |
Monday, Dec. 11 |
Dec 15 (Fri) |
FAS02 |
Monday, Dec. 11 |
Dec 15 (Fri) |
FAS03 |
Tuesday, Dec. 12 |
Dec 16 (Sat) |
FAS04 |
Tuesday, Dec. 12 |
Dec 16 (Sat) |
FAS05 |
Wednesday, Dec. 13 |
Dec 16 (Sat) |
FAS06 |
Wednesday, Dec. 13 |
Dec 16 (Sat) |
FAS07 |
Thursday, Dec. 14 |
Dec 19 (Tue) |
FAS08 |
Thursday, Dec. 14 |
Dec 19 (Tue) |
FAS09 |
Friday, Dec. 15 |
Dec 20 (Wed) |
FAS10 |
Friday, Dec. 15 |
Dec 20 (Wed) |
FAS11 |
Saturday, Dec. 16 |
Dec 21 (Thu) |
FAS12 |
Saturday, Dec. 16 |
Dec 21 (Thu) |
FAS13 |
Monday, Dec. 18 |
Dec 22 (Fri) |
FAS14 |
Monday, Dec. 18 |
Dec 22 (Fri) |
FAS15 |
Tuesday, Dec. 19 |
Dec 27 (Wed) |
FAS16 |
Tuesday, Dec. 19 |
Dec 27 (Wed) |
FAS17 |
Wednesday, Dec. 20 |
Dec 27 (Wed) |
FAS18 |
Wednesday, Dec. 20 |
Dec 27 (Wed) |
Due Dates for Spring Final Grades 2023-2024
Final grades for all spring courses with or without Final Examinations, including 300-level courses, must be submitted on-line based on the due date associated with their assigned Exam and Course Deadline Group as detailed below. View the deadlines listed by course.
SPRING 2024 |
|||
Exam/Student Deadline Group |
Exam Date |
May Degree grades due |
Non-Degree grades due |
FAS01 |
Thursday, May 2 |
May 8 (Wed) |
May 11 (Sat) |
FAS02 |
Thursday, May 2 |
May 8 (Wed) |
May 11 (Sat) |
FAS03 |
Friday, May 3 |
May 9 (Thur) |
May 12 (Sun) |
FAS04 |
Friday, May 3 |
May 9 (Thur) |
May 12 (Sun) |
FAS05 |
Saturday, May 4 |
May 10 (Fri) |
May 13 (Mon) |
FAS06 |
Saturday, May 4 |
May 10 (Fri) |
May 13 (Mon) |
FAS07 |
Monday, May 6 |
May 12 (Sun) |
May 15 (Wed) |
FAS08 |
Monday, May 6 |
May 12 (Sun) |
May 15 (Wed) |
FAS09 |
Tuesday, May 7 |
May 13 (Mon) |
May 16 (Thur) |
FAS10 |
Tuesday, May 7 |
May 13 (Mon) |
May 16 (Thur) |
FAS11 |
Wednesday, May 8 |
May 14 (Tue) |
May 17 (Fri) |
FAS12 |
Wednesday, May 8 |
May 14 (Tue) |
May 17 (Fri) |
FAS13 |
Thursday, May 9 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 18 (Sat) |
FAS14 |
Thursday, May 9 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 18 (Sat) |
FAS15 |
Friday, May 10 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 19 (Sun) |
FAS16 |
Friday, May 10 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 19 (Sun) |
FAS17 |
Saturday, May 11 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 20 (Mon) |
FAS18 |
Saturday, May 11 |
May 15 (Wed) |
May 20 (Mon) |
Session |
Final Grade Due Date |
F1 |
October 20, 2023 |
F2 |
December 12, 2023 |
JAN @ Harvard Griffin GSAS |
January 26, 2024 |
S1 |
March 18, 2024 |
S2 |
May 1, 2024 |
Submitting Late Grades
Grades must be submitted online to the Registrar's Office on or before the due date noted. Instructors will receive automated email reminders if grades are not submitted by published date. If grades remain outstanding the matter will be referred to the appropriate Dean’s office.
Final Grades in Indivisible Courses
Final grades in indivisible courses are always cumulative—that is, they represent the standing of the students from the beginning of the first term of the course, not merely during the second term. The fall grade will appear on the transcript with a designation such as “A*” (with an explanation on transcript) and not factor into the GPA; faculty may also choose “IP” for “in progress.” The fall grade will be replaced by the spring grade at the time the spring grade is entered. Once the spring course has been graded that grade will appear on the transcript and be used to calculate GPA with all academic credits.
Grades for degree candidates must be submitted online by the date specified. Degree candidates are listed separately on the grading portal and they have an earlier due date. Grades submitted online are final and may not be changed except as indicated in Changes in Grades.
A grade that has been reported may be changed by requesting a grade change in my.harvard. The request should include an explanation for the grade change. If a grade change is requested because of a clerical error or misunderstanding of Faculty rules concerning the grading structure, the appropriate dean will ordinarily authorize the Registrar to change the grade. In the case of a grade change due to judgmental error, the instructor is expected to review the work of other students in the course or relevant section(s) to determine that grade equity would be maintained if the grade change were approved. When late work is the basis of a grade change request, it is essential that the work have been received by the deadline set by the Faculty: the end of the Examination Period for undergraduates or the end of the next regular term for graduate students. After submitting a grade change request, faculty will receive two emails: the first acknowledges that the submission of a grade change request, and the second confirms that the Registrar has approved or denied the grade change request. Consult grade change instructions in my.harvard.
Although the grades of degree candidates are reported before those of other students, these grades are considered final and are subject to the same regulations for changes.
It is the Faculty’s legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality of student grades and also of materials upon which evaluations are made. For this reason, instructors should not post grades by student name or student identification number. Furthermore, instructors should never make a student’s submitted work, such as problem sets, exam booklets, or papers, accessible to anyone other than the student who has submitted it, unless specifically authorized to do so by the author.
Approximately six business days after the end of the Final Examination Period, students can begin viewing their final and midyear grades via my.harvard. However, students who complete online evaluations for all courses in which they were enrolled for the term will be provided early online access to their final course grades. Faculty will not be provided online access to their course evaluation results until they have submitted their grades.
Most instructors return exam booklets, papers, and other academic work to the students enrolled in their courses. Work that is not returned to students must be kept in a safe, accessible location on campus for at least one year after the end of a course. By law, students have the right to review all materials submitted to a course, and for a reasonable charge, may have copies of any originals not returned to them. Course heads should be sure to collect from section leaders and tutors any course assignments that have not been returned to students for appropriate storage. Faculty who are leaving the FAS or who will be on leave and away from the University should make appropriate arrangements for maintaining the availability of students’ work.