The Graduate School:
Courses, Grades & Policies

Navigating Courses, Grades & Policies at Carolina

The Graduate School Handbook

The Graduate School Handbook contains the policies and procedures of The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Students should become familiar with the material pertaining to their degree programs, and, together with their faculty advisors, make certain that the chosen program of study complies with all policies. Our job at The Graduate School is to help answer your questions, and we are here to serve you in any way we can.

A full-time student is one who is matriculated and meets the conditions for each term noted below:
- Registers for 9 or more graduate credit hours in a fall or spring term; or
- Registers for a minimum of 3 hours of thesis substitute (992), thesis (993), or dissertation (994) in a fall, spring, or summer term. NOTE: A student may register for additional courses as needed, but if registering for less than 9 hours, this must include a minimum of 3 hours of 992/993/994 to be considered full-time.
A student who was registered for the immediately preceding fall and spring semesters does not need to enroll during either of the summer sessions to maintain status as a full-time matriculated student.
More information on full-time registration

The graduate grading scale in use at UNC-Chapel Hill is unique in that it cannot be converted to the more traditional ABC grading scale. Graduate students do not carry a numerical GPA.
Students enrolled in courses numbered 400 and above must receive one of the following grades

H	High Pass - Clear Excellence
P	Pass - Entirely Satisfactory Graduate Work
L	Low Pass - Inadequate Graduate Work
F	Fail

Students are subject to the regulations of student government under the Honor Code. Students may become ineligible to continue studies at UNC-Chapel Hill for student code violations. Instances of suspected plagiarism, cheating on examinations, or other violations of the Honor Code should be reported either to the Office of Student Conduct or the Office of the Dean of Students.
It is the responsibility of every student to support and comply with the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or involving academic processes or interactions with University, student, or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.
It is the responsibility of every student to hold themselves to a high standard of academic and non-academic conduct; namely, to conduct oneself so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the University community.

We take academic integrity very seriously. If you have any concerns whatsoever about what constitutes academic misconduct, please inquire with your faculty member directly so that they can address any inquiries as soon as possible.
- More information on Honor System procedures
NOTE: A grade of XF indicates an Honor Court sanction of a failing grade in a course. Receiving a grade of XF results in the student becoming academically ineligible to continue in The Graduate School.
- More information on eligibility

Under certain circumstances a student will not be allowed to continue in The Graduate School. Registration in following semesters for academically ineligible students will be canceled automatically.
A student becomes academically ineligible to continue in The Graduate School for the following reasons:
- They receive a grade of F, F*, XF, or 9 or more hours of L.
- They fail a written or oral examination for the second time.
More information on academic ineligibility

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