1. How many credits do I need to be a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior?
Undergraduate students are classified as follows:
Freshmen, 0-29 semester hours of credit earned
Sophomores, 30-59 semester hours of credit earned
Juniors, 60-89 semester hours of credit earned
Seniors, 90 or more semester hours earned
2. What is the Pass/Fail grading option and how do I change a course from graded to Pass/Fail?
NIU offers a pass/fail option to all undergraduate students enrolling in undergraduate courses with several exceptions (see pages 43-44 of the Undergraduate Catalog). To elect courses for P/F credit, students must mark the pass/fail box on their registration forms or notify the office of Registration and Records by the end of the third week of the semester or summer session.
Students who elect the P/F option may change to the regular grading system any time up to the end of the sixth week of the semester (or the third week of the summer session) by requesting the change through the Office of Registration and Records.
3. How do I calculate my grade point average (GPA)?
The grade point system is used to determine academic standing and to award honors. To compute the GPA, the total number of grade points earned is divided by the total number of the GPA hours attempted at NIU (those for which grades of A, B, C, D, or F are recorded), as in the following example.
Courses |
Hours |
Grade |
Points Per Hour |
Points Earned |
BIOS 103 |
3 |
A |
4 |
12 |
ENGL 103 |
3 |
B |
3 |
9 |
FLFR 201 |
3 |
C |
2 |
6 |
HIST 100 |
3 |
D |
1 |
3 |
COMS |
3 |
F |
0 |
0 |
Total |
15 |
n/a |
n/a |
30 |
In this example GPA equals 2.00 (30 points earned divided by 15 hours attempted).
A helpful resource on the Office of Registration and Records website is the GPA Calculator.
4. Can I repeat a course?
A student my repeat a course in which a grade of D or F was received. The grade which the student earns in the repeat will replace the original grade in the GPA calculation, but both grades will always appear on the student’s official transcript. For more information about this policy consult the Undergraduate Catalog or speak with an academic advisor.
5. What is Academic Probation?
First-semester freshmen whose GPA falls below 1.6 for all work attempted at NIU will be placed on probation. All other undergraduate students failing to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all work attempted at NIU will also be placed on probation. Students placed on probation are required to schedule an appointment for a probation interview with the dean (or the dean’s delegate) of their major college. Students without a major and college affiliation will meet with a staff member in the Academic Advising Center. For more information about this policy consult the Undergraduate Catalog or speak with an academic advisor.
6. What is Academic Dismissal?
Students failing to remove academic probation after one enrollment by attaining a cumulative GPA in NIU courses of at least 2.00 will become candidates for academic dismissal from the university. Students failing all of the courses for which they are registered for a single semester, including summer session, will become candidates for academic dismissal from the university. For more information about this policy consult the Undergraduate Catalog or speak with an academic advisor.